The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-01-18
From G}eaSon'S Pictorial. I
ELD0RADO.
NO. XIV.
BY THOMAS BULFINCH.
Valley of the Amazon, Concluded.

n Sudi dCJdl VI edfdSCS ANU ueSOldteu SOli
tudes that characterizes them above, an,
begin to show signs of habitation and cul
tivation. We passed to-day several farms
5 with neatly framed and plastered houses
c and a schooner-rigged vessel lying Of
several of them"
They arrived at the junction of the riv
er Negro. This is one of the largest o
the tributaries of the Amazon, and de
rives its name from the blackness of it
waters. When taken up in tumbler th'
water is light red color, like a pail
juniper water, and is probably colored By
some rich berry. This river, opposit,
the town of Barra, is about mile and ,
half wide, and very beautiful. It's nav
igable for almost any draughts to Tho
Masaya. distance of about four hun
dred miles; there the rapids commence
and the further ascent must be made il
boats. By this river communication
exists with the Orinocp, by means of a re.
markable stream, the Cassaguiare, which
seems to have been formed for the sole
purpose Of uniting these two majestic riv-
ers aud the future dwellers upon them in
the bonds of perpetual amity. Humbolt,
the great traveller and philosopher, thus
speaks oft. "The Cassaguiare, as broad
as the Rhine, and the course of which is
one hundred and eighty miles in length,
will not much longer form in vain a nav
igable canal between two basins of rivers
which have a surface of one hundred and
ninety thousand square leagues. The
grain of New Grenada will be carried to
the banks of the Rio Negro; boats will
descend from the sources of the Napo and
the Ucayali, from the Andes of Quito and
upper Peru to the mouths Of the Orinoco
A country nine or ten times larger than
Spain, and enriched with the most varied
productions, is accessible in every direc-
ton by the medium of the natural canal
of the Cassaguiare, and the bifurcation of
the rivers" Lieutenant Herndon adds,
"a glance at the map and reflection
upon the course Of the tradewinds, will
show conclusively that no ships can sail
from the mouths of the Amazon and Or
inoco without passing close by our south
crn ports. Our country then is the nat
ural depot for the rich and varied pro-
ductions of that vast region; here, too,
can be found all that the inhabitants of
that region require for their support and
comfort"
The greatest of all the tributaries of
the Amazon is the Madeira, whose juno
ton our travellers next reached For
four hundred and fifty miles from its
mouth there is good navigation, then oc-
cur cascades, which are navigable only by
boats, and occupy three hundred and ff-
ty miles, above which the river is naviga-
bic for large vessels, by its great tribu-
taries, into Bolivia and Brazil.
They next entered the country where
the cocoa is regularly cultivated, and the
banks of the river present much less
desolate and savage appearance than they
do above. The cocoa-trees have vel.
low-colored leaf, and this together with
their regularity of size, distinguishes them
from the surrounding forest" Lieuten-
ant HerDdon says, II do not know a pret-
tier place than one of these plantations
The trees interlock their branches, and
with their large leaves make shade i'm
penetrable to any ray of the sun; and the
large golden-colored fruits, hanging from
branch and trunk, shine through the green
with a most beautiful effect. This is the
time of the harvest, and we found the peo.
pie of every plantation engaged in the o.
pen space before the house in breaking o.
pen the shells Of the fruit, and spreading
the seed to dry in the sun. They make
pleasant drink for hot day by press
ing out the juice Of the gelatinous pulp
that envelopes the seeds. 1t is called CO.
Goa wine; it is white viscid liquor, has
an agreeable acid taste, and is very re-
freshiDg."
We must hasten on, and pass without
notice many spots of interest on the river,
but as we have now reached compare
lively civilized and known region, it is
less necessary to be particular. The
Tapajos river stretches its branches to the
town of Diam antino, situated at the foot
of the mountains where diamonds are
found. Lieutenant Herndon saw some of
the diamonds and gold sand in the pos
session of a resident of Santarem, who
had traded much on the river. The
gold-dust appeared to him equal in quail
ity to that he had seen from California.
Gold and Diamonds, which are always
united in this region, as in many others,
are found especially in the numerous wa
ter-courses, and also throughout the whole
country. After the rains, the children of
+, niamantino hunt for the gold contained
in the earth, even of the streets, and in
the bed of the river Ouro, which passes
through the city, and they often collect
considerable quantities. 1t is stated that
diamonds are sometimes found IN the sto-
machs of the fowls. The quantity OF oi'
amonds found in year varies from two
hundred and fifty to five hundred oataras,
the ottawa being about seventeen carats.
The value depends upon the quality and
size of the specimen, aud can hardly be
reduced to an estimate. 1t is seldom that