The Amazon, Life Along the River in Peru (1962)

The Amazon is the world's mightiest river with a flow greater than that of the Mississippi, the Nile, and the Yangy combined. As the map shows, the Amazon flows almost parallel with the equator across the whole northern portion of South America. The main stream of the Amazon rises about 75 miles from the Pacific Ocean and not far from Lima, Peru. This great river provides a highway across a continent and its many tributaries provide a network of transportation routes through jungle and forest. The Amazon and its tributaries drain the northern part of South America, an area of 2 and a half million square miles, which is almost as great as that of the United States. Over,00 tributaries pour into the main river from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and nearly every part of Brazil. Along the western coast of South America rises the ridge of the Andes. These towering mountain peaks are among the highest in the world. Although in the region of the equator, these peaks are high enough to be covered with snow most of the year. As the snow alently melts and freezes, rivers of ice are formed between mountain peaks. These are called glaciers. Melting ice and snow feed deep cold lakes which are the sources or headwaters of the rivers. From these lakes high in the Andes mountains, many streams flow down the rocky slopes as they are joined by other brooks and streams. They soon become fat flowing rivers. Until a few years ago, there were conflicting views as to the main source of the Amazon River. Then two British explorers, John Brown and Sebastian Snow, climbed the Peruvian Andes to the s of the two main rivers, the Yokaali and the Marinon. Their findings together with aerial surveys indicate that the Maron is the main source of the Amazon. This river has its headarters at Santa Ana Lake about 150 mi north of Lima, Peru. From Lima, Peru, we can reach the headarters of the Amazon by taking a passenger train which crosses the coastal desert and then climbs the barren rocky slopes of the Andes Mountains. On the way, the train stops at several stations where native women offer fruit and other food to the passengers. The Andes mountains are among the highest in the world. Some of these peaks rise to an altitude of 22,000 ft. These mountains contain many valuable minerals. A freight train carries mining supplies from Lima to the mines and takes ore concentrates back to the capital. The railway goes to the mining settlements of the Andes where copper, zinc, silver, and gold are being mined by American companies. Miners and laborers are both Europeans and native Indians. As there are few villages at this altitude, laborers are housed in these long barracks or bunk houses. Because of the high altitude, these children of the miners must dress warmly all year round. You will notice that everybody wears a hat all the time. Their coats, called ponchos, are blankets with openings for their heads. Ponchoso are often woven of brightly colored wool. The Ketwa Indians are descendants of the famous Incas, whose empire held sway in the Andes a thousand years ago. There is little vegetation to support life on the high eastern slopes of the Andian range. Yamas are among the few animals that stand the very high altitudes. Yamas are used as pack animals, although they do not carry a heavy load, not more than 75 to 100 pounds according to their size. Yamas provide almost every necessity of the mountain people. Meat and milk for food, hair that is woven into cloth, hides for leather. Yamas are closely related to camels, also to vicunas and alpacas of the Andes. Raising animals, yamas chew their cud like cows. The herders take their animals from one pasture to another. These natives are friendly people. Usually families travel together. Like their ancestors, the mountain people are physically adapted to high altitudes with lungs and hearts developed to supply the extra oxygen needed, but they obviously live many miles from a dentist. Donkeys cannot survive such high altitudes as the yamas, but they are the best pack animals for lower slopes, being sure-footed and able to carry heavy loads. On the eastern slopes of the mountains, we see many flocks of sheep. The family usually travels with the flock. The mother looking after animals as well as children. Perhaps baby has the best time. She is slung up and over mother's shoulders and then tied securely on her back. Again, we see the everpresent hats of the Highlands, and note that all are warmly dressed. Little brother doesn't seem too pleased about life in general. Would he like his picture taken? No. There's a road from Lima over the Andes and down to these eastern slopes. The hills terrace for cultivation of grain and farming is still carried on in the ancient manner of the Incas. As we descend the eastern slopes of the Andes, some vegetation appears. Still further down, vegetation becomes more abundant as we near the rainforests of the Amazon. To follow the river through the jungle, we may travel by plane. This plane is loading at the airport at Trujillo on the coast of Peru. It takes passengers and cargo to isolated farms and villages over the crest of the Andes Mountains. Far below we see the Andian ridge, the backbone of South America. Here and there are a few clouds, but little rain falls on the western slope. We are flying over the continental divide. At last, we can see the Marinon River where it broadens into a lake. A few houses are built near the road which crosses the Andes from Lima. Now we have crossed the mountains and are looking down on the foothills of the Andes. Rain squalls keep this part of the country green. In this area, the average rainfall is 90 in a year. The Brown Marion River elbows its way through the vegetation. From the air we can see why this river is often called the golden serpent. The Yukayali and many other rivers join the Marinon just above Ikitos. The main stream is always brown with silt washed down from the banks. We can see blue water in lakes and oxbow which are no longer part of the main stream. On the map, we can follow the course