As it has not been my good fortune to visit this mighty stream, I cannot, of course, speak of it from personal experience, but the Amazon is exciting so much attention in various parts of the world in consequence of the late voyage of Professor Agassiz that a brief notice may not be out of place here.

Most persons have read Mr. Bates' very interesting work, “The Naturalist on the Amazon,” in which he has described in so graphic a manner the wonders of that country in the shape of animal and vegetable life. Since it was written a great change has taken place in the future prospects of the Amazon by the politic step of the Brazilian Government in throwing open its waters to the flags of all nations, from which will result much valuable information, if it is not immediately followed by commercial progress to the extent that some sanguine writers have foretold. This act has called forth in Europe and America the most gratifying tributes in commendation of the unselfish attitude thus assumed by Brazil towards the commerce of the world. The American journals are especially unstinted in their praise. With regard to the probable consequences of this measure one writer, the Rev. J. C. Fletcher, states as follows:—

The opening of the Amazon, which occurred on the 7th of September, 1867, and by which the great river is free to the flags of all nations from the Atlantic to Peru, and the abrogation of the monopoly of the coast trade from the Amazon to the Rio Grande do Sul, whereby 4,000 miles of Brazilian sea coast are open to the vessels of every country, cannot fail not only to develop the resources of Brazil, but will prove of great benefit to the bordering Hispano-American Republics and to the maritime nations of the earth. The opening of the Amazon is the most significant indication that the leven of the narrow monopolistic Portuguese conservatism has at last worked out. Portugal would not allow Humboldt to enter the Amazon valley in Brazil. The result of the new policy is beyond the most sanguine expectation. The exports and imports for Para for October and November, 1867 were double those of 1866. This is but the beginning. Soon it will be found that it is cheaper for Bolivia, Peru, Equador, and New Granada east of the Andes to receive their goods from and to export their indiarubber, chincona, &c., to the United States and Europe via the great water highway which discharges into the Atlantic than by the long, circuitous route of Cape Horn, or the Trans-Isthmian route of Panama. The Purus and the Madeira are hereafter to be navigated by steamers. The valley of the Amazon in Brazil is as large as the area of the United States east of Colorado, while the valley of the Amazon in and out of Brazil is equal to all the United States east of California, Oregon, and Washington territory, and yet the population is not equal to the single city of Rio de Janeiro or the combined inhabitants of Boston and Chicago. It is estimated that a larger population can be sustained in the valley of the Amazon than elsewhere on the globe.

Explorations have already been commenced by enterprising men from the Southern States of America, who have no doubt of the adaptability of the soil and of the climate on the banks of this noble stream for all the productions of the torrid zone. One of these pioneers, Mr. John W. Dowsing, has lately presented a most interesting report, with respect to the resources of Para, to his Excellency the President of that important province:—

May it please your Excellency, I herewith have the honour to submit a succinct Report of a recent exploration of a portion of the valley of the Amazon, and some of the tributaries of the Amazon river, by me, accompanied by Captain John B. Jones, George M. Sandidge, Charles H. Mallory, and Charles M. Broom, and all under the patronage of the Imperial Government of Brazil.

In accordance with instructions from the Minister of Agriculture to your Excellency, I was furnished with transportation, and one conto of reis to defray incidental expenses, and letters to various officials within the Province of Para to facilitate my explorations and secure as far as practicable every information I might desire in regard to the country, in order that I might more fully report to those of my countrymen in the United States who are now deeply interested in emigration.

Myself and party, consisting of the four above-named gentlemen, left Belem on the 9th of November, 1867, on board the steamer Soure for Cameta on the Rio Tocantins. After several days' preparation we ascended that river nearly to the falls; returning we ascended the Amazon and Tapajoz rivers to the town of Santarem and surrounding country, thence to the contiguous islands and up the Tapajoz, thence up the Amazon river to its junction with the Rio Negro to the city of Manaos.

