xvi Intkoduction. 



zaiTO to hunt for the fabled city of El Dorado in the 

 depths of the South American forests, led to the descent 

 of the great river by Orellana, a knight of Truxillo. The 

 fabled women- warriors were said to have been seen in this 

 notable voyage, and hence the name of the yts^^y Amazon^ 

 a name which in Spanish and Portuguese is in the plural. 

 It was not until nearly one hundred years after Orellana 

 was in his grave that a voyage of discovery ascended the 

 river. In 1637 Pedro Teixeira started from Para with an 

 expedition of nearly tw^o thousand (all but seventy of whom 

 were natives), and wdth varied experiences, by water and 

 by land, the explorer in eight months reached the city of 

 Quito, where he was received wdtli distinguished honor. 

 Two hundred years ago the result of this expedition was 

 published. 



The Amazon was from that time, at rare intervals, the 

 highway of Spanish and Portuguese priests and friars, who 

 thus went to their distant charges among the Indians. In 

 1745 the French academician De la Condamine descended 

 from Quito to Para, and gave the most accurate idea of 

 the great valley w^liich we had until the first quarter of 

 this century. 



The narrow policy of Spain and Portugal was most un- 

 fruitful in its results to South America. A jealous eye 

 guarded that great region, of which it can be so well said 

 there are 



"Realms unknown and blooming wilds, 

 And fruitful deserts, worlds of solitude, 

 "Where the sun smiles and seasons teem in vain." 



Now, the making known to the world of any portion of 

 these "fi'uitful deserts" is performing a service for the 



