CHAPTER XIX.

RESUMÉ.

My report would be incomplete were I to fail to bring to the notice of the department circumstances concerning the free navigation of the river that have occurred since my return from the valley of the Amazon.

These circumstances are clearly the result of my mission, which appears to have opened the eyes of the nations who dwell upon the banks of the Amazon, and to have stirred into vigorous action interests which have hitherto laid dormant. They have an important and direct bearing upon the question, whether the United States may or may not enter into commercial relations, by the way of the Amazon, with the Spanish American republics, who own the headwaters of that noble stream.

The government of the United States had scarcely begun to entertain the idea of sending a commission to explore the valley of the Amazon, with a view to ascertain what benefits might accrue to its citizens by the establishment of commercial relations with the people who dwell upon its banks, when the fact became known to Brazil. That government, thus awakened to its own (more apparent, however, than real) interests, immediately cast about for means to secure for itself any advantages that might arise from a monopoly of the trade of the river.

She accordingly despatched to Lima an able envoy, Duarte da Ponte Ribeiro, with instructions to make a treaty with Peru concerning the navigation of the Amazon; and, this done, to proceed to Bolivia for the same purpose, while the Brazilian Resident Minister in Bolivia, Miguel Maria Lisboa, was sent to the republics of Ecuador, Venezuela, and New Granada, so as to secure for Brazil the navigation of all the confluents of the Amazon belonging to Spanish South America.

Da Ponte succeeded in making with Peru a treaty highly advantageous to his own government. It is styled "A treaty of fluvial commerce and navigation, and of boundary," and has the following articles relating to steamboat navigation:

"_Article 1._

"The republic of Peru, and his Majesty, the Emperor of Brazil, desiring to encourage, respectively, the navigation of the river Amazon and its confluents by steamboat, which by ensuring the exportation of the immense products of those vast regions, may contribute to increase the number of the inhabitants and civilize the savage tribes, agree, that the merchandise, produce, and craft, passing from Peru to Brazil, or from Brazil to Peru, across the frontier of both States, shall be exempt from all duty, imposts, or sale duty, (alcabala,) whatsoever, to which the same products are not subject in the territory where produced, to which they shall be wholly assimilated.

"_Article 2._

"The high contracting parties, being aware of the great expense attending the establishment of steam navigation, and that it will not yield a profit during the first years to the shareholders of the company destined to navigate the Amazon from its source to its banks ("litoral") in Peru, which should belong exclusively to the respective States, agree to give to the first company which shall be formed a sum of money, during five years, which shall not be less than $20,000 annually for each of the high contracting parties, either of whom may increase the said amount, if it suits its particular interests, without the other party being thereby obliged to contribute in the same ratio.

"The conditions to which the shareholders are to be subject, in consideration of the advantages to be conceded to them, shall be declared in separate articles.

"The other conterminous States which, adopting the same principles, may desire to take part in the enterprise upon the same conditions, shall likewise contribute a certain pecuniary quota to it."

The 5th clause of the 1st of the separate articles alluded to above declares that the company to be formed shall arrange with _both_ governments touching the respective points on the river Amazon or Marañon, to which the steamboats shall navigate, &c., &c.

Article 3d, of the separate articles, declares that the agents of the Imperial government, _with those of the government of Peru_, duly authorized, shall establish the enterprise ("contratarán la empresa") upon the terms indicated in these articles.

The persons undertaking the enterprise shall agree with the said agents touching the mode and place in which they shall receive the stipulated sums.

Both governments, in their respective territories, shall take care of the observance of the conditions agreed upon.

Immediately upon the conclusion of the treaty, and before the exchange of ratifications, Brazil gives a practical illustration of the wisdom of a remark attributed to her wily minister in Lima, which was probably intended only for Peruvian ears, and directed rather at another government than his own, viz: "that it was not expedient for a weak nation to treat with one more powerful than itself; because, in the interpretation of treaties, the stronger party always enforced its own construction, and the weaker, as invariably, went to the wall."

By a decree of the Emperor, of date August 30th, 1852, Brazil gives to Ireneo Evangelista de Souza, one of her own citizens, the exclusive privilege of the navigation of the Amazon for thirty years, and arranges with him touching the respective points on the Amazon, or Marañon, to which the steamers shall navigate.

In the mean time, however, a new minister, Don Manuel Tirado, (more awake to the interests of his country than the framer of the treaty,) takes charge of the portfolio of foreign affairs of Peru. He thus writes to the Brazilian minister of foreign affairs:

"MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, LIMA, "_January 20 1853_.

"SIR: I have the honor, by direction of my government, to inform your excellency that it has understood, by a communication from Don Evarista Gomez Sanchez, our Consul General, charged with the exchange of ratifications of the treaty celebrated in this capital on the 23d of October, 1851, with the Señor Da Ponte Ribeiro, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of his Majesty, the Emperor, that said exchange probably took place in Rio Janeiro, on the ——.

"Said commissioner informs me, at the same time, that the government of his Majesty has conceded a privilege in favor of Don Juan ('Ireneo') Evangelista de Souza for the establishment of navigation by steam of the river Amazon, under the stipulations of a contract celebrated by authority of his Majesty, approved in his decree of the 30th of August of the preceding year.

"Said privilege defines the course of the lines which are to be established; the first to run from the city of Belen, capital of the province of Pará, to the town at the mouth of the Rio Negro, capital of the province of Amazonas; and the second to continue on from this last city to Nauta, a town situated on the Peruvian banks.

"The establishment of said navigation by steam upon the Amazon is a point agreed upon in article 2d of the treaty; as also the annual subsidy of $20,000 by each one of the governments for the space of five years in favor of the company that will undertake the enterprise; conditions to which this government is bound, and which it is desirous of fulfilling.

"This government, then, being aware of the contract celebrated with the above-mentioned Don Juan ('Ireneo') Evangelista de Souza, it is fit that I should say to your Excellency that, as according to article 3d of the separate articles of the treaty, the contracts for navigation should be made by agents duly authorized by both governments (the government of his Majesty having initiated the formation of an enterprise to this effect, and having also reference to that part of the course of the river belonging to Peru, moved, without doubt, by the desire of hastening the attainment of the great objects to which this navigation is destined,) this government can but hope that that of your Excellency will deign to inform the company organized in Rio Janeiro, that, as respects the Peruvian shores, the conditions of navigation, its course and extent, and the obligations relative to Peru, cannot be considered as existing or efficacious, except for the five years agreed upon by the treaty, and by the celebration of an agreement or contract with the same government whence these obligations may arise.

"There being no evidence up to this time that our Consul General, Commissioner Don Evarista Gomez Sanchez, has been consulted in the agreement; and it being believed that, at the date of it, he was not in Rio Janeiro, your Excellency will see how proper it is to make to you this anticipation in furtherance of the realization of that internal navigation which, for so long a time, has yearned for a decided and efficacious protection on the part of the States who share these fruitful waters, destined to open to the world new objects of speculation and of traffic, and to give to commerce and civilization one more field for their efforts.

"In the mean time, as, according to the advices of the same Consul General, the first trip of the new steamers is to be made in the month of May next, this government—for the purpose of avoiding difficulties in their running, and to contribute to the important end which they are destined to accomplish, until the opportunity occurs to arrange the conditions obligatory in that navigation by a free contract on its part, as I have already expressed to your Excellency, and according to the mutual obligations contracted in the treaty—has thought proper to direct, as a facility spontaneously conceded in the mean time to the navigation, that the authorities who exercise jurisdiction on those shores should permit the running of the steamers on the corresponding waters of Peru, and assign them points where they may touch, until the establishment of an arrangement to which this navigation is to be definitely subjected, by means of a contract which this government is bound to make for five years according to stipulation, and which it hopes your Excellency will deign to cause to be offered for its free acceptance by the associates of the company created under the authority of his Majesty, the Emperor.

"With sentiments, &c., &c.

JOSÉ MANUEL TIRADO.

"To his Excellency, the MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BRAZIL."

But whilst Tirado is penning this courtly caveat in Lima, Gomez Sanchez, in Rio Janeiro, is giving his assent to the De Souza contract, extending it in all its force to Peru, and entering into an agreement with De Souza by which he gives him the right of exploring the Ucayali, and other rivers of the west, from Rio, besides other privileges, which, if acceded to by the Peruvian government, would give Brazil all power over the navigation of those rivers, as well as over that of the main stream.

Fortunately for the interests of commerce in general, and for the more speedy development of the great resources that lie hid in the valley of the Amazon, Tirado practically disavows the action of Gomez Sanchez, and obtains from the Council of State of Peru its assent (subject, of course, to the approval of the legislative power) to the appropriation of $200,000 towards the exploration by steamboat of the Peruvian tributaries of the Amazon, and the colonization and settlement of their fertile lands. He has already appropriated $75,000 of this sum for the purchase of two small steamers, which are now in the course of construction in the United States, and which will be delivered at Loreto (the frontier port of Peru on the Amazon) by the 1st of January, 1854.

The enlightened and patriotic President of Peru, Don José Rufino Echenique, approving and adopting the policy of Tirado, goes further, and issues a decree relative to the opening and settlement of the Amazon. It is dated April 5, 1853. I give a translation of some of its more important articles:

_Article_ 1.

In accordance with the treaty concluded with the empire of Brazil, on the 23d of October, 1851, navigation, trade, and commerce, on the part of Brazilian vessels and subjects, is allowed upon the waters of the Amazon, in all that part of its banks belonging to Peru as far as Nauta, at the mouth of the Ucayali.

_Article 2._

The subjects and citizens of other nations which have treaties with Peru, by virtue of which they may enjoy the rights of those of the most favored nation, or to whom those same rights, as regards commerce and navigation, in conformity with said treaties, may be communicable, shall, in case of obtaining entrance into the waters of the Amazon, enjoy, upon the Peruvian shores, the rights conceded to the vessels and subjects of Brazil by the foregoing article.

_Article 3._

To carry into effect the two preceding articles, and in agreement with them, the ports of Nauta and Loreto are declared open to foreign commerce.

_Article 4._

In conformity to the law of November 20, 1852, no import or export duties shall be paid in said free ports on merchandise or produce which may be introduced or taken thence. This, however, does not extend to dues merely municipal, which the people themselves may impose for objects of local utility.

_Article 10._

The Governor-General (resident in Loreto) is empowered to concede gratuitously to all, whether Peruvians or foreigners, who wish to establish themselves in those countries under the national rule and in subordination to the laws and authorities, titles of possession to land (in conformity with the law of November 21, 1852,) from two to forty _fanegadas_, in proportion to the means and ability of cultivation, and number of individuals who may constitute the family of those who shall establish themselves. He will give an account of these concessions, so that the government may confirm them, and expedite titles of proprietorship.

_Article 11._

The governors of the districts may make concessions of lands from two to four fanegadas, informing the Governor-General, who shall also inform the government.

_Article 12._

Larger grants of lands for founding colonies, towns, and estates, will be made by the government gratuitously, but by means of agreements with contractors, in which the conditions of this colonization shall be established.

_Article 13._

All concessions of lands made to individuals or families, in conformity with articles 10 and 11, shall be void, if, at the end of eighteen months, no attempt has been made to cultivate or to build upon them.

_Article 15._

Over and above the reward which the law of the 17th of November, 1849, concedes to vessels or contractors who may introduce colonists, the government binds itself to give to those who may come with destination to the lands or valleys of the Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, a passage to the place, implements of husbandry, and seeds, all gratuitous; for which purpose sufficient deposits shall be placed in the hands of the Governor General at Loreto.

_Article 16._

A national vessel shall be detailed for the service of carrying those who, whether citizens-born or emigrant foreigners, may desire to establish themselves in those countries; and, after being landed at Huanchaco, the Prefect of Libertad shall make provision for the transportation of the immigrants to said places, by the route of the Huallaga.

_Article 17._

In conformity with the law of November 21, 1832, the lands cultivated and houses built shall be exempt from all contributions, and shall enjoy the other privileges which the laws concede to the owners of uncleared lands.

_Article 18._

The new population shall pay no contribution for the space of twenty years; nor shall the Catholics pay obventional or parochial dues, the cures that shall be there established being at the expense of the State. The new population shall also be exempt from the impost on stamped paper, being permitted to use common paper for their petitions and contracts.

_Article 21._

It shall be permitted in the new settlements that the individuals who form them may unite themselves in municipal corporations, under the presidency of the governors of the respective districts or territories, for the purpose of making laws relative to the local administration, without giving the governors created by this decree any power to interfere with rights, of whatever nature, in respect to individual liberty; they only taking care for the preservation of public order, and of the national authority, in conformity with the laws.

_Article 22._

Because this territory is a new establishment, and has no judicial authorities, it shall be permitted, for the administration of justice, that the new settlers shall name their own judges, electing them in the form most convenient, until Congress shall legislate in relation to the administration of justice and in municipal affairs.

* * * * *

The other articles divide the territory proposed to be settled into districts: four on the Amazon, from Loreto upwards to Nauta; two on the Ucayali, from the mouth to Sarayacu; and four on the Huallaga, from the mouth of Tingo Maria—all under the direction of a governor general established at Loreto. The _Intendente general_ of the missions of Pozuzu, which are near the sources of the Pachitea, a confluent of the Ucayali, is directed to observe the conditions of the decree; while the governors of the Upper Mission, which is all the country on both sides of the Amazon above the mouth of the Huallaga, are directed to exercise their authority as before, in dependence on the prefecture of Amazonas, until special decrees shall be issued for their guidance and government.

Article 25 appropriates the funds necessary to open roads from Cerro Pasco to Pozuzu, and from Pozuzu to Mayro, at the head of navigation on the Pachitea, under the direction of the intendente of Pozuzu. So that my old chatty acquaintance of Huanuco, whom Col. Lucar designated as the best animal magnetizer in the world, has at last carried his point and accomplished his long-cherished purpose. If the country between Cerro Pasco and Mayro be such, as he described it, this certainly will be the best route of communication between Lima and the Atlantic; but earnest and enthusiastic men see no obstacles to their favorite schemes; and I much doubt if this road would, according to his account, run for the greater part of its distance over a pampa or plain.

The portions of land granted by this decree are not sufficiently large, a fanegada being only about two acres; but I have no doubt that a proper representation to the Peruvian government would set this matter right, and very much increase the size of the grants. No man would be willing to undergo the exposure, privations, and hardships of a dwelling in the wilderness whilst he was clearing his lands, unless with the prospect of having a large and valuable estate, if not available for himself, at least for his children. The government should make legal titles to each adult male settler of a tract of land at least a mile square.

The decree says nothing in relation to toleration of creeds in religion. The President could not grant toleration, for it would be contrary to the constitution of Peru; but he knows as well as I do that there will be very little trouble in that country from that cause. The country will afford room for every shade of opinion and every form of worship; and men will be too busy there for years to come to find leisure for quarrelling on such trifling yet mischievous subjects. The decree refers in several places particularly to Catholics, as if in contradistinction to, and tacit acknowledgment of, a Protestant interest.

In his letter to the council of state, asking its concurrence in the appropriation by the executive of the $200,000 towards the establishment of steam navigation and exploration on the Ucayali and Huallaga rivers, and the colonization and settlement of the lands upon their banks, Señor Tirado thus expresses himself:

"Amongst the most urgent national obligations is that of procuring the civilization of the savage tribes who dwell on the borders of the Ucayali and in other parts of Eastern Peru; and also that which binds the republic to lay the foundations of the prosperity which may be expected from commerce and communication with the rest of the world, by means of the navigation of the Amazon and its confluents.

"The Spanish government, and subsequently the independent, on account of divers circumstances, has applied but feeble means to the accomplishment of the first of these objects. The wants and spirit of the age now call for the full and immediate application of the care and resources of the nation towards these places, subject to the territorial sovereignty of Peru, which will soon see an influx of foreign merchandise, and in which, probably, an abundant emigration, and an extensive traffic, will create towns of important commerce and a field for the efforts of civilization and industry."

These are patriotic and statesmanlike views, which give ample testimony to the truth of Ijurra's estimate of the character of this wise minister, contained in a recent letter to me. He says:

"The minister Tirado is the man for the age in Peru. In nothing does he resemble his predecessors or his cotemporaries. His travels in the United States, and in some parts of Europe, have not been barren of results. Endowed with an intellect that comprehends all at a glance, and full of knowledge, he is entirely worthy of the appellation of a true statesman. At the same time, possessed of a heart which is full of enthusiasm and patriotism, he desires to introduce into my unhappy country the institutions, laws, and manners, which have rendered happy other countries that I have known, and which, doubtless, will be adaptable to the necessities of our people, and conducive to the rapid progress of the republic.

"He will commence by calling over industrious men of all professions and creeds, of all ages, nations, and conditions, with the sole condition that they shall be moral and laborious; he will endow them with those fertile lands, with which you are familiar, to the eastward of the Andes; he will supply them with tools, seeds, and domestic animals, and will give them the necessary guarantees that they may live together like brothers, with absolute liberty of action and of conscience."

All this, and more, has Tirado accomplished in the recent decree of the Peruvian government. I think that I can also trace Ijurra's hand in this action of the government, and fancy that it is the result of many conversations we had on this subject during our long voyage. He is now in high favor with the government, and has been sent to Loreto in quality of sub prefect and military commandant, (second in authority in the new province.) He writes me that he shall establish himself at Caballo cocha, where he will labor with zeal and vigor in the great cause, till death overtakes him. Long and late may it be in coming to my faithful companion.

Fortunately for her own interests, the advancement of commerce, and the progress of civilization, Bolivia refused to listen to the Brazilian envoy; she knew that, even with the assistance of Brazil, she was not able to undertake, with any prospect of success, the navigation of the rivers, and the development of the resources of her great territory. She preferred to entrust this enterprise to the energy and competition of the great commercial nations of the world, rather than take it on her own shoulders by a useless exclusiveness; and she therefore issued a decree on the 27th of January, 1853, declaring several ports on each and all of her rivers which communicate with the Atlantic, whether by the La Plata or the Amazon, free and open to the commerce of the world.

This was a very important document; it put the Northern republics on their guard, and excited a spirit of emulation in their governments. I have heard nothing of the result of Lisboa's mission; but I know that some of the most distinguished citizens of those republics have declared themselves favorable to the project of opening their rivers and ports to foreign trade, and are disposed to urge their respective governments, if necessary, to demand of Brazil the right of way to the ocean.

Independently of the action of the Spanish American republics concerning the free navigation of their tributaries of the Amazon, we have a special treaty with Peru, negotiated by J. Randolph Clay, our present minister, in July, 1851, which entitles us, under the present circumstances, to the navigation of the Peruvian Amazon. The second article of that treaty declares that, "The two high-contracting parties hereby bind and engage themselves not to grant any favor, privilege, or immunity whatever, in matters of commerce and navigation, to other nations, which shall not be also immediately extended to the citizens of the other contracting party, who shall enjoy the same gratuitously, or on giving a compensation as nearly as possible of proportionate value and effect, to be adjusted by mutual agreement, if the concession shall have been conditional."

The concession to Brazil is conditional, but we shall find no difficulty in "giving a compensation as nearly as possible of proportionate value and effect;" that is a matter for Peru to decide, and there is little doubt but that she will consider the presence of our people and our vessels in her country, and upon her streams, as being of proportionate value.

