Industrial and commercial South America

by Annie S. Peck

The eastern margin of the plateau is near the Atlantic where it breaks off suddenly with an average height of 2600-3200 feet. This plateau is the best part of the country, the Atlantic slope heavily wooded, the more gradual west slope with many grass covered plains. A fertile soil, rich forests, and regular rainfall make this a favored region. Farther north than Minas Geraes, the section has less rain, is thinly wooded in places, with large areas suited to grazing but subject to drought. The plateau extends across Brazil north of Paraguay abruptly breaking down from a height of 2600-3000 feet towards the Paraná and Paraguay Basins. It has a gradual slope towards the Amazon, the parts excavated by the rivers having lowland characteristics.

The Amazon Basin

The section of the Amazon Basin is indeed immense. The whole drainage area with that of the Tocantins, generally included though not strictly a component part, spreads over 2,700,000 square miles, much of it as we have already seen outside of Brazil, and occupying two-fifths of South America. This area is greater than the basins of the Mississippi, Missouri, Danube, and Nile, all combined. The course of one tributary to the sea is 3200 miles. Of the 55 largest rivers in the world, it is said that 33 are mainly if not wholly in Brazil. Twenty-seven thousand miles of navigable rivers are found in the country, the greater part connected with the Amazon, which is itself navigable for ocean steamers to Iquitos, Peru, a distance of 2300 miles, and 486 miles farther for vessels of 14 feet draft. The true mouth of the Amazon is west and north of the Marajos Island which is greater in area than Holland or Belgium, while the Pará River at the south and east is the mouth of the Tocantins. This, however, is the usual entrance for Amazon steamers even when they do not wish to call at Pará, for this river is connected by natural channels among islands with the greater stream, and the northern entrance has too strong a current to be desirable for navigation. As a matter of convenience the Tocantins is generally included with the Amazon in descriptions. The depth of the estuary is 90-900 feet, averaging 150.

The Tocantins River is a great artery of Brazil flowing from south to north a distance of 1600 miles, with a west affluent, the Araguaya, almost its equal in size and 1000 miles long above the union. Both rivers receive many tributaries. The flat broad valleys are overlooked by steep bluffs. The cataracts and rapids which occur on nearly all of the rivers as they come down from the plateau greatly interfere with navigation, but in their lower courses many are navigable for hundreds of miles, the Tocantins for 130.

The Xingú, the next river, with a length of 1260 miles is the first true tributary of the Amazon on the south. This also flows nearly north with many rapids and at last a fall, Itamaracá, at the head of navigation, 105 miles from its mouth. Near this the river expands into a great lake which communicates with the Amazon by many natural channels.

The Tapajós, 1158 miles long, entering the Amazon about 500 miles above Pará, rises near Diamantino on the plateau, and flows through a long, hot, unhealthful valley. One hundred and eighty-eight miles are navigable, the lower 100 of these being 4-9 miles wide and throughout much of its course very deep. Along the lower river valley are bluffs 300-400 feet high.

The Madeira, entering 870 miles above Pará, almost rivals the Amazon in volume. In the rainy season, during which it rises 50 feet, the largest ocean steamers may ascend 665 miles to the falls of Santo Antonio and the Madeira-Mamoré Railway; from June to December it is navigable for vessels of 5-6 foot draft only. Tributary to the Madeira on the east is the river formerly called the Duvida, first completely traversed by Colonel Roosevelt and his party and now named in his honor Rio Roosevelt. The Madeira which has 90 tributaries and a basin of over 600,000 square miles is formed a little higher up by the junction of the Beni and Mamoré, both of which streams rise close to the head waters of the Paraguay. From Santo Antonio south, the Madeira-Mamoré is obstructed for 263 miles by a series of rapids and cataracts, the Madeira Falls, where the Beni comes in, presenting a vast display of whirlpool and boiling torrents. Above Santo Antonio the drainage is received of the southwest slope of the State of Matto Grosso, the north slope of the Chiquitos Sierras, and the northeast slope of the Andes from Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia to Cuzco in Peru. The most important of the affluents are the Guaporé, Baurés, Itonamas, Mamoré, Beni, and Madre de Dios. The almost level Mojos and Beni plains are said to rival if not to exceed in fertility the Nile Valley; they are the most healthful and most inviting grazing and agricultural regions in the Amazon Basin, which has an area about equal to that of France and Spain. However, 35,000 square miles are flooded 2-3 feet, three or four months every year.

The Purús, over 2000 miles in length, is a very sluggish stream parallel to the Madeira, in the great depression between the Brazilian plateau and the Andes. A peculiar feature is five parallel canals coming into it from the Amazon northwest at almost regular intervals, making five low islands; and nearer to the great river are three more. The Purús is navigable for light steamers 1648 miles five months in the year; for 800 miles its depth is not less than 45 feet. The lands are subject to inundation, the river at times rising 50 feet.

The Juruá is a similar river, navigable for 1133 miles.

The Javary, the boundary line between Brazil and Peru, is navigable for craft 260 miles. The region is occupied by savages.