From Manaos we made several excursions into the country. It was my purpose to go to Rio Branco, but utterly failing to obtain transportation, after remaining twenty-two days, I changed my course to Rio Matary and the lakes into which it leads.

The information I obtained at the various places visited would doubtless be of great utility to the commercial world. It would open up a new market for the various productions, and new fields for the employment of industry.

The trade up the valley of the Amazon, upon the great river and its numerous tributaries, is very considerable. Its full extent and value does not appear in the published statistics of your commerce.

The trade up this magnificent valley is susceptible of almost unlimited expansion. It stands alone in the inconceivable grandeur of its capabilities and the wonderful sublimity of its future destinies.

This magnificent valley, with its wonderful and inexhaustible resources, will form a great avenue of commercial communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. It is an immense prolific theatre for the formation of colonies. There is no doubt but that the best route for many manufactures from Europe and North America to Peru is through the valley of the Amazon. The productions of this wonderful valley are necessarily very diversified. They include all the tropical vegetables and fruits, many kinds of furniture and dyewoods, many medicinal drugs, and in the elevated lands it is peculiarly rich in minerals. The great staples exported in which the commercial world is interested are indiarubber, cacao, sarsaparilla, tobacco, hides salted and green, various vegetable oils, cotton, deer skins, isinglass, urucu, rice, &c., &c.

The general surface of a great portion of the Province of Para is even and undulating while it is diversified with many rich campos and numerous beautiful lakes and streams, filled with every variety of fish and turtle. Elevated lands, rising here and there, impart variety, grandeur, and picturesque beauty to its scenery.

To expatiate upon the beauty, capabilities, and resources of the numerous streams tributary to the great basin of the Amazon, the country margining these streams, the general characteristics of the inhabitants, &c., would invite and justify a voluminous report. I will content myself, however, with a few reflections upon the brilliant future that awaits this favoured country.

My investigations disclose that the valley of the Amazon is one immense forest of valuable timber, woods of the finest grain, and susceptible of the highest polish: adapted to cabinet purposes. For building vessels there is no woods on the earth equal to those grown in the valley of the Amazon.

This is the country for indiarubber, sarsaparilla, balsam, copaiba, gum copal, animal and vegetable wax, cocoa, castanha nuts, sapucaia nuts, tonka beans, ginger, black pepper, arrowroot, annetto, indigo, dyes of the gayest colours, and drugs of rarest medicinal virtues.

These immense forests are filled with game, and all the rivers and lakes are filled with fish and turtle.

The climate of this country is salubrious and the temperature most agreeable. The direct rays of the sun are tempered by a constant east wind, laden with moisture from the ocean, so that one never suffers from either heat or cold. I found the nights invariably cool enough to use blankets. With the succulent tropical fruits, the great variety of game, and the salubrious climate, this country is a paradise for the indolent man; for here he can maintain life almost without an effort.

The geographical position of Belem gives it many advantages. It is in the direct route of vessels to or from European and North American ports and the Pacific and Indian oceans. Therefore this city could be made a half way station for vessels thus bound to receive orders.

With an interior river navigation of many thousands of miles, with a soil of great fertility, and a climate which allows tropical vegetation to develop itself in all its luxuriance, with varied and inexhaustible mineral wealth, the Provinces of Para and Amazonas are specially marked out by nature to become the most wealthy country on the globe.

Belem possesses the requisites for carrying on commerce on an extensive scale. The right steps have been adopted in inaugurating and securing a general commercial system for Belem by the establishment of the Amazon Steamship Company.

In order to build up this city and country, and make it what the future determines it to be, the mineral and agricultural resources must be developed.

The slave population is being rapidly diminished by the war with Paraguay and self-emancipation. How is this labour to be re-supplied? It can only be done by the immigration of the hard working, industrious yeomanry of the United States and Europe. The surplus population of Europe and the disaffected citizens in the Southern portion of the United States will find their way to this immediate section of the country.

