New-York tribune., 1867-02-06
~&g%+
THE AMAZON.

4
,out OF Science and Art the Cooper institute iast
uleht ]s subject being the geological formation of the
ValIeyNf the Amazon large ana mteingehs auaenoo
rEesent Prof Agassiz was INTRODUCED py III viz
eOnD aud was Enthusiastically received lie used froI
(uisots wall map Of south America and ple'K poO'
% illustrate his subject He said
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; This year will W'"'N7
an event OF no small importance with reference
20 the progress Of commerce and uNHAduVN'
10 has pleased the Emperor OF BraAi 10 "eciee
that the Valley oI the Amazon shall DC Upento ~
the eomuerce Of the world the Th Of september next
day memorable IN Brazil, rs IL is Their fouru oI 1uy
This has some lectures on that valley tnat
our community may become acquainted with l'e
physical Features aud vita Its natural piouuc's
that tbose wh0 care may be prepares 10 aNah
themselves Of the advantages which henceforth viii ho
r4tcuarly ours in reference TO the navigation OF VsV
fla,d sea Tonight shall sketch the geological eosu
1naion that region and In my next lecture enter D're
fes upon uRxpOsiton OF the climate the eharacuo VI
she river and its tributaries its banks and is epcy
ar civilization and commerce. Like all other Inequalities
pon the surface the earth, the Valley Of the Anazoh
pwes its present appearance 10 succession OF eNehs
which have taken place at long Intervals a1 uose SUE
fossye geological periods which nave hdue o"i e"I'"
what is VOW. in order therefore, 10 uhoors'"N ".
few facts have been able TO collect I'D SNORT s'! ~
thatextensve tract land il is necessary that shou
.aean feq nriueipes bearing upcn the appreciation o
the geological constitution Of any country WISH
4ould dispense with this necessary part ot my SUBJECT
not unfortunately, geology is not yet part VI our
elementary education; IL is not even always part
of an advanced education, and yet, as science,
"A has made such progress that its fundamental
principles should bc understood by all just as an u~e
stand certain elementary facts concerning every brahch
of human knowledge have iust sao that the physleh
features any country far as determined ny the geo
logical constitutions Of such lands owing 10 scces
son OF events which have place at long intervals
No part Of our globe has assumed its present appearance
at once by sudden fiat il has grown TO be what 1t IS
There no point of sea shore which does not owe JUS
eOnfuratiOn 70 wearing action OF the waves There
is noiuequaty an the surface of the earth which does
moi owe IFS outline 10 the disntegratiOn OF that surface
urlng ages and 30 there is extensive tract OF land
which does not IT. peculiar construction 20 tnose e
course Of time made il succesSyey what ~ mas geeh az
fferont periods time mass or loose lnatelas
surface at later time ban OF inatesis In d s'..o ~
soIioe, ,S 80 deuse AZ lis snrfaee and form the first
fiud ocean, and then it boiling sea, sending BACK
90 the atmosphere constantly the waters when II maa
condensed Then it cooled and IN the process OF cooling
,aor took place and hot water being now
attracted by the began to move Ia regular eppu
6 abraid ID and carry materials which were deposited
St some distance nom new De9s anu ST s oId n%
manneT Strained crust has Deel aCeu u ~ e,Is
eeusowing its existence to cooling OF Deed nateIla
water 10 express IL more correctly the crust Si
Pur earth has grown ~ thlsSness an1 from nnilS tGSs
effect Cf internal heat, the surface has become nhat
a0e From thar time u has 4fen ihaoec ss, f cf
i6ese firs born have been modified, have
inc has modfed the coufglratiOD Of the surface In
this process gradually came first ISLES then extensive
tracts az land then continents have arisen above the sea,
aud these lands have been modified by further upheayas
sd further changes &ns e o III S SSeG % S me animals
end paus which eSIst upon its surface Now TINS RAPID
gone whole win enable me to explain more fnly the
manner in which the Valley Of the Amatos a. mas % Deen od
ent of the series OF beautiful maps made ny fro
pprodnced that you have at once the image Of the ply
heal constitution Of south Anerea Pointing to the
he Pacific Ocean, the whole chain Of the Andes rising IN
g %s S e sGS sos sof1 S SOfSS @ Sad 10 EsS &
and forming the barrier of the continent against
a and teso other high Lands which is the table land
81 Guayana aud between them yon these low lands
which only feet above the level Of The sea;
bh the maRl this the Valley Of the Paraguay tis The
eHe SHother Here the Valley of the rnoco with the
Valley the Amazon, through the Cadguiara, which II
Sy eGeS nc s"g Eho eRyNs o N a Th & ' oTs into the
Amazon and here we have nearly water e9mnpIlea,
Che head-waers Of the Madeira and the headwaers Of
the table land OF Brazil on the other and te chain Of the
Andes N enethef direction constitute @ . tns t9Iee
qualities are o. very 9lfeIent age The oidest part q
North America compares IN stIidDg with South
na Shah aaae "a 'U& Tpeaedy 9 e SSg Shys ataSe
6 our continent with view Of giving more
for granted that the aspect Of this continent s moro
fesdly known The next Oldest par, Of the continent s
She Apdes II s OF comparatively recent date ana pres
eSsoains the rclaSe age i different
There was time whom Guayana existed island,
when the table lands Of Brazil existed Island but
when the whole range OF the Andes did not yet exist The
hon the Atlantic 10 the Pcc usf as with ne there as
= time whon what constitutes Canada and the Whole
extent OF the land 70 the north OF the great
Labrador In direction westward fOm the
vi hen Of
be continent of North America existed The geOlogsts
hho charged by this Government with tie survey
n the mineral lands lake Superior have established,
beyond possibility OF doubt that that portion Of
bur continent s the oldest, and that u was at time
On extensive isl and 0bong narrow IN the direction from
boT 70 sOnth extensive IN the direction from TO
west that is, large island extending IN aswesteTly
direction az one time the only portion OF North
the ssa aud when it this isolation
enteIior TO that during which our coal deposits have
been formed Al later time another tract Of our North
0rn continent has been raised, the Alganie aud 40 tue
soiIInSnl o. NYrth hmsIlea neeh as y were an open
triangle " tno northefn lands extending IN an east
westerly direction he green and Nits mOunains) and
but there were 10 Rocky Mountains me land open
end failing of toward the Pacific, just as in
he be" west, there being no Andes at that time
You then that portion Of the continent has been
hpheayal- ana what mean by upheaval shall explain
pIesentyby the uIheaval Of the lands teDdiHg IN the
lhe iand endng 10 the direction OF the Aegapes aud
bbeD by the uPieaYal ui the Rocky MOunJdns.eO the
triangular shape Of the continent Of North America has
been formed Now, you see there Is ehing similar to
that In slightly modified proportions ia South America
table Land OF Brazil corresponding the Aneghany re-
riOn, and the Rocky Mountains 10 tbe Andes TIE man
heFsioOd By geOOCists and yet fear thai I might
Sot bs able TO explain with sufficient precision The
satements with reference to these nphcavais wife our
Earth cooling from the state 81 primary IgntOus fu
materials IN heated state larger than when cool
bar oilro1 REQ hot longer mon when cold ad ne same