The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-22
VALLEY OF AMAZON
ALAND OF PLENTY
One Great Tributary Lined
With Amazing Vegetable and
Mineral Wealth.
CLIMATE NEARLY IDEAL
Expedition Returns With Sam
pies of Various Natural
Products for Analysis.
BY JOHN r. BARRY.

Special Correspondence TO TIE Sun.
PARA, Brazil, Aug. al have Just
returned TO Para after a voyage up the
rivers Tocantlns, Moju and Jupatuba.
The Moju is as large or larger than the
Hudson River and runs into the Bay of
Guajara, on which Is the city of Para,
or Belem, as 1t is called officially: a
picturesque canal, together with the
Jupatuba River, connects the Moju with
the Tocantins, one of the great
affiuents Of the Amazon.
The expedition of which was a men,
Der was organized by the Port of
Para" a company which owns the spien-
did modern docks, warehouses, ship
yard, floating dry docks and other ship
ping facilities of this port, in connec-
ton with its industrial Department"
recently organized by Henry s. Fleming
Of New York.
The Tocantins River in any other
country would be considered an I'm
mensely important waterway-in the
valley of the Amazon 1t Is OF secondary
Importance. 1t is beautiful river. ten
miles wide at the mouth, with high
banks covered with dense forest growth,
and its course Is dotted with islands,
large and small; on which the stately
mirity palm grows in profusion.
We visited the towns of Cameta,
Baiao Sac Joaquin. the first named a
large, prosperous city. which in the days
Of the rubber boom was a place of con-
siderable commercial Importance; the
two others are merely picturesque VIII
lagos in a setting of dark green mango
trees. perched high up on the bank of
the river
The lower section of the Tocantins
| offers great opportunities for agricultural
| development; at present the seringueiros,
in the little clearings they have made in
| the forest, are growing successfully
mandioca. sugar cane, cacao, tobacco,
conoanuts, tropical fruits. but only on a
small scale. The soil Is very rich and
| the climate so even that two crops a
year can be grown. The country about
| Cameta is rich in oil and stearine bear
ing palms, A small vegetable oil fac
tory is being operated at Cameta which
| Is manufacturing a high grade lubricat-
ing oil. as well as Illuminating and edi-
Bile oils and soap. The nuts used are
the ucuhuba, mirity, babassu and others.
We were surprised to find cocoanuts
| growing on the banks of this river
nearly 800 miles from the sea. We sent
young Indian boy up one of these
! trees and found the milk and the meat
of these nuts to be of excellent quality.
| The climate of the Tocaiitins is de-
| lightful. The days were not warm,
there is always a pleasant breeze blow
| ing and the nlghts-we were blessed
with full moon-beautiful beyond de-
! scription. At this time of the year.
when the water is low, there are little
strips of firm sandy beach along the
/ shore on which 1t was a delight to walk
| d,r To- 4ri,a N
water In this river. unlike the Amazon,
is quite clear and Is drinkable. There
were no mosquitoes.
Further up river, above the first falls
| near the town of Alcobaca, the land
! becomes mountainous and there are said
| 10 be extensive coal seams in many
| places. At Baiao we saw a sample of
this coal which we are bringing to New
York together with innumerable other
samples of sands, vegetable matter
nuts. fibres, &c. for analysis. We found
numerous products which undoubtedly
have great commercial value, but are
not now being developed.
Given the extraordinary fertility OF
| this section of the Amazon Valley, the
variety Of its natural resources the ex-
| cellence Of the climate, the day cannot
he far distant when civilization shall
wrest from nature the riches which for
so many centuries have lain dormant.
untouched by man, The Amazon Valley
is probably the richest undeveloped area
in the world to-day; the region watered
by the Tocantins and the Moju is but
an Insignificant corner OF the valley
| The entire area watered by this amazing
river is nearly 100000 square miles in
extent-larger than the United States
| including Alaska!
What Brazil needs In order to develop
the immense natural resources within
her borders are foreign capital, techni.
cal training and. above all, foreign i'm
migration. 1t is land of golden op.
portunity. With up to date sanitary
habitations and modern hygiene the val.
ley OF the Torantns-to mention only
ono small sect .on-could be made ar
earthly paradise.
Our expedition will leave Immediately
ON the steamer Andira, one OF the com
fcrtable river boats of the Amazon Rivel
Navigation Company. for an extensiv,
trip UP the main Amazon River as fai
as Iquitos, Peru, and we shall also ex
anime some of the main afluents, sucl
as the rivers Negro, Javary, Xingu
Trcmbetas, TapaJoz. ascending thes
rivers for short distances. .....