White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-01-20
RIVERS HIGH ROADS
IN EXPLORATION WORK
Worlds Longest Streams Tap
Roots of Its History.

xNOOS0 VA 4&o AASSSAys
Washington.-"Of the worlds dozen
longest rivers, six are in Asia and
three in Africa" says bulletin from
the Washington ID. CO. headquarters
of the National Geographic society.
''The New world is represented only
by the Amazon in South America and
the Mississippi and the Mackenzie in
North America, though If the Mis-
souri, be considered apart from the
Mississippi 1t would take rank in its
own right.
"The longest single river Is the Nile,
measuring some 1000 miles from head
to mouth. The Nile is further distin-
guished in that it has no tributaries
for the last 1900 miles of it's course
to the sea. During this stretch its
waters are considerably reduced in
volume by evaporation and irrigation
so that 1t grows smaller instead of
larger toward It's mouth.
All Climates Represented.
"Other African rivers among the
length-scoring IL are the Niger and
the Congo, both fed by the tropical
rains of hot regions near the equator.
In general way they more nearly
resemble South Americas representa-
tive, the Amazon, than the great
streams of the colder northern CONT.
nents.
"Of Asia's six longest rivers, four
are in Siberia, the OBJ, Yenisei, and
Lena flowing north into the Arctic
ocean and the Amur emptying into an
arm of the Pacific. The other two
are the Yangtze and Hwang, or Vel
low, river of China.
'"These IL river basins represent
the greatest variety of climate and
civilization. The Amazon and the
Congo flow through lush equatorial
jungles inhabited by birds of bril-.
liant plumage, wild animals and saw
age tribes, while the mouths of the
Yenisei and the Lena are above the
northern timber line and their valleys
support the sparsest population. The
Mississippi and the Yangtze flow
through established, if divergent, civil
lizations, with rich cities along their
banks like jewels on a string. The
Nile is one Of the cradles Of world
history; the Mackenzie is still from
tier stream.
"From the point Of view of a world
map five of the dozen rivers flow up
hill,' that is, flow to the north. These
are the Nile, Mackenzie, Oh, Yenisei,
and Lena. The Mississippi and Niger
flow south. The Amur, Yangtze,
Hwang and Amazon run eastward.
Only the Congo points toward the
West.
Gall these streams overflow their
banks at intervals but the results are
strangely different In the case of the
Mississippi and the Yangtze, floods
are national disasters bringing untold
suffering to millions. The annual
overflow of the Nile with resulting
fertilization of the valley by the de-.
post of silt is the source of the
wealth of Egypt. The Hwang, or
Mellow river, from It's habit of over
flowing it's banks and changing its
course at intervals, is known as the
'scourge of China
"The Amazon and the. Congo lie al.
most under the equator, and the other
ten longer rivers are in the northern
hemisphere Four flow into the Arc.
tic ocean. A reason is not far to
seek. The greatest land masses are
in the northern half of the world, and
without large land areas long rivers
are impossible. The smaller cont.
nents of Australia and Europe are
not represented in the dozen. Similar
ly, the reason for the longest rivers
flowing to the north and east is that
the longest continental slopes extend
In those directions.
Highways of Civilization.
"The Yangtze and the Mississippi
are lined with wealthy cities largely
because of their location in the TEN.
perate zone. The tropic Amazon,
Niger, and Congo are too hot; the
Mackenzie and the Siberian rivers are
too cold for the favorable growth of
towns. The Nile valley beyond Cairo
| Is mere strip of green from fifteen
to thirty mi4es wide between two
burning deserts. The Hwang Is too
variable In Its habits to encourage
navigation or river ports.
"From the earliest times these long
rivers have furnished high roads for
the exploration of continental in
teriors. Nero sent an expedition to
discover the headwaters of the Nile
which failed to reach its objective.
Russian penetration of Siberia fol
lowed the great river beds. The Anna
zon and the Congo are still highways
of discovery. Head reaches of the
Yangtze are yelled in Asiatic obscu
rity. The Niger was the river of
romance in the great days of Tim
buktu. The histories of the worlds
river basins have been the history of
the worlds empires. A great river
is both roadway and a source OF
life. The worlds IL longest rivers
tap the roots of its history as well
as the roots of its resources"