The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-31

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Astounding with the richest products of
tropical and seni-tropical nature.
Now, let US get down to few of the
facts which have attended the wonderful
expectation of such a vast extent Of
country by the three pioneer brothers,
explorations which place them fully on
the pedestal with Stanley, Livingstone,
Speake and others.
Here are some practical notes which
strike home without any adornment or
comment. The exploration which Cen
eral Reyes and his much lamented and
heroic brothers undertook and success
fully carried through on the Amazon
and its tributary streams extended over
a distance of not less than 5000 kilomet-
ers Of navigable waters. But added to
that is 1900 knometers Of stream which
they explored and found navigable for
river boats, or in other words, craft Of
light draught.
The journeys extended from Argentina
to Venezuela and the explorers visited
all the countries of South America. Chilli
excepted.
General Reyes who is now living in
Paris as representative of the Colombian
Republic, calls the vast water area which
he and his brothers have revealed the
American Mediterranean
He says: I and my brothers, on foot
and in canoes, made our first voyage of
six months. We made it over the broad
est part of the continent, q region COM
pletely desert and unknown. in habited
by savages who are cannibals. The
country we traversed is bounded on the
80 81, fr-
the Pacific. We crossed first the Andes
and then explored the rivers which run
into the Amazon After this first and
very trying journey with my brothers
Enrique and Nestor and my nephew, f.
Calderon, my brother Enrique died from
fever and Nestor was assassinated and
devoured by the cannibals.
Let all honor be accorded to those two
pioneers Of civilization who were sacri-
feed, almost unknown, in the depths Of
these American forests The town Of
Iquitos raised within the cemetery
monument to the memory of the brave
explorer Enrique Reyes.
IAN the countries of South America
can, with the exception Of Chilli, be plac-
ed in communication by means of river
ation-Brazn by means Of the ANA
zon, Bolivia through the MADEIRA and
Parus which is close to BIatre de Dios
and Benz; Peru also by the same Amazon
the Javary, the Huallaga and the Ucay-
ali, going up which the Fambo Is reached.
Through it one finds communication with
the railroad Of Oroya, which was start
ed by the American Meiggs, and which
runs to Callao on the Pacific.
ssr5-~.
the Napo, and Colombia by the Putu-
mayo and the Yapura or Caqueta. These
rivers come into touch with the waters
of the River Magdalena, which falls into
the sea Of the Antilles. Here it should
be noted, by Americans and others who
may be seeking favorable grounds for
Ee building OF a railroad that at this
point there is a depression, very accen-
tuated in the mountains, which separate
the two streams and which would admit
the construction of railroad.
"Verezuela is linked in this great water
course system by the Negro, on which is
built the large town of Manaos, with
of forty thousand inhabitants.
The Negro communicates with the Grin
oco by means Of the River Casciquiara,
and Les Guyanes by the River Garapar-
anatuba and Trombelas.
THE sources of the River Tocantin,
which flows into me Amazon in the town
of Para, are near those of the La Plata,
or Parana River in such a way that trav-
eIers starting from Buenos Ayres or from
Montevideo can enter by this river which
waters Paraguay, cross by land just a
few kilometers before arriving at the
ro= i
descend through this to the Amazon and
visit by water communication British
Guiana, French Guiana. Dutch Guiana.
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and
Bolivia.
"Once arrived at Iquitos, an important
town of Peru on the Amazon river; five
thousand kilometers from the sea; the
can take the transatlantic boat,
which starts each month from that har-
Dor for Liverpool laden with india rubber.
THE Amazon river is navigable at all
seasons in transatlantic steamers for five
kilometers, or three thousand
miles from Para TO Iquitos.
The tributary rivers already mention
ed are navigable by river boats, such as
those in use upon the Mississippi over
q radius of between five hundred and
fifteen hundred ktometers.
Thus we have q river navigation by
steam of over sixteen thousand kilomet-
ers of which FIVE thousand are At for
transatlantic steamers.
All the territory watered by these
natural canals are covered by forests Of
rare woods, india rubber trees, cocoa,
etc. The expectation of india rubber
during the last year was a hundred mil
lion of francs.
'fThe Amazon at its mouth, from Pun
ia Tijoca TO Cap du Nord has a width
Of $50 miles Its waters are drinkable
up to 120 miles out at sea. Such is the
force OF its current that it drives the
sea back Among its islands there is
one kilometers broad. The difference OF
height on the waters of the Amazon be-
tween the dry and wet seasons is ten
meters
General Reyes is very well known as an
explorer Of the Andes and OF the Anna
zon. and is the author OF map which
covers the site Of his audacious explora-
ton. The official paper Of the Paris
Society has published some
II his works. and the Encyclopedia
Britannica tells of his explorations The
society has nominated him
as one Of its members.
From the commercial and industrial
point Of view the region where the Reyes
explora lions have been carried out are
Of immense importance. and would form
q splendid field for immigration. for the
cultivation Of medicinal plants and OF AL
tropical products
1t is new world opening out Of is
doors to humanity.
From the sportsman's point Of view the
outlook Is the most tempting, there be-
ing endless deer. wild fowl. Wild boar and