Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-08-15
! he Mighty Amazon.
[ Maurice Mauris in New York Tribup

Not unworthily, indeed, the Amazca ,
has been termed the Mediterranean o.
the new world. Only after floating
days upon daye over its majestic tide
does Gle reach coucep'i n Of its vast
ness. II T., in TACT, m immense w.terl
basin rather Than river or system ei
rivers. that drains the best portion oi
five republics aid of colossal en-, ire.
The area actually covered By the waters
"s to Amaz,n is estimated a, 26 00O
square miles. and this figure increases
at least ty n fourth during the wet sen.
son. The channel thr ugh Which the
Amaznnian waters fl,w far over 5000
miles. Is sn deep as to have suggested
to the wandering Imagination Of the
earlier nayi.a'ors only one epi,het--
fa,honless. At OXIDES is depth is
| Forty fathom-; at ether points it reaches
the marvellous depth tf seventy fa,h /
oms. Half million nf cubic fee' ii
water ponr every second through the
narrows o' Obi les. aud y.ith such 60 O. |
d"es the Am"zrn encr the ocean 600
miles helnw ,has fresh wat.r may be
/ lifted from the b 'srm Of the Atlantic. |
at distance which renders it impossi.
bile TO ae>r,y l,nd IN any side. Eight
zen Of its tributaries nre themselves
rivers nj tie first magnitude. aud sew.
raj of these ARE over 800 miles in
length. But v $, as these tributary
streams are. ti'ly remarks Or,on. they
sccm to mike RIO i'm, rrssitn on the
| An*z N: shev are lost like brooks IN
tha ocean The Madeira alone. with
IS great .!llaents. Mamorc. Bent.
ltentz and Ganporr. carries Mt mean
lcv,i over ION, hundred thousand cubic
feet IT water per g. rnnd ;sr. ueh an
rxtp,t Of over 8 600 miles: vet this
hinge contribution is in'nercep,ib'e hall
way across the river. The Mississippi
ronred into II at its mouth SAYS Eul
Geo. Chnrch. wanli not rai.e /, -ix
inches, Within thc boundaries d Bra
2 alnne the Amnzan;an reiwo'k NJ
rivers. esnals and lakes oif'rs q 900
nlilns nf s'ean, naviqa inn diSirihntpa
MS fnll"ws; Amazon. 500; mnin tribu
, ,'rira 20 aia secendarv trisu'aries
and lakes. | l42; total miles. 81 .0i7
Twelve ,horsard miles are ac'u,|y
, srav"rsrd hv the vessels of ,hc Amaz ~
Npvisa'ion Steamship Cnmrany aud
! other steamers. The basin IF T. n Am
:, szqn Is teica as large ~ the valley o.
tho Mississippi md would bold r'r'y
nine con tries the s'z' Of England
Tho natural woalth of tho country for
over 100 0l0 sqna~o Mills is in proper
tom to tho rannitn1a # tho river. The
4 'ra # Rrez:l 10 as rich ne any in tho
f world 4 ns far as concerns tho me
!, dir'nal aiinen'ar", ornamcntal and in.
o dn.'rial uses of iha vegetable kingdom
. has no rival The mineral wealth. ni
g tho unt-v is sno",ine|v inexhanstible
G 'hn land Yields almost every rrnhnri
from the da no,l tn thu leasi valuahie
mn'al. Ra'cs and AGA 81 hive related
what wonders al an;,nal hfa are seq
alonr tho. Amezon The latter speak
ine of f.hes only says thnt the rivr'
nnuvishns twice a. many species rs III
: Mediterranean. and n larger number
"" " than tho kflnntir. taken from r.le t,
nole. M Ices cause nf wonder is thu
" intensity with which life is manifcstef
y in those waters All tho rivcrs If En-
" rare h" s,vs united. from III" ragu
= 70 the Vol, n. do not nonrish 15O sp'
" ries of fresh watcr fis' &c; ltle lax.
u near Manaos. rallea Like Ilyannnrv
= the snrfare of which hardly covers 5of
snuaro wards cnn,aias marc than o0t
distinct species the greater part O
20 which have not be m observed else
~ who're.
, However nnmeditativc he might he
u u Traveller cnnld ro' forhpar speculaio'
F." upon the nrosnoc'ive comm 'rrial i'm
" parfanre of snch - region. and askin,
:" himself: What ia to become of thi
y country. this erea. system of inlan'
u navigation these Thousand production
= af na'ures What advantages j. No',l
u 'Amercl 10 reap fro1 the innnmershl
" riches lyin. at her very feet? By wha
~ means can she improv, her comm rcil
~ relations with ,iis wonderful world .
y water and verdure? Hrw TAR do Bra
;" z,iians avail themselves of the trras~ra
'" nature hqs bestowed unon their sail
= To these alnsii"ns which crowd wit,
u others into ones mind ! hope to repl
~ in suceepdin. letters after careful PEI
c sonai s'nly Of The country and of SUI
u s,a'i.,irs rs have been able to galhe
's from official sources.
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