It will be thus seen that our citizens have a legal right, by express grant and decree, to trade upon the interior waters of Peru and Bolivia, and it is presumed that Brazil will not attempt to dispute the now well-settled doctrine, that no nation holding the mouth of a river has a right to bar the way to market of a nation holding higher up, or to prevent that nation's trade and intercourse with whom she will, by a great highway common to both.

But Brazil has effectually closed the Amazon by her De Souza contract; she gives him the exclusive privilege for thirty years, with a bonus of $80,000 per annum, besides guaranteeing to him the $20,000 of Peru. This of course defies competition, though I very much doubt if the contract will endure; the Brazilians are so little acquainted with river steam navigation that De Souza will run his boats at great cost; the conditions of the contract are also stringent and oppressive; and under such circumstances, even _with_ the bonus of $100,000, I doubt if the trade of the river for several years to come will support the six steamers that he contracts to keep on the line.

Brazil, too, will soon see that in this matter she is standing in her own light. The efforts of this company, though partly supported by the government, will make little beneficial impression upon so vast a country, in comparison with that which would be made by the active competition of the commercial nations of the world.

Were she to adopt a liberal instead of an exclusive policy, throw open the Amazon to foreign commerce and competition, invite settlement upon its banks, and encourage emigration by liberal grants of lands, and efficient protection to person and property, backed as she is by such natural advantages, imagination could scarcely follow her giant strides towards wealth and greatness.

She, together with the five Spanish American republics above named, owns in the valley of the Amazon more than two millions of square miles of land, intersected in every direction by many thousand miles of what might be called canal navigation. As a general rule, large ships may sail thousands of miles to the foot of the falls of the gigantic rivers of this country; and in Brazil particularly, a few hundred miles of artificial canal would open to the steamboat, and render available, thousands of miles more.

This land is of unrivalled fertility; on account of its geographical situation and topographical and geological formation, it produces nearly everything essential to the comfort and well-being of man. On the top and eastern slope of the Andes lie hid unimaginable quantities of silver, iron, coal, copper, and quicksilver, waiting but the application of science and the hand of industry for their development. The successful working of the quicksilver mines of Huancavelica would add several millions of silver to the annual product of Cerro Pasco alone. Many of the streams that dash from the summits of the Cordilleras wash gold from the mountain-side, and deposit it in the hollows and gulches as they pass. Barley, quinua, and potatoes, best grown in a cold, with wheat, rye, maize, clover, and tobacco, products of a temperate region, deck the mountain-side, and beautify the valley; while immense herds of sheep, llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas feed upon those elevated plains, and yield wool of the finest and longest staple.

Descending towards the plain, and only for a few miles, the eye of the traveller from the temperate zone is held with wonder and delight by the beautiful and strange productions of the torrid. He sees for the first time the symmetrical coffee-bush, rich with its dark-green leaves, its pure white blossoms, and its gay, red fruit. The prolific plantain, with its great waving fan-like leaf, and immense pendant branches of golden-looking fruit, enchains his attention. The sugar-cane waves in rank luxuriance before him, and if he be familiar with Southern plantations, his heart swells with emotion as the gay yellow blossoms and white boll of the cotton sets before his mind's eye the familiar scenes of home.

Fruits, too, of the finest quality and most luscious flavor, grow here; oranges, lemons, bananas, pine-apples, melons, chirimoyas, granadillas, and many others, which, unpleasant to the taste at first, become with use exceedingly grateful to the accustomed palate. The Indian gets here his indispensable coca, and the forests at certain seasons are redolent with the perfume of the vanilla.

It is sad to recollect that in this beautiful country (I have before me the valley of the Chanchamayo) men should have offered me title deeds in gratuity to as much of this rich land as I wanted. Many of the inhabitants of Tarma hold grants of land in the Chanchamayo country from the government, but are so distrustful of its ability to protect them in their labors from the encroachments of the savages, that they do not cultivate them.

About half a dozen persons only have cleared and are cultivating haciendas. One of these, the brave old Catalan Zapatero, was building himself a fire-proof house, mounting swivels at his gate, and swearing in the jargon of his province that, protection or no protection, he would bide the brunt of the savages, and not give up what had cost him so much time and labor without a fight for it. It is a pity that there are not more like him. The Peruvian government, however, should assure the settlers of efficient protection. It should not only keep up the stockade of San Ramon, but should open a road down the valley of the Chanchamayo to some navigable point on that stream, or to the Ucayali itself, establishing other stockades along the route for the protection from the Indians of those whom liberal offers may attract to the settlement and cultivation of that delightful country. I feel confident that she will pierce the continent and open a communication with the Atlantic with more facility and advantage by this route than by any other.

The climate of this country is pleasant and healthy; it is entirely free from the annoyance of sand flies and musquitoes, which infest the lower part of the tributaries, and nearly the whole course of the Amazon. There is too much rain for agreeability from August to March; but nothing could be more pleasant than the weather when I was there in June.

The country everywhere in Peru, at the eastern foot of the Andes, is such as I have described above. Further down we find the soil, the peculiar condition, the productions of a country which is occasionally overflowed, and then subjected, with still occasional showers, to the influence of a tropical sun. From these causes we see a fecundity of soil and a rapidity of vegetation that is marvellous, and to which even Egypt, the ancient granary of Europe, affords no parallel, because, similar in some other respects, this country has the advantage of Egypt in that there is here no drought. Here trees, evidently young, shoot up to such a height that no fowling piece will reach the game seated on their topmost branches, and with such rapidity that the roots have not strength or sufficient hold upon the soil to support their weight, and they are continually falling, borne down by the slightest breeze, or by the mass of parasites and creepers that envelop them from root to top.

This is the country of rice, of sarsaparilla, of India-rubber, balsam copaiba, gum copal, animal and vegetable wax, cocoa, Brazilian nutmeg, Tonka beans, ginger, black pepper, arrow-root, tapioca, annatto, indigo, sapucaia, and Brazil nuts; dyes of the gayest colors, drugs of rare virtue, variegated cabinet woods of the finest grain, and susceptible of the highest polish. The forests are filled with game, and the rivers stocked with turtle and fish. Here dwell the anta or wild cow, the peixi-boi or fish-ox, the sloth, the ant-eater, the beautiful black tiger, the mysterious electric eel, the boa constrictor, the anaconda, the deadly coral snake, the voracious alligator, monkeys in endless variety, birds of the most brilliant plumage, and insects of the strangest forms and gayest colors.

The climate of this country is salubrious and the temperature agreeable. The direct rays of the sun are tempered by an almost constant east wind, laden with moisture from the ocean, so that one never suffers either from heat or cold. The man accustomed to this climate is ever unwilling to give it up for a more bracing one, and will generally refuse to exchange the _abandon_ and freedom from restraint that characterises his life there, for the labor and struggle necessary even to maintain existence in a more rigorous climate or barren soil. The active, the industrious, and the enterprising, will be here, as elsewhere, in advance of his fellows; but this is the very paradise of the lazy and the careless. Here, and here only, such an one may maintain life almost without labor.

I met with no epidemics on my route; except at Pará, the country seemed a stranger to yellow fever, small-pox, or cholera. There seemed to be a narrow belt of country on each side of the Amazon where bilious fevers, called _sezoens_ or _maleitas_, were particularly prevalent. These fevers are of malignant type, and often terminate in fatal jaundice. I was told that six or eight days' navigation on each tributary, from the mouth upwards, would bring me to this country, and three or four more would pass me through it; and that I ran little risk of taking the fever if I passed directly through. It appeared, also, to be confined to a particular region of country with regard to longitude. I heard nothing of it on the Huallaga, the Ucayali, or the Tapajos, while it was spoken of with dread on the Trombetas, the Madeira, the Negro, and the Purus. Filth and carelessness in this climate produce ugly cutaneous affections, with which the Indians are much afflicted, and I heard of cases of elephantiasis and leprosy.

I have been describing the country bordering on the Amazon. Up the tributaries, midway between their mouth and source, on each side are wide savannahs, where feed herds of cattle, furnishing a trade in hides; and at the sources of the southern tributaries are ranges of mountains, which yield immense treasures of diamonds and other precious stones.

It is again (as in the case of the country at the foot of the Andes) sad to think that, excluding the savage tribes, who for any present purposes of good may be ranked with the beasts that perish, this country has not more than one inhabitant for every ten square miles of land; that it is almost a wilderness; that being capable, as it is, of yielding support, comfort, and luxury to many millions of civilized people who have superfluous wants, it should be but the dwelling place of the savage and the wild beast.

Such is the country whose destiny and the development of whose resources is in the hands of Brazil. It seems a pity that she should undertake the work alone; she is not strong enough; she should do what we are not too proud to do, stretch out her hands to the world at large, and say, "Come and help us to subdue the wilderness; here are homes, and broad lands, and protection for all who choose to come." She should break up her steamboat monopoly, and say to the sea-faring and commercial people of the world, "We are not a maritime people; we have no skill or practice in steam navigation; come and do our carrying, while we work the lands; bring your steamers laden with your manufactures, and take from the banks of our rivers the rich productions of our vast regions." With such a policy, and taking means to preserve her nationality, for which she is now abundantly strong, I have no hesitation in saving, that I believe in fifty years Rio Janeiro, without losing a tittle of her wealth and greatness, will be but a village to Para, and Para will be what New Orleans would long ago have been but for the activity of New York and her own fatal climate, the greatest city of the New World; Santarem will be St. Louis, and Barra, Cincinnati.

The citizens of the United States are, of all foreign people, most interested in the free navigation of the Amazon. We, as in comparison with other foreigners, would reap the lion's share of the advantages to be derived from it. We would fear no competition. Our geographical position, the winds of Heaven, and the currents of the ocean, are our potential auxilaries. Thanks to Maury's investigations of the winds and currents, we know that a chip flung into the sea at the mouth of the Amazon will float close by Cape Hatteras. We know that ships sailing from the mouth of the Amazon, for whatever port of the world, are forced to our very doors by the SE. and NE. trade winds; that New York is the half way house between Pará and Europe.

We are now Brazil's best customer and most natural ally. President Aranha knew this. At a dinner-party given by him at Barra, his first toast was, "To the nation of America most closely allied with Brazil—the United States." And he frequently expressed to me his strong desire to have a thousand of my active countrymen to help him to subdue the wilderness, and show the natives how to work. I would that all Brazilians were influenced by similar sentiments. Then would the mighty river, now endeared to me by association, no longer roll its sullen waters through miles of unbroken solitude; no longer would the deep forests that line its banks afford but a shelter for the serpent, the tiger, and the Indian; but, furrowed by a thousand keels, and bearing upon its waters the mighty wealth that civilization and science would call from the depths of those dark forests, the Amazon would "rejoice as a strong man to run a race;" and in a few years we might, without great hyperbole, or doing much violence to fancy, apply to this river Byron's beautiful lines:

"The casteled crag of Drachenfels Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine, Whose breast of waters broadly swells Between the banks that bear the vine; And hills all rich with blossomed trees, And fields that promise coin and wine, With scattered cities crowning these, Whose far white walls along them shine."

Then might Brazil, pointing to the blossoming wilderness, the well-cultivated farm, the busy city, the glancing steamboat, and listening to the hum of the voices of thousands of active and prosperous men, say, with pride and truth: "Thus much have we done for the advancement of civilization and the happiness of the human race."

In making out this report, I have been guided by the letter and spirit of my instructions, and have striven to present a clear and faithful picture of the subjects indicated by them. These were, in brief terms, the present condition of the country—its productions and resources—the navigability of its streams—its capacities for trade and commerce—and its future prospects. This must be my excuse for my meagre contributions to general science. More, I fear, has been expected in this way than has been done; yet the expedition has collected some valuable specimens in each of the kingdoms of natural history, and I hope to obtain means and authority to have them properly described and illustrated.

I have mentioned in various parts of my report the names of persons who have assisted me by counsel or information. I shall close it with the name of the last, the ablest, and the best. Whatever of interest and value may be found in the report, is mainly attributable to the guiding judgment and cheering heart of my friend and kinsman, M. F. Maury.

APPENDIX.

NOTES.

The elevations due to the atmospheric pressure, as indicated by the barometer, are extracted from tables calculated, after the complete formula of La Place, by M. F. Delcros, contained in a volume of meteorological tables prepared by Arnold Guyot, and published by the Smithsonian Institution.

Those due the indications of the boiling-point apparatus are taken from a table in the same volume, calculated by Regnault, from his "Tables of forces of vapor," published in the _Annales de Physique et de Chimie_, t. xiv, p. 206.

The height of the barometer at the level of the sea is assumed at 30.00, and the temperature of the air at 65° Fah.

I have added a column of heights, measured with the barometer by Don Mariano Rivero, at places where they compare with mine.

At the pass of Antarangra we took our observations on the summit of a hill about two hundred feet above the road at its highest point.

Morococha is situated near the line of perpetual snow, on the eastern slope of the western chain of the Andes.

Tingo Maria is the place of embarcation on the Huallaga. The distance from Callao to this point, by our route, is 337 miles. The distance hence to the Atlantic is 3,662. If we add to these sums the 90 miles of travel from Tarma to Fort San Ramon and back, with the 626 from the mouth of the Ucayali to Sarayacu and back, we shall have the whole distance travelled over—4,715 miles.

TABLE OF APPROXIMATE HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES FROM CALLAO TO THE ATLANTIC.

-------------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------- Names of places. | Dist- | Baro- | Boiling | Thermo- | Height, | Height by | ance | meter. | Point. | meter. | in feet. | Rivero- | | | | | | barometer. -------------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------- Callao | | 30.000 | 212 | 65 | | | | | | | | Lima | 6 | 29.528 | | 75 | 476 | .505 | | | | | | Pacayar | 12 | 28.580 | | 61 | 10,346 | | | | | | | Yanacoto | 10 | 27.568 | | 57 | 2,337 | | | | | | | Coca Chacra | 16 | 25.574 | | 58 | 4,452 | | | | | | | Moyoc | 15 | 23.027 | | 50 | 7,306 | | | | | | | Do. | 15 | 23.027 | 198.25 | 50 | 7,380 | | | | | | | San Mateo | 13 | 20.843 | | 59 | 10,200 | 10.232 | | | | | | Do. | | 20.843 | 193.25 | 59 | 10,128 | | | | | | | Acchahuarcu | 9 | | 188.3 | 33 | 12,898 | | | | | | | Lower edge of snow | 3 | 17.836 | | 49 | 14,300 | on western slope | | | | | | | | | | | | Pass of Antarangra | 3 | 16.730 | | 43 | 16,044 | 15.758 | | | | | | Do. | | 16.730 | 182.5 | 43 | 16,199 | | | | | | | Morococha | 4 | 17.700 | | 46 | 14,409 | | | | | | | Pachachaca | 9 | | 188.5 | 40 | 12,786 | | | | | | | Oroya | 12 | 19.542 | | 36 | 11,654 | 12.270 | | | | | | Do. | | 19.542 | 190.2 | 36 | 11,825 | | | | | | | Tarma | 18 | 21.144 | | 55 | 9,738 | 10.092 | | | | | | Do. | | 21.144 | 193.9 | 55 | 9,770 | | | | | | | Palca | 11 | 21.972 | | 43 | 8,512 | | | | | | | Matichacra | 12 | 23.292 | | 61 | 7,091 | | | | | | | Huacapishtana | 4 | 24.482 | | 60 | 5,687 | | | | | | | Challuapuquio | 12 | 26.804 | | 68 | 3,192 | | | | | | | Fort San Ramon | 6 | 27.406 | | 76 | 2,605 | | | | | | | Do. | | 27.406 | 206.5 | | 2,953 | | | | | | | From Tarma to | 15 | | 192.5 | 37 | 10,539 | Palcamayo | | | | | | | | | | | | Junin | 18 | | 188.2 | 32 | 12,947 | 13.330 | | | | | | Ninacacca | 18 | | 187.8 | 40 | 13,171 | | | | | | | Cerro Pasco | 17 | | 188.7 | 45 | 13,802 | 14.279 | | | | | | Chiquirin | 12 | | 190.7 | 54 | 11,512 | | | | | | | San Rafael | 18 | | 196.1 | 62 | 8,551 | 8.791 | | | | | | Huanuco | 35 | | 200.9 | 65 | 5,946 | 6.284 | | | | | | Chullqui | 8 | | 201.5 | 67 | 5,626 | | | | | | | Acomayo | 6 | | 198 | 74 | 7,518 | | | | | | | Cashi | 12 | | 199.8 | 58 | 6,540 | | | | | | | Atajo | 10 | | 204.7 | 71 | 3,910 | | | | | | | Chihuangala | 8 | | 205.6 | 74 | 3,421 | | | | | | | La Cueva | 20 | | 206.5 | 76 | 2,944 | | | | | | | Tingo Maria | 10 | | 207.8 | 75 | 2,260 | | | | | | | Tocache | 174 | | 209.1 | 77 | 1,579 | | | | | | | Sion | 58 | | 209.7 | 80 | 1,269 | | | | | | | Lupuna | 58 | | 210 | 84 | 1,109 | | | | | | | Chasuta | 87 | | 210.5 | 82 | 846 | | | | | | | Sta. Cruz | 220 | | 211.2 | 85 | 490 | | | | | | | Nauta | 353 | | 211.3 | 74 | 434 | | | | | | | Pebas | 197 | | 211.1 | | 537 | | | | | | | Egas | 707 | | 208.2 | 88 | 2,052 | | | | | | | River Bank | 131 | | 208.4 | 84 | 1,947 | | | | | | | Do. | 60 | | 208.5 | 82 | 1,890 | | | | | | | Do. | 168 | | 208.6 | 76 | 1,834 | | | | | | | Do. | 50 | | 208.8 | 78 | 1,740 | | | | | | | Barra | 14 | | 209.3 | 81 | 1,475 | | | | | | | Mouth of Madeira | 104 | | 209.8 | 80 | 1,212 | | | | | | | Villa Nova | 209 | | 210.3 | 76 | 959 | | | | | | | Santarem | 220 | | 210.5 | 78 | 846 | | | | | | | Para | 759 | | 211.5 | 80 | 331 | | | | | | | Do. | | 29.708 | | 81 | 320 | | | | | | | Sea | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | From mouth of | 313 | | 210.3 | 82 | 868 | Ucayali to Sarayacu| | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+----------+------------

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL.

