The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-22
THE HEART OF THE ANDES.
The southeastern Provinces Of the Co
lOInbian RCpublW.
New York Sun.

New York SUM-
No civilized region OF this continent
has hitherto been so isolated and un-
known rs the southeastern provinces Of
the Colombian Republic. Walled off
from the ports of the Pacific by tower
ing peaks of the Andes utterly imprac-
ticable to beasts OF burden, the com
MERGE Of flourishing district has been
stintcd to such scanty supplies as could
be conveyed upon the backs OF men.
For years the pent up inhabitants have
looked tot the opening Of communication
with Brazil through % continent OF the
Amazon rs the one avenue Of deliver
ance from an intolerable situation The
entire feasibility Of the project, and it's
capital Importance to both countries,
are set forth with other interesting facts
in memorial addressed by Raphael
Reyes. u citizen of Colombia, to the Bra
lillian Government.
Rather more than year ago Senior
Reyes undertook to traverse the I'M
broken forest which stretches across
thirty degrees Of longitude from the
Andes to the Atlantic 1t is however,
the first and unfamiliar part OF his
journey, performed in an open boat on
the Rio Potumayo, which is invested
with peculiar interest. His personal
soundings and observations of that
llNtl -Ilt uISt VI WHICH We nave COLI
secutive record prove it to be u perfect
natural highway, free from obstruc-
tons, and of depth sufficient to admit
Of steam navigation throughout most of
its great length.
The lea, or Potumayo, has its source
among the Andes in the province OF
Paste, under the second parallel of
north latitude. Besides numerous
smaller feeders, it receives tho waters Of
twenty five great aflluents, Of which tho
last ten, beginning with the Guames,
are nayigable. The length Of the Potu-
mayo Is not less than nine hundred
miles, and its depth throughout six
seventies OF its course ranges from seven
to thirty feet. These measures, more
over, were taken in the dry season, be-
tween December and April, and should
be doubled for the remainder of the
year. The river has breadth at GER
tain points Of four hundred yards, the
bottom is OF firm sand, and the current
may run three knots an hour
The forests which skirt the lower
course OF this great water road abound
in cacao, sarsaparilla, and caoutchouc,
while choice resins, Peruvian bark, and
gold mines are found upon the colder
uplands. The average temperature is
about seventy-fve degrees Fahrenheit.
and the climate is as healthy as along
the shores Of the Amazon. The wild
Indian races with which Senior Reyes
came in contact appeared to be peace
full, hospitable, and amenable to me-
Iteration.
From the junction of the Potumayo
with the Amazon, to which point the
steamers Of the Amazon Navigation
Company have already attained, the
journey to the mouth Of the Guames
might be made by steam within ten
days. From the latter fork the province
OF Paste is only distant some seventy
miles, which on q good road might be
traversed in four days more. Paste, the
capital city, contains $4,000 inhabitants.
and is connected by highways of no
great length with the adjoining prov
inces Of Caldas, Popayan, Tuaueres.
and Obando in Colombia, and Indabura
in Ecuador.
The whole district, which, upon the
extension OF steam navigation to the
PotumayO, would forthwith dispatch
its products to the Atlantic, contains a
population Of half million. The peo-
pie are thrifty and industrious, en-
ployed for the most part in stock rails |
ing, grazing and agriculture. The |
chief staples for export would be coffee. |
sugar, tobacco, smoked beef, tallow, |
hides and drugs.
Ine advantages "nlcn must accrue |
both to Colombia and Brazil from the |
Of this rich and populous |
region with the markets Of Manaos and |
Para are indisputable One Of the least
obvious is the opportunity which might
DE afforded of satisfying the Brazilian
demand for free labor by Colombian
rather than European emigration.
Moreover, the extension of steam navi-
cation to the Potumayo tallies with the
,agacious policy which aims to make
Brazil the mistress, in fact il not in
name, OF the whole country commanded
by the Amazon and it's continents.