The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-11
AMAZON STEAMER
Floating Along Almost Under the
Equator
M THE UNEMPLOYED FORESTS
A Wild Region of Beauty and Ro-
mance--curious scenes Mt tho River
sottlsmcnts--The Products of the
Wilderness.
ranni> D. Ward III Alio. oeeaa.

ON the Amazon had its beginning, and
twenty-five years since Brazil formally
declared tho river open to the ships OF
all nations. Yet to this day its nGviga-
ton is practically undsr the Brazilian
flag, and probably that accounts for the
remarkably slow growth of the COM
mercc Of the richest region on the globe.
Az far back as the year 1927 there was
an association formed in New York
city called tho South American Steam
Navigation COMPANY for the express
purpose OF promoting navigation on the
Amazon, having been melted thereto
bv suggestions by the Brazilian govern
mont, made through its charge dat
flares resident in tho United States.
Great things were promised on the part
of his majesty, Dom Pedro l., father Of
tho late more enlightened emperorS1
who was then tho ruling potentateyand
steamboat was fitted out at great OK.
pense by the company aforesaid and
dispatched To Peru. But Brazil,
through greed and jealousy, not only
failed in every particular TO keep her
promises, but placed so many obstacles
in the way Of the North American en-
terprise that the vessel WAS compelled
to return, and for long time afterward
claims for Naturalization to q large
amount wero pending before the Brazil
ian government
THE PAST AND TODAY.
To this day the travelling upon the
Amazon, Immediately after leaving
Para, finds himself in the wild Iimitle|.
comparatively unoccupied region, to
which the often misused term, "prime-
val solitude" is applicable. Having
passed the great island ot Marnjo, he
viii hardly see fifty houses within five
hundred miles, and they are mere huts
Of palm and bamboo. There are few
settlements directly on the river, for
most OF the hamlets scattered over the
enormous area known as the Amazon
Valley lie hundreds OF miles apart on
the tributary streams and canals and
the numerous iquaripes. or bayous;
and though steamers OF any nationality
may ascend as far rs Manaos, thou
sand miles or 80, about all the rest that
20 uGyOuu ILldb punt SoHAS my 'H
number, are Brazilian, varying in size
from less than twenty tons burden to
2OO0toAs. Remember that the majestic
river drains nearly two-thirds OF South
Americas 100000 squareHpilea, and
that Its vast basin would SGsily hold
City countries tho size of England, with
triheiof margin to spare. Only alter
floating for weeks upon it can one be
gin to form an idea OF its incalculable
mass OF waters. Could the whole OF
the Mississippi river be poured in, it
would not be raised six inches, and
away off in Bolivia and Peru it is in
some places ITO feet deep. With its
branches and atfluents, it affords not
less than fifteen thousand miles Of
steamboat navigation, and vessels
drawing six feet OF water may anchor
under the shadow OF the Andes.
IMPRESSION OF OPEN SEA.
When first leaving Para for "up the
river" it is impossible to believe that
you are really on the Amazon, for you
experience all the sensations of being
out on the open sea-especially after
having lived a few weeks on the greasy
and garlicy menu OF the Hotel do Com
mercia. The rolling pillows and long
measured swells are the same, realiziug
the Miltonic phrase OF ocean stream"
and soon there would be no land in
sight, we're it not for the big island oil
Aiarajo, half the size OF Ireland, divid-
ing the river in twain near its mouth.
We are two days in passing the island,
for upstream steamers leaving Para 20
westwardly around it. The river here
abouts is neverspokenof as the Amazon,
but its waters at different points bear
local names, such as the "Para River"
EBAY OF Marajo," "Rio Aturia," etc,
until beyond the point where the XinGu
river comes rushing in. BY the way, in
regard to these same AmaZonas, many
believe it to have been derived from
the Indian word AanGSSoaG, applied to
the wonderful phenomenon OF high tide
which occurs two days before and after
the full moon and extends to the very
confluence OF the Madeira. Being very
distinctive to small craft the natives
call this tide AmasonG, or boat break
er." Concerning the female warriors
which Ffiar Gaspar and other early
monkish chronicleri described, though
those authors often used their own vivid
imagination in lieu OF facts, they were
not far amiss in that statement, at least
so far as appearances SO. for to this day
the male warriors OF ths upper Amazon
wear feathered shirts and other toggerY
usually ascribcd 10 females.
Having passed the vide mouth OF tho
Tocaulins river, we come to anchor oil
the little town OF Breves, or Maraio,
where the G-st night is spent. Arriv-
ing All hour before nightfall, we find
tho landing crowded with mon, women
and children clad in little but the
Quickest Of skins with which nature
provided them, all jabbering and Ges.
ticula:inc 'lisc mad" in efforts to sell
us their wares-long-necked gourds,
carved and painted Tor water bottles;
dull red pottery, as ugly as cumoHs;
living monkeys, snakes, and paroquets;
and serpent-akins from ten to twenty
feet long, tanned ready for the use to
I which Braziiians usually put them,
that OF making boots and shoes. You
know there is no twilight in the tropics,
but old Sol goes to bed as he gets up,
with startling suddenness and no preli
minary ceremonies Of blushing skies
and gorgeous glows. Apparently in
the full glare OF the day he jumps be-
hind tho horizon. and in moment
donse darkness ialls-darker ut first
than at midnight, for then the stars
shine brighter than you ever saw them
at homo. At Brevcs we have barely
time to note that the village ia not
worth nothing, TO barter little with
the mob Of monkey and parrot ven
II.