-----------+---------+-------+--------+----+---+-----+--------------------------------- Place. | Approx. | Date. | Time. | Thermometer. | | height. | | +----+---+-----+ Remarks. | | | | A. | W.|W. B.| -----------+---------+-------+--------+----+---+-----+--------------------------------- | Feet. | 1851. | | ° | ° | ° | Palcamayo | 10,500 | July 1| 6 p.m.|56 | | |Calm; sky white and beautifully | | | | | | | clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 10,500 | 2| 6 a.m.|37 | | 34 |Remarkably clear. | | | | | | | Road | 11,000 | 2| 8½ a.m.|45 |53*| |*Temperature of a spring issuing | | | | | | | from the rock. Junin | 13,000 | 2| 6½ p.m.|45 | | |Light westerly breeze; light | | | | | | | cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,000 | 3| 7 a.m.|32 | | 28 |Clear and calm; stratus clouds | | | | | | | covering the Andes. | | | | | | Road | 13,000 | 3| 12½ |46 | | |Snow squall, small round flakes; | | | | | | | wind variable from northward | | | | | | and westward to northward and | | | | | | | eastward; western Cordillera in | | | | | | the sunshine, the eastern | | | | | | | covered with storm. | | | | | | | Ninaccaca | 13,200 | 3| 6 p.m.|40 | | 36 |Beautiful night; light air from | | | | | | | the westward. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,200 | 4| 6 a.m.|39 | | |Calm; ground covered with hoar | | | | | | | frost. | | | | | | | Cerro | | | | | | | de Pasco | 13,800 | 9| Noon |45 | | |Hail and snow; wind from | | | | | | | northward and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 10| 10 a.m.|46 | | 40 | | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 10| 5 p.m.|42 | | 38 |Clear and calm. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 10| 10 p.m.|37 | | 34 | | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 11| 8 a.m.|40 | | 36 |Light airs from northward and | | | | | | | westward; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 11| 10 p.m.|39 | | 36 |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 12| 8 a.m.|39 | | 36 |Light cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 12| Noon |44 | | 37 | | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 12| 6 p.m.|40 | | 35 |Wind northward and eastward; | | | | | | | heavy stratus clouds; light | | | | | | | snow. | | | | | | | Do. | 13,800 | 12| 10 p.m.|37 | | 34 | | | | | | | | Chiquirin | 11,500 | 13| 8 a.m.|39 | | 36 |Calm; light cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | San Rafael | 8,400 | 14| 6 p.m.|62 | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 8,400 | 15| 7 a.m.|56 | | | | | | | | | | Huanuco | 6,000 | 17| 4 p.m.|71 | | |Clear; strong breeze from north, | | | | | | | which always sets in, at this | | | | | | | season, about noon, and ceases | | | | | | | about dark. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 18| 9 a.m.|65 | | 57½ | | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 18| 9 p.m.|69 | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 19| 9 a.m.|64 | | 56 |Clear; calm. | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 19| 9 p.m.|68½ | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 20| 9 a.m.|63 | | 55 | | | | | | | | Do. | 6,000 | 21| 9 a.m.|65 | | 58½ |Cloudy, with appearance of rain; | | | | | | | light breeze from the northward. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Chullqui | 5,600 | 22| 7 p.m.|67 | | |Light breeze from northward and | | | | | | | eastward; half cloudy. | | | | | | | Road | 5,500 |July 23| 10 a.m.|72 |62*| |*Mountain stream; cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Acomayo | 7,500 | 23| 11 a.m.|74 | | | | | | | | | | Near top of| 8,000 | 23| 2½ p.m.|67 |51*| |*A spring in the woods. Cerro de | | | | | | | Carpis | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Casha | 6,500 | 23| 7 p.m.|58 | | |Calm; cloudy to the south; night | | | | | | | quite cool. | | | | | | | Do. | 6,500 | 24| 6 a.m.|52 | | |Clear and calm. | | | | | | | Atajo | 4,000 | 24| 5 p.m.|71 | | 67 |Cirro-cumulus clouds; calm. | | | | | | | Do. | | 25| 7 a.m.|61 | | | | | | | | | | Chihuangala| 3,500 | 25| 5 p.m.|74.5| | | | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 26| | | | |Heavy rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 27| 2 p.m.|78 | | 72 |Cumulus clouds; calm. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 28| 8 a.m.|64 | | |Calm; cirro-cumulus, rained all | | | | | | | the latter part of the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 29| 8 a.m.|67 | | 67 |Calm; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 29| 1 p.m.|78 | | |Breeze northerly; heavy clouds | | | | | | | and thunder to the northward. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 29| 8 p.m.|69 | | |Calm; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 30| 9 a.m.|69 | | |Calm; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 3,500 | 30| 3 p.m.| | | |Heavy shower of rain, with | | | | | | | thunder; most of the rain | | | | | | | clouds came from the north. | | | | | | | Chinchay- | | 31| 8 a.m.|70 | | |Half cloudy. vitoc | | | | | | | Do. | | 31| 11 a.m.|71 |67*| |*Mountain stream. | | | | | | | La Cueva | 3,000 | 31| 5 p.m.|76 |68*| |*Huallaga river. | | | | | | | On the road| |Aug. 1| 7 a.m.|74 | | |Cloudy; close and hot in the | | | | | | | woods. | | | | | | | Tingo Maria| 2,200 | 2| 9 a.m.|75 | | |River at Tingo Maria 100 yards | | | | | | | broad, 2¾ fathoms deep; | | | | | | | smooth and unbroken.

Do. | 2,200 | 2| 7 p.m.|72 | | 71 |Cloudy; light breeze from the | | | | | | | northward. | | | | | | | Do. | 2,200 | 3| 8 a.m.|72 | | |Calm; cloudy; had been showery | | | | | | | during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 2,200 | 3| 4 p.m.|82 | | 76 | -----------+---------+-------+--------+----+---+-----+---------------------------------

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL.—Continued.

