The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1870-02-10
The Amazon.

Let us, following in brief abstract tn e
account of Mr.. Orton, touch upon some
prominent characteristics this great
ocean river. 1t rises in theAlntle Peru
Wan lake Of Lauricocha, just below the
limits of perpetual snow. For 50omiles
it flows swiftly through deep valley.
Then, turning sharply eastward, it runs
$500 miles across the great equatorial
plain. 1000 miles above its mouth its
width is mile and half, increasing to
more than ten miles at the head of the
delta, where it divides, and, after run
ming 400 miles, presents a front of $50
miles upon the ocean. For a great dis
tance it is bordered by side channels or
"bayous,' as they are called upon the
Mississippi, named by the Indians
igardpes, or "canoe- paths.' From
Santarem, the principal town above
Para, one may paddle thousand miles
parallel to the river without once enter
ing the stream. For twenty five de-
grees of latitude every river that flows
down the eastern slope of the Andes is
an afffuent Of the Amazon. 1t is as
though all the rivers from Mexico to
Oregon united their waters in the Mis-
sissippi. A half score of these tributa-
ries are larger-the Danube excepted
than any European river out of Russia.
The volume Of its waters is greater even
than the breadth Of tie river would in
dictate. At Nauta, :, 200 miles from its
mouth, the depth is 80 feet, increasing
rapidly as it appr' aches the ocean. The
largest ocean steamer could doubtless
steam 1000 miles up the Amazon.
The vegetation Of the valley is exu-
berent. There is bewildcring diversi
ty of grand and beautiful trees, wild,
unconquered race of vegetable giants,
draped and festooned by creeping plants.
The moment you land on shore you are
confronted by a solid wall of vegetation,
through which, if you wish to proceed,
you must hew your way with axe or
mocheta. Palms, Of which thirty vari-
ties are noted, constitute the majority of
trees. Then there are "cow trees" one
hundred and fifty feet high, yielding
milk of the consistency of cream, used
for tea, coffee, and custards. The
"caucho,' or rubber tree, though of
different species from that of the East
lndias, produces gum which const.
tutes most of the rubber of commerce.
Agassiz puts this tree, forty or eighty
feet high, in the same class with the
milk weed" of our American PASTURES.
Foremost among these is the Morio-
Pinifo0, or "tortoise she'll woodr the
most beautiful in grain and color of any
in the world. Enough of this is wasted
every year to veneer all the dwellings of
the civilized world For many years to
come the exports of the Amazon Valley
must be mainly the products of its for
ests. Yet, strangely enough, timber is
now one of the chief articles of import
at Para. a city of $1,000 Inhabitants,
lying on the verge of great forest, buys
pine boards from far-away Maine! This
folly will in time come to an end. Con-
trary to all that we might expect, the
climate of the Amazon Valley is tenn
perate rather than tropical. 1t is more
equal than any other region of the
world. Year in and year out it ranges
from 740 to S70-the fair mean being 500.
Prom 1.-The Andes and the Amazon"
by A. II. GUERNSEY, in Haype,''S Mag
u.i''e for Lt6ruury.