Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-08-10
.sAATIC AMAZON
! is the Greatest as Well as the
Stranuest Of Rivers.
IT'S UPPER PART A MYSTERY.

Curious Woooi3nn 'c"So'
vhile the Amazea Il the worlds
,.r.atcsi river. II not IN length at least
!. ,he volume OF water which flows
,,r,ucb IL. II Is the worlds strangest
river as wei
rbe few travellers and explorers who
81 nave iourneyed up this water course TO
n 80 many sources IN the glaciers OF tho
"A S,r,b American mountains tell stories
II (which are almost incredible about the
,n,rni maze Of streams which unite to
Il f,rn Il. each stream having Its birth
u, or. OF the great fec masses. Xet a
So, hundred miles below. where they
81 ,,errc and create the river. the tenn
81 ,,er,iurc Is such that II works its way
4 through perfect labyrinth OF tropical
81 vegetation.
On, the mariner can tell the place
where the Amazon really has its
norfh because the opening Il has
. nad, on the eastern coast OF South
America is SO wide that ltextends over
,ol miles 4 long distance before one
.oncs 10 the mouth OF the river. how
4 .ver. one is really sailing on the wa
iers Of the Amazon. because they force
,heir WA, 80 far out into the ocean.
rney ~ay that 300 miles out M sea or
,r, mouth of the Amazon you can
moist nu-ketfu Of fresh water out
nf .hc ocean from the deck OF a ship,
such is the quantity OF It's water that
flows from that gigantic basin.
Long after you have entered the ac-
,ra river md have It's banks north
snd south OF you II you are IN mid
stream YOU viii still be out OF sight Of
land. such is the breadth of the vast
channel The river stretches far into
fine ocean and far up the country.
Take a map OF South America and
cook up place called lguitos. IL lies
four.Gfths OF the way across the con-
:incni from east 20 west. Yet from
lguitoS there Is fortnightly service
% ocean going steamers 10 Europe
which descend some 5000 miles of the
river before they reach the sea
10 is not only one branch OF the Am
szou but many. that are thus TO be re-
garled as The same as ocean highways.
The southern branches OF the Amazon
are broken by rapids along a line
where Tow continental shelf exists.
Above these rapids, however. there is
again deep water. Thus beyond the
falls q the Madeira there are over
10000 miles OF navigable water on that
river and ifs branches.
Not only Sir Martin Conday, but
other travellers who have vcntured
along the upper river and its tributa-
rirS say that here curious woodland
iausio exists To the surface OF the
Watcr che suns rays seldom reach. and
,nr may 20 many miles along water
ways whore Il is we'll nigh as dark as
ni-N hccau>e the sky Is almost COM
p.etely shut out by the mass OF vines
which iuicrlace the trees and are so
thlcS with leaves. Deprived OF tho
sunlight all is dark and rank. The
damp niI Is laden with unhealthful
vapor The surface OF the water in
places where the current IS too slug
rish Co carry Il away Is covered with
scum aud weed.
u requires no little courage 20 ex-
plorc these businesses, for a man real
ly takes his life In his hands. so I'M
healthy are they. Occasionally. how
ever. one can see the upper portion OF
The forest where there Is n little crew
Ice 10 its roof OF vines. Above this Is
really scene Of life and beauty. Birds
and butterflies aud other gorgeous In
sovtS are dying from place TO place;
lowers OF hundreds OF bues and shapes
are blooming from the plants attached
10 tree, branch and trunk. While be-
low all may be Iifeless and silent.
above the height where the mass OF
vines ovcrshadow the river nature has
created world Of brightness and ami
nation; but. rs already stated. Ii is oil
most entirely shut out from the human
eye.
10 attempt 10 break through this
canopy OF vines which hide il from the
lower world j. almost impossible be-
cause the vines grow SO thickly. but
some naturalists have penetrated IL
aud say that the forests really have
TWO surfaces. the one above this artih-
cal roof and the one below. That
which is above is barred from human
entrance. Its Inhabitants are mostly
olFdS and insects that are radiant with
beauty unequalcd in the world.
Whatever grows In the Amazon mud
strives with desperate internecino
StruSGle TO reach this sky exposed sur
lace and there blossoms. Beneath,
where man can walk or aoat, all is
dark Only here and there ftfui ray
OF sunlight struggles through Orchids
blossom within this shadowy region.
lou can see these bright creatures
Hiiinlly in the cavern below. but not in
all iheir glory. as they must behold
one another above Sometimes as they
u" about beneath they will chance to
cross sunbeam siasting through n
nole IL the vegetation, then for an in
slant they fash into view like an ex-
p'oSiou OF burning color. 1t is thus
mat the great butterflies are seen to
lhe best effect No one can imagine
Nhat a picture they produce In their
pa'''" haunts as their wings fash and
e'oS' and fash again IL the sunlight as
they ny
no; this upper world OF the Amazon
forests has been closed 10 human be-
mgS ana promises TO remain a perpet-
uai mystery unless with the aid Of
some aerial craft one may be able to
''SN It Chambers Journal.