-----------+-------+--------+---------------+-----------+------------------------------ Place. | Date. | Time. | Thermometer. | Wind. | Remarks. | | +----+----+-----+ | | | | A. | W. |W. B.| | -----------+-------+--------+---------------+-----------+------------------------------ | 1851. | | ˚| ˚| ˚| | Huallaga | Aug. 4| 3 p.m.| 84| 72| ...|... |Many obstructions from pebbly River | | | | | | | shoals, small rocky islets, | | | | | | | and drift-wood. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 8 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|Southward |Lt. breeze; cloudy; river not | | | | | | | navigable for anything but a | | | | | | | canoe. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 7 a.m.| 75| ...| 70|Calm |Cloudy; river 60 yards broad; | | | | | | | smooth; current 3 miles; | | | | | | | depth 1½ fathom; pebbly | | | | | | | bottom. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 5 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|... |Heavy clouds, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning in the northwest; | | | | | | | during the night a fresh puff | | | | | | | of wind from that direction; | | | | | | | passed several rapids to-day; | | | | | | | also through a hilly country, | | | | | | | which accounts for the stormy | | | | | | | weather. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 6 a.m.| 70|71.5| 70|Westward |Light breeze and light rain; | | | | | | | river to-day free from | | | | | | | rapids, with some | | | | | | | obstructions from drift-wood | | | | | | | between the islands; average | | | | | | | depth 2½ fathoms; average | | | | | | | current 1½ mile; passed a | | | | | | | range of hills on the right; | | | | | | | mountains in sight, bearing | | | | | | | from northwest to west; heavy | | | | | | | cumulus clouds in the | | | | | | | northeast, with thunder; | | | | | | | thick stratus clouds in | | | | | | | northwest. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 5 p.m.| 78| 76| | | | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 7 a.m.|71.5| ...| 71.5|Calm |Cloudy; upper stratum, light | | | | | | | cirrus clouds; lower, | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus, moving to | | | | | | | southwest; river 50 yards | | | | | | | broad; current 3¼ miles; | | | | | | | depth 2¾ fathoms. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| Noon| ...| ...| ...|N. and W. |Breeze light; heavy clouds in | | | | | | | the north, with thunder; | | | | | | | passed one or two salt | | | | | | | streams and several rapids; | | | | | | | rain all night. | | | | | | | Tocache | 8| 7 p.m.| 73| ...| ...|Calm |Cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| Noon| 77|75.5| 73|Calm |Cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|... |Squall from the northward, | | | | | | | with rain. Do. | 10| 7 a.m.| 68| 73| 66.5|... |Cloudy; mist rising from the | | | | | | | river and hanging on the | | | | | | | hills. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 1 p.m.| 82| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 5 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Northward |Squall of wind from the | | | | | | | northward, with a short | | | | | | | shower of rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 8 a.m.| 70| 74| 68|Calm |Misty. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 1 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|... |Heavy clouds, with thunder, | | | | | | | to the northward and | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 6 p.m.| 83| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 9 p.m.| 79| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 8 a.m.| 69| 74| 68.5|Calm |Cloudy; river here 50 yards | | | | | | | broad, 3 fathoms deep; smart | | | | | | | shower, from the southward | | | | | | | and eastward, between 1 and 2 | | | | | | | p.m.; passed several rapids, | | | | | | | which make the river | | | | | | | innavigable; rain all night. | | | | | | | Huallaga | 13| 8 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |River 70 yards broad, with 4 River | | | | | | | miles of current; many | | | | | | | rapids. | | | | | | | Sion | 13| 5 p.m.| 80| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 8 a.m.| 71| ...| 70|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 1 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|... |Cumulus clouds to the | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 8 p.m.| 74| ...| 70|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Huallaga | 15| 9 a.m.| 70| ...| ...|... |Passed to-day several | | | | | | | dangerous rapids, effectual | | | | | | | bars to navigation. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 8 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; at noon entered | | | | | | | the mouth of the Huayabamba; | | | | | | | 100 yards broad; shallow; | | | | | | | clear water; pebbly bottom; | | | | | | | rapid current. | | | | | | | Lupuna | 16| 6 p.m.| 84| ...| 76|... |Clear; river to-day broad and | | | | | | | shallow; current 3¾ miles; | | | | | | | left Lupuna at 10½ a. m. | | | | | | | Huallaga | 17| 7 a.m.|74.5| ...| 70.5|N. and E. |Light air; light clouds; soon River | | | | | | | dissipated by the sun; at | | | | | | | 11¼ passed abreast the town | | | | | | | of Juan Juy; at 1 passed the | | | | | | | mouth of river Sapo; 50 yards | | | | | | | broad; muddy; hilly country; | | | | | | | heavy clouds and rain. This | | | | | | | is always the case where a | | | | | | | range of hills rises above | | | | | | | the plain. The Indians speak | | | | | | | of "Cerros mui bravos," to | | | | | | | indicate the fierceness of | | | | | | | the weather about them. | | | | | | | Arrived at Juan Comas at 5 | | | | | | | p.m. | | | | | | | Juan Comas | 18| 7 a.m.| 70| 74| ...|Northward |Light breeze; thick mist; | | | | | | | left Juan Comas at 7.30 a.m. | | | | | | | Huallaga | 18| 11 a.m.| 82| 76| ...|Northward |Sun 108°; cumulus clouds; at River | | | | | | | 2¼ passed the mouth of river | | | | | | | Mayo, coming in on the left | | | | | | | between moderately high | | | | | | | hills, about 30 yards broad. | | | | | | | Just above the Mayo the | | | | | | | Huallaga contracts to 40 | | | | | | | yards, with 5 and 6 fathoms | | | | | | | of depth, and a current of | | | | | | | 4¼ miles per hour. At 2.20 | | | | | | | arrived at Shapaja, the port | | | | | | | of Tarrapoto. | | | | | | | Shapaja | 18| 6 p.m.| 74| ...| 72|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 19| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Rained in showers all the | | | | | | | morning. | | | | | | | Tarrapoto | 20| Noon| 78| | | | | | | | | | | Shapaja | 22| 7 a.m.| 75| 77| ...|... |Left Shapaja at 8½ a.m.; | | | | | | | passed the malos pasos of the | | | | | | | Pongo or Strait of Chasuta. | | | | | | | These are called Estero, | | | | | | | Canoayacu, Matijuelo, and | | | | | | | Chumia, and are the most | | | | | | | difficult of the river. At | | | | | | | 2.20 p.m. arrived at Chasuta. | | | | | | | Chasuta | 23| 4 p.m.| 82| ...| 77| | | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 8 a.m.| 74| ...| 69.5|Northward |Light air; misty. It seems | | | | | | | very generally misty in the | | | | | | | morning, but the clouds yield | | | | | | | to the sun about 10 a. m. | | | | | | | Cumulus clouds in the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| Noon| 79| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 7 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Eastward | | | | | | | | Huallaga | 25| Noon| 86| 76| ...|... |Left Shapaja at 11 a. m.; River | | | | | | | river below Shapaja flows | | | | | | | through the pongo; narrow, | | | | | | | tranquil, and deep; country | | | | | | | generally flat, with a few | | | | | | | hills here and there. At 3¼ | | | | | | | p. m. entered a more hilly | | | | | | | country; river narrow, | | | | | | | shallow, and rapid, about 40 | | | | | | | yards wide, with 2½ fathoms | | | | | | | of depth, and about 5 miles | | | | | | | of current. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 6 p.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 6 a.m.| 76| 76| ...|... |Started at 5½ a. m. misty | | | | | | | morning; rain from 4 to 5; | | | | | | | shores of the river hilly and | | | | | | | bold; 9½ fathoms water; hard | | | | | | | bottom. At 6¼ passed the end | | | | | | | of the Pongo de Chasuta, and | | | | | | | entered a flat country where | | | | | | | the river spreads out very | | | | | | | wide, and has many small | | | | | | | islands. In passing the | | | | | | | channels between these | | | | | | | islands we had but from 3 to | | | | | | | 5 feet water, pebbly bottom, | | | | | | | current very rapid; passed | | | | | | | these sandy flats in an hour, | | | | | | | and found the river 150 yards | | | | | | | broad, without obstruction, | | | | | | | with 3½ fathoms depth, and a | | | | | | | velocity of only 2 miles the | | | | | | | hour. Here I take to be the | | | | | | | head of navigation on this | | | | | | | river. Passed the mouth of | | | | | | | the Chipurana; the first | | | | | | | musquitoes; much dew. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 6 p.m.| 78| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 6 a.m.| 74| 76| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; foggy; saw | | | | | | | light-colored porpoises; a | | | | | | | small seal; got turtle-eggs; | | | | | | | cumulus clouds; sun 102. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| Noon| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 7 p.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; heavy dew; no rocks or | | | | | | | stones since passing the | | | | | | | pongo. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 6 a.m.| 70| 78| ...|Calm |Clear; started at 6; arrived | | | | | | | at Yurimaguas at 8¾; left at | | | | | | | 11½. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 4 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|... |Current 2¼ miles the hour; | | | | | | | large sand islands in the | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 7 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; much dew. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 a.m.| 70| 79| ...|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 8 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; |Stopped at | | | | | | | cirrus clouds.| 5 p. m. on Do. | 29| Noon| 84| ...| ...|Northward |Cumulus clouds;| a sand beach | | | | | | | sun 110. | on the right | | | | | | | bank. This beach stretches | | | | | | | out into the river and | | | | | | | occupies nearly its whole | | | | | | | bed, leaving a narrow | | | | | | | channel between it and the | | | | | | | left shore, where I found but | | | | | | | 5 feet water, though there is | | | | | | | probably more depth very | | | | | | | close in shore. The beach | | | | | | | belongs to what is an island | | | | | | | when the river is full, but | | | | | | | the right-hand channel is now | | | | | | | dry. At 6 p. m. fresh squall | | | | | | | of wind and rain from the | | | | | | | northward and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Huallaga | 30| 6 a.m.| 72| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Sta. Cruz | 30| Noon| 85| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 8 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|... |Heavy dew. | | | | | | | Huallaga | 31| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy and misty. | | | | | | | Do. |Sept. 1| 6 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|Calm |Misty. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| Noon| 87| ...| ...|N. and E. |Heavy clouds and rain both in | | | | | | | the northeast and southwest | | | | | | | with an occasional spit at | | | | | | | us. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 2 p.m.| 85| ...| ...|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Laguna | 2| 8 a.m.| 74| ...| ...|... |Rain all the morning in | | | | | | | showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 4 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|... |At night clear; much dew. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; left Laguna at 9¼ | | | | | | | a.m.; arrived at mouth of | | | | | | | Huallaga at 4 p.m.; it flows | | | | | | | into the Marañon in a | | | | | | | southeast direction. There | | | | | | | are several islands at the | | | | | | | mouth. The channel runs near | | | | | | | the left bank and has 7¼ | | | | | | | fathoms. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 10 a.m.| ...| 81| | | | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 4 p m.| 80| 82| | | | | | | | | | Amazon | 4| 6 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cloudy; shores | | | | | | | of Amazon low; water very | | | | | | | muddy; many shovel-nosed | | | | | | | porpoises in the river. At | | | | | | | noon heavy clouds; squally | | | | | | | appearances, with rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| Noon| 75| ...| ...|Northward | | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 6 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cloudy and | | | | | | | misty; current 2 miles per | | | | | | | hour. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds; saw several | | | | | | | small seals. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 6 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|N. and E. |Clouded up at 2 a.m.; squall | | | | | | | of wind and rain from the | | | | | | | northward and eastward, with | | | | | | | thunder and lightning; | | | | | | | cleared up at 4; at 2½ p. m. | | | | | | | sharp squall of wind and | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 2½ p.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 6 a.m.| 72| 80| ...|S. and E. |Foggy; sun shone out at 7 a.m. | | | | | | | a.m. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| Noon| 84| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | at 3 p.m. squall of wind and | | | | | | | rain from the northward and | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 6 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|Calm |At 4½ a.m. squall of wind, | | | | | | | rain, thunder and lightning, | | | | | | | from the eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| Noon| 82| ...| ...|S. and E. |Heavy cumulus clouds in the | | | | | | | north. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 4 p.m.| 74| ...| ...|N. and E. |Squall of wind and heavy | | | | | | | rain, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 6 a.m.| 72| 80| | | | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 1 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Nauta | 9| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |In afternoon heavy clouds, | | | | | | | with thunder in the west; | | | | | | | clear night. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 6½ a.m.| 71| ...| 71|Northward |Light breeze; thin clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 6½ a.m.| 74| ...| ...|... |Thin cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| Noon| 84| ...| 81|... |Heavy cumulus clouds; hot | | | | | | | sun. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| 73|... |Thin cirrus clouds; misty | | | | | | | about the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| Noon| 84| ...| 81|Eastward |Heavy cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | powerful sun; shower of rain | | | | | | | at 2 p.m. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 7 a.m.| 74| ...| 73|... |Light clouds and mist; soon | | | | | | | dissipated by the sun; | | | | | | | showers of rain at 2 p.m. and | | | | | | | at 7. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 6½ a.m.| 73| ...| 72|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| Noon| 84| ...| 83|... |Cumulus clouds; two squalls, | | | | | | | with showers, in the | | | | | | | afternoon—one from southward | | | | | | | and the other, and strongest, | | | | | | | from northward and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 7 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Westward |The first perfectly clear | | | | | | | morning we have seen since | | | | | | | entering the Amazon; at 1 p. | | | | | | | m. cumulus clouds; shower at | | | | | | | 2½. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 1 p.m.| 86| ...| 82| | | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 9 a.m.| 82| ...| ...|... |Rain; river rose 2 inches | | | | | | | since 6 p. m. yesterday. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|... |Clear; river rose 10 inches | | | | | | | in the last 24 hours. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 1 p.m.| 87| ...| 80½|... |Cumulus clouds, with thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9½ p.m.| 75| ...| ...|... |Rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 9 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds; | | | | | | | river rose 10 inches. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 11 a.m| 82| ...| 76|Calm |Clear all night; river rose 5 | | | | | | | inches from 6 p. m. yesterday | | | | | | | to 8 a. m.; light | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9½ a.m.| 81| ...| 77|S. and E. |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 89| ...| 79|Southward |Cumulus clouds round the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Light clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 8 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|... |Lightning; heavy squall of | | | | | | | wind and rain from southward | | | | | | | and eastward; much rain | | | | | | | during the night; river rose | | | | | | | 2½ inches in the 24 hours. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; river rose 5 inches. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 75|S. and E. |Light breeze; clear last | | | | | | | night; river rising. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 3 p.m.| 88| ...| 79|... |At 4 p. m. strong squall of | | | | | | | wind from southward and | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 p.m.| 74| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 10 a.m.| 81| ...| 74|Eastward |Light breeze; cloudy; river | | | | | | | rose 3½ inches. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Left Nauta at 12¼; shores of | | | | | | | the river low and thickly | | | | | | | covered with trees; heavy | | | | | | | cumulus clouds; showers of | | | | | | | rain. At 1¼ entered the | | | | | | | Ucayali; ¼ mile wide; low | | | | | | | green banks; 2 fathoms' depth | | | | | | | close to the left bank; | | | | | | | current 2 miles per hour. | | | | | | | Ucayali | 26| 6 a.m.| 76| 83| ...|Calm |Light cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| Noon| 82| ...| ...|S. and E. |Cumulus clouds; hot sun. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 5½ p.m.| 78| ...| ...|N. and E. |Squall of wind and rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Misty; rained all night. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| Noon| 82| 83| ...|... |At 1 rain squall from | | | | | | | northward and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; current 2 miles. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 8 a.m.| 78| 82| ...|Calm |Cloudy, with rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| Noon| 76| ...| ...|Northward |Moderate breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 6 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Current 1½ mile. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6½ a.m.| 74| 81| ...|Calm |Cloudy; had moderate breeze | | | | | | | from northward nearly all | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; rain shower. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 4 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|S. and W. |Fitful breeze; heavy nimbus | | | | | | | clouds in all directions. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Squall of wind and heavy | | | | | | | shower. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 6 p.m.| 77| 82| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; stratus | | | | | | | clouds; cumuloni in | | | | | | | southwest. | | | | | | | Do. | Oct. 1| 6½ a.m.| 76| ...| ...|... |Misty morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 1 p.m.| 88| ...| ...|S. by E. |Fresh breeze; wind changed to | | | | | | | northward and eastward; in a | | | | | | | squall of heavy rain; thunder | | | | | | | and lightning. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 10 a.m.| 77| 82½| 76|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| Noon| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Heavy shower. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 8 a.m.| 75| 81| ...|Calm |Thin clouds; light | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds; hot all | | | | | | | day. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 5 p.m.| 86| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 6 a.m.| 78| 81| ...|... |Clear all night; much dew. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; small cumulus | | | | | | | clouds round the horizon; sun | | | | | | | 103½. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 7 a.m.| 70| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; river rose 6 inches | | | | | | | from 8½ p. m. to 5 this | | | | | | | morning; clear all night. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 2 p.m.| 88| 84| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds; sun 108; | | | | | | | current 2¼ miles. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 7 a.m.| 78| 83| ...|Southward |Light breeze; light cirro | | | | | | | stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 12½| 85| ...| ...|Eastward |Cumulus clouds; at 2 p. m. | | | | | | | squall of wind and rain; at 3 | | | | | | | wind changed to southwest; | | | | | | | steady rain; current 2½ | | | | | | | miles. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 5 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Southward | | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 2 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; sun 106; river | | | | | | | ½ mile broad; rising fast; | | | | | | | trunks of trees beginning to | | | | | | | come down the stream. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 6 a.m.| 77| 82| ...|... |At 2½ p. m. squall of wind, | | | | | | | shifting suddenly to all | | | | | | | points and settling at | | | | | | | southwest; heavy nimbus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 2 p.m.| 85| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 4½ p.m.| 84| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds; river | | | | | | | rose 2 inches last night. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 6 a.m.| 76| 80| ...|Calm |Thick mist; river fell last | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds; sun | | | | | | | oppressive. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 4 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; current 3¼ miles; much | | | | | | | dew. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 5 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; partial stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 1 p.m.| 85| ...| ...|N. and E. |Rain showers; at 2½ fresh | | | | | | | wind from the northward, with | | | | | | | rain; sharp lightning in the | | | | | | | northeast; at night clouds | | | | | | | round the horizon; distant | | | | | | | lightning and thunder in the | | | | | | | north and north-west. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 7 a.m.| 79| 83| ...|Westward |Light breeze; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 1 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|Northward |Squall of wind and rain; at 2 | | | | | | | calm; heavy rolling thunder | | | | | | | in the northwest; at 3 fresh | | | | | | | breeze from northward and | | | | | | | westward; more rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| Noon.| 80| ...| ...|S. and E. |Moderate breeze, with | | | | | | | showers; thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and W. |Moderate breeze; thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 6 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; thick clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 7 a.m.| 74| 80| ...|Southward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 2½ p.m.| 84| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Westward |Light breeze; heavy clouds in | | | | | | | the west; saw the hills about | | | | | | | Sarayacu. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 7 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Southward |Light breeze; thin clouds; | | | | | | | river commenced its regular | | | | | | | rise; stopped to breakfast at | | | | | | | Tierra Blanca; night cool and | | | | | | | cloudy; southerly wind. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 6 a.m.| 69| ...| ...|Southward |Cloudy; smart cool breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| Noon.| 75| ...| 72|S. and E. |Cumulus stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 5½ p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Southward |Light breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | opposite mouth of river | | | | | | | Catalina. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 7 a.m.| 78| 80| ...|Southward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds; | | | | | | | warm and close night. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| Noon.| 80| ...| 78|Southward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds | | | | | | | overhead; cumuli around the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 6 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light air; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | The sky of the Ucayali is Do. | 18| 6 a.m.| 78| | | | frequently very soft, rich, | | | | | | | and beautiful, after sunset. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 11 a.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. | Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; rain shower in | | | | | | | southwest. Entered the caño | | | | | | | of Sarayacu. It is about 15 | | | | | | | or 20 feet wide and quite | | | | | | | deep. About a mile from the | | | | | | | entrance, the caño, or arm of | | | | | | | the river, receives a small | | | | | | | stream, which runs about a | | | | | | | mile per hour. The water is | | | | | | | clear; its temperature 78, | | | | | | | with the air at 84. It is | | | | | | | obstructed with the roots and | | | | | | | branches of trees, and we had | | | | | | | to drag our canoes 2 or 3 | | | | | | | miles up the stream to | | | | | | | Sarayacu. | | | | | | | Sarayacu | 19| 8½ a.m.| 76| ...| 74|Calm |Large, watery, but light | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| Noon.| 82| ...| 79½|S. and E. |Light breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 5 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and W. |Moderate breeze; shower of | | | | | | | rain—large drops. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 76½| ...| 76|Calm |Cloudy; at noon light rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 78|Calm |Clear overhead; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds around the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds; rain | | | | | | | during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 76½|S. and W. |Light air; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| Noon.| 80½| ...| 78|Southward |Cumulus clouds, with light | | | | | | | rain showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| 80|Southward |Cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| 81|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| Noon.| 84½| ...| 81½|N. and E. |Heavy cumulus clouds; thunder | | | | | | | in the west. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 3 p.m.| 79½| ...| ...|N. and E. |Gusts of wind, with heavy rain | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 6 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Clear overhead; cirro stratus | | | | | | | clouds in the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 74½| ...| ...|Calm |Rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| Noon.| 78| ...| 77½|Calm |Clouds, with occasional | | | | | | | showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| 77|Calm |Rain all the morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| Noon.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds in the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|S. and W. |Fresh breeze, with thunder; | | | | | | | shower coming up. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 9 a.m.| 74| ...| 73½|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | heavy thunder storm, with | | | | | | | rain, lasting about an hour | | | | | | | in the afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 10 a.m.| 76| ...| 74½|S. and W. | | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds. River | | | | | | | of Sarayacu has risen 7 feet | | | | | | | since our arrival; rose, last | | | | | | | night, 10 inches. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| Noon.| 78½| ...| 77|S. and W. | | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| 77|Calm |Cumulus clouds in the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 76½|Calm |First clear night since our | | | | | | | arrival in Sarayacu. Left | | | | | | | Sarayacu at 10½ a.m. The | | | | | | | river of Sarayacu is quite | | | | | | | full, but we met with some | | | | | | | obstructions from the thick | | | | | | | grass and water growth, and | | | | | | | from the branches of small | | | | | | | trees overhanging the stream. | | | | | | | Found the Ucayali much | | | | | | | swollen, and nearly covered | | | | | | | with drift-wood. Depth here | | | | | | | in mid-stream 8 fathoms. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 6 p.m.| 82| 78| 77½|N.and E. | | | | | | | | Ucayali | 29| 9 a.m.| 82| 79| 81|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; thin cirrus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| Noon| 82| ...| ...|N. N. W. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds about the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Heavy clouds; rain coming up. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 7 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| Noon| 82| 78½| 79½|N. and E. |Cumulus clouds; thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|E. S. E. |Moderate breeze. At 3½ wind | | | | | | | changed to northeast, and | | | | | | | brought up rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 5 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|N. and E. |Fresh cool wind, with rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 7 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light air; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| Noon| 81| 79| 80|Northward |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm |Heavy rain clouds, with | | | | | | | thunder, in the northwest. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 6 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|Northwest |Light rain; sharp lightning | | | | | | | in the northwest. | | | | | | | Do. | Nov. 1| 3 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|S. and E. |Rain all day; examined a pole | | | | | | | planted at the village of | | | | | | | Guanache as we went up on | | | | | | | October 7th; found that the | | | | | | | river had risen 9 feet 7 | | | | | | | inches in the interim, though | | | | | | | it fell a little between | | | | | | | October 7th and 15th. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 7 a.m.| 72| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; light, moist, | | | | | | | misty clouds low down; | | | | | | | cirro-stratus clouds above; | | | | | | | 72° is the least we have yet | | | | | | | had the mercury in the | | | | | | | Montaña. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 9 a.m.| 73| ...| 73|Eastward | | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 7 a.m.| 76| ...| 75|N. and W. |Cirro-stratus clouds; current | | | | | | | 3 miles the hour. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|N. and W. |Fresh breeze and rain squall. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Northward |Fine breeze; clear sky; | | | | | | | entered the Marañon. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 10 a.m.| 83| 79| 80½|... |Had 3 hours from mouth of | | | | | | | Ucayali to Nauta. | | | | | | | Amazon | 5| 5½ p.m.| ...| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; sailed from Nauta; | | | | | | | sounded in mid-stream off | | | | | | | mouth of Ucayali; 6 and 7 | | | | | | | fathoms; hard sand; river 1½ | | | | | | | mile wide below island of | | | | | | | Omaguas. | | | | | | | Omaguas | 6| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Amazon | 6| 11 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; ¾ of a mile broad; | | | | | | | anchored near mid-stream in | | | | | | | 14 fathoms water, and found | | | | | | | 2½ miles current; shores of | | | | | | | the river thickly wooded with | | | | | | | apparently small trees. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| Noon| 86| 81| 83|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 3 p.m.| 87| ...| 82| | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 6 p.m.| 84½| ...| ...|Westward |Light breeze; heavy | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds in the | | | | | | | northwest. | | | | | | | Iquitos | 7| 9 a.m.| 82| ...| ...|... |Cumulus clouds about the | | | | | | | horizon; cirrus overhead. | | | | | | | Amazon | 7| Noon| 86| 82| 80½|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 3 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|N. and E. |River at Tinicuro contracts | | | | | | | (within its true banks) to ½ | | | | | | | a mile; I had no bottom with | | | | | | | 25 fathoms; stopped at | | | | | | | Pucallpa. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 3 p.m.| 85| 82| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; mouth of Napo 150 | | | | | | | yards broad; gentle current; | | | | | | | soundings across the mouth 6 | | | | | | | and 7 fathoms; current in the | | | | | | | Amazon, just below mouth of | | | | | | | Napo, 1¾ mile. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 6 p.m.| 84| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 77½|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; arrived at Pebas. | | | | | | | Pebas, or | 10| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| 75½|Eastward |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus Echenique | | | | | | | clouds, threatening rain; | | | | | | | squall of rain, thunder, and | | | | | | | lightning, from the westward, | | | | | | | last night. | | | | | | | Echenique | 10| Noon| 79½| ...| ...|Southward |Light breeze; clouds breaking | | | | | | | up into cumuli; heavy shower | | | | | | | in the afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|... |Thunder clouds in the north, | | | | | | | but settling down. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| 76|S. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; clearing up; wind and | | | | | | | rain from northward last | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 6 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 10 p.m.| 74| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 8 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |A few cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| Noon| 82| ...| 80|Eastward |Moderate breeze; much rain | | | | | | | during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 75| ...| 75|Calm |Lowering cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| Noon| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Thin clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 6 p.m.| 77½| ...| ...|Westward |Moderate breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| Noon| 81| ...| 78|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | San José de| 16| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 79|Northward |Cumulus clouds. The los Yaguas| | | | | | | atmosphere here seems drier | | | | | | | than on the banks of the | | | | | | | river. We had few musquitoes, | | | | | | | through the padre says there | | | | | | | are plenty here generally. | | | | | | | This little village is about | | | | | | | 12 miles ENE of Echenique. | | | | | | | The atmosphere seemed | | | | | | | particularly clear at night. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 10 a.m.| 78| ...| 76| | | | | | | | | Echenique | 19| 9 a.m.| 73| ...| 72|Westward |Moderate breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| Noon| 76| ...| ...|Westward |Light air; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 7 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 7 a.m.| 73| ...| ...|Calm |Cirrus clouds; the Amazon has | | | | | | | fallen considerably during | | | | | | | the last two or three days. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| 76|S. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Westward |Light breeze; heavy rain | | | | | | | during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clear overhead; | | | | | | | cumulus clouds about | | | | | | | the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 10 p.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; lightning in the west. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 9 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| Noon| 83| ...| 77|N. and E. |Fresh breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 6 p.m.| 82½| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; at 9 p.m. | | | | | | | thermometer 78°; calm. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| 74½|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 3 p.m.| 86½| ...| 80½|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 6 p.m.| 82½| ...| ...|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 10 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 10 a.m.| 79| ...| 77½|Eastward |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| ...|Westward |Moderate breeze, after a | | | | | | | shower of rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 6 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy, after squall of wind | | | | | | | and heavy rain from | | | | | | | northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 10 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 10 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | much heavy rain during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 4 p.m.| 80½| ...| 77|N. and E. |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Light rain. Very heavy rain | | | | | | | during the night. At 1½ p. m. | | | | | | | sailed from Echenique. This | | | | | | | little town is situated on a | | | | | | | small stream called Ambiyacu, | | | | | | | about ¼ of a mile from its | | | | | | | mouth, and 2 miles up the | | | | | | | main stream of the Amazon | | | | | | | from Pebas. There is an | | | | | | | abundance of water (5, 6, and | | | | | | | 7 fathoms) from the mouth of | | | | | | | the river to the town. The | | | | | | | Amazon, below Pebas and above | | | | | | | Sancudos islands, is a mile | | | | | | | wide, has 11 fathoms of | | | | | | | depth, and a current of 2½ | | | | | | | miles per hour. | | | | | | | Amazon | 26| 3 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|S. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 6 p.m.| 76| ...| ...|S. and E. | | | | | | | | Old | 27| Noon| 80½| ...| 79|Calm |Cloudy. The banks of the Cochiquinas| | | | | | | river here are abrupt, and 25 | | | | | | | feet above the water, formed | | | | | | | principally of a black, hard | | | | | | | clay that looks like coal. | | | | | | | Amazon | 27| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| ...|Calm |Clear overhead; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds about the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 4½ a.m.| 73| | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| 79|S. and W. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| Noon| 86½| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light breeze; clear overhead; | | | | | | | cumulus clouds about the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 3 p.m.| 90| ...| ...|Calm |Thunder clouds coming up from | | | | | | | northeast; most of the rain | | | | | | | passed to the northward; had | | | | | | | some wind. At 6¼ arrived at | | | | | | | Moromoroté. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| 78½|Eastward | | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 78½|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds | | | | | | | round the horizon; clear | | | | | | | overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 4 p.m.| 84| | | | | | | | | | | Caballo- | 30| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 77½|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds. cocha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 30| Noon| 80| ...| ...|... |Sun shining through thin | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|Westward |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; heavy rain all night. | | | | | | | Do. | Dec. 1| Noon| 76| ...| ...|... |Light rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| 76|Westward |Light breeze; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 6 p.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm |Stratus clouds; partly clear; | | | | | | | much rain during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. Sailed from Caballo | | | | | | | cocha at 2½ p. m.; arrived at | | | | | | | Loreto at 7½. River much | | | | | | | divided by islands, which | | | | | | | appear to be of recent | | | | | | | formation, and which change | | | | | | | their size and shape with | | | | | | | every great rise of the | | | | | | | river. | | | | | | | Amazon | 4| 6½ a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and E. |Cold wind; rain. Sailed from | | | | | | | Loreto. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 81| 81| 80|Calm |Clear; cumulus clouds about | | | | | | | the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| Noon| 84| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light air; sun very hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 86| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light air; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Arrived at Tabatinga. | | | | | | | Tabatinga | 5| Noon| 84| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; showery. | | | | | | | River here straight and | | | | | | | narrow, (½ a mile;) no | | | | | | | islands. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 79|Calm |Cloudy; rain all the morning. | | | | | | | Left Tabatinga at 1½ p. m. | | | | | | | Amazon | 7| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. River 1½ mile wide; | | | | | | | 11 fathoms deep in the | | | | | | | middle, and with a current of | | | | | | | 2¾ miles per hour. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 9 a.m.| 78| 82| 76|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 7| Noon| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Between 9 and noon there has | | | | | | | been a breeze from northward | | | | | | | and eastward, with light | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 3 p.m.| 76½| ...| ...|Northward |Fresh breeze; blowing in | | | | | | | squalls; quite a sea in the | | | | | | | river. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 6 p.m.| 75| ...| ...|Northward |Light air; squally | | | | | | | appearances; severe squall | | | | | | | during the night from the | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 9 a.m.| 75| 79| 74|S. and E. |Light breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | rainy morning; rain at | | | | | | | intervals all day. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 6 a.m.