Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-07-07
Putting Tallies on the Amazon.
To the Editors of the National lntelligemcer:
ORsrRyAToRy .Tnna T. 1S55

To the Editors of the National Intelligeneer:
OBSERVATORY, June Z, 1855.
Among the papers of mine which you have had
the kindness to publish from time to time, you mad
recollect perhaps that in some of them, which
treated of the winds and currents of the sea any
the Valley of the Amazon, it was held that the
Gulf Of Mexico was but great sea-basin which
reserved the foods of the king of Rivers" and
the "Father Of Waters" and thence discharged
them with the Gulf Stream through the FLORIDA
Pass out upon the ocean. Commercially speak
ing the mouth both of the Mississippi and the
Amazon is. it was maintained, in this pass. The
currents place their outlet here, and in explana-
ton it was told how the winds and currents were
such as to bring drift-wood from the Andes down
the Amazon, and from the Rocky Mountains down
the Missouri, and lodge it in the Gulf of Mexico,
where the two drifts coming together might float
out side by side, through the Florida Pass, upon
the broad bosom of the Atlantic. No two pieces
of drift matter from those remote regions had ever
been actually seen to meet and take this course;
but my Investigations had taught me to believe
that they did. Nevertheless, proof positive of the
fact was wanted, and it would be hailed with de-
light if it could be had; for I thought what
triumph it would be for this system Of research if
it could be procured if we could only devise some
means Of putting tally on the floods Of the ANA
zon by which we might know the course they ac-
Wv
tally were placed upon the drift as it reached the
sea could observation ever detect it again! The
trial could be made and chance and patience
might turn up luck for US. Accordingly floats,
properly labeled; were committed to its DRIFT and
messenger has just arrived with one OF them all
'safe and sound!"
In 1851. Lieut. s. P Lee u s. n, was sent
out in the brig Dolphin to verify discoveries and
assist in conducting our observations and researches
at sea. It was his habit to throw overheard daily
bottle containing paper with date and position
Of the vessel and request that the finder would
forward it to me. with a note stating when, by
whom, and where it might be picked up.
One of these bottles which he threw over'of
the mouth Of the Amazon, with its tally, has just
been folpd. 1t confirms all We have said as to
the juxtapostion of the outlet Of these two great
rivers into the sea, and tells us almost every thing
we wanted to know about it.
1t was thrown over by Lieut.. Lee on the 18th of
May, 1852, lat. % 29< 21I n, long. 460 s. s4/
W., and picked up by Lieut. DeHaven, q. S. n,
I'd April, 1855, on the beach Of the Galveston Is
land Texas The record was much mutilated, but
though it was iegible to him with his appliances,
nevertheless the Arctic explorer was accustomed
to get knowledge by catching the ends of the
smallest clews. He felt sure that the paper which
had been SO carefully corked up and sealed con-
tanned matter of import and transmitted it with a
letter to Prof Bache, of the Coast Survey 1t was
illegible to him also; but he handed it over to
the Electrotype division of his Office" and, 10
it was the tally which Lee had put upon the cur
rent of the Amazon three years before for me,
IF Lieut.. DeHaven had picked up the first piece
of drift-wood he came across after finding this
bottle he probably would, could he have subjected
it to process which would have done for it what
the electrotype of the Coast Survey did for the
bottle, have found that it was from the Missis
sippi, perhaps from the Upper Missouri.
The paper, considering its cruise, the length Of
time it was in the bottle, is something of curios-
ty. therefore send you bit of it for the sake of
the beautiful story it tells.
Respectfully, &c. NJ. F. MAURY,
Lieutenant q. S. Navy.