New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-12

hundreds VI miles on either sdA N tho main channel fhe
uom Of the valley is as flat at the side az y in lon
rather than a river; and If there are channels ~ which
water flows more constantly thh 2theIS ''3 chanhes
you have frequently, for month az tlme the
WAFER eoHeS lin the character Of tSsse
waer-course nd great difference also In the nature
of the water itself Before however enter into details
concerning the river let few words concerning
the climate. The Valley OF the Amazon has rather
temperate climate. Though under the Equator,
globe. The hottest point Of the EaTtb's temperature
extends to the north Of the Valley Of the Ams19n along
tnent referring to map The Valley OF the AInazonis
OF mder Temperature owing TO two circumstances the
extent of submerged land with the constant evaporation
and the regular flow OF the trade wlnds-wmeh are
Sending air cooled by the amount of moisture re
ccived over the whole OF It's surface Inc no ua a
whole valley that there is unceasng cool breeze
from the Atlantic TO the base OF the Andes reducing
the average temperature Of the valley only 80 The
maximum temperature is from 900 to 92'; the minimum
ton of the Negro that the temperature rises 70 $50
The temperature between day and night Is always
remarkably cool Under these circumstances you see
that far from sharing the intensity OF heat oharaetesus
to degree which will make 1t pleasant habitati0n for
the people 0d f G & Sr 6sd s S
pleasant influence Mycompanons enjoyed u as wen as
denCe as we could wish, preferable to the intnse
heat OF the dogdays ana SO nnil35m as 70 saw ave
climate injurious to health II the bracng air OF our
Northern climate has more stimulating influence upon
the energies of man, know how many II kills. Is the
strong and healthy that survive; and many diseases
which the result OF our Northern climate are only
saved from ali these Inconvenience If it has some of its
would sum MP my description OF the Valley OF the
having a similar tsppeidtte. know that my
and that he Ytsy d tSe Amazon AEON, N particular has
y6ry bad pIptop But it does not deserve IT. and the
aaed II is owing to the reports the officers Of the
Of Brazil sent there to 0s ad9ST TIE yrd 1t
Kind Of exile in an unsettled lapd aid Wishing to return
t. g Ss SP or IS sag & AsSs s
SSSStS y Sos 70 health and Their residence there
S 5S n hs sn the
acknowledgment of some gentlemen who had been there
Now let US look at the river and its banks fd
temperature of the water is So the pgxaum telpeIR
tnEe rs 81 tne lowest tenperatne OF t9e l ~
streams which flow through the forest that are temperate
s hoie surface Of the land Is covered with I'D you may
find at ali tide C0oi %StcF The WHOLE Of this extensive
partly covered with vegetation. The whole IL covered
with the most luXurant vegetat0na vegetation some
times dense that It is almost impenetrabe OF its
character shall give account az the close OF TINS
the River Amazon has three different ons which
sent different aspects At the lower turn OF MS course
the table lands of Guyana and the low lands be-
tween the Andes and Guayama) The Rio Negro
on lie southern shore which comes from the mountains
OF Bolivia and the Andes at that latitude These two
main stream the stream a greater dimension
The whole basin fun OF water after has these
two tributaries and II Is that part alone which generally
goes by the name OF the AmazOnas The Rio AmazOnas-
begins at the junction Of the RIO Negro and extends 10
the Atlantic. Above the Junction of the Rio Negro aud
through the territory Of Peru, II y called she
Rio sOlimOes; and II receives from Peru 10 Rio
Negro two very important tributaries is northern
side One s the lea and the other the Japura On the
southern side it receives other tributaries and then
the Rio Madeira 70 which have already alluded
That part OF the Amazon which occupies the middle track
Of the continent goes by the name OF the somocs TIE
upper part which is in Peru and which comes down from
the Andes, is called Maranon, and II receives trib
e eri'' The southern shore Of the Amazon, below
the Madeira, receives the Xingu the Tapajos and acon
the table lands Of Brazil To the east Of tho Rio Negro
there "a number OF rivers which are hardly known
portant and remarkable for their peculiar char
acter; very broad, but not long. One OF them
1 IN, ~ am IT, IN, re- ~ lie Hrs1or
you reach its mouth 1t seems rs IL broad
spreading before you, and you were passing
afuentO the river which you navigate SO also the
Nina II Is not over 40 miles IN length and has width
OF over 20 MES, that these remarkable for
their width. They comparatively shallow and their
current is very light The natural consequence Is
that they carry little material in slspen-
parent. and somewhat tinged 10y vegetable substance
Xinza are tnge Of gray, those Of the Tocantns about
the same, little yelowish; but all three are clear
waters, as are also the MYERS have named before.
There other rivers Of the same character which are
tributary 20 the Madeira but need not name them par
ticulaI1y Now the Madeira IS OF totally differ.
ent character II is very deep river, which
flows rapidly and carries with II large
It's waters trbd OF milky color and hence the Ma
deira is called the White Water River" The same char
aetersic shared by all the rivers that flow INTO the
Amazon 10 the West Of the Madeira. The Pus, which is
aT Gr ' are an three White Water R9er they differ
however from the Madeira IN one respect tnat though
course al is moi straight, but they are meanderbs
They are literally destitute Of islands, while the Madeira
rivers admit Of navigation great distance Major
in the Braxiian army who was my companion during
zon as our pilots are with the Mississippi told that he
explored the principal course Of the Purus for over 500
drawing Is TO ls feet. The Rio Negro, again,
presents very different aspect. II is a
slow 1t is dark and transparent dark owing 10
the immense amount OF vegetable matter held IN solution
we find In woodlands, which are dark and
yet transparent, Such is the Rio Negro only that
from above, the whole river appears as black as INK
There are other rivers which have the same character
In width and depth and bulk of water but also in the
its pecuaries The Amazon is the main stream; IL Is
white water river; IL is the widest ofa IL that which
occpies the widest area the ramfCations Of which 20
the largest surface and whca flows most evenly
along its whole course; and az II flows from the noun
tains and its main tributaries from the mountains
il is for its whole course a white water river The large
amount OF water which the Rio Negro throws into the
Amazon hardly tinges it all, and you nay trace the yel
lOWish white tint into the abOut50 miles before you
land front of the Amazon itself It enters the
Atlantic, is $50 miles, that il is you may see, the
largest vOlumnOus Of all the rivers known The
banks Of the river everywhere clear, and they rise
gradually above the Hleye Of tie water. The
rise Is hardly 20, 80 40 feet In the
middle course. You have frequently banks Of
about 90, 60, and sometimes 100 feet In one region
only the banks rise to greater height and back Of the
river are hills OF 500 feet which, OWING to the
appearance Of the whole country give the impression TO
the eyes Of lofty range these really low hills the
highest being 900 feet appear by contrast with
the fiat country, ike Alpine Mountains OF these