The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1910-06-16
GIGANTIC AMAZON
It Is the Greatest az Well as the
Strangest Of Rivers.
IT'S UPPER PART a MYSTERY.

vlns GrOwths Through Which q
0lsaT Of Sunlight Never Shows--A
Curious Woodland Tansls.
,, While the Amazon IN the worlds
greatest river, II not In length Al least
| In the volume of water which lows
through il. It Is the worlds strangest
river aS well.
The rev travellers and explorers who
have 10urneypd up this water course to
It's many sources In rhe glaciers Of the
South American mountains tell stories
which are almost Incredible about the
literal uaze Of streams which unite to
form II. each stream having It's blrfh
IN one of the great Ice ll,asSes. Yet q
few hundred mites below. where they
merge aud create the river, the tenn.
pernture Ls such that Il works its way
through a perfect labyrinth OF tropicul
vegetation.
Only the mariner can tell the place
where the Amazon really has lts
mouth. because the opening II h,ls
made OH the eastern coast Of South
America Is so wide that II extends ever
lOO miles. long distance before Que
comes to the A.outh OF the river. how
ever. one IL rrnlly sailing on the wa
| lers OF the AnnTln. because they force
their way so fur out into the ocean.
They say that 500 miles out at sea of
the mouth OF the Amazon you can
hoist bicketful OF fresh water out
Of the ocean from the deck OF ship.
such Is the quantity OF its water that
lows from that gigantic basln.
Long after you have entered the Hc-
tual river and have its banks north
md south OF you II yon are In mld-
stream you will still be out Of sight OF
land. such In the breldth Of the vast
channel. The river stretches fur into
the ocean and far up the country.
Take map Of South America and
look up place called lquitOs. II Hes
f0ur-ffths of the way across the con
tinent from Gust to VEST Yet from
lQuitoS there IL a fortnlghtly service
IT ocean going steamers TO Europe
4
river before they reach the yea.
| IL Is mt only one brunch OF the Am.
azon but many, that are thus 10 he re.
gardeti az the same az ocean highways
The southern branches of the Amazon
are broken by rapids along a line
/, where lUw continental shelf exists.
Above these rapids. however. there II
again deep water. Thus beyond the
falls of the Madelra there IRE over
lOaOO miles Of navigabls water on that
river aud It's branches.
Not only Sir Martin Conday. but
other travellers who have ventured
along the upper river and itS tributa-
rteH. say that here Il curious woodland
tanglp exists. re the surface Of the
water the SUMS rays seldom reach. and
One may 10 many miles along water
ways where 1t il well nigh as dark as
night because the sky IL almost com
plptely shut out by the mass Of vines
which interlace the trees und are 80
thick with leaves. Deprived Of the
sunlight, all IN dirk and rank. The
damp air liz laden with unhenlthful
vapor, The surface Of The water In
places where the current Is too slug
giSh to carry II away ~ covered with
scum and weed
II requires no little courage TO ex-
plOre these Businesses. for nmn reMi-
~ takes hlS life IN his hands. so un-
healthy are they. Occasionally, how
ever. one can aess the upper portion Of
the forest where there Is little crew
! ice III itS root OF vines. Above this IL
really M'rne Of life and beauty. Birds
and butterflies and other gorgeous In
sectS are flying from place to place:
flowers of hundreds Of hucs and shapes
ARE blooming from the plants attached
to tree. branch and trunk. While he
low all may be llfeleHs and silent,
above the height where the mass Of
vines OversladOw the river nature has
created world Of brightness and ami
mutton: bit. as already stated. It Is al-
most entirely shut out from the human
eye.
10 attempt TO break through this
canopy Of vines which hide II from the
lower world IN almost impossible be-
cause the vines grow so thickly, but
some naturulists hive penetrated It
and say that the forests really hive
two surfaces. fhe one above this artid-
cial roof and the one below. That
which Is above II barred from human
entrance. It's inhabitants nre mostly
birds and INSECTS thar nFe radiant with
beauty unrqunled In the world.
Whatever grows IN the Amazon mud
strives with desperate internecine
struggle to reach this sky exposed SUR
face and there blossoms. Beneath.
where man can walk or noat, all Is
dark. Only here and there fltfuI ray
Of sunlight struggles through Orchids
blossom within iIIIs Shhdowy region.
You can spe these bright creatures
fiitfuiIy III the cavern below. but not in
ali their glory. rs they must behold
one another above. Sometimes MS they
fit about beneath they viii chance to
cross sunleam slanting through a
hole 10 the vegetation. then for an In
slant they fash into view like an ex-
plosion Of burning color. II n thus
that the great butterflies are seen to
.Av.nS nua nan imagine