Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-12-03
WONDERFUL STREAMS.
Ono River Is Black and Another IL Sou
NIi,rr-,r

Ono River Is Black and Another Is Sour
vinegar.
One of the most Curi0us rivers
that have come to tho knowledge of
men Is the Wobbe Shebeyli of east
ern Africa, II deep and rapid stream,
Astounding in strange fish and fero-
cious orocodilos. Although 1t flows
for hundreds of miles through fertile
lands, the immense volume of water
never reaches the sea- A short dis
lance north Of the equator the river
Is lost in desert region few miles
from the Indian ocean.
Some of the moro recent explorers
of Alaska and British America claim
that the Mississippi caSSo longer be
regarded as tho largest river on the
North American continent This dis
tinotion is claimed for tho great Yu-
kon river. According to Ivan Pc
troff, who spent over two years in
Alaska collecting materials for the
last census, the Yukon empties into
Norton sound about one-third moro
water than the Mississippi pours
into the gulf of Mexico. The Yukon
basin comprises the larger part of
northern Alaska, and 600 miles from
it's mouth the river Is a mile in
width. Many centuries before it was
discovered by white men it very
likely served as water highway
into the interior for tribes whom we
believe to have crossed from Asia to
tho American continent. The Yu-
kon river is over 1000 miles in
length
Travellers report that in Algeria
there exists a small stream which
the chemistry of nature has turned
into ink. 1t is formed by the union
of two rivulets, one of which Is very
strongly impregnated with iron,
while the other, meandering through
peat marsh, imbibes large quaint
ties of gallo acid, which forms the
small yet wonderful stream.
The Rio de Vinagre in Colombia
is q stream the waters of which, by
admiXturo with sulphuric acid, be-
como so sour that the river has been
appropriately named tho Rio de Vim
agre, or Vinegar river.
The Orange or Garieh river, in
southern Africa, rises in the noun
tains which separate Natal from the
Orange Free State. The length of
this stream is 1000 miles. It's banks
abound in various rich copper ores.
In this stream are many varieties of
fish, which are found until the river
passes through a rocky region con-
tanning copper, below which the wa
ter Is said to be poisonous, almost
instantly killing the fish that VEN
ture near it.
Another remarkable river is the
Indus, great stream in Hindustan,
1t rises in Tibet, and its course is q
wonderful one. On reaching the
Sussi, its most northern point, it
turns southwark, losing itself in the
hills, and renppears at Takot, in
kohistan. Tho Indus is l, 700 miles
in length. After receiving the wa.
tiers of many tributaries it's channel
| grows narrow, and here it divides
into many channels, some of which
never return to the parent stream.
1t abounds in fish and crooodiles.
That classical river, the Ganges,
Is erratic i'll its course, like the Ho.
ang Ho. 1t is prominent both in the
religion and geography of India. II
varies not only from season to sea.
son, but from year to year, and tre,
quently exchanges old passages fo1
new ones. 1t has been said that the
Ganges delivers into the sea every
year 543, 900, 900 tons of mud, sand
and other solid matter.
phia Press.