The great exodus will as naturally flow into the vast arable area of the valley of the Amazon as did the tribes of Asia flow into Europe through the passes of the Caucausus.

Every advancing wave of population will lift higher and higher the gathering flood of human life, which the moment it commences to press upon the means of subsistence in their respective countries must pour all of its vast tide of human beings into the great valley of the Amazon, and will eventually unite in one living chain of industrial life the waters of the Atlantic with the Pacific.

This country as yet is but a wilderness, but the inexorable laws of civilisation will at no distant day thread the labyrinthian mazes of this immensely fertile valley, and when teeming with industrious life it will pour into the coffers of this Empire untold wealth, thereby giving this portion of the Imperial Government a significance second to no portion of the earth.

The rich natural and agricultural productions of this valley must be poured out to the balance of the world. Upon the banks of each of the tributaries of the mighty Amazon city after city will as by enchantment arise to export the productions of the soil of this favoured country. The valley of the Amazon is yet to exercise a powerful influence on the political destinies of this Empire.

The future destiny of this valley is to be a glorious one; and fortunate the descendants of those who may now obtain a foothold and interest upon this soil. As already indicated the true elements of future greatness lie in the substratum of industry. The valley of the Amazon must have labour to develop its resources. The cities of North America and Europe are crowded with young men seeking employment.

The offices of European Consuls in the United States are crowded with foreigners, who have exhausted their last cent and are seeking for any kind of work.

Let them come to the valley of the Amazon with agricultural implements and obtain a home upon these fertile lands. Those who are lingering around the crowded seaports of poverty and vice, having no chance with others in the great world, should turn their attention to the valley of the Amazon, where a free homestead upon rich lands and with salubrious climate can be obtained.

The prosperity of this country is the future welfare of all civilised nations. This country has everything to hope for; nature has not been unmindful of its most precious gifts to this land.

In the selection of lands, upon which it is my purpose to establish a colony, I will be governed by the advantages offered by the lands at BriganÇa over those explored. If the lands at BriganÇa are well watered and rich its accessibility will decide me.

The migration to Brazil of energetic and agricultural population from the former Confederate States of North America is still going on, and may produce hereafter a most beneficial effect on the destinies of the Empire. On this topic General Hawthorn and Mr. W. T. Moore have addressed some interesting remarks to the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture. The following is the concluding paragraphs of the communication to which I refer:—

The people of the South must emigrate but how, and where to? These are questions that may well engage the earnest attention of every Government that desires to increase the number of its good and loyal citizens. Though there may be a few unworthy persons claiming to be from the late Confederate States who have imposed and forced their lazy carcases and worthless habits upon this kind and liberal Government, we desire to say in the most emphatic and unequivocal terms that the great body of the Southern people are not professional emigrants, who systematically cringe the knee and hypocritically kiss the feet of every monarch that will scatter among them the crumbs of charity; on the contrary, they are the remnants of a gallant race, who, having struggled in vain to save their country from destruction and themselves from slavery, will like Æneas and his Trojan followers gather round them their aged fathers and mothers, their wives, their children, their household gods, and, emigrating to some foreign land, lend their powerful aid in building up the country of their adoption and pushing it forward to a conspicuous place in the front rank of nations.

They will carry with them their statesmen, their orators, and their men of science, and though they may carry little gold and silver, and but a few of this world's goods, yet they will carry with them rich stores of great and active thought, vast mines of unflagging energy and industry, immense treasures of practical and scientific knowledge in planting, navigation, commerce, and the fine arts. They will carry with them stout hearts, untarnished honour, and unconquered manhood; but above all, for that Government which shall now extend its liberal hand and relieve them in this their hour of need, they will cherish that unshaken fidelity and loyalty that will uphold and maintain it in its prosperity and rally around and die for it whenever its day of trial and danger comes. They are a race that have won imperishable honours in every walk of life, and upon every field of action that has ever been opened to human enterprise, and wherever they go in large bodies they cannot fail to add wealth to the coffers and prosperity to the land of their adoption.

