Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-01-29


ten hest sE.rs Of ,ss;.ssn loJssi. 4
beget a Dc q attain TO its excellence. .-,sSe ne
shailsseel 6daistl TePaiia all tl1se;iato oi
i 1T hes'cosf: = The :
80 '.s3rz ~ =.
Professor kgaseiz . on ttbI !:
Tits inhstfious; SiI.iSSz-who sReals osii
aguaHgge. a1iiis se an lasss : ~
!. b9s1 terta5i sad inst She
lsr return frol4 st6ssIeat
8 s9ls tiean BASIN: From a Is lef In the
+ Baltimore 2rapsc,5pt, t31atod the! 9Th inst,
ark. we copy as 81.
F6r the ffstE time last evening siace hiss.
turn from izSrazii ePretessor Agassiz lectures
Z before dfetropolitans ssuclieIiee The Brook.
I Ign Academy has been crowded by a mos IN
fatit q
the Professors explanations OF the =" Aspect
! OF the Amnzon." 1t is impossible to do full
! justice to tie Professors learned remarks.
! which are, of course, more instructive than
entertaining; but for all Of those taking an
interest in the science OF which Agassiz is
the acknowledged chief. the information i'm
| parted by him cannot fail to be Of great value
! de said:
Those wi 0 had not seen tropical countries
| were hardly prepared. even by comparison TO
! form an accurate idea Of the richness of ma
| ture where 1t was most protuse, aud where it
resented Its granGest scenery, aud there was
no tropical scenery richer than that Of South
Amcrica-at least far as the variety of
.vegGiation went The railey of the Amazon
especially, was wonder in itsell-a combi-
nation OF rare water and vegetable growth
| All other rivers were diminutivo wLeu COM
pared with the Amazon. The wloIa. region
was submerged plain three thousand miles
long and from five hundred to seven hundred
III width. entirely occupied by the immense
water basin through which the river flowed
from the Andes to the A%lantic-Ihe plane
sIhDtIng from west to eastward. but so slightly
that 1t did not exceed two hundred and forty
feet for the whole length from the borders of
the Para through to the coast.
Over that plain were iunumeraJlc ranrii-
cations Of these fresh waters 10 an extent that
ought rather to require the nnme OF ocean
than Of river. Its front was rs broad as the
whole width of ireland. Thirty miles away
from the coast of Brazil. You could sec already
the disturbed yellow waters Of the amazon.
Ininglng with the clear blue waters of the
oceaa. And yet there WIS u purity about the
wt!ers OF Ibis river. II WAS one hundred and
fifty miles wide at its mouth and the entrance
lat" the great water system was by two rivers
the Para on the south aud thc main branch
Between the two the island Of Marain.
which was half the width of Ireland lie
here Illustrated the outline Of the island, and
position Of the mouths Of the rivers
Ihe eye could not see from Cape North
over I" SaIlmas or to either shore of this island
the width being sixty miles, aud requiring
six hours OF steam navigation to cross Be
tween the island and Para were innumcrablc
small islands, and further inland there were
80 MANY ch rImcls that it seemed us if he
ocean flowed by them, aud you could sail one
thousand and twelve mile, up tie channel be>
lore 1t really assumed the shape OF "A river It
was not TIL you asccmdcd above the Rio Negro.
and the Amlzpn that the shores were visible
either side Tie tide motion was felt not
oniy AT Para but four hundred miles above
he tributaries of the Amazon were US CO.
loSsai as the Amazon itsclf. They were the
I0cantIns, winch entered above Para, the
thln%n, aud three others on the southern side.
Such combination Of lar-e rivers existed
nowhere else and what Was particularly re-
m"rkabic was thci: rcI@rie1.s TO one caoIher.
1t flowed nearly along I'd" SANG lni of lat
ituu" under the equator, and was, therefore,
SUBJECT to the same climate influences Some
"i the features of the Madcira and the Rio
negro rivers were alluded to. after which the
lecturer remarked that the plain was an un-
rcnct!Tsh!c without TIE use of the hatchet.-
he hills on the left side of the barEs seem
ca hiEh, thUrgh none exceed one thousand
feet IN altitude. They were net unequal but
were perfectly fiat and as level as tie plain
below. These owed their existence to fur
rows or washings by the rains of the inter
vcnInE masses, and were at one time more cx-
tcns1vc. They were formed Of regular strata
and were testimony to the presence in early
times Of extensive glaciers in Brazil. 80 :
The vegetation Of the Amazunian region
consisted in part Of tropical forests. wRich.
unlike our forests. did rot contain clusters of
the same family but groups Of various trees.
There was not an OAK. maple, elm, or poplar
i'll the whole valley of the Amazon. nor . sim
gle plant allied to those which form our for
eStS. There were remarkable specimens of
trees which belonged to the same family as
the locust, one OF the Peculafitics of which
was to have leaves that are not simple, but
along which are lateral leaflets. The myrtle.
which was small shrub here, performed an
important function in this rcnion. furnishing
a variety OF fruit as diverse, luscious aud
peasant and refreshing as those OF .be family
to which our r"sc belonged with us-the near.
cherry, apricot. peach, plum and almond.
The great Brazilian chestnut belongs to tbe
former family. Its fruit was the size of the
two fists. contained number af' TRIANGULAR
nuts. and the tree grew to the height Of one
hundred and eighty to two hundred feet.
WHAT is PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE !?
The New York Ojserrer answers this ques-
ton in few words, but very comprehensive
ly, as follows:
Under its influence spring tasty and con-