Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-04
SOUTH AMERICA.
A Rare Field Opened for Future Explora-
ton

There are portions of South America
which are unknown and inaccessible, but
explorers of unquestlonabe ability and
veracity have let in floods of light upon
regions which the public is prone to be-
lieve have been trodden by any save the
savage Indian. Stieer's maps of South
America show at glance what is known,
and what unknown. The continuous lines
of rivers, for example, are plotted from
the mathematical observations of compe
tent travellers. The dotted lines Indicate
suppositional courses. The accuracy of
these maps is astonishing. In a distance
of thousand miles On the upper Amazon,
there exists only about dozen triflng
errors, such as a little town placed
On the wrong side of the river, a secondary
channel mistaken for main channel
around the island, and d river emptying
into the Amazon at the middle of a big
bend instead Of at its end. The town had
once stood where once represented on the
map, but being burned had been built
across the river; and as the river is subject
to rapid changes, owing to the erosion OF
its banks, it is possible that other errors
rect according to the latest observa-
tions available at the date of publication
OF the map. A few suggestions will show
where and how the love of exploration
and adventure may be grati6ed with
profit to the explorers and to the world.
Eastern; western, and southern Peru are
well known. So is western, middle, and
the more important portions of eastern
Ecuador, all of Bolivia, except the ex-
treme northern part; all of Colom-
bia, except the southeastern portion; all
Of Venezuela, except the southwestern and
southeastern corners, the whole Of British
and French Guiana; all of Brazil, except
that portion north of the Amazon between
the Rio Negro and the Rio Parue. While
there are many extensive areas IN the
other portions of these countries which are
only indifferently known, the information
at hand concerning them is sufficient to
render possible very accurate reasoning re-
garding the means of developing their re-
sources. Their general physical aspects
are comprehended; we know their natural
products, the number and extent OF their
navigable rivers, the ordinary facilities of
communication, the character Of their In
habitants, and the presence or absence of
organized government. Southern Colom-
bia and southern Ecuador, however, offer
rare field for intelligent exploration. AL
though a mule road has been In use be-
tween Popayan and Quito for over 200
years, our knowledge of this region Is most
obscure. 1t has lain out of the route OF
ordinary travellers; landlocked, 1t has pre-
served its secrets of open passes, OF miner
al riches, and romantic landscapes, IN
broken to the present day. 1t Is destined
to assume Importance as the encroachlng
links in that system of railroads, which
will eventually make the dream of Pan
American railroad fact shall have left
only this space to be traversed. A knowi-
edge of It's topography and resources
would be Of the utmost value. 1t Is
journey which could be made IN a single
summer The route lies by way of Pana-
ma, and Buena7entura on the western
coast of Colombia; thence by rail toward
mountains, and across the western range
to Cali, in the valley of Rio Cauca. Mule
trains are constantly passing back and
forth from Cali to Popayan, which latter
town is near the head of the Cauca valley,
in the excreme south of Colombia. 1t Is
the capital of the great state of Cauca,
has long been city of no little commerce
al consequence, and boasts of a cathedral
and such ether buildings as are insepara-
bic from the South American town of TO-
900 inhabitants.