The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-01-27
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Amazon Valley and It's
Evangelization.
BY REV. JOHN BOYLE, OF BRAZIL.

BY REV. JOHN BOYLE, OF BRAZIL.
MeSSrS. Editors, Our General Assem-
bly, last May recommended that mission
work be begun in the Amazon Valley.
The sending of a mission to that country
will not be like establishing new mis-
sion In country hitherto unoccupied by
our Church. Our work in Brazil has
reached the Valley on two sides, by the
natural growth of the work itself. 1t
has advanced along the coast north and
vance will carry it into the Amazon river
country. On the south the work has adj
vanced northwards to the head-waters
of the southern continents of the Amazon,
and we hope soon to move forward to
that point, and begin work down the Val
ley towards the river. Under these cir
cumstances the Church should be in pos
session of all the information possible ia
regard to the country ahead
extent, its physical featnroe
acte7 of it's inhab .-A.s.
the Assembly was in response to an over.
ture by the Chesapeake Presbytery, and
that overture was adopted, no doubt, in
view of two letters published in The Ms
SaonGry for April, one written from the
heart of the Amazon river country, by
native Brazilian, member of the Pernam-
buco church, and the other by myself.
1t may not be considered out OF place for
me to lay before the readers of the Gen.
trail whatever facts [ can on this subject.
Brother Wardlaws letter in your issue
of the 9th inst, leads me to do so now.
Very little is known by our people gen.
orally in regard to that country, and this
may serve as my excuse for mentioning
facts which some, who have made spe
cial study of the country, may be aware
of already.
The Size of the Amazon Valley.
We Americans generally have very
diminutive ideas of the size of South
American territory. This may be due
to the fact that our biographies and maps
are made with view to producing Amer
lean patriots, with very exalted opinions
of the bigness of this great Republic as
compared with other countries. When |
tell people that Brazil is about as large
as the United States with another Texas
tackled on (eaving Alaska out OF the
COUNT they sometimes seem disposed to
put the statement down to the score of
missionaries big stories. The statement
is true, nevertheless, according to Maury |
Geography
The area Of the United States o. 23) in
square miles is 1902 900 |
Deducting Alaska Up. Soy, 57739O |
Gives the United States proper, 3,O25GOoI
Adding another Texas (p Az, 265 $50 |
Gives us an area Of 1921 $50 |
The Empire Of Brazil has o. 10y, 3,297 1854 |
If we were to Judge, however, of the com
parative size of the two countries, by the |
respective maps, no one would for mo- |
ment suppose Brazil to be 80 much larger
than the United States.
So it is with regard to the Amazon
Valley. Very few, perhaps think of it'll
as embracing an extent Of territory equal
to that of the United States, without
Alaska yet the United States could be |
put down in the Amazon Valley with |
out much, if any, trimming or squeezing. |
From sea to sea the United States is . 100
miles vide at it's narrowest, and Q 800 at
It's broadest part (Maury, p. 22). From |
the mouth of the Amazon to Nauta the |
distance is . 200 miles (Msurv p. and |
from Nauta to the top Of the Andes is |
not less than 800 miles making 25OOI
miles as the broadcast part Of the Amazon |
Valley. North and south tne United |
States is nearly LOO miles at its broad /.
est part. The Madeira river from its i
sources in the south TO its mouth is over
1000 miles long if stretched straight it
would about reach across the Valley TO |