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REVIEWS. 
only to be forgotten, but be treasured alike for the observations in their 
pages, and the patient spirit of inquiry in which they were made. The 
volume of Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro, by Mr. A. R. Wallace, 
now before us, is a well marked example of this class, and one that will 
amply repay a careful perusal. Written under circumstances of great dis¬ 
couragement, it nevertheless presents a mass of valuable observations, in¬ 
teresting to all true naturalists, as descriptive of a little known, though 
most luxuriant region. 
Mr. Wallace, who was most desirous “ of seeing with his own eyes all 
those wonders which he had delighted to read of in the narratives of tra¬ 
vellers,” was induced, by a perusal of Mr. Edwards’ little book, “A Voyage 
up the Amazon,” to start on the same route, purposing to pay his expenses 
by making collections in natural history; which we are glad to say, for the 
sake of scientific enterprise, he succeeded in doing. The pages now before 
us contain an account of how four years could be spent on the Amazon and 
Rio Negro; the first and last portions being nearly a transcript of his 
journals, while the intervening portion is merely gleaned from rough notes 
saved from the burning of the Helen , the ship in which his homeward 
voyage was made, and which caused the loss of all the notes made during 
two years, as well as the greater part of his collections and sketches. 
The scene chosen for our author’s labours was a most encouraging one 
for the naturalist to explore. Situated, as the basin of the Amazon is, in 
the Tropics, on both sides of the Equator, it surpasses in dimensions that 
of any other river in the world. The body of fresh water it empties into 
the sea is not only absolutely, but also, in all probability, relatively to its 
area, greater than that of any other river in the world. For richness of 
vegetable production, and fertility of soil, it is unequalled in the globe, and 
capable of supporting a greater population than any other of equal ex¬ 
tent. From about 4° north latitude, to 20° south, every stream that 
flows down the eastern slope of the Andes is a tributary of the Amazon. 
Some idea, though a faint one, may be formed by imagining every river, 
from St. Petersburg to Madrid, uniting their waters into one large river. 
The true source of the Amazon our author, for several reasons, judges to 
be the Maranon; and, speaking of its extent, he says:— 
u We find that, from its origin in Lake Lauricocha to its mouth, in longitude 
50° west, its length, following the main curves, but disregarding the minuter 
windings, is 2,740 English miles. Its extent, in a straight line, from east to west, 
is about 2,050 miles; and from north to south its tributary streams cover a space 
of 1,720 miles. The whole area of its basin, except the Tocatius, which I consider 
a distinct river, is 2,300,000 English square miles, or 1,760,000 nautical ones; this 
is rather more than one-third of South America, and equal to two-thirds of all 
Europe. All western Europe could be placed in it without touching its boundaries, 
and it could contain all our Indian empire.” 
