NAVIGATION OF THE AMAZON BY STEAM.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 226, 4 July 1846, Page 69

NAVIGATION OF THE AMAZON BY STEAM.

The following interesting account of the opening of this mighty river, by steam communication, is translated from the Cojivordia of Quito. The expedition was fitted out by a mercantile house in Philadelphia, in connexion with another at Lima, and entrusted to the command of Captain J. S. Klausse : —

" Senor Klausse left Lima on the 16th of September, 1844, and directed his course to the river Guallaga, by the mountain of Pasco. Arrived at the village of Tingo, he embarked in a canoe with the object of exploring the river to see if it was practicable to navigate it by steam, four steamers having for that purpose arrived from North America. Following the stream, he approached a small, hamlet called Yurimaguas, which is the port of the city of Moyobama, where he took in provisions. From Yurimaguas he prosecuted his downward course to Laguna, the point of confluence of the Maranon and Guallaga ; here he entered the Maranon, and proceeded to the frontiers of Peru and Brazil, arriving at a settlement called Our Lady of Loretto, where he saw several Brazilian schooners. From Loretto he sent on a person to Jaba- j tinga, a town of Brazil, with orders to the four steamers there to ascend the river as far as Loretto, and in a few days the whole four arrived, saluting the Brazilian battery, which mounted seven guns. In Loretto there is a large lake, in which three of the steamers anchored to await orders, and in the other, called the Peruvian, of 140-horse power, Captain Klausse embarked, taking on all the machinery necessary to clean out the river Guallaga, and to construct landingplaces, &c. &c. He then proceeded against the stream to the mouth of the Guallaga and port of Laguna, where he anchored in ten fathoms. Here he discharged the machinery into canoes, and, assisted by 350 Indians, he ascended the river, clearing it of every obstruction as far as Pachisa° at which place he was obliged to augment the number of hands to 700, from the increase of the work and labour they had to perform. He thence continued his course against the current to the village of Tingo, the utmost point of steam navigation in the river Guallaga, distant from Lima seven or eight days by land. From Tingo he returned back on foot, with twenty-five soldiers, by the Pampa del Sacramento, to the Laguna, where he found the steamer he had there left at anchor. He again embarked in the steamer and proceeded in her up to Guallaga (now cleared of all obstruction), until he again reached Tingo, without the slightest accident. From Tingo Captain Klausse forwarded despatches to Lima, notifying the arrival of the steamer, and without loss of time he retraced his steps in a canoe, with the intention of sending up to Tingo the other steamers which were awaiting orders in the lake of Our Lady of Loretto ; but at the port of Yurimaguas he received a letter from the firm at Lima, directing him to proceed immediately to explore the river Pastaza, as far as it may be navigable by steam, and, in case the navigation should prove to be practicable, to propose a contract to the Government of the Equador. In effect the exploration was performed, and the river found perfectly navigable for steam-vessels, save a few obstructions which could be cleared away on the Government consenting to a contract. From the point of confluence of the Pastaza with the Maranon, to the boundaries of Peru and the Equador as far as the village of Andoas, Captain Klausse did not meet with any obstacle except a sandbank, which, with ordinary caution, may be easily evaded ; the current is paid. From Andoas, upwards, there are many obstructions, which can only be removed by means of the machinery brought by the steamers for that purpose. Near Andoas Captain Klausse discovered two mountains of rock salt, one very white and the other reddish ; and along the banks of the Pastaza, above Andoas, he saw a number of little hamlets and settlements of wild Indians, called Zaparos, from whom he obtained provisions; finally he reached] within two or three leagues of the river

Jopa, where he landed and arrived at the town of Bando, in two days. From Bando he proceeded to Pelileo, where he remained four days, and saw several good mines of Silver and platina ; from Pelileo he arrived at this city (Quito) on the 23d of April. Captain Klausse says he was truly amazed at the quantity of minerals, dye-woods of various sorts, and other valuable woods, coffee, cocoa — white and common, of excellent quality; cotton, very fine and long, like wool; spices, balsams, resins, wax, and other rich productions, which he met with in great abundance everywhere during his travels."