White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-08-22

| (Prepared by the National Geographic
| Society. Washington. D. CD
" AZURE played favorites in ap-
| mi portioning the great rivers OF
/ the world. OF the dozen larg-
est, six are in Asia and three
In Africa, leaving only three for the
two continents of the New world. And
among the twelve leaders, Europe and
Australia are wholly unrepresented.
The longest single river is the Nile,
measuring some 1000 miles from head
to mouth. The Nile is further distin-
guisi1ed in that it has no tributaries
for the last 1,5O0 miles Of it's course
to the sea. During this stretch its
] waters are considerably reduced in
\ volume by evaporation and irrigation
so that it grows smaller instead of
larger toward its mouth.
Other African rivers among the
length-scoring twelve are the Niger
and the Congo, both fed by the trop-
zeal rains of hot regions near the
Equator. In general way they more
nearly resemble South Americas rep
resentative, the Amazon, than the
great streams of the colder northern
continents.
OF Asia's six longest rivers. four are
in Siberia, the Oh, 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 Yellow, river
Of China.
These twelve river basins represent
the greatest variety of climate and
civilization. The Amazon and the
Congo flow through lush equatorial
iungles inhabited by birds of brilliant
plumage, wild animals and savage
tribes, while the mouths Of the Ye-
nisei 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, civ
ilizations. 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
frontier stream.
Five of the dozen rivers flow to the
north. These are the Nile, Mackenzie.
oh. Yenisei. and Lena. The NIissis-
sippi and Niger flow south. The
Amur. Yangtze. Hwang and Amazon
run eastward. Only the Congo points
toward the west.
Difference in Floods.
All 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 suf-
fering to millions. The annual over
flow Of the Nile with resulting ferti-
lization Of the valley by the deposit
Of silt is the source Of the wealth of
Egypt. The Hwang, or Yellow river.
from it's habit of overflowing it's banks
and changing it's entire course at in
tervals is known as the "scourge of
China"
The Amazon and the Congo lie al
most under the Equator, and the 9th.
err ten longest rivers are in the north.
ern hemisphere. Four flow into the
Arctic 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. Similarly.
the reason for the longest rivers flow
ing to the north and east is that the
longest continental slopes extend in
those directions.
The Yangtze and the Mississippi are
lined with wealthy cities largely be
cause Of their location in the temper
ate 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 a
mere strip of green from Is to 80
miles wide between two burning des.
erts. The Hwang is too variable In
it's habits to encourage navigation or
river ports.
From the earliest times these long
rivers have furnished high roads for
the exploration of continental interi-
ors. Nero sent an expedition to dis
cover the headwaters of the Nile,
which failed to reach its objective.
Russian penetration of Siberia fol-
lowed the great river beds. The
Amazon and the Congo are still high.
ways of discovery. Head reaches Of
the Yangtze are yelled in Asiatc OBJ
security. 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 a roadway and source OF life. |
Menace Of the Mississippi.
Although North America can claim
only two of the worlds dozen longest !