Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-10

the great rivers of the world, but nowhere
else anything like this. Let me give you
some notes which / made sitting in the
Prov OF the steamer we passed through.
We are now in the great delta of the
Amazon We have left the rushing chan
| mel, where the river rolls along in yellow
waves on its turbid course, and are floating
through canals, where the water is as
smooth as FURNISHED steel. but where by
the setting sun 1t has changed to copper
and to gold. On all sides OF US are islands
which seem to float this copper sea
masses of rich, dark navy blue and gor-
geous green. Our steamer is passing be-
tween walls of blue. walls Of emerald plush
a hundred feet high, which, cut by other
canals, similarly wooded make IL seem as
though we We're travelling through one of
natures great cities. 1t is fairy city of
the Amazon-a city not built by hands, a
city populated by monkeys, jaguars, par
rCts and butterflies. II Is the haunt of the
crocodile, which here grows to its greatest
size 1t Is the homo of the orchid and the
palm OF the India rubber tree, and of
countless other tropical plants which would
sSch be rarity in the botanical gardens of
Europe
The Vegetation,
Take a look at the trees. What variety
Of palms. Some Of them are only as big
around as your arm, but they are as tall as
sx-story house, extending from the ground
to the top without branches, and ending in
great tassel of leaves. There are others
which sprout out in great punches from
the ground. There are palms loaded with
cocoanuts, each nut in its green husk as
big as foot ball. There are palms which
branch out like fans, and there are ROYAL
palms a hundred feet tall which tower high
above the smaller varieties.
But the most striking trees of the Anna
ION are not the palm trees. We look in
vain for a forest of palms. Palms grow
among the other trees of the woods and
you seldom see many palms close together,
The other forest trees in the distance look
much like our trees at home.
When You get close to the shore. however
you see the trees are matted together with
vines, The bark of many Of them is silver
gray, and long creepers hang down from
their branches to the ground so that It
would be almost impossible to make your
way through without the aid of an ak.
some OF the trees are enormous. The one
which bears the Brazil nut towers high
above the rest of the forest. It has a foI-
age of rich, dark green, and this extends
out IN the shape of a great hill or mound
OF green away up there In the air. The Bra
zii nuts are like walnuts. only each nut is
about twice as big as a base ball 1t has a
great musk upon it, and inside of it there
nuts of commerce.
Some Of the Amazon trees are covered
with flowers. Over there at the right there
Is hay stack Of vioets poised up on
the top of that trunk, sixty feet high Fur
Their over you may see a tree whose hlos-
SONS look Just like buttercups. Build If YOU
can In the eye of your mind a stack of hut
lSiCQpS as DlS az a circus tent in
the air surrounded by green, and you have
the effect.
The most beautiful things, however. are
the little things. the orchids which cling to
the dead branches the fern trees and plants
which have leaves busted with silver and
copper and gold.
The Huts of the Amazon
I have seen but few people on nv wev I'M
the Amazon. Para, at the mouth is the
metropolis of the whole region. 1t has 100
600 population and is big business center
obydos has about 500 people, although 1t is |
put down in the books as much larger
There are few other scattering towns |
such as Santarem and Porte Allegro. but |
none have many people.
Along the banks you see here and there
cut out of the woods a clearing just !
about big enough for a hut and a garden
The hut Is made of poles and palm leaves |
ana the garden consists OF a few banana !
pants, an orange tree or SO and some palm |
trees. The huts are matched with palm |
leaVes. They are so rude that the wind |
whistles through them and the roof merely /
serves to keep out the rain and the sum-
They are built close to the edge of the |
river Naked babies play on the shore in |
front OF them, and bare-footed men and |
women, many OF whom are mulattoes or |
negroes. stand and look at the steamer as |
IT goes by. The most of these people are |
rubber hunters, few own cacao orchards
but all seem to be thriftless and poverty |
stricken.
The Floods of the Amazon.
Many of the people can live in their nuts |
only part of the year. They have to go |
to the higher lands during the floods The |
Amazon valley is the rainiest region of the
world. 1t is estimated that a million and a |
half cubic feet of rain falls upon it every day |
the year through. This is an average of 1
sepenty-two inches of rain per annum. In 1
other words, If the water lay where II fell, |
thu whole valley would be covered with /
rain so deep that 1t would hide the crown of /
the average man.
In many parts of the valley 1t rains every
day. In Para I had to make my appoint \
ments to call after the usual afternoon |
shower, and here furthsr up the Amazon |
the air Is full Of moisture and mist Every |
thing is rusty. My knife has rusted in my ]
pocket I have to keep my revolver well |
oiled, and If leave my gun loaded over |
night 1t is sometimes so damp that it will |