The Washington times., 1903-11-29
Wondrous Scenes of Trop-
ical Luxuriance Unbroken
Save by the Flow Of the
Great Yellow River.
FORESTS SEEM TO GROW
RIGHT OUT OF WATER
Eternal Sameness of Land
and Flood Makes Mental
and Physical Wrecks of
Anglo-SaXons Who Live
There Long.

There Long.
Great interest has been aroused. by
recent publications in The Times, in
the projected expedition of Major J. Or
ton Kerbey. former United States con-
sui, TO the regions tributary to South
Americas great stream, the Amazon.
This expedition is essentially one of
business purposes. but there is room in
its makeup for congenial young men
who are eager 10 hunt big game. as well
as for an artist photogra pher, who
would wish to get some original pic
lures of tropical scenery. or take a few
snap she's at the wild beasts IN which
that region abounds- It should be UNI
derstood however, that every member
of the expedition must pay his own ex-
penses, amounting 10 something like
500, which includes steamship fare 10
South America and return. and canoe
ing in the interior.
Major Kerbey has written a most in
terestihg work. entitled ''Amazonia. the
Land of Tomorrow" and in view of the
impending expedition IL viii be of in
terest 20 read something Of what he
says about the first thousand miles up
the Amazon. In one OF the chapters of
his book Major Kerbey describes his
stay in the delightfully."- wicked city"
of Para, and his departure from there
on one Of the river boats for Manaos-
"a voyage on the Amazon is very
much like being at sea" Major Kerbey
continues. while coasting along the
green 81 ores of tropical islands. where
the scenery becomes oppressively beau
tiful by reason of the heat and quiet
g.
week, seated in a reclining steamer
chair with both feet on the rails, one can
enjoy a beautiful moving panorama.
OF rich and gorgeous foliage in coloring
and outline beyond power of descrip-
tion-tl-e innumerable tints of the green
and the bloom which seems brighter on
tropical trees than on shrubbery. dense
underground. climbing. clustering vines,
making tangled jungles that would seem
TO impede tigers and jaguars. but af-
fording protection for snakes and creep
ing things.
Firing on the Alligators.
THE dullness IS sometimes relieved by
the D1lot reporting to the captain jack
aree.' which I imagined was some sort
OF an obstruction. as il caused all hands
some stir I could see nothing but
what appeared like a floating log. 1t
was snly an alligator which the captain
fired at with the American Winchester
that all pilo5s carry as part of the equip
ment 1t is no reflection on this arm to
add I have seen hundreds Of shots fred
at the gators. but not once did I have
the satisfaction of knowing that they
took effect
There are thousands OF miles Of this
ture. stretched along both sides of the
banks OF the great Yellow River. from
the ocean TO the andes. varied now and
then by some cacao orchards that ap-
pear in scattered settlements, after the
first five hundred miles Of the lower
Hood plains have been passed
Like an Inland Sea.
THE Amazon does not impress one as
being river; il appears more like Jour
neying on an inland sea where islands
are as plenty as water. our boat seemed
10 be always passing through some
shortcut or channel. The islands are
so numerous and the cut-offs so fire.
quent that the main land is seldom in
sight. Each time I inquired ] was told
the boat was passing an island; again
we were in broad expanse Of yellow
water with the land IN the distance ike
bay. and the next hour in a cutoff
80 narrow that Il would be dangerous
10 pass boat coming down the rapid
current
Zone mile on the lower Amazon is
the same as a thousand. and every day
is s-like FOR the entire voyage. It is the
same sea Of forest, dense. painless. and
inpenetrable, and when covered with
water, all animal nature is driven out.
The solitude is as dense as the stearny,
humid. atmosphere.
Following the bent for comparison,
Il mey be said that like everything
else in the way OF customs and eli
mate. even the Typographical features
are reversed. The forests. instead OF
water, cover three-fourths VI the sur
face, and are as painless as the ocean
The great Amazon outlines mere path
way OF yellow winding through an
ocean Of green waving foliage that
seems TO grow out Of the water.
An UneXplOred Country.
The Amazon basin proper has n4ve,
been explored Notwithstanding the mn.
merous books that have been published
in all langua yes on the Amazon. il is
indisputable that the writers have beer
confined in their observations 70 what
they have been able 10 discover IRON
the decks Of boats or obtained sec.
ond-Faad at the landings
WHAT lies beyond. in the thousands Oh
miles OF uninterrupted forest reaching 4
the mountainous interior that divides Ii
from the Plate valley 20 the south no
man knows. The rivers have been ira
versed By canoeists, but the forests
have been an impossible barrier. II
that land Of rapid growth. il IS no
possible 10 maintain an omen road II
IS said OF the hunters and naturalist
that The pathway they blaze IN on
day - entirely grown up behind then
IN another day. The Amazon fcresu
10 the south are. therefore. yet a seal
ed book whose pages must be cut an,
turned By the Stanley OF 'Equatoria
America.
'-Santaraim pronounced in the Portu
gueEc 'San-ta-rainD is a beautifully 10
Gated town at the mouth OF the Ri
TOcatins.= which flows from the south