398 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 







that of the Amazon and its confluents at nearly 2,000,000 square 

 miles. The range of littoral navigation in the southern waters is 

 three or four times that of the northern continent. The Amazon is 

 navigable for ships of largest burden far into the interior, and 

 Lieutenant Maury says that a 74 gun ship may anchor at the foot of 

 the Andes. There are 1500 miles of furos or natural canals, besides 

 the usual river navigation. The Mississippi, rising near 50 north 

 latitude, runs south, with ever-varying climate, scenery, and products, 

 collecting on its waters every species of merchandise till it reaches 

 the tropics. In the Gulf of Mexico the products of the Amazon 

 meet those of the great river of North America ; commencing with 

 sugar, the list of products includes coffee, cochineal, cocoa, cotton, 

 wax, caoutchouc, gum, drugs, resin, and woods of great variety and 

 value. The importance of connecting these two rivers by trade, can- 

 not be estimated, and the Americans may look to this new region as 

 their " Indies " of wealth and commercial enterprise. 



