Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-07-27
THE w,Lmlne1on's CRUISE.
commaltlcr Todd's Report on Gum
bont's Voyage o.! Exploration.

5ommandcr Todd's Report on Gum
boats Voyage OF Exploration.
Washington, July 27.-The navy de-
partment has made public the report
recently received from Commander
{. {. Todd. of the Wilmington, relat-
ing to the cruise of that vessel up the
Amazon. The Wilmington proceeds
ed 1900 miles up the river, investi.
gated the topography and natural re-
sources of the country, made COLI
lection of animals for the geological
series of photographs of the towns
along the river, the natives and the
most important features and scenery.
The valley of the Amazon, Accord
Ing to Commander Todd, is an inn
mcnse area of low-lying land, inter-
spersed with innumerable waterways
which. during the rainy season, from
May to December, overflow almost all
of the intervening country. The
towns, of which there are a few of
/
higher bluffs along the river and at
certain points where the country is
above the average high water level;
there are small plantations where CO.
Goa, grain and vegetables are grown
for local consumption. Nearly all of
the native houses as far west as the
Peruvian line are built upon piles to
raise them above the flood level.
The valley, strange as it may seem,
does not produce foodstutfs sufficient
for the support of the people. The
| foreign residents OF all the large
towns rely largely on canned goods
and other imported foods for SUBJ
sistence.
The climate was found to be OPP
pressve and humid. The annual
range of the thermometer is from 72
to 80 degrees and the whole valley Ia
the seat of tropic malaria, which is en-
ceedingly dangerous to unacclimated
visitors. Great care was taken of the
health of the men on shipboard. None
of the officers or men was allowed to
remain on shore at night. The result
was the health of the ships company
was good throughout the voyage, only
a few cases of mild malaria develop.
ing.
1t was found necessary to engage
river pilots for almost the whole voy-
age. This service was expensive, but
efficient as the ocean-going steamers
which ply up the river as far as Ma
naos have Il fine corps of pilots, who
are familiar with the changes of
channel that come with every high
water. The Wilmington grounded
but once on the whole trip of 400
miles and returned to Para in condi-
ton to proceed Immediately to sea.
The treatment of the United States
vessel and her officers by the local au-
| thorities was courteous throughout,
although at one point in the Peruvian
section of the upper Amazon "a whole
| military post. composed of sixty men,
fed to the bush on the appearance
of a nanof-war and it was with diff
ticulty that two of them could be in
| duced to return long enough to ac-
cord the Wilmington official sanction
| to proceed up the river to Iquitos.
This city was the farthest point reach
ed by the Wilmington on her long in
land voyage, although she might
have proceeded about 400 miles furth-
er had there been a supply of coal ac-
| ,cessSible.
The most important city along the
| river above Para is Manaos, close to
the junction of the Rio Negro and the
Amazon. This is the seat of govern
ment of the state of Amazon and has
a population of between 10000 and 40,-
600. 1t is the distributing point for
the immense trade of the interior
| Amazon basin and seems destined to
grow in commercial Importance. 1t
is here that the ocean-going steamers
trans-ship their cargoes to the SMALL
er river boats, by which they are dis
tributed along the Madeira, Purus,
| Jurna, Japara and Rio Negro. The
town does an important trade in rub
Der, cocoa and dye stutfs from the
interior and is looked upon by Com
mander Todd as an important post
for our consular service in view of
the opening for American imports.
The difficulty in securing coal sug-
gested also that this was a good open
ing for American enterprise. Further
up the river Napo. beyond the city of
lqnitos, in Peru, it is said there are
gold deposits which are worked by
| the natives. No one else has ever
| worked them so far as can be ;lscer-
tanned and their extent is purely spec
nlative. 1t is said also that there are
large deposits OF coal on the eastern
slope of the Cordarillos, but at pres
emit no attempt is made to work them.
Commander Todd says that the one
product of Importance i'm the whole
valley of the .Nnazon is rubber and
the status of this industry is Il serious
problem, which he was unable to
solve with the limited time at his dis
posal. All of the river towns are de-
populated at certain seasons, when
the inhabitants go in their canoes into
the network of tributary streams to
collect the rubber from the wild trees
No systematic attempt is made at Gull
tivating the rubber trees and the
methods employed by the Indians kill
all the trees operated on each season.
The officers of the Wilmington
learned enough on the subject to feel
sure that there are no immense for
csts of rubber trees and that they
grow singly or in small groups close
along the banks of the streams. The
trees closest to the water are being
rapidly destroyed and how far inland
they may be found no one knows.
Commander Todd suggests that it
would be the part of prudence for the
governments of the various states in
the Amazon valley to take measures
for preserving the forests and cuti-
waiting the trees in plantations in or