148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



their true cause, and the natural consequence is, the bad repu- 

 tation which that country has — which, moreover, is entertained 

 by the oiScials of the country. The president of one of those 

 provinces, sent out by the government at Rio, to administer 

 justice, and to see to the interests of the country along the 

 Amazon, is considered an exile, in an uncivilized part of the 

 realm. He is desirous to go home as soon as possible, and it is 

 for his interest to represent the country as unhealthy, that he 

 may the sooner be greatly rewarded for his devotion. The 

 natural consequence is, that all the officials of the provinces of 

 the Amazon decry the country, and contribute to create and 

 maintain at the capital of the empire, the impression that the 

 valley of the Amazon is an unhealthy country. 



I wanted this to be well understood, because I hope to see the 

 day when our New England backwoodsmen will go to the 

 Amazon and take advantage of the endless richness and value 

 of the precious woods which grow there in the greatest profusion, 

 and which are allowed to rot on the spot, without being of any 

 use to anybody. All that is needed, in order to reap the benefit 

 of this rich production of the valley of the Amazon, is to go 

 there and take possession ; for those extensive forests are almost 

 everywhere nobody's land, and might be taken possession of by 

 any new-comer ; and I know it is the intention of the Brazilian 

 government, as it is in accordance with their interest, to facil- 

 itate the settlement of that part of the country, and give every 

 encouragement to the establishment of industrial occupations 

 along the borders of these waters. 



Now to travel there is as easy as can be. There are lines of 

 steamers plying between the sea-coast and tlie foot of the Andes 

 regularly. Twice a month tliere is a steamer from Para which 

 goes into Peru ; and since I left that country the means of com- 

 munication with several of the tributaries of the great river 

 have been increased ; and every day, as commerce is developed, 

 no doubt the communications will be multiplied. I trust it will 

 not be long before small steamers will be run on all tliose great 

 rivers. At present it is mainly on the main stream of the 

 Amazon that the steamers run ; its tributaries have only been 

 incidentally visited by steamers. Of the magnitude of these 

 water communications it is impossible to form an idea without 

 seeing them, they are on such a grand scale. I am afraid to 



