Evening journal., 1899-03-03
NEWSPAPER OPINION
THE wIIMINGToN's CRUISE

THE WIuAiINGTON's CRUISE
The cruise of our gunboat Whining.
ton on the inland waters Of Soutl
America is a Significant sign of the
times. She Is ascending the great
rivers In the interest OF American com
merce, She is studying the needs OF
the people, the resources OF the river
valleys, and the opportunities for ex
tending American trade A few week.
ago she steamed up the Orinoco to visit
the region above Cmdad Bolivar, the
chief town on the river and practicalls
the western outpost Of civilization In
the great valley. We know with what
avidity Great Britain and Germany are
! improving every trade opportunity in
South America, and we are not sur
prised to hear that the British have al
ready begun to investigate the COM
mercial possibilities of these up-ooun-
try districts.
In 1897 Major Stanley Paterson spent
several months in these new fielhk
above Bolivar which are little known
to science and less to business enter
prise. He returned with the repor
that the country must be of great
ve,ue 'The rich, rolling savannas. q"
he says. 'wili support countless herd,
Of cattle and horses. The surroundirf
forests yieid large quantities of natural
products, such as rubber, quinine and
other commodities The upper waters
OF the Guanfamb tributary are so af-
focteh by the sarsaparilla that grows
proiuseiy along the banks that the ma
tives drink the water and hathe there
TO cure themselves of skin diseases
The forest trees are OF magnificent
growth and endless variety" lie names
many varieties Of commercial woods
including mahogany and cednr. and
several varieties Of plants yielding
rubber. 81 am fully convinced" Major
Paterson concludes, chat this valley
will some day develop into one Of the
richest commercial centres of the
West, but its development win require
capital"
The Onnooo has one tributary. the
Guaviare with an extent of navigable
waters at least equal to that OF the
main stream which, with it's aff,uenls,
presents navlgable highway. from the
Atlantic to the fcot of the Andes. "In
the whole Of the 0rlroeo BASIN" says
Rec,us, There are at present not more
than about 500 GOO Inhabitants, where
as 10 would contain 200 600 900 were ii
as denseLy peop.ed as Belgium, which
pc might we'll he. considering the inn
mense resources Of the land"
Our dispatches from Washington say
THAT the Wilmington is stl.l engaged in
this frultlul field OF research. The re-
suits Of these Investigations doubtless
wall be Of great value In the extension
! oi American enterprise through the
i Cnlucco valley, and they will, have al
ditonnl interest as contribution Of
ccr navy TO the widening Of cur com
mercial horizon. But we are not like
ly 10 receive fun "details of the VIII
ming.on's explorations In the Crlrooo
valley for some time, as Captain Todd
has been instructed to take the gum
boat up the Amazon 10 the head of
navigation, for similar researches In
tlhat stcl greater country.
or course the British and German,
are lcLlcls in ahe same direction. ara
the 6ernlpa textile Journals are adyis-
Ing the duthmakers Of the empire TO
Jake thctr Nores up the Amazon to
lquitos, in Fecu, wh.Ch Is destined Ia
eecome ,ause trade ceutre oommu-
ucatirg, as t does. Through tke
Amazon tributaries, with a ,arge ex-
temt Of ccuatry cast Cf the Andes that
Is rich in agriculJurac possibilities and
-n minerals, timber and nchbcr. Ocean
steamers can ASCEND the Amazon 10
lGui,cs, 2,i00 miles from the Atlantic.
lhe British iiUm Of Booth & Co. have
put On the steamer Clement TO open
Greet trade between Europe and She
upper Amazon, and &c Is said they are
DuAding three more vessels for the
same route. Trade .n that region and
on the CrlnocO mhy be Of slow growth
! The ropNaion is s.llc sparse. the pc1-
PIE, measured by Amglo-saxon stand
ards f2A shcrt In enterprise and per
severance, and the climate IS not san-
brious. But the trade of the lower
Am1n0n and OF its great upper reaches
10 Peru east OF the CordIieras is now
lSrcWing stea,ii y after a long period of
siagnaaon. Immense territory. Is omen
Tor commercial conquest among the
fcouhiEs cf the mountains.
The Wilmington and other agencies
Will place us among the pioneers there.
and We shall secure a new aud perma-
nent ouilet for our products and new
sources Of raw material.-New York
sun.