| 74½| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; light rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 1 p.m.| 80| 81| 78|Calm |Cloudy; banks of the river | | | | | | | generally low, though there | | | | | | | are reaches where the banks | | | | | | | are 30 or 40 feet high, and | | | | | | | of white or red clay. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 9 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|... |Heavy rain from southward and | | | | | | | eastward, with much thunder | | | | | | | and lightning. At 4¼ entered | | | | | | | the mouth of the Iça, a fine | | | | | | | looking river of ½ a mile | | | | | | | width at the mouth, though | | | | | | | opening into a sort of | | | | | | | estuary of a mile. Found 23 | | | | | | | fathoms of depth in the | | | | | | | middle, and a current of 3 | | | | | | | miles the hour. The Amazon | | | | | | | has islands in this estuary | | | | | | | curtaining the mouth of the | | | | | | | Iça to the southward. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; |Went ½ mile | | | | | | | light cirrus | up the | | | | | | | clouds; | Tunantins | | | | | | | | river to the Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 78|N. and E. |Light air; | village; river | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus| 75 yards | | | | | | | clouds. | broad, and has | | | | | | | 5, 4, and 3 fathoms up to the | | | | | | | town, except at the mouth, | | | | | | | where there is a bar of but | | | | | | | 1, running well out in to the | | | | | | | Amazon. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; heavy | | | | | | | threatening clouds in the | | | | | | | northwest. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Westward |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| Noon| 82| 82| 80|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds; at 2 | | | | | | | squall of wind from northward | | | | | | | and eastward, with shower. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Clear overhead; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds about the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. The heads of the | | | | | | | islands are generally bluff, | | | | | | | and they tail down to low | | | | | | | sandy points. There are many | | | | | | | evidently new islands in the | | | | | | | river. At 2 p.m. air 85, sun | | | | | | | 111; heavy squall brewing in | | | | | | | the east; came on, with rain | | | | | | | in large drops from the | | | | | | | northeast; fresh breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 6 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|N. and E. | | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-stratus clouds; quite | | | | | | | cool. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 76½| 80| 77|S. and E. |Light air; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; went into Fonteboa. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light air; sun shining white | | | | | | | through the mist. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 9 a.m.| 79| 81| 78|S. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; at 10 entered mouth | | | | | | | of Juruá; ½ a mile wide at | | | | | | | the mouth; 11 fathoms deep; | | | | | | | current 1½ mile the hour; | | | | | | | bottom fine white and black | | | | | | | sand; temperature of water | | | | | | | 82. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 3 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, with light | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|S. and W. |Moderate breeze, with cold | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|Calm |Heavy rain, with thunder | | | | | | | passing from south of us to | | | | | | | the westward. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|S. and W. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 9 a.m.| 77| 81| 76|Calm |Cloudy; entered mouth of the | | | | | | | Japurá at 3 p. m.; | | | | | | | temperature of its water 85; | | | | | | | ½ a mile up found 9½ fathoms, | | | | | | | at the mouth 7; current ¾ of | | | | | | | a mile; clear night. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| Noon| 80| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 6 a.m.| 74| ...| ...|S. and E. |Fresh breeze; cloudy; cold. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|Calm |Light rain; entered the river | | | | | | | Teffé; 150 yards broad; water | | | | | | | clear, dark-green color; very | | | | | | | little current. | | | | | | | Egas | 18| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 78½|N. and E. |Light breeze; light cirrus | | | | | | | clouds; cumuli about the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| 78½|N. and E. |Light breeze; a little hazy. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; sun very hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 80½| ...| 77|Eastward |Moderate breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 82| ...| 78½|Eastward |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 3 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breezes. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| Noon| 86| ...| 82|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 3 p.m.| 86½| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 83| ...| 80½|Eastward |Moderate breeze; clear; most | | | | | | | of the afternoons and | | | | | | | evenings here are calm and | | | | | | | warm. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 3 p.m.| 87| ...| ...|Eastward |Light air; heavy cumulus | | | | | | | clouds in the horizon; | | | | | | | thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 9 a.m.| 83½| ...| 80|Eastward |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 83½| ...| ...|Eastward |Heavy shower, with one sharp | | | | | | | flash of lightning; | | | | | | | thermometer at 2½, 88. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; |In the long | | | | | | | continuous rain.|route from Do. | 25| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Clearing up. |Tabatinga to | | | | | | | Egas, I had got ahead of the | | | | | | | rains. They are now catching | | | | | | | up. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, with rain | | | | | | | squalls. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 78|Eastward |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 10 a.m.| 79| ...| 78|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm |Thunder storm brewing in the | | | | | | | northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 10 a.m.| 78| ...| 78|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cloudy; left | | | | | | | Egas at 2½ p. m., in the | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Amazon | 29| 6 a.m.| 75| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| Noon| 83| 82| 79|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cirrus | | | | | | | clouds; cumuli in the | | | | | | | horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clear; fresh | | | | | | | breeze from the eastward all | | | | | | | night; clear, except a bank | | | | | | | of light white clouds in the | | | | | | | eastern horizon, breaking off | | | | | | | and rising in fleecy | | | | | | | flocculi, with cumulus clouds | | | | | | | in the northwest. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|... |Light cirro-cumulus clouds | | | | | | | moving from east and | | | | | | | northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 9 a.m.| 78| 82| 78|Eastward |Breeze light; clear overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 86| ...| 79|Eastward |Light breeze; cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | at 6 sharp squall of wind and | | | | | | | heavy rain from the | | | | | | | northward; at 8 arrived at | | | | | | | mouth of Lake Coari; light | | | | | | | breeze from the northward; | | | | | | | heavy clouds, with sharp | | | | | | | lightning and thunder in that | | | | | | | direction. | | | | | | | Lake Coari | 31| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Light breeze. The water of | | | | | | | Lake Coari is clear, and of a | | | | | | | brown color. A quarter of a | | | | | | | mile inside of the canal that | | | | | | | connects the lake with the | | | | | | | river we found 9 fathoms of | | | | | | | depth, with ¾ of a mile | | | | | | | current; muddy bottom. The | | | | | | | bottom near the shore, in 2 | | | | | | | fathoms water, is of sand, | | | | | | | mixed with red clay. Thunder | | | | | | | and lightning in the north in | | | | | | | the early part of the night. | | | | | | | Amazon | 31| 3 p.m.| 84| 82½| 80½|Eastward | | | | | | | | | 1852 | | | | | | Do. | Jan. 1| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate; light cirrus clouds | | | | | | | overhead; cirro-cumuli about | | | | | | | the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 9 a.m.| 79| 82| 77|Eastward |Fresh breeze; quite a sea in | | | | | | | the river. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Eastward |Fresh. Passed the mouth of | | | | | | | the Codajash. At 8 p. m. | | | | | | | calm; nearly clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 9 a.m.| 77| 80½| 76|Eastward |Fresh breeze. This breeze | | | | | | | sets in strong about 9 | | | | | | | o'clock; generally continues | | | | | | | until 4 or 5, when it goes | | | | | | | down until 9 p. m., when it | | | | | | | freshens up again, and blows | | | | | | | till 2 or 3 in the morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Westward | | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 9 a.m.| 78| 81| 78|Eastward |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| 82|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; clear overhead; | | | | | | | cumuli about the horizon. | | | | | | | This breeze sets in now | | | | | | | between 10 and 11, (higher up | | | | | | | the river it commenced at 9,) | | | | | | | and lasts till 5 p. m.; it | | | | | | | gets up again about midnight | | | | | | | and lasts till daybreak. | | | | | | | Passed the mouth of river | | | | | | | Purus; about ¾ of a mile | | | | | | | wide; depth 13 fathoms; | | | | | | | current about ¾ of a mile per | | | | | | | hour; temperature of the | | | | | | | water 84½. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 82| 82| 78½|Eastward |Light breeze; clear overhead; | | | | | | | cumuli about the horizon. | | | | | | | Breeze freshened at 10, and | | | | | | | hauled more to the northward. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| ...|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; cumulus clouds, | | | | | | | thickening and blackening | | | | | | | into nimbi. At 3½ sharp | | | | | | | squall of wind and rain from | | | | | | | the eastward; after the | | | | | | | squall the wind fell. At 5 | | | | | | | heavy thunder clouds in the | | | | | | | south and east; cirrus clouds | | | | | | | overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, with occasional | | | | | | | spits of rain; fresh breeze | | | | | | | from the eastward, set in at | | | | | | | 9 and continued till 4. | | | | | | | Entered the mouth of the Rio | | | | | | | Negro at 5 p. m.; 2 miles | | | | | | | wide; 17½ fathoms deep in mid | | | | | | | stream. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| ...| ...| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; blowing in | | | | | | | squalls, with rain. At 5½ a. | | | | | | | m. arrived at Barra. | | | | | | | Barra | 7| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 77|Calm |Rain during last night. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 3 p.m.| 80½| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 78|Calm |Cloudy and showery. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, (has been | | | | | | | fresh;) light cirrus clouds; | | | | | | | sun out hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 78|Eastward |Light air, with occasional | | | | | | | showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; rain all the | | | | | | | morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clouds rolled | | | | | | | up into cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 78|Calm |Showery. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light air; heavy rain cloud | | | | | | | in the north; rain all the | | | | | | | evening. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 77|S. and E. |Light air; misty morning, | | | | | | | with showers of rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|... |Heavy cumuli in the northward | | | | | | | and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 79|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|... |Showery. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 77|Eastward |Light air. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 77|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cloudy; | | | | | | | thick rain clouds gathering | | | | | | | in northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; no rain; | | | | | | | cloudy at night. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 77|... |Heavy and continued rain all | | | | | | | the early part of the | | | | | | | morning; showery all day. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; clouds breaking | | | | | | | up into cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cloudy in | | | | | | | the morning; smart shower in | | | | | | | the afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| 76½|... |Cloudy morning; clear in the | | | | | | | afternoon and early part of | | | | | | | the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| 77½|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Substituted a light gauze | | | | | | | covering to the bulb of the | | | | | | | thermometer for the thick | | | | | | | cotton one it before had, | | | | | | | and, instead of dipping it in | | | | | | | the water, merely dampened it | | | | | | | with a brush. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 75½|Calm | | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 78|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; rainy morning; | | | | | | | showery in the afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 76|Calm |Cloudy; occasional light | | | | | | | showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| 73|Calm |Showery. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds; rain during | | | | | | | the latter part of the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|... |Cloudy and sultry all the | | | | | | | morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 78|Eastward |Light breeze; cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | clear at night. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 76|Calm |Sultry; thin stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|... |Clouds rolled up into cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|... |Heavy rain from 4 a.m. to | | | | | | | noon. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 3 p.m.| ...| ...| ...|... |Sun out between the clouds; | | | | | | | hot. At 5 squall of wind and | | | | | | | rain from northward and | | | | | | | eastward, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning; rain nearly all | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| 76|Calm |Rainy morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|... |Light stratus clouds; | | | | | | | pleasant afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|... |Thin cirro-stratus clouds; | | | | | | | damp morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 3 p.m.| 82½| ...| 78½|Eastward |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds; at 6 | | | | | | | smart rain squall from | | | | | | | northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; cirro stratus. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 84½| ...| 79|Westward |Light breeze; stratus clouds | | | | | | | in the west; cumuli in the | | | | | | | east and northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Thin stratus clouds; light | | | | | | | rain occasionally. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 3 p.m.| 78| ...| 75½|Calm |Cloudy; showery all the | | | | | | | forenoon, with cool damp wind | | | | | | | from southward and westward. | | | | | | | Do. | Feb. 1| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; thin stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cirrus clouds; | | | | | | | generally clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 79|Calm |Cumulus clouds gathering | | | | | | | thick in northward and | | | | | | | eastward; much heavy rain | | | | | | | during the night, with | | | | | | | thunder and lightning. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 78½| ...| 76|N. and E. |Light breeze; clouds breaking | | | | | | | up into light cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; fresh pleasant breeze | | | | | | | from the eastward, with hot | | | | | | | sun, nearly all day; calm, | | | | | | | with cirro-cumulus clouds | | | | | | | gathering in the evening. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 9 a.m.| 77½| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 79|S. and E. |Light breeze; rain clouds | | | | | | | gathering in the southeast; | | | | | | | at 4 squall of wind and heavy | | | | | | | rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 78½|S. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 3 p.m.| 79½| ...| 79|... |Shower of rain from southward | | | | | | | and eastward, wind afterwards | | | | | | | changing to the northward. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; light cumuli around | | | | | | | the horizon, breaking off | | | | | | | into cirri. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| 78|... |Cumulo stratus clouds; has | | | | | | | been rain between 9 and 3. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulus clouds; sun hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 3 p.m.| 83½| ...| ...|Northward |Light air; rain up the river, | | | | | | | in the west; at 4 squall of | | | | | | | wind and rain from the | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds; showers | | | | | | | during the forenoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 79|N. and E. |Cumulus clouds, with cirrus | | | | | | | haze overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds; rain | | | | | | | squall from the northward all | | | | | | | the forenoon after 10. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 3 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Rain all day. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; very pleasant day; | | | | | | | rain during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Southwardly|Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 3 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Rainy; heavy rain during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Northward |Light air; pleasant morning; | | | | | | | at 3 p. m. calm; light | | | | | | | drizzle; thermometer 79. | | | | | | | Rio Negro | 18| 8 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; sailed from Barra at | | | | | | | ½ to 9 a. m.; very little | | | | | | | current in the river. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| Noon.| 86| ...| ...|Eastward |Fresh breeze; current not | | | | | | | sufficiently strong to carry | | | | | | | us, with the aid of our 5 | | | | | | | paddles, against the breeze; | | | | | | | so we had to stop till the | | | | | | | breeze went down; dropping | | | | | | | rain; thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 3 p.m.| 77| 83½| ...|S. and E. |Light air; current of the | | | | | | | Amazon 1½ mile the hour. | | | | | | | Amazon | 19| 9 a.m.| 82½| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; saw the mark of | | | | | | | high water about 8 feet above | | | | | | | the present level. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 80|N. and E. |Light breeze; stratus | | | | | | | overhead and to the westward; | | | | | | | cumuli in the east. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 6 a.m.| 76½| ...| 75|Calm |Stratus clouds; rain nearly | | | | | | | all night, with distant | | | | | | | lightning to the eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 77½| 82| ...|S. and E. |Moderate breeze, with light | | | | | | | rain squalls; at 12½ squalls | | | | | | | ceased; wind came out from | | | | | | | northward and westward light. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 77| ...| 77|N. and W. |Fresh breeze; stopped at | | | | | | | mouth of the Madeira. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 6 a.m.| 75| 81| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-stratus clouds; mouth | | | | | | | of the Madeira about 2 miles | | | | | | | broad; depth 11 fathoms; | | | | | | | current 3½ miles the hour. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 11 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward | |Stopped a few hours | | | | | | | | at Serpa; high-water Do. | 21| 3 p.m.| 83½| ...| 79|Eastward |Cumulus | mark 12 feet above | | | | | | | clouds.| the present level. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Squally, and rainy | | | | | | | appearances. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 p.m.| 78½| ...| ...|Calm |Light rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| 76|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; patches of | | | | | | | blue sky, with all sorts of | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 9 a.m.| 76| 82| ...|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | quite a high sea; had to stop | | | | | | | several hours on account of | | | | | | | it. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| Mid.| 77| ...| ...|Eastward |Cool damp breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| 75|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and E. |Squally, with light rain; | | | | | | | stopped at 1 p. m. on account | | | | | | | of heavy squall of wind from | | | | | | | the northward and eastward, | | | | | | | with high sea; current of the | | | | | | | Amazon 3¼ miles; it has | | | | | | | increased very much since the | | | | | | | entrance of the Madeira. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm | | | | | | | | Villa Nova | 24| 9 a.m.| 76| | | | | | | | | | | Amazon | 25| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| 76|Northward |Light air; stratus clouds;. | | | | | | | rain till 8½ | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Northward |Light air; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| 80|Calm |Cirro stratus clouds; rain | | | | | | | nearly all night; wind from | | | | | | | northward and eastward, with | | | | | | | thunder. | | | | | | | Obidos | 26| 10 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|... |Rain all the afternoon and | | | | | | | nearly all night. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| ...| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; very | | | | | | | pleasant day; rain most of | | | | | | | the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Rain nearly all the morning | | | | | | | and all night. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|Southward |Rainy morning; sailed from | | | | | | | Obidos; smart rain during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Amazon | Mar.1| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light air; rainy. Entered the | | | | | | | Tapajos by a creek 100 yards | | | | | | | wide, 5 fathoms deep, and 3 | | | | | | | miles long. Tapajos 1¼ mile | | | | | | | wide at Santarem; dark water; | | | | | | | deep. Heavy rain from 10 p. | | | | | | | m. to 1 a. m. | | | | | | | Santarem | 2| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|S. and E. |Moderate breeze; stratus | | | | | | | clouds; pleasant day. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|... |Heavy rain during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Squalls of wind; rain all the | | | | | | | early morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; clouds and | | | | | | | rain down the river. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Rainy morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 79|... |Cirrus clouds floating about. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light breeze; cloudy; heavy | | | | | | | rain and strong wind from the | | | | | | | eastward all last night; from | | | | | | | 10 to 3 fresh wind from the | | | | | | | northward and eastward, | | | | | | | veering to the eastward, with | | | | | | | heavy rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|... |Rain again during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Cloudy; showery morning; | | | | | | | moderate breeze from the | | | | | | | eastward, subsiding into | | | | | | | calm, with heavy showers; | | | | | | | clear and pleasant afternoon | | | | | | | and evening, with light | | | | | | | breeze from the westward. The | | | | | | | afternoons are mostly clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; drizzly | | | | | | | morning, with showers. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 8| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Pleasant day; heavy rain all | | | | | | | the afternoon. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| ...|Calm |Cumulo-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 3 p.m.| 82½| ...| 79|N. and E. |Light air; a few cirrus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 78½| ...| ...|... |Raining till noon. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 78|Calm |Cumulo-stratus clouds; rain | | | | | | | during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy; drizzly. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 3 p.m.| 79| ...| 77½|... |Cloudy; pleasant night. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Eastward |Cumulo-stratus clouds; | | | | | | | occasional showers; moderate | | | | | | | and pleasant breeze. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 3 p.m.| 80½| ...| 79|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; rain during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|S. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; nearly clear all day. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 3 p.m.| 84½| ...| 81|Eastward |Light breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 9 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; rainy morning; | | | | | | | pleasant day. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 3 p.m.| 82½| ...| 79½|Eastward |Light breeze; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; at 8 p. m. squall of | | | | | | | wind, rain, thunder, and | | | | | | | lightning, from northeast; | | | | | | | much heavy rain during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 9 a.m.| 77½| ...| ...|... |Rain all the morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| Noon.| 78| ...| ...|... |Raining. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 79|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; light | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|Southward |Cool, pleasant breeze; cumulo | | | | | | | stratus clouds; hot and close | | | | | | | afternoon; heavy squalls of | | | | | | | wind, rain, thunder, and | | | | | | | lightning, from the northward | | | | | | | and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 9 a.m.| 78½| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; rainy morning; | | | | | | | breeze freshened up, and blew | | | | | | | all the forenoon from | | | | | | | northward and eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 3 p.m.| ...| ...| 82|Calm |Close and hot all the | | | | | | | afternoon; squall of wind and | | | | | | | rain, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning during the night. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Rainy morning; clearing | | | | | | | gradually. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 80½|N. and E. |Light air; light | | | | | | | cirro-stratus clouds; from 10 | | | | | | | p.m. to 6 a.m. heavy rain | | | | | | | squalls, with very sharp | | | | | | | lightning and thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy, but breaking away. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 80|Eastward |Light breeze; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy, stratus; close and | | | | | | | calm all day; at sunset | | | | | | | misty, smoky atmosphere. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; squally, with | | | | | | | occasional showers, during | | | | | | | the day. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 3 p.m.| 76½| ...| 75|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; raining. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus; | | | | | | | pleasant day. | | | | | | | Do. | 23| 3 p.m.| 80½| ...| 78½|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-stratus clouds above; | | | | | | | light watery cumuli flying, | | | | | | | with the wind beneath. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 79½|Eastward |Light breeze; sun hot; | | | | | | | pleasant day. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| ...| ...| ...| ...|... |Showery all day; breeze from | | | | | | | northward, northward and | | | | | | | eastward, and eastward; sun | | | | | | | hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; pleasant, | | | | | | | though warm day. | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 78½|Eastward |Moderate breeze; cirrus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 80½|Northward |Light breeze; cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | sun hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 3 p.m.| 85| ...| 80|... |Moderate breeze from eastward | | | | | | | all day; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; sun hot. Left | | | | | | | Santarem at 7 p.m. | | | | | | | Amazon | 28| Mid.| ...| ...| ...|... |Squall of wind and rain from | | | | | | | northward and eastward, with | | | | | | | thunder and lightning; | | | | | | | frequent showers during the | | | | | | | night. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 9½ a.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 79½|N. and E. |Light air; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Northward |Light air; at 6½ a fine | | | | | | | breeze sprung up from the | | | | | | | northward and westward, and | | | | | | | arrested the clouds that were | | | | | | | flying over the moon from the | | | | | | | eastward, banking them up. | | | | | | | Lightning in the northeast. | | | | | | | The easterly bad weather was | | | | | | | too strong; the westerly | | | | | | | breeze fell, and we had heavy | | | | | | | rain from the eastward. Took | | | | | | | shelter in a patch of grass | | | | | | | on the right bank at 7 p. m. | | | | | | | Started at 8; weather looking | | | | | | | dirty, we stopped again at 9; | | | | | | | had furious squall of wind, | | | | | | | with thunder and lightning, | | | | | | | from northeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 6 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|... |Heavy rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|... |Rain all the morning. High | | | | | | | land of Monte Alegre | | | | | | | opposite, accounting for the | | | | | | | bad weather. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| 78|Calm |Cirro-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; cumuli, threatening | | | | | | | rain, in east and southeast. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 80|Calm |Cumuli about the horizon; | | | | | | | cirrus clouds overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 31| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|N. and E. |Fresh breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds, threatening rain. We | | | | | | | have found cumulus clouds and | | | | | | | rain over all the chains of | | | | | | | hills we have passed to-day; | | | | | | | and this is generally the | | | | | | | case. | | | | | | | Do. | Apr. 1| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light air; sun rising clear. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, and rainy. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 6 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds; | | | | | | | rain during the night. | | | | | | | Garupá | 2| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-cumulus clouds; noticed | | | | | | | the tide first at Gurupá; it | | | | | | | fell about 2 feet during the | | | | | | | 3 hours we were there. | | | | | | | Amazon | 2| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 79|Calm |Cumulo-stratus about the | | | | | | | horizon, threatening bad | | | | | | | weather. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Cirro-stratus clouds. We are | | | | | | | now navigating in narrow | | | | | | | channels between islands, | | | | | | | near the right bank of the | | | | | | | Amazon. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 9 a.m.| 82| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds, | | | | | | | breaking up into cumuli; | | | | | | | heavy squall of wind and rain | | | | | | | from the eastward between 12 | | | | | | | and 1 p. m.; rain, in very | | | | | | | large drops. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Rainy. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 6 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Calm |Stratus clouds; find the | | | | | | | flood tide so strong now as | | | | | | | to compel us to stop whilst | | | | | | | it is running. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 82| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light air; stratus, breaking | | | | | | | into cumuli; at 11 passed | | | | | | | Breves. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 85½| ...| 82|Eastward |Light air; heavy cumulus | | | | | | | clouds round the horizon; | | | | | | | distant thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Light cirro-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|Eastward |Light air; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | dirty, disagreeable night; | | | | | | | wind from southward and | | | | | | | eastward; cold rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|N. and W. |Light breeze; cloudy, | | | | | | | stratus. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 9 a.m.| 77½| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 3 p.m.| 83| ...| 80|Eastward |Fresh breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Clear; a few watery-looking | | | | | | | cumuli about the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 9 a.m.| 84| ...| ...|Calm |Heavy cumuli about the | | | | | | | horizon; sun very hot. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 3 p.m.| 86½| ...| ...|S. and E. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 6 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|Calm |Clear, except in the west; | | | | | | | rainy night, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning; wind from the | | | | | | | eastward. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 6 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|Northward |Light breeze; |At 8 started | | | | | | | raining hard.| to cross Do. | 8| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Northward |Moderate | Limociro bay, | | | | | | | breeze; still| wind blowing | | | | | | | raining. | fresh; thick | | | | | | | mist and rain; smart sea | | | | | | | running; lying at an island | | | | | | | in Limociro bay. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 3 p.m.| 81| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze, with squalls | | | | | | | of wind and rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 8| 6 p.m.| 79| ...| ...|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; light, | | | | | | | fleecy, and windy-looking | | | | | | | clouds; crossed from the | | | | | | | island to the western shore | | | | | | | of Limociro bay, 5 miles. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Stratus clouds; entered again | | | | | | | into the creeks and channels | | | | | | | on the right bank of the | | | | | | | Amazon. | | | | | | | Do. | 9| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Light stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Light stratus clouds, with an | | | | | | | occasional sprinkle of rain; | | | | | | | at town of Sta. Ana. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 9 a.m.| 79| 78| ...|Calm |Cloudy. | | | | | | | Do. | 10| 3 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|N. and E. |Light breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; entered the river | | | | | | | Moju. | | | | | | | Rio Moju | 11| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; drizzly. | | | | | | | Do. | 11| 3 p.m.| 78| ...| ...|S. and E. |Fresh breeze; misty, with | | | | | | | occasional light rain; | | | | | | | arrived at Pará at 9½. | | | | | | | Pará | 12| 6 a.m.| 76| ...| ...|Calm |Thin stratus clouds, sun | | | | | | | shining through them. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 11 a.m.| ...| ...| ...|N. and E. |Fresh breeze set in, bringing | | | | | | | rain shower. | | | | | | | Do. | 12| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|... |Pleasant, clear evening; | | | | | | | barometer 29.730. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|Calm |Misty morning; usual breeze | | | | | | | from NNE., with rain set in | | | | | | | at noon. | | | | | | | Do. | 13| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| ...|... |Clear evening; barometer | | | | | | | 29.690. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 8 a.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Light cirro-cumulus clouds; | | | | | | | breeze from NNE. during the | | | | | | | day, with rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 14| 3 p.m.| 83½| ...| ...|... |Barometer 29.665. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| ...| ...| ...| ...|S. and W. |Light breeze; misty morning; | | | | | | | wind set in from NNE. at 12, | | | | | | | with clouds and rain; | | | | | | | continued cloudy, with | | | | | | | occasional light rain, till | | | | | | | after 3. | | | | | | | Do. | 15| 3 p.m.| 80½| ...| 75|Eastward |Barometer 29.685. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 9 a.m.| 81| ...| ...|Eastward |Moderate breeze; barometer | | | | | | | 29.735; at 12 breeze from | | | | | | | ENE., with rain squalls. | | | | | | | Do. | 16| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 76½|ENE. |Cumulo-stratus clouds; | | | | | | | thunder; barometer 29.675. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 9 a.m.| 82½| ...| 77½|NE. |Light air; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; barometer 29.732. | | | | | | | Do. | 17| 3 p.m.| 84½| ...| 78½|NE. |Fresh breeze; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds; barometer 29.640. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 9 a.m.| 81½| ...| 77½|NE. |Light breeze just set in; | | | | | | | light flying cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 18| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 77|NNE. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds; | | | | | | | occasional showers of rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 19| 9 a.m.| 83| ...| 78|Eastward |Light air; watery-looking | | | | | | | cumuli moving southwest. | | | | | | | Do. | 20| 9 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze, and cloudy; | | | | | | | cirro-stratus; heavy rain | | | | | | | squalls all the forenoon; | | | | | | | pleasant afternoon and | | | | | | | evening. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 76½|Eastward |Light air; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 21| 3 p.m.| 81½| ...| 77½|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; heavy | | | | | | | cumulus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 22| 3 p.m.| 85½| ...| 79|NNE. |Moderate breeze; | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Pará | 23| 3 p.m.| 79½| ...| 77|Variable |Light winds; showery; calm in | | | | | | | the morning; at 11 the breeze | | | | | | | set in from the northward and | | | | | | | eastward, with showers. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy all the morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 24| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 75|Westward |Light air; cloudy, stratus. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| ...|Calm |Light cirrus clouds overhead; | | | | | | | cumuli about the horizon; | | | | | | | during the forenoon moderate | | | | | | | breeze from the northwest, | | | | | | | changing about 2 p. m. to | | | | | | | northward. | | | | | | | Do. | 25| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 76| | | | | | | | | Do. | 26| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| ...|Calm |Cloudy, cirro-stratus; | | | | | | | pleasant morning. | | | | | | | Do. | 27| 9 a.m.| 75½| ...| ...|WNW. |Cool breeze, with light rain; | | | | | | | breeze gradually hauled to | | | | | | | the northward and eastward, | | | | | | | and the weather changed to | | | | | | | pleasant. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 9 a.m.| 79½| ...| 75|Calm |Cirrus clouds overhead; | | | | | | | cumuli about the horizon; | | | | | | | pleasant weather. | | | | | | | Do. | 28| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| 75½|N. and E. |Moderate breeze; light cirri | | | | | | | overhead. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 9 a.m.| 80½| ...| ...|NE. |Light breeze; cumulus clouds | | | | | | | round the horizon, breaking | | | | | | | off and rising up as | | | | | | | cirro-cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 29| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 77|NW. |Moderate breeze; heavy clouds | | | | | | | in the northwest; light spits | | | | | | | of rain from passing clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 76|Northward |Cirro-stratus clouds; sun | | | | | | | oppressive. | | | | | | | Do. | 30| 3 p.m.| 80½| ...| 76½|NW. |Moderate breeze; blowing in | | | | | | | squalls from NNE. at 2, to | | | | | | | NW. at 3; cumulo-stratus | | | | | | | clouds, with spits of rain. | | | | | | | Do. | May 1| 9 a.m.| 77| ...| ...|Northward |Moderate breeze, with light | | | | | | | clouds and rain. | | | | | | | Do. | 1| 3 p.m.| 82| ...| 76|NNW. |Moderate breeze; cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 9 a.m.| 79| ...| 75|NE |During the morning moderate | | | | | | | breeze from WSW., (with thin | | | | | | | stratus clouds,) hauling | | | | | | | round, by west and north to | | | | | | | northeast; at 1 clouds | | | | | | | breaking up into thin cumuli. | | | | | | | Do. | 2| 3 p.m.| 85½| ...| 77½|WNW. |Clear overhead; cumuli about | | | | | | | the horizon. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 9 a.m.| 80½| ...| ...|Eastward |Light breeze; stratus clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 3| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| ...|Calm |Showery, with thunder and | | | | | | | lightning. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 77|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 4| 3 p.m.| 80| ...| 77|NNE. |Moderate breeze, (has been | | | | | | | fresh, with rain;) cloudy, | | | | | | | cumulo-stratus. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 6 a.m.| 78| ...| ...|Calm |Misty. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 9 a.m.| 80½| ...| 76½|N. and E. |Light breeze; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds. | | | | | | | Do. | 5| 3 p.m.| 84| ...| 78½|Northward |Moderate, but unsteady and | | | | | | | uncertain breeze; heavy rain | | | | | | | clouds in northeast and east. | | | | | | | Do. | 6| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 77|Southward |Light air; cirro-cumulus | | | | | | | clouds; very heavy rain | | | | | | | between 5 and 8 p. m., with | | | | | | | sharp lightning and thunder. | | | | | | | Do. | 7| 9 a.m.| 80| ...| 77|S. and E. |Light breeze; light. | | | | | | | cirro-cumulus clouds