of the river from its source near Lima. It flows northward through the Andian mountains and then in an easterly direction through the rainforests to the of Iikitos in the northeastern part of Peru. Ikitos is located in the heart of the jungle. It is 2300 miles from the mouth of the Amazon and isolated by miles of dense rainforest. Yet in some parts of the city appear modern buildings and wide streets. There are few cars because no highways lead in and out of Iikitos. Not even a railroad has been cut through the jungle, and the city can only be reached by air or by river. Wagons and bicycles are popular on the paved city streets. Iikquitos is really a waterfront city. Although it is 2300 miles from the sea, all trade comes to Iikitos by water. Canoes and motorboats come from a 100 tributaries with products of the forest. This is the trade center of the jungle and it is situated right on the main highway, the Amazon River. The most common means of transportation is the dugout canoe, which is paddled not from the rear, but from the front. A few residents have outboard engines on their dugout canoes. The river people bring their produce to the Iikito's waterfront or when the water is low to the mud flats where they unload. This heavy sack contains cassava roots. Here all work is done by willing hands and strong backs. A bunch of bananas is a heavy load and weighs as much as 100 lb. Nobody is in a hurry. A woman waits while her husband unloads the boats. Traders who bring produce to sell at may be able to buy cotton dress goods but to make clothes. The large green and yellow fruit is papaya, something like a melon. Papayas are loaded into a basket and then carried by girls on a walkway of logs over the oozing mud of the waterfront. A walking poultry stall topped with bananas is also ready for market. Wood and charcoal are used as fuel. This man has brought a load of wood to sell. Produce must be carried from the muddy waterfront to the market in the city of up a flight of steep cement steps. At Iikitos, the river level is constantly changing depending on rainfall and runoff from the upper Maranon. The market is an open street. Some stalls have a shelter to keep off the rain. In other cases, only the vendors themselves are provided with shelter. The fruit we saw on the waterfront is now displayed for sale. Papayas and bananas often spread out on banana leaves. Close to the fruit and for added flavor is fresh fish from the river. There are 1,800 known species of fish in the Amazon. Many of them good for eating. Logs are floated down the river to Ikitos. At the sawmill, the logs are cut into boards and stacked in the sun for seasoning. One of the most valuable woods brought to Ikitos is rosewood from which oil is extracted in this thatched factory. When the wood is seasoned, it is wheeled into the factory and stacked under cover. Later, men throw the rosewood slabs into a large hopper where they are chopped into small pieces. The wood chips travel on an endless belt to steam baths. With prolonged heat, the oil gradually seeps out and is collected. This clear, sweet smelling oil is used as a base for cosmetics. A short river trip soon takes us away from the city of Iikitos. We turn into the calm waters of one of the Amazon's many tributaries. Dense vegetation grows to the very edge of the river and the shy animal life of the jungle is seldom seen near the main river. Here and there we come to a clearing near the shore. Houses are built on stilts because of the constant changes in river level. Most natives build their houses in the jungle a short distance from the river. There they plant manuk for food. Manyok is planted like potatoes. The root can be grated and made into coarse flowers. In the rainforest, evaporation is slow and many species of fungus grow in the rotting vegetation. From this tree is obtained the thick milky substance used in the preparation of milk of magnesia. Papayas grow like coconuts high on a large leaf tree, but they look like melons. The dense green growth of the forest is due to the heavy rainfall. Bananas are common along the river banks. Many plants such as vines and creepers hang from tall trees. Of the 22,000 known species of plants in the world, over 19,000 are found in the Amazon jungle. In the jungle, flowers and fruit sometimes appear on the trunk of the tree. These mangoes are still hard and green. The bread fruit tree, the fruit of which is an important food throughout the South Pacific, also grows in the Amazon forest. The large fruit is boiled, baked, or fried before eating. The lapuna is the tallest tree in the tropical forest and often called king of the jungle. Its top resembles a huge flattened umbrella. Further along the river, we come to another clearing and a roofed shelter built on the riverbank. Here, Indian children are working on the land to prepare it for planting. They work for their patroni or master who pays them in household necessities. There are still many tribes of primitive Indians in the Amazon forest. The red markings on their bodies are supposed to ward off mosquitoes. The loose grass skirts and collars are also to keep away the insects. The blow gun is a weapon used by many jungle Indians. They prefer the blow gun for hunting because it is noless as well as deadly. The gun is about 9 ft in length made from two hollowed reads. Darts are usually poisoned at the tip. To shoot, the native twists a fluff of cotton around the end of the dart, fits it into the bone mouthpiece, and blows. Because animals are seldom seen near the river, the quiet waters and green banks are deceiving. There may be vicious man-eating fish in the rivers. There are hordes of insect pests, and in the dense jungle are jaguars and pumas, snakes, monkeys, and anteaters. River people fishing in still waters of the Amazon's tributaries may use a Poland line or throw a circular net into a school of silvery dentons. Our short trip over the launch takes us back toward Iikidos. There are many tributaries of the Amazon never visited by white men and to the east there are still 2300 m of Amazon River before we reach the Atlantic Ocean.