Having adopted Brazil as our future home, and believing as we do that it is better adapted to the wants of our people than any other country upon earth, we should rejoice to see the good and true people of the South emigrate in masses to this wonderful country. Hence our anxiety that this Government should fully understand the character, the capacities, and the habits of the Southern people. Since we have been in Brazil we have reflected deeply upon this subject, and the result of our observations and reflections is that the people of the late Confederate States, being, as they are, strangers to the language, habits, and customs of this country, cannot be completely prosperous or contented here unless they settle in colonies by themselves, and that too upon a scale sufficiently large to carry on successfully all the various trades and professions, to have their own schools and churches, in short, to relieve them from the necessity of learning a foreign language before obtaining complete success in their agricultural, manufacturing, or mercantile operations. We are also deeply impressed with the belief that in order to a full development of their energies as a people and a successful renewal of those glorious triumphs in every art and science that once rendered them so illustrious, it is necessary they should be left as free and untrammelled in their action as the safety and dignity of an enlightened and liberal Government will admit. We therefore respectfully suggest that (as an inducement for this heroic people to emigrate to Brazil in one vast body, bringing with them their greatest, their wisest, and their best men; bringing with them their household goods, their customs, their manners, their indomitable energy and unflinching courage; but above all, bringing in their bosoms the bright hope that their race is not yet run, but that a brilliant and a glorious future awaits them here) the Government cause to be set apart and reserved for their settlement and use large bodies of the public lands, which may be selected by judicious and intelligent men; that these lands be surveyed as occasion may require, and sold in limited quantities, at fixed uniform rates, to that people alone, or to such as they may desire to settle in their midst; and that they be allowed full and complete religious toleration, as also the full rights of citizenship, whenever they shall take the oath of allegiance to the Government; that each of these colonies, including such as are already established, as well as those that may be established hereafter, be made a congressional, military, and judicial district, which, when it shall have the requisite number of inhabitants, shall be entitled to representatives in the national and provincial assemblies, chosen from among themselves; that so far as possible all their officers placed immediately over them be men speaking their own language, and familiar with their customs and manners; that all professional men among them who shall produce satisfactory evidence of good character and a reputable practice in the land from which they came be permitted to practice their respective professions within the limits of the said colonies, without having to undergo rigorous examinations in a foreign language; in short, that every liberal concession be made that a true and loyal people could ask, or a wise and generous Government could grant.

Your Excellency need not fear the result. Ours is not a race that breeds either traitors or cowards. When we have once plighted our faith, dangers cannot weaken nor bayonets break its clasp. Every liberal concession which a generous prince may grant, or an enlightened people sanction, will but strengthen our loyalty and increase our gratitude. We sincerely trust that your Excellency will live to see the day when Brazil, renovated and strengthened by the infusion of this great Southern element, will assume among the nations of the earth the very first place in prosperity, glory, and power, as she now holds the first in charity and true kindness to a brave but unfortunate people.

That the policy of the Brazilian Government with regard to her territories on the Amazon is in the right direction no one can deny, and it is in striking contrast with the proceedings of the ruler of Paraguay, who could, in the erection of his formidable strongholds, have had no other object in view than that of impeding, if he did not absolutely obstruct, the passage of the River Paraguay. Paraguayan advocates have, indeed, endeavoured to show that the opening of the Amazon by Brazil was solely dictated by self-interested motives, but let the world look at the facts and judge accordingly.

Many years back the Government largely subsidised a steam company to navigate on the Amazon, which it continues to support notwithstanding the pressure of financial difficulties. This company goes on prospering, and adding to its fleet, and will now be still more useful in assisting foreigners to pioneer their way. Thus the country can be explored and settlements made. It is gratifying to hear the climate of the Amazon so favourably spoken of in the reports I have inserted, as at one time it was feared this would be a barrier to successful emigration. The emphatic language of the writers is not to be mistaken, and the Government of Brazil will do well to afford to the active and go-a-head Anglo-Saxon race every possible encouragement in their emigration work.