ADDENDUM.

Since I had the honor of submitting the foregoing report, events concerning the political and social condition of the countries drained by the Amazon and its tributaries have occurred, which make it highly expedient and proper, for the better information of the government and people of this country, that I should make this addendum.

My report, which sets forth the extreme fertility of the Amazonian regions, their varied and rich natural productions, and the salubrity of the climate, joined to the report of discoveries of gold in the sands of the Santiago and Napo, and in the valleys of Carabaya, has excited great attention; and a crowd of emigrants is already flocking into those parts. My friend and companion Ijurra, in company with a German named Shütz, has carried out, under the auspices, and at the expense, of the Peruvian government, a colony of about two hundred Germans and Peruvians. Another company nearly as large, consisting of Peruvians and North Americans, has followed, under the guidance of a Peruvian named Montesa; and lately a ship has arrived from Australia, bringing out a hundred emigrants, bound to the gold regions. This ship, the "Lancaster," reports that great excitement exists in Australia regarding the Peruvian mines; that her passenger list was filled in less than twenty-four hours after being advertised; and that there will be an immense emigration to Peru from Australia within the next three or four months. A slip from the Lima "Foreign News" of March 25, 1854, says:

"The stories of 25-pound lumps found on the Amazon have had a similar effect in Australia to the first news received in the United States of the discovery of gold in California. It is difficult to judge correctly, from so many different reports, the probable number that will soon arrive here. Some say 5,000; others 30,000; but we imagine the former to be nearer the mark. Many of them no doubt will be greatly disappointed. They will arrive here expecting at least to find a good road opened to the reported mines; but in place of that they will learn—so little interest is here taken in the matter—that not a single river has been bridged, nor a single mountain trail been improved. Since writing the above, we have learned that a party of natives have, for some time past, been working on the trail beyond Moyobamba. As we understand there is a good mule-road from the coast to that place, parties will probably experience no difficulties in going clear through to the headwaters."

Dr. Whitmore, an American, has carried up two small steamers for the Peruvian government, to be used in the exploration and survey of the Peruvian tributaries of the Amazon. American engineers, firemen, and mechanics, with one or two adventurers, went out in them.

Here, then, we have, and that, too, upon no contemptible scale, the commencement of the settlement of that great country. Whether the settlers find gold or not, of which I have no doubt, though I cannot endorse the reports of its being found in 25-pound lumps, and I think that its collection will be attended with great exposure, privation, and hardship, I am satisfied that they will never come away. The few things there necessary for the maintenance of a comfortable life, the little labor required to obtain those necessaries, the delicious and rather enervating climate, and the absence of all the restraints that are found tedious and irksome to the natural man amid the refinements of civilization, all operate with a powerful force to keep them there; and I think that, from this time forth, population, civilization, and prosperity will march with an ever forward step over those wild domains.

I have been always cautious in my report in speaking of the salubrity of that country; and I feared that, even only in so far as I had gone in this respect, my account should be disbelieved by many; but hear what Wallace, an English naturalist, who was in the country at the same time that I was, and has since published a narrative of his sojourn there, says (p. 16) upon this point:

"The climate, so far as we have yet experienced, was delightful. The thermometer did not rise above 87 in the afternoon, nor sink below 74° during the night. The mornings and evenings were most agreeably cool; and we had generally a shower and a fine breeze in the afternoon, which was very refreshing, and purified the air. On moonlight evenings, till 8 o'clock, ladies walk about the streets and suburbs without any head-dress, and in ball-room attire; and the Brazilians in their _roçinhas_ sit outside their houses, bare-headed, and in their shirt sleeves, till 9 or 10 o'clock, quite unmindful of the night airs and heavy dews of the tropics, which we have been accustomed to consider so deadly."

He is speaking of the climate at Pará. Again he says, (p. 429:) "Had I only judged of the climate of Pará from my first residence of a year, I might be thought to have been impressed by the novelty of the tropical climate; but on my return from a three years sojourn on the upper Amazon and Rio Negro, I was equally struck with the wonderful freshness and brilliancy of the atmosphere, and the balmy mildness of the evenings, which are certainly not equalled in any other part I have visited."

At Santarem, (p. 157) he says: "The constant exercise, pure air, and good living, notwithstanding the intense heat, kept us in the most perfect health, and I have never, altogether, enjoyed myself so much."

Page 80. "In the districts we passed through, sugar, cotton, coffee, and rice might be grown in any quantity, and of the finest quality. The navigation is always safe and uninterrupted, and the whole county is so intersected by _Igarapés_ and rivers, that every estate has water carriage for its productions. But the indolent disposition of the people, and the scarcity of labor, will prevent the capabilities of this fine country from being developed till European or North American colonies are formed. There is no country in the world where people can produce for themselves so many of the necessaries and luxuries of life; Indian corn, rice, mandioca, sugar, coffee, cotton, beef, poultry, and pork, with oranges, bananas, and abundance of other fruits and vegetables, thrive with little care. With these articles in abundance, a house of wood, calabashes, cups and pottery of the country, they may live in plenty, without a single exotic production. And then what advantages there are in a country where there is no stoppage of agricultural productions during winter, but where crops may be had, and poultry may be reared, all the year round; where the least possible amount of clothing is the most comfortable, and where a hundred little necessaries of a cold region are altogether superfluous. With regard to the climate, I have said enough already; and I repeat, that a man can work as well here as in the hot summer months in England, and that if he will only work three hours in the morning and three in the evening, he will produce more of the necessaries and comforts of life, than by 12 hours daily labor at home."

(P. 334.) "It is a vulgar error, copied and reported from one book to another, that, in the tropics, the luxuriance of the vegetation overpowers the efforts of man. Just the reverse is the case; nature and the climate are nowhere so favorable to the laborer, and I fearlessly assert, that here the 'primeval' forest can be converted into rich pasture and meadow lands, into cultivated fields, gardens, and orchards, containing every variety of produce, with half the labor, and what is of more importance, in less than half the time that would be required at home, even though there we had clear instead of forest ground to commence upon."

This is the testimony of a man who suffered great hardships in the pursuit of science, amid the rapids and falls of the rivers Negro and Uapes—who was beset with the chills and fever, incident to the great labor and exposure necessary in passing those rapids in an open boat—who lost his brother of yellow fever at Pará, and who finally had the ship in which he had taken passage to England, with all his collections, burned under him on the broad Atlantic.

He cannot be supposed to have seen things "couleur de rose," or to be a witness with a favorable bias; and I quote him in order to support my own opinion that the climate is good, the country generally healthy, and that few who undertake to settle there will be willing to come away.

With the fact before us that many persons have gone even by the tedious, difficult, and dangerous passes of the Cordillera, to settle in the Amazonian basin, and that, to my personal knowledge, many more are desirous to go, the action of the Brazilian government in closing the lower waters of that river, and forbidding access, at least for any purposes of trade or exploration, to the countries drained by the tributaries of the Amazon belonging to the Spanish American republics, becomes a matter of grave importance to the world at large, and induces a disposition to scrutinize with severity her right to do so.

I have too little acquaintance with the "jus gentium" to attempt to argue the question; nor is it my province to do so; but I believe it to be clearly my duty to place all the facts and circumstances of the case before this government and people, that they may take the matter into consideration, and judge for themselves.

My own opinion is, that Brazil herself doubted this right, or else why should she have sent ambassadors to the Spanish American republics for the purpose of making exclusive treaties of navigation with them? She did not need these treaties, for I know that her vessels passed freely, enjoying, without let or hindrance, all the privileges that treaty could give, and traded upon any tributaries of the Amazon where they pleased, and that Peru and Bolivia were glad to have them do this, though she denied the same privileges to them on the Brazilian Amazon. Indeed, a writer in the government paper at Rio de Janeiro, and one apparently who "spoke by the card," declared that the principal object in these treaties was the keeping of the "_pirate Yankees_" out of the Amazon. Let us see how they succeeded. The Chevalier Da Ponte Ribeiro was sent by the Emperor to Lima for the purpose of making the treaty with Peru. He was an able and astute negotiator, but, unfortunately for his object, he had the hawk-eye of the best-trained, most experienced, and probably in an official sense, ablest diplomat of the United States upon him. Clay threw no obstacles in his way; he permitted him to make his treaty, (by which Peru gave to Brazil the right to navigate her interior waters,) and then immediately demanded of the Peruvian government the fulfilment of the obligations of a treaty which that government had just concluded with him, by which it was bound to give to the citizens of the United States all the rights and privileges which it should hereafter grant to those of the most favored nation, and by which also it guaranteed to American citizens the right to "frequent with vessels all the coasts, ports, and _places_, at which foreign commerce is or may be permitted."

