, 1878-04-24


phetic picture Of the future
From the N. Y. Timesl
The Amazon fronts the Atlantic with
q total breadth of about 1870 miles, and
at distance of more than 100 leagues
from the shore its yellow food is unbr"
ken. 1t cleaves the blue waters with n
naughty irresistible onset, as if it dis
dalned to merge its own in the mighter
sovereignty of the ocean. A thousand
miles from its mouth, where the Japum
Joins it, it has breadth of four miles,
and at that point it might receive the
waters OF the Nile and the Danube
without sensible augmentation OF Its
volume. 1t drains an area Of from 1880,
900 to 100000 square miles, which is
nearly equal to the extent OF Europe, and
is greater than that of all the territories
of the United States II opens more than
10000 miles OF inland navigation to large
vessels and an unbroken pathway from
the sea to the foot of the Andes. For
more than 5000 miles it is without Al
rapid or cataract, ard its fall is ON an
average no more than an inch to the mile.
The tide acts upon its waters for dis
tance of 400 miles, without, however,
arresting the onward flow of its current,
and its immense mediterranean cXpansc
"ENwINDs THE ISLES"
OF continuous archipelago. Unnum-
bered and unnamed, they rise from its
yellow surface green, rounded, and
verdurous, like emeralds set on an out
stretched girdle Of gold. 1t rolls along
the Summer belt of the world, keeping
company with the equator, and waters IA
region Of greater fertility than any other
which is known. It's climate IL salubli-
GUS, its productions OF the greatest var
iety, and some Of them of the highest
commercial value. Since 1867, the year
the river was opened to free navigation
liberal policy has been pursued 10y the
Brazilian Government, in pointed con-
trast with the spirit which half a century
earlier forbade Humboldt to explore Its
waters, All the world has been freely
invited to enter in and possess this wide
and beautiful land of promise. But 1t
still remains almost uninhabited. The
population Of the entire region IS less
than that of Rio de Janero or Brooklyn.
Except its capital city, few trading
towns detted along the line OF the central
river and some tribes of Indians scattered
here and there amid its immense wilder.
nesses, living in boats along its endless
lagoons, OF in palm-thatched huts upon
their shores,
THE LAND Is A WILD,
A populous solitude of bees and birds
with turbulent c0mmonwealths of how
ling monkeys holding perpetual Psrlia'
ment in its tree.tops, and each jutting
frieze and Going Of vantage Of its forest
architecture hung with slumberous fes-
toon of snakes. Much attention has OF
late been drawn to this practically unoc'
cupied and undeveloped equatorial
region. 1t, indeed, holds out such ample
invitation no commerce aud agricultural
enterprise that it seems surprising 1t
should thus far have received 50 slight
measure of attention. After the late war
a few colonies of Southerners found their
way thither, as they did to other portions
of Brazil, as well as to Mexlco ami Cen
tral America, but the experiments gen
erally resulted disastrously. and the
discontented exiles were glad to return
10 the homes they had abandoned A
few English aud foreign traders have
established themselves along'thc various
river towns; 4 few farmers, or JdseHdsiros,
have laid out plantations of cocoa, coffee
indigo, and the like. A few Travellers
impelled by commercial intere,ts or
scientific curiosity, are generally to be
met with, but, with these exceptions, the
great river spaces seem almost as vacant
AS thew we're when the bonts OF OTeIlan"
tho Lieutenant of Cortez. driitcd past
,b.m on their way 10 the occan. An