The city of Para is admirably placed and its trade has largely augmented of late. In fact, it promises ere long to become the emporium of the northern commerce of Brazil as Rio de Janeiro is of the southern, and when we glance over the map, and see the enormous tributaries of the Amazon extending as far as the waters of the great La Plata itself, it is difficult to say what new sources of wealth may not be opened up from the countries through which these rivers flow. There are natural obstructions to be overcome, and tribes of Indians to be encountered, but the strong arm and the willing heart can conquer these difficulties, clearing their pathway through the forests to the fertile plains beyond.

But little is yet known as to the Indian tribes scattered over the immense valley of the Amazon and its tributaries. That they are not numerous, however, is pretty certain, nor can they offer much resistance to the advance of the white man, when once the tide of emigration to that country is fairly set in. It would, of course, be politic to conciliate and make friends of the aborigines, but circumstances do not appear favourable to such an arrangement.

By a recent Rio paper it appears that a lightship is shortly to be placed at the entrance to Para, and that it had been successfully experimented upon outside the port of Santa Cruz in the presence of the Emperor.

Alluding again to Professor Agassiz, I have had the pleasure of perusing his valuable narrative, which, although containing much matter only of interest to naturalists and scientific people, conveys at the same time a wonderful amount of practical information, and from which a pretty correct idea may be formed of the probable or speculative future of the Amazon valley.

The Amazon, I may just observe, flows through the territory of the Empire for a distance of upwards of 500 leagues, and in its course towards the ocean receives no fewer than eighteen affluents of the first magnitude. The names are as follows: From the south, the XingÚ, Tapajoz, Madeira, Purus, Coary, TeffÉ, MyuruÁ, Hyutuby, and Hyavary; and from the north, the Sary, Peru, Trombetas, Nhamunda, Uatuman, Uruba, Negro, HyupurÁ, and IÇa. These rivers, from above the falls which exist on the boundaries of the provinces of Para and Amazonas, are collectively navigable by steamers for 7,351 leagues, not going outside the Imperial territorial limits. In this total, navigation on the Amazon proper figures for 580 leagues; that on the basins of the principal affluents for 5,771 leagues; and that on the lesser tributaries, lakes, and canals for 1,000 leagues.

As I have already remarked the Amazonian network of navigable streams reaches to within a little of the La Plata riverine system. The sources of the Tapajoz, flowing into the Amazon, are only separated by an inconsiderable strip of land from those of the Paraguay, flowing into the River Plate, and were these two rivers connected by artificial means an immense section of the South American Continent would be insulated by ocean and fluvial waters. This great work may probably remain undone for many years to come, but that it will be eventually accomplished I do not at all doubt. The progress of commerce and the development of enterprise in these countries clearly point to the ultimate realisation of this magnificent result.

Before passing to other topics, I will briefly notice another noble river of Brazil—the San Francisco—which traverses the central portion of the Empire, and waters the extensive and important provinces of Minas Geraes, Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas, and Sergipe. The Rio das Velhas, Rio Verde, Rio Grande, and the Paracatu are amongst its tributaries, and are all of them streams which in Europe would be regarded as of very superior size. The San Francisco is notable for its famous falls of Paulo Affonso, which witnesses of both have pronounced to greatly excel those of Niagara in their imposing majesty and grandeur. Above these falls there is an uninterrupted navigation of about 230 leagues, and below to the mouth, nearly 50 leagues, there is not the slightest obstruction to vessels of respectable tonnage.

A large part of the immense basin of the Paraguay, in the River Plate, also belongs to Brazil, in whose territories most of the principal rivers of that system have their origin; and numerous other streams, of more or less consequence, permeate different parts of the Empire on their way to the sea. Several of these are capable of navigation by steamers for at least 100 leagues.