Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- MAP of the RIVER AMAZON
- CHAPTER I PARA′
- CHAPTER II PARA′
- CHAPTER III THE TOCANTINS
- CHAPTER IV MEXIANA AND MARAJO′
- CHAPTER V THE GUAMA′ AND CAPIM RIVERS
- CHAPTER VI SANTAREM AND MONTEALEGRE
- CHAPTER VII BARRA DO RIO NEGRO AND THE SOLIMÕES
- CHAPTER VIII THE UPPER RIO NEGRO
- CHAPTER IX JAVITA
- CHAPTER X FIRST ASCENT OF THE RIVER UAUPÉS
- CHAPTER XI ON THE RIO NEGRO
- CHAPTER XII THE CATARACTS OF THE UAUPÉS
- CHAPTER XIII SÃO JERONYMO TO THE DOWNS
- CHAPTER XIV THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE AMAZON VALLEY
- CHAPTER XV VEGETATION OF THE AMAZON VALLEY
- CHAPTER XVI OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZOOLOGY OF THE AMAZON DISTRICT
- CHAPTER XVII ON THE ABORIGINES OF THE AMAZON
- APPENDIX: VOCABULARIES OF AMAZONIAN LANGUAGES
CHAPTER XIV - THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE AMAZON VALLEY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2011
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- MAP of the RIVER AMAZON
- CHAPTER I PARA′
- CHAPTER II PARA′
- CHAPTER III THE TOCANTINS
- CHAPTER IV MEXIANA AND MARAJO′
- CHAPTER V THE GUAMA′ AND CAPIM RIVERS
- CHAPTER VI SANTAREM AND MONTEALEGRE
- CHAPTER VII BARRA DO RIO NEGRO AND THE SOLIMÕES
- CHAPTER VIII THE UPPER RIO NEGRO
- CHAPTER IX JAVITA
- CHAPTER X FIRST ASCENT OF THE RIVER UAUPÉS
- CHAPTER XI ON THE RIO NEGRO
- CHAPTER XII THE CATARACTS OF THE UAUPÉS
- CHAPTER XIII SÃO JERONYMO TO THE DOWNS
- CHAPTER XIV THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE AMAZON VALLEY
- CHAPTER XV VEGETATION OF THE AMAZON VALLEY
- CHAPTER XVI OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZOOLOGY OF THE AMAZON DISTRICT
- CHAPTER XVII ON THE ABORIGINES OF THE AMAZON
- APPENDIX: VOCABULARIES OF AMAZONIAN LANGUAGES
Summary
The basin of the Amazon surpasses in dimensions that of any other river in the world. It is entirely situated in the Tropics, on both sides of the Equator, and receives over its whole extent the most abundant rains. The body of fresh water emptied by it into the ocean, is therefore far greater than that of any other river; not only absolutely, but probably also relatively to its area, for as it is almost entirely covered by dense virgin forests, the heavy rains which penetrate them do not suffer so much evaporation as when they fall on the scorched Llanos of the Orinooko or the treeless Pampas of La Plata. For richness of vegetable productions and universal fertility of soil it is unequalled on the globe, and offers to our notice a natural region capable of supporting a greater population, and supplying it more completely with the necessaries and luxuries of life, than any other of equal extent. Of this wonderful district we will now describe the principal physical peculiarities.
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. This is as if every river, from St. Petersburg to Madrid, united their waters into one mighty flood.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1853