Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-04-23
The Mighty Amazon.

of some note, named Orellans, dlscov-
cred the Amazon river and ascended it
to distance of about two hundred
miles without making a landing. At
several points along the river Orellana
attempted to land, but each time was
warned off by the appearance Of large
bodies Of armed women, who, with
lance in hand, stood ready to contest
the right of landing with Orellana.
The explorer returned to the open sea
and gave ths great river the name of
Amazon, though it is still known
throughout Portugal and Brazil as the
Rio Orellana.' This great river Is
more than $50 miles wide at its mouth
and draining an area of more than p
10000 square miles. So immense Is
the flow OF fresh water that the sea is
often discolored for distance OF more
than $50 niles off shore,
Fifteen thousand miles on the ANA
Eon." Is the title of q recent English
publication which gives a most interest
ing detail of travel by steam on the
Amazon sndits tributaries. The author
started from Para on one OF the steam
ers Of the Amazon Steam Navigation
Company, taking with him on board a
steam launch 40 feet In length, with
very light draft, and fitted with a small
cabin and kitchen. Leaving the large
steamer near the borders of Bolivia, he
proceeded IN his own small boat, travers-
ing the upper Amazon and its branches,
going far into Peru and Bolivia, south
ward TO within 100 miles of the head
waters Of the Parana, which empties
into the sea through the Argentine Re-
public. Returning via the great Ma
deira river to Manoas, the explorer
ascended the Negro, going well into the
United States of Colombia and Vene-
zuela, and thence through short natur-
al canal, this daring adventurer entered
the Oronoco, and steamed Its sntiIe
length, coming out at Demarara In
British Guiana, The time consumed
was nearly one year, and during this
time the author had traversed the ANA
zon and its tributaries more than 10, 900
miles. Tie writer has never had such
an experience, and few men live to-day
who have.
The Indians Of the upper Amazon
are a wild, fierce, treacherous people,
many OF whom are cannibals, and can
only be civilized by the liberal use of
powder and ball. General Sherman
once said of the American Indian that
"the only good Indian ever saw wss
dead Indian" The same may be said
of the Indians OF this country, and it
is waste of time and money to make
an effort to ciyilize them. They will
no, be civilized.
Only last year French exploring e1-
pedition set out to explore the int riCr
of French Guiana Before stating they
obtained permission to enter the terri
tory OF Brazil should occasion requi, g.
This permission was, however. quite
unnecessary, as no one can d, file the
boundary of either country, and even if
they could, there is no one who could
enforce any law or rule which might be
made by the imperial or the French
government. However, the party pro-
ceeded to the supposed western border
OF Guiana and there divided into three
sets, each to go by the compass diff
ferent directions; to travel four days,
blaze their way, and return on the same
route to the starting point. At the
close of the twelfth day two of the par
ties he'd returned in safety, but the
third did not come. After awaiting q
few days longer the returned parties
set out In search of their comrades,
following carefully the blazei way
through the undererowth. On the third
day they came suddenly uron an open
plain, wherein was a camp OF Indian
sqaws and old men, the young bucks
evidently being out on hunting expe-
dition. The IndiIns did not evince the
slightest alIrm, but received the in.
vaders with apparent kindness. The
Frenchmen questioned them through an
interpreter as to the lest comrades, but
we're assured by the squaws that they
had not passed that way. However, O
SO rch was instituted, and In passing a
tripod wherein hung Kettle over a SLOW
fire, the Frenchmen discovered the
heads of two OF their comrades beng
bo led whole, quite as a cook would
prepare a calf's head. Further on they
found the remains, cut up and hanging
in the sun, undergoing curing process
preparatory TOR eating. The Frenchmen,
quite horrified, turned upon the little
camp with their Spencer rifles and made
short work of the wretched cannIbals,
then hastily making their way back TO
Cayenne, set sail for Europe.