The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20

lss source and Meath mau,si. In o..
csurse wealth. Alsn9 rs Ranks.


while the Amazon n the worlds great
cot river. II not In Isngth at least in the
volume Of water which Hows through
10. 70 n the worlds @transcst river az
we'll.
Ths few travellers and explorers Who
have jOurneyed up this watsrcourse
To il many sources in tho glaciers Of the
South American mountains tell stories
which are almost incredible about the
literal maEs Of streams which unite %
form Il. each stream having it, birth in
ono of the great Ice maascs. Yet a few
hundred miles below. where they merge
and cveats the river. the tempsraturs
n such that is works its way through a
perfect labyrinth Of tropical vegetation.
Only the mariner can tell the plao..
where the Amazon really has hs mouth.
bscause the opening Il has made on the
eastern coast 81 South America 10 10 wide
that Il extends over lOO miles. A long
distance before one comes TO the mouth
% the river. however. one n really sailing
on the waters % the Amazon. says CAam-
bsrs's Journal. because they force
their way out 90 far into the OCEAN. They
aay that 30 miles out az sea. Oh the mouth
% the Amazon. you can hoist a bucketfIil
the dsck Of the ship. such n the quantity
Of in water that flows from that gigantic
basin.
Long after you have entered the actual
river and have its hanks 20 north and
south % you. " you are in midstream
you win still be out Of sight Of land. such
y the breadth of the vast channel. The
river stretches far into the ocean and
Gar up the country. Take a map OF
South America and look out a piace called
IauitOa. II lies fOur-lifths Of the way
across the continent from east 10 west
Yet from Iquitos there . a fortnightly
service OF oceangotng stea merS 20 Eu-
rope. which Descend some 5000 miles
OF the river before they reach the sea.
Il ~ not only one branch % the Amazon
but many that are thus To be regarded
AZ the same a. ocean Highways The
southern branches Of the Amazon are
broken by rapids along q limo where a
low con.inental shelf exists. Above theae
rapids. however. there IN again deep water
Thus beyond the falls % the Madeira
there are over lO.OOO miles of naviRable
water on that river and it, branches.
and these only, await the making 81 a
short railway leas than 200 miles long
TO he brought into connection With the
other highways OF the world.
Away In this remote part OF the SOut h
American continent nature has been
indeed generous. for in addition to the
wealth OF FuUurr t0ere dFe Known To L.
deposits OF gold and other precious min
erals. II in said that nearly every one
Of the glacial streams washing down
the foothills 81 the mountains carries
sand laden with gold which has been
accommodating in its bed for centuries
hut an yet none has been secured by the
miner, owing to the distance To thess
streams being % grrat and to there being
no route by which machinery or tools
for getting the gold can he taken IN these
places.
Not only Sir Martin Conway hut other
travellers who have venture6 along the
upper river and lie tributaries say that
here a curious earthly paradise reaIly
EXISTS. To tho surface of tho water tn.
suns rays seldom reach; and one may
90 many mikes along waterways where
II ~ well nigh a. dark a. night. because
the sky u almost completely shut out
by the mass % vines which intsrlace the
trees and are 80 thick with leaves D~-
prived OF the sunlight all N dark and rank.
The damp air n laden with unhealthful
vapOr.
Above this ID really a sc@ne Of life and
beauty. Birds and BUTTERFLIES and other
gorgeous insects Ars dying from place
to place: flowers 81 hundreds ~ hues
and shapes are blooming from the plants
attached tn trss. branch and trunk This
upper world % the Amazon forests has
been closed 20 human beings and prom
isss 20 remain a perpetual mystery unless
with the aid Of some aerial craft ono may
be able TO visit it.