New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-11-25

u
shut up, and many tumbling In decay This 49, at
present the state OF the settlements and villages on the
AmazOnas. They seem TO be all falling 10 decay Inc
cause OF this deserton Is the manuiacture Oh
Der, which, during the dry season, ATTRACTS from the
homes the people Of the towns, who 90 WIN ther
families into the rubber districts shutting up ther
houses and returning only during the wet season. when
the collecting rubber is longer possible with the
60 the shopkeepers either to set up
little trading posts IN the rubber districts or as pedues
70 travel the rivers in boats While the rubber trade
Il OF great profit the Province and TO the Amazonas
generally 1t is at the time, doing an immense
amount Of harm TO the country Every one Is mad on
the subject of rubber, and every other industry Is aDa
doned The rubber-gatherers live nomad life preju-
dcia to order and morality. and civilization goes be-
hndhand agriculture despised and the growth OF the
towns are retarded With the return OF the rainy sea
son. the people return TO the villages large proportion
as poor as when they left having through Their nproy
dence fallen into the hands OF the traders ana peder
and lost all their rubber. Baiao is only little place
with q dozen or more blocks Of One-story houses the
most built OF mud and waffle. A beautiful road runs
along the bluff through the forest for some distance boh
north and SOUTH and along II are many houses ana htie
plantations OF coffee, mandioca, tobacco &c BEFORE
daylight the next morning, Prentiss and TOOK boat
landed on large sandbeaeh. and had delicious bath I'D
the river water, though we found the ar somewhat
too cool -
Early In the morning we left for Os Patos. Above
Baiao the islands grow higher and sandy The vegetation
has an altogether different look from what 1t had further
down 1t seemed lower aud less luxuriant Cecroiias
were abundant together with large silk cottonrees
(BombarJ large proportion OF which had cast their
leaves Sand beaches became more and more abundant
Here and there shadows, and navigation was more
difficult The change OF vegetation and OF climate az we
ascended and left the Amazonan Valley proper was e1
ceedngly interesting High lands, tabe-topped hills
Ill t1ta
toned TO the low AmaZOnan lands seemed very much
higher began 10 appear above the horizon rocks occa
sonally showed themselves In the river and on the
banke the sand beaches higher and Just ABOVE Us
Patos on the left bank, we found ourselves
obliged 10 co q 10 anchor, owing 70 the low
ness ~ the alter. We anchored just below an
immense sand ank that in SOME places, 20 feet
in hight formed immense plain several square miles
in area--a desert sandspeaking volumes OF the ter
rible power Of tLt dyer during it, overflow. and OF the
enormous amount ~ material brought down by 1t from
the Amazonan Valley Here the home OF the 1nspec-
t6r on high mud bank, 80 more feet above the
level OF the river but st high enough TO escape at
all times the nundaton He promised to arrange men Tor
boat excursion 20 the rapids Night was coming on but
waited to see Something OF the sandbalE ana see ""'
success my young friends had met with in shooting.
got tangled up in thckct Of thorns, aud 1t was not IN
til after dark that reached the sands. The night was
dclcously cool and walked far out in the sands, en-
Toying the sight of the lightning playing about IN
heavy thundercloud that LAY in fun view IN the SOUTH
II was one nceSsant fash Now the cloud was hi through
and through and fairly tlrObbed with golden light, and
anon the lightning leaped from boss to boss, or darted
carthward with binding intent. observed two peou-
artes in the lightning that quite interesting To
me. Twice saw flashes the motion of which was appa
rent 10 the eye The ashwas not instantaneous and the
spark seemed glide rapidly along the surface OF the
cloud. also fash descend in an irregular curve
in the air. followed Immediately by one.or flashes
describing exactly the curve, as II the successive
sparks followed one another along the same path This
saw several times and confident my eyes did not
deceive me. Returning the shore found the crew of
the steamer hauling in large seine. eoOly num-
Der Of fishes Of Characteristic AmAzonan genera were
caught.
Fonr men, pilot and three paddlers. made their
appearauee the next morning without delay en-
gagged them. TIE steamers boat was fitted up win an
awning ! provisoned her for a week, embarked bag
gage and with four OF the party were on by the middle
Of the Accommodating that l considered quite
lucky in q country where everything is put or until to-
morrow. MY aim in visiting the Lower Tocantins was
10 learn something the structure OF the Ama.onian
Valley felt that instead OF travelling along the whole
length In the middle tho best way would be To make
several sections across side at least At Camea ana
Bao the tertiary cays and sands showed Themselves
but knew that at the rapids where the river LETT the
plateau there must be older rocks exposed and there
as well as the tabe-topped hills, was exceedingly
anxious TO explore. Wherever ] possibly could
stopped to- examine the rocks and study Their arrange
meut Just above Os FatOs found the rocky shore
OF the river immens" quantities OF freslwatef Shells
malaria, ampularia plauorbis hsrea, nnoda. &c
Together with specie OF crab, the latter living under
stones OF these shells my young companion iIne arSo
collections. W. iHLp' h~"i4'