302 PHYSICAL COMPARISON OF RACES. 



windings of the river, we estimate the distance not less than one hun- 

 dred miles. From the Pedreneira falls to the foot of San Antonio, 

 our direction was about east-northeast, a distance by the river of one 

 hundred and forty miles, which makes the space not navigable two 

 hundred and forty miles. A road cut straight through the territory of 

 Brazil, from San Antonio falls, in a southwest direction, to the navigable 

 point on the Mamore, would not exceed one hundred and eighty miles. 

 This road would pass among the hills, seen, from time to time, to the 

 eastward, where the lands, in all probability, are not overflowed. On a 

 common mule road, such as we find in Bolivia, a cargo could be trans- 

 ported in about seven days from one point to the other. Don Antonio 

 Cordoza was five months struggling against these numerous rapids and 

 rocks to make the same distance, with his cargo in small boats. We 

 have been twelve days descending the falls, which is considered by 

 Brazilian navigators fast travelling. The wild woods that cover the 

 lands are unknown to the white man. Topographically considered, the 

 lands on the east side of the Madeira are the most valuable. 



Our experience with a black crew gives reason to believe the climate 

 is more congenial to them than the white or red races. Among the 

 half-civilized and savage aborigines, we notice very few men live to an 

 old age ; they generally pass away early ; tribes are composed usually 

 of men under forty years. The moment we landed at Principe, there 

 appeared before us a number of active, gray- headed old negro women 

 and men, grinning and bowing, with as much life in their expression of 

 face and activity of manner as the youngest. Long after the savage 

 has become hamac-ridden with age, the negro, born before him, is found 

 actively employed. The physical strength of the negro is not equalled 

 by the red man here. The Indian enjoys the shade of the forest trees, 

 while our negroes rejoice in the heat of the sun. 



The India rubber is found in these woods, with quantities of Brazil nuts 

 and cacao trees. The whole forest is as constantly green as the snows 

 on the peaks of the Andes are everlastingly white, although the leaves 

 fall and the snow melts away. In the month of April, or thereabouts, 

 the sap which flows through the veins of these forest trees, begins to 

 fall, not suddenly, as the sap of the sugar-maple in our northern States, 

 but gradually and slowly, as the live-oak, magnolia, or other evergreens 

 of Florida. The sap descends from the topmost branches first ; the 

 leaves begin to sicken for want of nourishment ; they wilt, and the first 

 that falls to the ground is from the end of the branch which first lost 

 its sustenance. The tide of sap ebbs a shorter time than is usual in a 

 climate where half the year is wintry. The flood tide of sap goes up 



