The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-09-17
ALONG THE AMAZON.
WHERE RAIN COMES DOWN IN
TERRIFIC CLOUOBURSTS.

Tops-A Tropical DeIuSe.
The worst foundations of Louisiana
and eastern Arkansas are but spring
freshets compared with the monster
floods that visit the Amazon valley every
year with a regularity eQualed only by
astronomical events and tax collections.
The rainfall of northern Brazil is about
three times that Of the webfootiest coun-
ties of Oregon, and in midsummer the
thunder showers that drench the woods
every afternoon resemble daily cloud
burst. On the Northern Pacific no other
word would be applied to an atmos-
pheric waterfall, darkening the air like
London winter fog for hours together,
and swapping a house, if the roof
should leak, through an aperture of a
few square inches.
Rains OF that sort are apt to occur day
after day for series of weeks, and their
effect on the lowlands can only be i'm
perfectly indicated by the fact that the
Amazon river drains an area of more
than 2, 900 900 square miles. The Mis-
sissippi, too, drains half the eastern
slope of a country larger than Brazil,
but its largest afiuents are dwarfed by
the third class tributaries of the South
American father of waters.
Not such flowing lakes as the Rio
Negro and the Madeira. but the Purus,
the Iavari, the Qurua, the Hinge, the
Papajos and dozens Of other streams
rarely mentioned on this side of the
lsthmus enter the main river through a
delta miles in width and deep enough
Tor the largest river steamers of the ST.
Lawrence.
Abont the middle of summer these
streams begin to rise, those from the
southwest first, those from the northwest
and north few weeks later, and fort
night after the arrival of the second sup
plement the valley Of the Maranon, the
"wild hog river as the early colonists
called the Amazon, becomes a paradise
of swamp loving brutes. The taps, the
peccari, the fish otter celebrate the pic
mic season of their summer life, and
herds of wild deer begin their westward
exodus. Near Monte Beira, in the
province (now state) of Matte Crosse
the woods in midsummer get full Of
game, as hundred years ago the foot
hills of the southern Alleghanies swarm
ed with wild pigeons when the forests
of the north were buried in snow.
A more than usually sudden rise of
the food cuts off many of these fugi-
tives, who are thus reduced to the al
tentative of making for the highest &C.
cessible ground, farther east, till every
knoll becomes hill of refuge, crowded
with tlmld brutes, whose survival de-
ponds on their escape from the giant
cats and boas who may approach their
stronghold by swimming, if the water
should have submerged too large por-
ton of the continuous forest.
About two months after the begin
ming OF the rainy season the deluge of
the lowlands reaches its maximum.
Thousands Of square miles are sub
merged so efectually that canoes can be
padded through forests apparently free
from underbrush. since only the taller
trees. with their network Of climbing
vines, rise ike islands above the surg
ing waters. The swollen rivers have
found new currents, and broad. CUR
CLING streams twist and eddy through
the leafv wilderness, tearing off whole
groups Of trees, with all their roots. but
making amends by depositing hillocks
of drittwo0d, which soon get covered
with tufts of new vegetation.
The pressure Of the su-ging food
against these mounds Of alluvium soo,
becomes enormous. but the deep rooted
stems of the adansonia and the canoho
tree may resist till new deposits of drift
wood consolidate a number Of mounds,
thus forming good sized islands with
down stream base Of perhaps half mile,
but narrow head DETECTING the cur
rent left and right, like the wedge
shaped front Of stout bridge pier. At
the time Of their incipiencv these new
islands may be tenanted only by river
lizards. but necessity is the mother of
successful exploration as we'll as Of in
vention. and week after its birth the
driftwood hill swarms with animal
refugees, hogs, deer and capybaris, JOS
Ting each other in their struggle for a
base Of operations, thus often getting
noisy enough 10 attract ehe proving
carnlvoTa.
The climbing talent of the great cats
saves them the trouble Of emigration.
The jaguar and the ocelot become en-
tirely arboreal, travelling like monkeys
from branch TO branch. and making
themselves at home in the tree tOps-so
much so indeed that some Of them go
to housekeeping and raise litter OF
cubs in the cavity Of hollow tree.
Their larder is replenished by all sorts
of pheasants and woodhens, who make
their headquarters in the underbrush,
but who are now obliged TO take up
lodgings on the lower branches Of the un-
submerged trees. BY climbing around
the stem and rising suddenly in view an
ocelot can scare roost of gsllinaceous
fowl out Of their wits and strike down
two or three of the clumsy youngsters
before the whole fock contrives to take