New-York tribune., 1890-01-17
GLIMPSES OF BRAZIL.
THE VALLEY OF THE AMAZON.
FORTY THOUSAND MILES OF NAvIGABLE WATER
THE RUBBER TREE AND THE FORESTS
NATURE COYoUERs MAN-AN
EQU ATORIAL CT
ECU ATORlAL CITY.
tFRodAsTiFF CORRESPONDENT or rHF rRrBUyn.l
Para Dccpmbcr 8

Para, December s.
The Amazon, mighticst of rivers. scatters
among sandbars and drifting shoals the currents
that have flowed for thousands of miles in
ma cstic course from the slopes of the Andes.
The channel in the last 2J0 miles is blocked
with islands. gradually increasing in size until
the delta is rounded ont by Nardio Island, with
its circuit Of nearly 500 miles Among these ac-
| cumulatons of sand drift and slime, which an
equatorial sun clothes with rank vcrdurc, II
squandcrs with royal prodicality the resources
borrowed from hundred tributaries: but so vast
are its Of power that it retains its lden-
! tty for leagues scaward and forms currents
which are felt fifty miles from the delta. Other
rivers are instantly swallowed up by the sea ::
but the Amazon, instead of caping to its death,
continues its triumphant course, river in the
ocean
The Amazon, if the Para River he included as
the southern channel, is 100 miles wide at MS
mouth. Para itself. the northcrnmost city OF
Brazil. lies at the gateway Of the most wonderful
river system Of the world. II is the commercial
depot and distributing point for 10000 miles Of
navigabc water The Amazon watershed en-
braces twenty-five degrees of latitude and thirty
five degrees Of longitude It's western sources
are in the Andes of Peru and Ecuador, cnly a
tarics traverse the borders Of Guiana and Colon
bia, while midway the head waters of the Negro
minglc with those of the Orinoco in the western
spurs Of the Sierra de Pacaraima ON the south
! the Madeira has innumcrahlc sources in the
mountain levels Of Bolivia. while the Tapalos.
! the Xingu and the Tocantius penetrate the
central provinces Of Brazil. If n comparatively
small group Of southern provinces he left ont Of
the account. the Amazon, with lis tributaries,
forms the water system for an area larger than
! that Of the United States II furnishes the only
means of communication between the smaller CEN
tres of population in fully onc-half Of the vast
territories of Brazil Between most of us leading
| tributaries are broad stretches OF impcnetrable
forests which have never been explored by white
men II is the Amazon alone that renders any
form Of government possible in the heart of
South America. Within the range of the 10000
miles of navieobc water settlements have been
made. rubber farms opened. and magistrates en-
powered 10 conduct local administration. Para,
/ llng at the southcrnmoSt outlet of the ANA
zon. less than 100 miles from the sea, is the
metropolis Of this wonderful valley. II is city
with perhaps 10000 inhabitants. and with rs
much commercial enterprise as is possible under
/ the equator.
Tire commerce Of the Amazon is nominally car
ricd on under the Brazilian hag. Foreigners are
not allowed by law 10 own steamers or sailing
vessels employed in inland naycation; and hence
/ IL Is necessary for the En-llsh capitalists VINO
control the carrying trade of tie river 10 assi-n
their interests To Brazlians. There are forty
steamers owned boy an English line, which re-
cciycs n large mail subsidy from the Brazilian
Government for plying between various ports
and villages ON tie main tributaries: and in r"-
4 t. ..1 sH. i.. 4
10 nv tine national flag. Another company hes
cirlt steamers. under similar conditions; and
there ere as many as a dozen more on tie river
and its tributaries which sail under the
BRAZILIAN har These sixty steamers are
gradually opcnin. the Amazon Valley 10 com
mcrcc. only tine smaller vessels are now run
nlns beyond Mauaos at the Junction Of the Negro,
lut nc>t Year The LARGEST English vessels viii
make REGULAR trips 10 Yquito,. a distance Of
.. -,c miles from the coast. some of the trihuto-
rics are only uayighlc for long distances a.
I Li.h water durins certain months Of the year.
bat tlr lower villages ON their banks are visited
hv steamer as often as once or twice 70 month
This river trade is almost completely iu the hands
Of tI, Portuguese merchants and tie mercantile
house. rcprcscntcl ~ Para. Naunos. with pop
+ ul.rion of $4,000. is the most iIourehiug toHn
west of Para The other settlements. with few
c<ccptions are sirae-Iu4 villages Inhabited
mainly by negroes, Indians and halfbrccls.
TIE forests of thc Amazon. consisting mainly Of
! hard wood. are not available for commercial re-
ouircmcnts Tire finest of rosewood and mahog-
any are used there for hcWood Even if there
were 70 demand for tie hardwood lumber al Para.
II could not Dee lorecd and brought - market on
"a large scalc owiuc to the density Of the woods
and the lack Of roads and clcarrc, The one tree
/ which is % source of wealth in these immense
forests ls the rubber tree II is found everywhere
from thc low-yire delta opposite Para 10 thc IN
aios. tuc Madeira. and the negro. and probably
thousands of miles beyond those great tributaries
! I'm the interior roads are impracticahr. and the
rubber ticc, that are milkcd lie along the river,
! where the farms can hc approached. The milk
can only hc drawn AT certain levels OF the river,
! for the trunks Of the trees are often fifteen or
twenty feet under water after the rainy seasons.
! When the conditions are favorable, the bark o!
tLc trees is tapped and the milk drawn of m cups
to be- compactcd and rolled together layer by layer
Ike snow ball II is then cooked or smoked over
q fire made of eiicks-a process that involves CON
traction in cooling and mparts elasticity to She
,ub,tancc-and then it is ready for shipment 10
Para and Ncw-lork. The operation of such farms
and the opening of new veins Of tree, in the track
less swampS and forests require the employment
/ If native labor under the most iuclcmcnt con-
ditions Of equatorial heat and rains II there be-
any quarter Of the world where nature seems 10
command inaction and incidence, it is IN these
vast stretches Of the Amazoninn forest Nowhere
els. can existence be- sustained with 50 small an
| expenditure Of human effort. ON an acre 81
cleared land. beans can be- raised in sufficient
quantity 10 keep soul and body together with the
advcntitious aid Of nuts and fruit from lhe woods
! 4 torpid, somnolcnt existence seems 10 Ice the
! imucrious requirement Of the climate. The
! Indians. halfbrceds and negroes in tine villages
/ can live. if they choose to do SO, with what may
! pc described rs the minimum Of human labor in
| volvcd IN obtaining livelihood They in
.tuntNnlA rcsisf al nnnrnls ID nnhfinn md sol L