The case was too strong to admit of question. Tirado, the Peruvian minister, immediately admitted the justice of the claim, and his government issued a decree throwing open to us the same ports that she had thrown open to Brazil.

Cavalcanti, the Brazilian minister in Peru, protested earnestly against this decree, but was told that Peru must perform her treaty stipulations as well with the United States and with England as with Brazil.

I supposed that Clay had completely and finally triumphed; but a remarkable change, for which I am entirely unable to account, (however much I may suspect,) suddenly and unexpectedly took place in the aspect of the affair. The wise, liberal, and enlightened Tirado retires from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, and is succeeded in that office by Don José Gregorio Paz Soldan, who adopts an entirely different policy; declares that the treaty of navigation concluded with Brazil on the 23d of October, 1851, was a special one regarding the interior waters of the republic, and induces the President to issue a decree explanatory of that of April 15th, 1852, which virtually repeals the 2nd article of that decree, which 2nd article gives to our citizens and vessels the same rights in the Peruvian waters of the Amazon that are given to the subjects and vessels of Brazil by the treaty of 23d of October, 1851.

Clay makes a masterly reply to the reasonings of Paz Soldan upon the subject—protests against the action of the Peruvian government—and declares that "his government will not be disposed to regard such a course as a proof of the desire that Peru has manifested to preserve friendly relations between this republic and that of the United States."

Thus has Peru, at the instance of the Brazilian government, taken a step backward, and sought to again throw over herself the dark mantle of exclusiveness, thereby shutting out the improvement and advantages that would accrue to her from intercourse with the great commercial nations of the earth.

But this exclusive policy does not at all affect the question of the right of Brazil to close the Amazon.

Miguel Maria Lisboa was instructed by Brazil to make a treaty with Bolivia, similar to the one made by Da Ponte with Peru, but he entirely failed in his object. The Bolivian government issued the following decree, dated "La Paz, 27th January, 1853:"

"Whereas, 1st, the eastern and western parts of the republic, enclosing vast territories of extraordinary fertility, intersected by navigable rivers flowing to the Amazon and to the La Plata, offers the most natural channels for the commerce, population, and civilization of these districts;

"Whereas, 2d, the navigation of these rivers is the most efficacious and certain means of developing the riches of this territory, by placing it in communication with the exterior, and applying to its waters the fruitful principle of free navigation, as useful to the interests of the republic as to those of the world;

"Whereas, 3d, by the law of nature and of nations, confirmed by the conventions of modern Europe, and applied in the New World to the navigation of the Mississippi, Bolivia, as owner of the Pilcomayo, of the tributaries and the greater part of the Madeira, of the left shore of the Itenes from its junction with the Saravé to its emptying into the Mamoré, of the western bank of the Paraguay to the Marco del I——, as far as 26° 54´ of south latitude, and of the greater part and the left shore of the Bermejo, has the right to navigate these rivers from the point in her territory in which they may be susceptible of it to the sea, without any power being able to arrogate to itself the exclusive, sovereignty over the Amazon and La Plata;

"Whereas, 4th, this navigation cannot be effected without the necessary ports are afforded for trade;

"Therefore, be it decreed:

"ART. 1. The Bolivian government declares free to the commerce and mercantile navigation of all the nations of the globe the waters of the navigable rivers which, flowing through the territory of this nation, empty into the Amazon and Paraguay.

"ART. 2. The following are declared free ports, open to the traffic and navigation of all vessels of commerce, whatever may be their flag, destination, or tonnage:

"In the river Mamoré—Exaltacion, Trinidad, and Loreto.

"In the Beni—Renenavaque, Muchanis, and Magdalena.

"In the Piray—Cuatro, Ojos.

"In the Chaparé—Coni and Chimoré, tributaries of the Mamoré, the points of Asunta, Coni, and Chimoré.

"In the rivers Mapiri and Coroico, tributaries of the Beni, the points of Guanay and Coroico.

"In the Pilcomayo—the port of Magriños, on the east coast of the Paraguay, La Bahia Negra, and the point of Borbon.

"In the Bermejo—the point situated in 21° 30´ south latitude, at which embarked, in 1846, the national engineers Ondarza and Mujia.

"ART. 3. The vessels of war of friendly nations will also be permitted to visit these ports.

"ART. 4. The government of Bolivia, availing itself of the unquestionable rights which the nation has to navigate these rivers as far as the Atlantic, invites all the nations of the earth to navigate them, and promises—

"1st. To donate in the Bolivian territory, for the purposes which the law allows, tracts of land from one league to twelve leagues square, to the individuals or companies who, sailing from the Atlantic, shall arrive at any one of the points declared to be ports of entry, and may wish to found near them agricultural or industrial establishments.

"2d. To guaranty the reward of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to the first steamer which, through the La Plata or Amazon, may arrive at either of the above mentioned points.

"3d. To declare free the river exportation of the products of the earth, and of the national industry.

"4th. In due time there will be established and regulated at the above-mentioned points, where it may be necessary, custom-houses for the loading and unloading of merchandise, the government seeing that the charges for the use of these custom-houses may be as moderate as possible.

"5th. This decree will be submitted for the examination and approval of Congress on their next meeting.

"6th. The Minister of State, in the office, of foreign relations, is charged with its fulfilment, by circulating it and communicating it to all whom it may concern.

"Given in the Palace of the Supreme Government, in the place of Ayacucho, 27th of January, 1853, 44th of independence, and 4th of liberty.

"MANUEL ISIDORO BELZU. "RAFAEL BUSTILLO. "_Minister of Foreign Relations._

A certified copy:

"AMARO ALVAREZ, "_El Official Mayor_."

Lisboa also failed in Ecuador. Here is a copy of a law passed by the Congress of Ecuador, on the 26th of November 1853:

"_To the Senate and House of Representatives of Ecuador, in Congress assembled._

"Whereas it is a necessary measure to open to foreign trade the Amazon and all the Ecuadorian rivers which flow into it; and whereas, in order to attract navigation and commerce, we should hold out some privileges and stimulants to immigrants intending to trade on the said rivers: Therefore we decree—

"1. That the rivers Chinchipes, Santiago, Morona, Pastasa, Tigre, Curaray, Naucuna, Napo, Putumayo, and other streams flowing into the Amazon, are declared of free navigation, including that part of the last named river which belongs to Ecuador.

"2. Vessels navigating the said rivers, to whatever nation they belong, will be free during twenty years from paying any kind of tax, and goods imported during the same time will also be admitted duty free.

"3. The public authorities of Napo, or of any other canton established now, or which may be established hereafter, are authorized to concede thirty _cuadras_ of land to foreign or Ecuadorian families, on condition that this land be cultivated for the term of five years from the date thereof, under the penalty of forfeiting the same if this condition is not accomplished. A larger extent of land may be obtained, on the recipient giving a bond for payment twelve and a half years after, if a foreigner, and twenty-five years after if an Ecuadorian, &c.

"4. The present inhabitants of Napo, and along the other Ecuadorian rivers which flow into the Amazon, will have the same privileges as hereinbefore mentioned, the preference in the selection of the land being given to them, as well as a perfect and inalienable title to the possession of the land which they now occupy.

"Given in Quito, capital of the republic, the 26th of November, 1853.

"MANUEL BUSTAMENTE, _President of the Senate_.

"NICHOLAS ESPINOSA, _President of the House of Representatives_.

"JOSE M. MESTANZA, _Secretary of the Senate_.

"FRANCIS J. MONTALVO, _Secretary of the House of Representatives_.

"Government House in Quito, capital of the republic, 26th of November, 1853.

"JOSE MARIA URBINA, "MARCOS ESPINEL, _Minister of the Interior and Foreign Relations_.

"Certified: CAMILO PONCE."

He succeeded in making an exclusive treaty with the executive authorities of New Granada, but it is believed that the Congress of that Republic will not ratify that treaty. I have the copy of a letter from an eminent statesman of New Granada, to an American diplomatic functionary, of date the 5th of January 1854, of which the following is a translation:

"I said to Don Andres Bello by letter of the 3d of December:

"—— is of opinion, and his government also, that the great American rivers, whose navigation is of interest to various nations, ought to be considered as prolongations of the sea, open to all the world, by natural right, and without the necessity of special treaty stipulations, the Amazon being in this category.

"How far will this doctrine, which modifies substantially the principles set forth by the Congress of Vienna, be acceptable?

"He replied to me on the 14th. In the question of the freedom of the Amazon and its tributary rivers, I coincide with the opinion of —— to which you refer. The high station and importance, tending to the general benefit, which commerce has taken in international affairs, and which cannot fail to be higher and greater every day, ought to lead to modifications in the doctrines of international law, which you know is not a stationary or stereotyped science. It has always lent itself to the variable exigencies of civilization; and being progressive, it will accept new principles, or, rather, new applications of old principles to present circumstances; faithful to its primitive intention of moderating the antagonism of nationalities; of overthrowing the barriers of a too exclusive spirit; of embodying the Christian sentiment in international relations; and of fraternizing the people.

"'I would undertake with pleasure a new exposition of the laws of nations in this relation, but I have not time. _Mors atris circumvolat alis._ Others with greater knowledge and strength, will take charge of this beautiful subject.'

"I have a real pleasure in transcribing for you the opinion of the patriarch of South American literature—the publicist, venerated amongst us for his knowledge and his virtues—an opinion so much in accordance with ours, and which, I have no doubt, will have its weight in the decision of the Granadian Congress, against the Brazilian treaty of navigation lately concluded at Bogota, and disapproved by the general sentiment of my countrymen."

* * * * *

We have now the facts of the case before us. Of the five Spanish American republics who own tributaries of the Amazon, two have made exclusive treaties with Brazil regarding their navigation, and I have shown that there is a prospect that the legislative power of one of them (New Granada) will not ratify the treaty; of the action of one, (Venezuela,) I know nothing, though I believe that, by general law, the navigation of all of her rivers is free. Two (Bolivia and Ecuador) have refused to make an exclusive treaty with Brazil; have issued decrees declaring their tributaries of the Amazon open to the navigation and commerce of the world, and are stretching out their hands asking foreign aid for the development of the great resources of their respective countries. The question comes up, has Brazil the right, under the circumstances, to close the highway to the navigable waters of these countries, and thus deny them what they conceive to be their rights?

It has been argued that this is no business of ours; that it belongs to those Spanish American republics to obtain from Brazil the right of way to and from their ports as we did from France and Spain in the case of the Mississippi; but the argument is not a good one; it leads to no practical results; the cases are not parallel. We were, from the first, a maritime and commercial people. We had ships and seamen; and an outlet for the productions of the Mississippi valley was of so vital importance to us as to make us ready, if necessary, to go to war with France on that question. With the Spanish American republics, on the contrary, "Le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle." They have no ships or seamen, and no means of making either, and a war between them and the powerful empire of Brazil would be hopeless. The navigation of the Amazon, restricted to themselves alone, would be valueless to them. We have a greater interest in the matter; for, although the benefit derived from trade and an exchange of commodities is reciprocal, yet we should have (on account of our geographical position with regard to the mouth of the Amazon, and our skill in the construction and management of the river steamboat) nearly all the carrying trade. They have done all they could. Desirous to develop the resources of their country, and to improve their social condition, and knowing that they can do nothing of themselves in the way of trade and commerce, they hold out their hands to us; they throw open their ports to the commerce of the world; and they invite all people to come, offering as inducements, privileges, lands, and money. I think, then, it belongs peculiarly to us to consider whether they have the right to give the invitation, and we the right to accept it.

Let us suppose a case in illustration of this. Suppose that the St. Lawrence were navigable from the sea to the lakes; and that we were to invite the nations of Europe to a free trade with our ports of Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit, offering them money, grants of lands, and great advantages if they should come. It seems to me that it would be unwise and improper in us to enter into controversy with England on this point; and that it would be clearly the business of the invited nation, if they desired to come, to demand of that country the right of way to and from these ports.

Although the opening of the navigation of the Amazon would redound greatly to our advantage, I am very far from desiring that we should enter into controversy, far less into hostile controversy, with Brazil. She is an American nation; she is a friendly nation; she is next to ourselves in power and wealth on this continent. There are great reciprocal advantages in the trade between the two countries, though far the greatest on her side; and there is a sort of bond between us, in the fact that we are both slaveholding nations. Yet, I do think that in her broadly and openly expressed fear of us, she is doing us a wrong, standing in the way of our just rights, and I think that this sentiment should be strongly expressed by our people and our government.

It is true that she does a greater wrong to herself; that she bars the way to her advancement and her glory; but that is her own business, and she has a right to judge for herself.

I have heard it said, and Paz Soldan uses the argument in his correspondence with Clay, that we are exclusive and jealous in this respect, and that we keep the navigation of our rivers to ourselves. This is not so. A Brazilian vessel, or the vessel of any foreign nation, passing through the formalities of the custom-house at New Orleans, may carry her cargo under her own flag to St. Louis, to Memphis, to Cincinnati, ports of delivery, discharge it there, and take in a return cargo for her own country. This is the case on the Hudson, the Potomac, the James, the Rappahannock, and I have no doubt that, whenever a town on navigable waters may desire to be made a port of delivery, the boon will be instantly granted by Congress, unless there be special reasons against it, and foreign vessels will be permitted to load and unload there.

This, too, is on waters belonging exclusively to us. Little, then, would we be disposed to follow the lead of Brazil, and undertake, contrary to right and the laws of nations, to interpose obstacles to foreign nations trading with each other, because the way of this trade was along rivers passing through our territories. Did Great Britain own a navigable tributary of the Mississippi, and were she to declare a port situated on this tributary free and open to the commerce of the world, we would not think of closing the Mississippi, and shutting out that trade. This matter has been discussed, and our ablest statesmen have allowed that we would have no right to do so. It is a bad rule that won't work both ways; what we demand we should always be ready to give, and what we are ready to give, we ought, if just and necessary, to demand.

It is a perfectly well-known and universally admitted fact that no nation holding the strait that connects two seas, has the right to block up that strait, and prevent the free passage of commerce. Turkey has no right to block up the Dardanelles. Did England own both sides of the straits of Gibraltar, she would have no right to shut up that strait. Denmark has no right to close the Belts; nor Denmark and Sweden together the Sound.

I have read with great interest, a memorial addressed to this Congress by the Commercial Convention that met at Memphis, in June 1853, through Lieut. Maury. Its arguments appear sound and just. I think it important that they should be read and considered as widely as possible, and I therefore quote its concluding pages. It is speaking of the Spanish American Republics of the Amazon.

"They have established the freedom of the seas upon their navigable tributaries of the Amazon. They have invited the world to come and use these waters—to settle upon their banks—to subdue the wilderness there, and replenish the solitary places—to make those lovely countries their homes, and to enjoy perfect freedom of trade for all time.

"Here is a boon to the world; therefore, neither Brazil nor any other nation has the right to oppose that world in the enjoyment of a common good, nor to throw herself in the way of civilization nor of human progress, nor to adopt any policy adverse to the rights of man.

"By these decrees, and the enlightened course of policy which dictated them, the riparian republics have removed the navigation of the Amazon from the condition of a diplomatic question with Brazil, and placed it in the category of a great international question, to be decided and settled, regulated and adjusted, not according to the selfish policy of any government, but according to the enlightened principles which sanctify, give strength to, and make binding the law of nations.

"These decrees have, to all intents and purposes, converted the navigable tributaries of the Amazonian republics into arms of the high seas. Bolivia not only gives all friendly nations the right to navigate these waters for the purposes of commerce, but she gives them the right to send there their men-of-war also. And all the republics offer homes to the immigrant. He is invited to come, and is promised a homestead in fee simple if he will come. The homestead bill has been enacted there upon a grand scale, for whoever will come is to be supplied gratis with land, seeds, and farming utensils. The Congress of Peru has voted half a million of dollars, to encourage settlement and cultivation upon the Amazon.

"This masterly, humane, and wise action, on the part of these republics, has changed, in the international eye of the law, the character of the Amazon, as it flows through the territory of Brazil, and has converted it from a river into a strait, connecting arms—free navigable arms—of the sea with the main ocean. And no nation, even though she own both shores of such a strait, can have the right to shut it up against the world as a common highway. Such is the doctrine of the international code.

"'Straits,' says Wheaton, 'are passages communicating from one sea to another. If the navigation of the two seas thus connected is free, the navigation of the channel by which they are connected ought also to be free. Even if such strait be bounded, on both sides, by the territory of the same sovereign, and is at the same time so narrow as to be commanded by cannon-shot from both shores, the exclusive territorial jurisdiction of that sovereign is controlled by the right of other nations to communicate with the seas thus connected. Such right may, however, be modified by special compact, adopting those regulations which are indispensably necessary to the security of the State whose interior waters thus form the channel of communication between different seas, the navigation of which is free to other nations. Thus the passage of the strait may remain free to the private merchant vessels of those nations having a right to navigate the seas it connects, whilst it is shut to all foreign armed ships in time of peace.

"'So long as the shores of the Black sea were exclusively possessed by Turkey, that sea might, with propriety, be considered a _mare clausum_; and there seems no reason to question the right of the Ottoman Porte to exclude other nations from navigating the passage which connects it with the Mediterranean—both shores of this passage being at the same time portions of the Turkish territory; but since the territorial acquisitions made by Russia, and the commercial establishments formed by her on the shores of the Euxine, both that empire and other maritime powers have become entitled to participate in the commerce of the Black sea, and consequently to the free navigation of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. This right was expressly recognised by the seventh article of the treaty of Adrianople, concluded, in 1829, between Russia and the Porte, both as to Russian vessels and those of other European States in amity with Turkey.'—_Wheaton's Elements of International Law, page 229._

"The international code, though it affords cases which rest upon the principles involved in this question of the Amazon, yet it affords no case precisely similar and parallel to it.

"In the first place, there is no other river in the world like the Amazon. The treaties of Vienna respecting the great European rivers, and by which the navigation of the Rhine, &c., was declared to be entirely free throughout its whole course, included no case so broad, so comprehensive, so strongly urgent, as is this of the Amazon.

"In the next place, the European rivers simply involved questions purely of commercial convenience; whereas the Amazon not only involves these, but actually includes questions of civilization, of settlement, and of the use of vacant lands, which their proprietors have offered in fee-simple to the laboring men of whatever tongue.

"The valley of the Rhine was already peopled and subdued to cultivation; and, in case the people on its upper waters were barred out through it from the sea, the features of the country were not such as to cut them off from all commercial intercourse with the rest of the world.

"Now, all commercial intercourse between the rest of the world and the Atlantic slopes of those three republics is cut off from the Pacific by the Andes, and there is no other channel to the high seas left except that by way of the Amazon.

