Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-10
AgaSSiZ on the Amazon.

AgaSSiZ on the Amazon.
Prof. Agassiz, it has been known for some
time, says that the valley of the Amazon
will one day support many million people
that the valley OF the Mississippi will be
nothing to it although the latter lies In the
temperate and the former in the torrid
zone. At a meeting in Philadelphia, he
gave some of his reasons for this view in =
public lecture. The facts he presented
were most striking He sets out on his
journey with every advantage that wealth,
science, and good will can afford. His eA-
penses and those of six assistants were paid
by Mr.. Thaver. of Boston. Other assist
ants volunteered. and thus sixteen persons
formed the most remarkable OF scientific
expeditions. OF two steamship companies
one gave his expedition free passage TO
Rio, and the other the service OF its vessels
for !, whole month The L. s Govern
ment sent 4 circular to all our officers on
the station TO render the expedition all
the service III their power, and the t.mper
or Of Brazil treated them with an imperial
hospitality and arranged for the accom-
plishment Of all their desires y ship OF
war was placed at the service of the Prof.
for several months. He consumed - 900
gallons of alcohol III preserving the spec-
mems brought away. and was even able TO
bring home fossil palm tree, to enable
botanists to throw light upon the former
vegetation and climate OF those American
tropics Humboldt, when he attempted to
enter Brazil from the waters OF the Orino-
CO, was stopped on the frontier and forbid
were perncious To society and inimical 10
religion. Strange contrast,
The banks Of the Amazon form a pecu-
liar specimen OF tropical nature, quite un-
like similar regions in Africa and Asia
There are no hills for 5000 miles clear
across the continent TO the foot of the An
dc>, and the river is 1000 miles long ran
ming from east To west, the valley being
500 miles wide, and OF the most amazing
iertillitv-tull Of vegetable matter and ir-
rgated by rivers where ships of war can
sail for hundreds OF miles. The climate
averages but 81 degrees through right un-
der the lne-12 degrees being the lowest,
and % degrees the highest ever known.
The river runs just opposite TO the trade
winds. and thus makes this one OF the most
mild and healthful Of all tropical regions
Yet it has bad name. owing to the bad
arrangements OF the Brazilian government,
which sends out to those regions Young Of
ticers who nisrepresent the climate to get
away. All his company went and return
ed with comfort. and are now ENJOYING bet
ter health than usual The woods are full of
timber OF the most valuable varieties-I1 :
kinds of timber were counted in . small
region The river is not open at present,
but soon Will be
There Is not i saw mill OH this nobIest
OF rivers. Ia August and September the
snow of the Andes melt, but the lower sec
ton does not feel the rise till the following
March, and the river is highest from June
To October. The rise Is from thirty to
sixty feet, sometimes the whole basin is
under water and the forests may be navi-
gated
This river has no delta ike the Nile, the
Ganges, or the Mississippi-not for want
of mud, for it is a sort OF halt-coftee, half
cream color. and stains the ocean far out
TO sea
stantlv encroaching ON the shore The
river once extended three hundred miles
beyond its present mouth, and a belt OF
that breadth has been swept away.
Whether this Is owing to the sinking of
the coast. or the force OF the current un-
dermiuing, as At Niagara Falls IS uncer-
tain; but rivers now empty into the At
lantic that used to be tributary to the
Amazon.
As to the prospect OF this river soon
being open TO profitable American COM
merce it must be borne in mind that what
ever may be the mildness Of climate for the
tropics, yet teyers would appear certain 10
prevail. Fish are abundant in the river,
but 50 are alligators. and Serpents, iaguar>,
bears. pantherS. and other wild animals.
equally abundant.
The tides at the full OF the moon are
more wonderful than in the Bay of Fun
dy. They do not rise 50 high but much
more suddenly. sweeping along like a
mighty wave or tongue of water, ten or
twelve feet, uprooting trees, and sweeping
vessels most destructively.
Still where money is to bc made, difficult
ties will be overcome, and the interests OF
both the United States and the Brazilian
goyernments, are too closely connected with
the opening up of the vast region, to leave
any doubt but that under the present EN-
perol' those vast rich and important re-
gions, the valley of the Amazon will be
opened to prolific commerce and settle
ment PhHadelph4 Ledger