"In the case of the great European rivers, the question, as already stated, was chiefly one of commercial convenience and facility of communication; but with the republics of the Amazon it is not only a question of commercial convenience, but a question also of national well-being—of commercial _necessity_—a question of cultivation and settlement, of immigration, of civilization, and it is even a question of humanity; for, unless the Amazon be opened to those republics, their territories bordering upon it must forever remain a wilderness, and the people who dwell there must ever be stinted in their enjoyment of the blessings of civilization and refined culture.

"If the Mediterranean were shut up—if the nations bordering upon it were denied access, through the straits of Gibraltar, to and from the great common highway of all nations—then, and in that contingency, we should have, in a commercial sense, a case precisely similar to that of the Amazon.

"The Mediterranean powers (that sea being closed) would, we will suppose, do as the three riparian republics of the Amazon have done, viz: proclaim, each for its own ports and waters, the freedom of the seas, and invite all nations to come and trade with them. Would the nation commanding the straits of Gibraltar have the right to do what Brazil has done, less than one month ago, touching this great South American strait, viz: proclaim to the world that no foreign flag should enter there?

"Wheaton is very clear upon this point. Let him answer:

"'As to straits and sounds,' says he, 'bounded on both sides by the territory of the same State, so narrow as to be commanded by cannon-shot from both shores, and communicating from one sea to another, we have already seen that the territorial sovereignty may be limited by the right of other nations to navigate the seas thus connected. The _physical power_ which the State bordering on both sides the sound or strait has of appropriating its waters, and of excluding other nations from their use, is here encountered by the moral obstacle arising from the right of other nations to communicate with each other. If the straits of Gibraltar, for example, were bordered on both sides by the possessions of the same nation, and if they were sufficiently narrow to be commanded by cannon-shot from both shores, this passage would not be the less freely open to all nations, since the navigation both of the Atlantic ocean and of the Mediterranean sea is free to all. Thus, it has already been stated that the navigation of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, by which the Mediterranean and Black seas are connected together, is free to all nations, subject to those regulations which are indispensably necessary for the security of the Ottoman empire.'—_Wheaton's Elements of International Law, p. 240._

"Now, Bolivia and Ecuador have both established the _freedom of the seas_—that is the term used by President Belzu—upon their Amazonian waters, as Russia did upon the Black sea, by her acquisitions along its shores, and as the Baltic powers did before her. These republics have made a free gift of their waters to commerce, as the nations of the Baltic and Black seas did; and they have brought the Amazon, in Brazil, exactly within the case so well put by this distinguished jurist.

"The international code, like all others of human origin, requires occasional revision; for the principles which have been laid down in Europe with regard to seas, rivers, and other questions, have not always been either sanctioned or acquiesced in on this side of the water.

"We have filed in the great international court our bill of exceptions to the European doctrine concerning blockades, the right of search, closed seas, and other points, as to which the grand inquest of the world at large—the people, not kings—have pronounced judgment; and their verdict is, WE ARE RIGHT.

"Hence the stronger necessity and greater propriety in laying down now the international doctrine which ought to obtain with regard to the Amazon.

"In 1821, Russia claimed the exclusive right of navigating the North Pacific ocean, upon the ground that she owned portions both of the Asiatic and American shores, which brought that ocean within the category of a closed sea.

"This claim was contested _in limine_, and successfully resisted by the statesmen of America.

"In like manner, the American doctrine with regard to navigable water-courses owned by two or more nations is well understood, for it has been often proclaimed touching our own Mississippi, as well as the St. Lawrence.

"In each of these cases there were but two riparian States; but with regard to the Amazon there are no less than six. This complicates the question, and makes any special arrangement among them with regard to the navigation of that river very difficult, if not impossible. Two of the riparian republics are already at war, and, owing to this circumstance, one of them is excluded from the proposed Amazonian Congress. Inaction, the _statu quo_, the sealed river and closed strait, and unsubdued wilderness—these are what Brazil wants. And, therefore, after having exhausted argument, there is no way left for the adjustment of this question by the United States—and the United States ought to adjust it, for it is an American question—but that which the laws of nations suggest.

"In such a case—in cases where the riparian States, desiring to confine the navigation of their own waters to their own citizens and subjects, cannot agree among themselves as to the terms and conditions, then, according to Puffendorf, the sovereign rights 'are distributed according to the rules applicable to neighboring proprietors on a lake or river, supposing no compact has been made.'

"It would, therefore, appear that this government would have the right on its side, were it, without further ado, to yield to the entreaties of its citizens, and give safe conduct up and down the Amazon to those who desire to penetrate through it up into Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, with the river steamer, and to push their enterprise into these remote regions in search of that commerce and those important privileges which the liberality and laws of these governments guaranty to them.

"Brazil has no treaty of commerce and navigation, or of amity and friendship, with this government; the quarter of a century has elapsed since the last one was made, and she has steadily, for the last fifteen or twenty years, refused to renew it. Therefore, if she be dealt with now strictly according to the law of nations in this matter of the Amazon, she could not rightfully complain.

"But your memorialists love peace, and value exceedingly the relations of amity and friendship that have ever existed between this country and Brazil. They believe that there is virtue in forbearance, and therefore pray for such action only, on the part of your honorable bodies, as may secure the free navigation of the Amazon peaceably, and with the consent of Brazil: peaceably if we can—forcibly if we must.

"To accomplish the former, it is only necessary, in the judgment of your memorialists, to lay down the doctrine which this nation holds upon this subject, and then to remind Brazil of the rights which American citizens have upon the headwaters of the Amazon; of the doctrine which we on this side of the equator have always held as to the navigation rights of riparian States; and to pass in review, for her edification, the relations of commerce, business, and friendship between the two countries, which it is not the wish of this country, and certainly not the interest of that, to disturb.

"There are few countries, having friendly dealings with each other, between which commerce is more one-sided in its operations than is our commerce with Brazil. On one side it is all free trade, but on the other it is restrictive in the highest degree. Owing to the illiberal policy of Brazil, our commerce with her is carried on upon very unequal and disadvantageous terms.

"Coffee, drugs, hides, and India rubber, are the chief articles that are exported from Brazil and brought to this country, and this country is Brazil's best customer. We take about two-thirds of her whole coffee crop; we admit her coffee duty free; and also the other staples enumerated above are either on the free list, or are admitted at rates merely nominal.

"On the other hand, the coffee which Brazil sells to us is first taxed with heavy excise duties, and the flour which she receives from us is saddled at her custom-house with enormous charges, thus greatly restricting the consumption of the one and keeping down the demand for the other.

"We send to Brazil the manufactured article; she gives us in return the raw; yet so unequal is the trade, that the balance is largely against us. We have to send heavy remittances in bullion to pay for our purchases in her markets, and yet we have never threatened her with retaliatory duties.

"The annals of commerce among friendly Christian nations may be challenged almost in vain for another case like this—a case where the nation supplying the elaborated article, and receiving in exchange raw produce, finds herself at such odds as to leave the balance, year after year, heavily against her.

"Nevertheless, we are the friends of Brazil and her best customer, and it may be well for her to bear in mind the liberal policy and the marked degree of friendly consideration which this government has ever observed towards her people. A duty in this country of a few cents a pound on Brazilian coffee would touch a popular nerve in that, which would vibrate through every department of the empire, and convey its impressions to the throne itself. To provoke such retaliation would be a crime scarcely short of deliberate regicide on this continent.

"As for the rights of riparian States to rivers that are owned in common, the doctrines held by the United States with regard to the navigation of the Mississippi, when both banks at its mouth were owned by France or Spain, are too well known to require repetition here. Suffice it to say that the American people were not only prepared to maintain that right by force, but they also insisted for a place of free deposite at its mouth—a place where they might load and unload, tranship and deposite, without any fees or charges whatever, save those of wharfage and storage.

"With regard to the St. Lawrence, the doctrine held by the United States was, that the right of American citizens to use the waters of that river for floating their vessels to and from the sea rested on the same ground and obvious necessity which had been urged to the Mississippi; that the treaties concluded at the Congress of Vienna, which stipulated that the navigation of the Rhine, the Moselle, the Meuse, and other great rivers of Europe, should be free to all nations, covered this ground; and, finally, that this claim, while its enjoyment was necessary to the development and prosperity of many States of this Union, was not injurious to Great Britain, nor could its exercise violate any of her just rights.[13]

"This claim was resisted by the British government chiefly on the ground that the St. Lawrence was not navigable from the sea all the way up to the lakes; that there were connected with it portages, or artificial canals, leading through British territory; and that the right, if vested in a foreign nation, to use these in war, might prove inconvenient, if not injurious, &c. And, furthermore, it was held that the American government could not insist upon its claim unless we were prepared to concede to British subjects the rights of free navigation upon the Mississippi river.[14]

"In reply to this, it was held that, so far as geographical knowledge then extended, the Mississippi and all of its tributaries laid wholly within the territory of the United States; that Great Britain had no more right than any other foreign nation to the navigation of this river. But if further research and discovery should establish the fact that the waters of the Mississippi connect themselves with Upper Canada, as those of the St. Lawrence do with the United States, then, and in that case, the American government would be both willing to recognise and ready to concede the right of British subjects freely to navigate the Mississippi through such connexion from the lakes, or the land, to the sea.[15]

"With regard to the St. Lawrence, the American Executive advanced, among other arguments, the very doctrine that, in its comprehensive sense, now applies to the Amazon.

"In the case of the St. Lawrence, two powers, and only two, were concerned in its navigation. Though each owned a portion of the great lakes, yet neither of them did as the upper riparian States of the Amazon have done, viz: convert those upper waters into inland seas, by declaring their navigation free, and inviting all the world to come, and each nation under its own flag, for traffic and trade.

"Had the United States been the sole proprietor of the great lakes, and had it been thought proper to proclaim the freedom of the seas for these waters, and to make the navigation of them as free to all nations as is the navigation of the blue waters of the deep sea, then the navigation of the St. Lawrence would have been a question in which the whole commercial world would have been equally interested with this government. It would have represented the case of the Dardanelles after Russia became part owner of the Black sea, and the navigation of it was thrown open to the world. It would have been an exact type of the case presented with regard to the Amazon since the decrees of Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, which have made the running waters of it and its navigable tributaries as free to man's use as is the air we breathe, or the blue waters ploughed by American keels in the middle of the ocean.

"But as it is, principles broad enough to cover this case of the Amazon were laid down by American statesmen with regard to the St. Lawrence, when they maintained that if that river had been 'regarded as a _strait_ connecting navigable seas, as it ought properly to be, there would be less controversy. The principle on which the right to navigate straits depends is, that they are accessorial to those seas which they unite, and the right of navigating, which is not exclusive, but common to all nations—_the right to navigate the seas drawing after it that of passing the straits_.'

"And this is the doctrine upon which the people represented in the Memphis convention, and who are again, in the persons of their representatives, about to assemble in the city of Charleston for the further consideration of this and other great questions, found their hopes. They believe it just, and desire to see it endorsed and to hear it proclaimed from the chambers of the Capitol.

"If it be urged, in the case put by the United States, the waters contemplated were in the shape of great lakes, whereas, in the case of the Amazon, they are in the shape of rivers only, and that, therefore, the comparison cannot be fairly drawn: if it be urged that neither can comparison be drawn with regard to the Dardanelles and Black sea, because, in that case, it is a real strait and salt water that are concerned,—whereas, in this, it is really a river, and fresh water only: if it be urged that this government, not having dominion over any of these South American waters and their littorals, has, therefore, no right to interfere with Brazil in any policy she may choose to adopt with regard to the Amazon, its navigation, and riparian States,—the reply is both ready and plain.

"Neither shape of water-way, nor the sweetness of its fountains, has anything to do with its free use by man. Lake Titicaca is salt. Lake Titicaca, its waters, and its shores, lay within the dominions of both Peru and Bolivia. Now, suppose it were connected with the headwaters of the Amazon through navigable channels, and that Peru and Bolivia were to proclaim the freedom of the seas for Lake Titicaca, as they have done for the water-courses of the Amazon, should we not have the case of the Black sea and the Baltic, with the sound and the Dardanelles, and their bitter waters, all repeated here upon the Amazon over again; and would not the great powers of the earth have the same right to interfere, with regard to the passage of their citizens and vessels through the Amazon, in Brazil, to Titicaca, in Peru, that they have had in the case of the sound and the Dardanelles; or that they would have in case Turkey or Denmark should attempt, arbitrarily, to close either the one or the other?

"The Amazon presents a case in which the commercial nations have as much right to interfere as the riparian States themselves. It is a question of navigation which is as broad as the sea; it is a question of commerce, of civilization, of human progress, advancement, and improvement, and never before did the free navigation of any river or strait present questions of such momentous concern to the whole human family.

"Apply the principles of international law to this case, is the prayer of the memorialists. If, in obedience to these principles, the Amazon be opened to free navigation, then the capacity of the earth to sustain population becomes two-fold greater than it now is, or than, with that river closed, it can ever well be. It is a question and a prayer, therefore, which teaches the well-being of the whole human family.

"Having thus endeavored to set forth the state of this important question, and to explain the views of your memorialists, and the grounds of their prayer with regard to it, the opinion is ventured that these enlightened decrees of the Amazonian republics have, to all intents and purposes, converted the Amazon itself, as it flows through Brazil, into a mere strait, and its upper waters also, to all intents and purposes, into arms of the sea. Those States have given to American citizens the same right to sail and steam up and down that river, from the sea to the riparian shores of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, that they have to pass the sound in their commerce with the Baltic powers of Europe.

"As to the mode of exercising this right upon the "king of rivers," the conditions upon which it is to be enjoyed, your memorialists desire that Brazil should be consulted, and that deference should be paid to her wishes, in so far that reasonable restrictions may, by mutual agreement, be placed upon it, as, without necessarily trammeling the exercise of it, may, nevertheless, secure her from any inconvenience or injury with regard to it.

"But if Brazil should prove contumacious; if she should deny our rights, refuse to treat, and persist in her attempts to keep the waters of the Amazon shut up against man's free use, then, in the language of one of the most distinguished of America's jurisconsults, your memorialists would have her reminded that 'mutual intercourse and a reciprocal interchange of benefits between the different nations which compose the great family of mankind, are ordained by Providence as essential to the moral well-being of the whole human race. Who, then, shall dare to oppose his will to the accomplishment of this divine law?'

"And, as in duty bound, your memorialists will ever pray, &c.

"M. F. MAURY, "_Lieut. U. S. N., in behalf of the Memphis Convention_.

"FEBRUARY, 1854."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Montaña (pronounced Montanya) is the name given by the Peruvians to any wooded country, "monte" being the Spanish term for a thick and tangled forest. As there is no other wooded country in Peru except to the eastward of the Andes, the term applies only to the eastern slope, and the level country at the base of the mountains, stretching as far as the confines of Brazil.

[2] As I shall have occasion, in speaking of routes, to refer again to this river, I would like to draw particular attention to it, simply stating here, however, that all who have penetrated into the Montaña to the northward and eastward of Cuzco, agree in reporting a large and navigable river arrived at soon after clearing the skirts of the mountains. Different tribes of Indians inhabit its banks, and I presume it is on this account that so many different names—such as Amarumayo, Mano, Tono, Inambiri, Guariguari, Cachihuara, and Madre-de-dios—have been given it.

[3] Pongo means a rapid.

[4] A very green and pretty kind of lucern, universally used in this country for pasturage.

[5] Chupe is a universal article of diet in the Sierra. It is a broth, or soup, made generally of potatoes, cheese, and lard; sometimes meat is boiled in it. It is the last dish served at dinner at a gentleman's table before the dessert.

[6] Masato is made from the yucca by rasping the root to a white pulp, and then boiling it. During the boiling the Indian women, who are making it, take portions into their mouths, chew it, and spit into the pot. After it is sufficiently heated it is put into large earthen jars, covered and suffered to ferment. When used it is taken out of the jar by the handful, mixed with water in a gourd, stirred with the fingers and drunk. It is a disgusting beverage, and powerfully intoxicating.

[7] This is its value in barter. It may be bought for six and a quarter cents money. The same is the case with the wax and the balls of thread, which are held at double the price for what they may be bought with coin.

[8] Hammocks, "de travessa," are those that are woven with close stripes across them.

[9] Sausages made from the flesh of the Peixe-boi.

[10] Piasaba is a palm, from the bark of which is made nearly all the rope used upon the Amazon. The appearance of the rope made from it is exactly that of the East India _coir_. It is very strong, but liable to rot in the heat and moisture of this climate. The fibres of the bark are brought down the rivers Negro and Branco, put up in large bundles, and are at Barra made into cables and running rigging. The coils are always sixty fathoms in length, and they are sold at so much per inch of circumference.

[11] Guaraná is the fruit of a low wide-spreading tree. It is about the size of a common walnut, and contains, within, five or six small seeds. These seeds are toasted, ground, mixed with a little water, pressed into moulds, and dried in an oven. Two spoonfuls, grated into a tumbler of water, is thought to make a very refreshing drink. It is said to be a stimulant to the nerves, and, like strong tea or coffee, to take away sleep. It grows principally on the banks of the upper Tapajos, and is much used by the inhabitants of _Matto Grosso_.

[12] This is isinglass, taken from a fish called _piraiba_. I heard in Pará of a fish called gurijuba, which yielded an isinglass worth sixteen dollars the arroba.

[13] Pub. Doc No. 43, 1827-'8.

[14] Cong. Doc. No. 43, 1827-'8.

[15] Mr. Clay to Mr. Gallatin, June, 1836.

* * * * * *

Transcriber's note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

The following lists possible misspellings, different names for the same person/place/thing, or people/places/things with close spelling differences in their names.

Alegre and Allegre alquier and alquiere alquieres and alquiers Amarumayo and Amarumayu andiroba and andirobá assacú and assacu benificiation and beneficiation Boulognaise and Boulonnaise Caballococha and Caballo-cocha Canamas and Cauamas capirono and capirona cassave and cassava Caxarmarquilla and Caxamarquilla Cerro Pasco and Cerro de Pasco chinchona and cinchona Chochiquinas and Cochiquinas Chrisostomo and Crisostomo Cocamillas and Cocamillos Coelho and Coelbo Cuiaba, Cuyaba, Cuyabá and Cuiabá Cuyabanos and Cuiabanos demi-oitavo and demi-oitava dissentions and dissensions earthern and earthen embarcation and embarkation Eretria and Eretrea Garupá and Gurupá givara and givaro Granada and Grenada Hackett and Hacket Itenes, Itenez and Ytenes Japura and Japurá Limoeiro and Limociro litoral and littoral magnetiser and magnetizer mandioca and mandioc Manoel and Manuel Manseriche and Manseriché Marajó and Marajo Maraya and Maraia masata and masato Maynas and Mainas Mayobamba and Moyobamba Nicolas and Nicholas Noguera and Nogueyra Obydos and Obidos Orejones and Oregones Pachita and Pachitea Pachiza and Pachisa Palâcios and Palacios pamacari and parmacari paranimiri and paranamiri parica and paricá Pastasa and Pastaza payshi and paishi peixi-boi and peixe-boi Perené and Perene Peruate and Peruaté Piasaba and Piassaba Pichitea and Pachitea piraiba and paraiba Portugese and Portuguese Puy-puy and Puypuy roucou and rocou sárnango and sarnango tabardillo and tarbardillo tapuio and tapuia Tarapota, Tarrapoto and Tarapoto Ticumas, Ticunas and Tucunas tuyuyus and tuyuyús Ucuyali and Ucayali