Globalization of the United States, 1789-1861

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Herndon, William Lewis, and Gibbon, Lardner. Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon: Made Under the Direction of the Navy Department. Washington: Robert Armstrong, Public Printer, 1854.

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William Lewis Herndon and Lardner Gibbon. Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon: Made Under the Direction of the Navy Department. Washington DC: Robert Armstrong, Public Printer, 1854. 1:Title page.

Herndon and Gibbon were sent the Amazon valley to investigate “undeveloped commercial resources”; any scientific work was meant to be “merely incidental.”

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On the 4th of April, 1851, Lieutenant Lardner Gibbon, of the navy, arrived at Lima, and delivered me orders from the Navy Department, of which the following is a copy:

Navy Department, February 15, 1851.

Sir: The department is about to confide to you a most important and delicate duty, which will call for the exercise of all those high qualities and attainments, on account of which you have been selected.

The government desires to be put in possession of certain information relating to the valley of the river Amazon, in which term is included the entire basin, or water-shed, drained by that river and its tributaries.

This desire extends not only to the present condition of that valley, with regard to the navigability of its streams; to the number and condition, both industrial and social, of its inhabitants, their trade and products; its climate, soil, and productions; but also to its capacities for cultivation, and to the character and extent of its undeveloped commercial resources, whether of the field, the forest, the river, or the mine.

You will, for the purpose of obtaining such information, proceed across the Cordillera, and explore the Amazon from its source to its mouth.

Passed Midshipman Lardner Gibbon, a prudent and intelligent officer, has been selected to accompany you on this service, and is instructed to report accordingly.

This, together with a few instruments, necessary for such an expedition, will be delivered to you by him.

Being joined by him, you will commence to make such arrangements as may be necessary for crossing the Andes and descending the Amazon; and having completed them, you will then proceed on your journey without further orders.

The route by which you may reach the Amazon river is left to your discretion. Whether you will descend the Ucayali, or the Huallaga, or any other of the Peruvian tributaries, or whether you will cross over into Bolivia, and, passing through the province of Yongas, embark on the Mamore or Ytenes, or whether you will try the Beni or any other route to the Madeira, and thence to the Amazon, the state of the information which you have collected, under a former order, will enable you to decide more judiciously than it is possible for the department, with the meagre state of its information upon the subject, to do.

It is not desired that you should select any route by which you and your party would be exposed to savage hostility, beyond your means of defence and protection.

Neither is it desirable that your party should be so large, on the one hand, as to excite the suspicion of the people, or give offence to the authorities, of the country through which you may pass, nor so small, on the other, as to endanger its success.

You are, therefore, authorized to employ a cook, servant, guide, and interpreter, and to provide them with such arms as it is customary only for travellers generally, in that part of the world, to carry for their own protection. And these arms you will have returned to you at Para.

The Navy Agent at Lima has been instructed to furnish, upon your requisition, the necessary articles for the outfit of yourself and party, and to honor your draft for a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, to cover your expenses by the way. As these expenses will be mostly for mules and arrieros, boats and boats’ crews, it is supposed that the sum named will be much more than sufficient. You will use of it only for the necessary expenses of the party.

The geographical situation and the commercial position of the Amazon indicate the future importance, to this country, of the free navigation of that river.

To enable the government to form a proper estimate as to the degree of that importance, present and prospective, is the object of your mission.

You will, therefore, avail yourself of the best sources of information that can be had in answer to any or all of the following questions:

What is the present condition of the silver mines of Peru and Bolivia — their yield: how and by whom are they principally wrought?

What is the machinery used, whence obtained, and how transported?

Are mines of this metal, which are not worked, known to exist? What impulse would the free navigation of the Amazon give to the working of those mines? What are their capacities; and if the navigation of that river and its tributaries were open to commerce, what effect would it have in turning the stream of silver from those mines down these rivers? With what description of craft can they be navigated respectively?

What inducements are offered by the laws of Peru and Bolivia for emigrants to settle in the eastern provinces of those two republics, and what is the amount and character of the population already there? What the productions? the value of the trade with them — of what articles does it consist, where manufactured, how introduced, and at what charges upon prime cost?

What are the staple productions for which the climate and soil of the valley of the Amazon, in different parts, are adapted? What the state of tillage; of what class are the laborers; the value of a day’s work; the yield per acre and per hand of the various staples, such as matte, coca and cocoa, sugar, rice, chinchona, hemp, cotton, India-rubber, coffee, balsams, drugs, spices, dyes, and ornamental woods; the season for planting and gathering; the price at the place of production, and at the principal commercial mart; the mode and means of transportation? with every other item of information that is calculated to interest a nautical and commercial people.

You will make such geographical and scientific observations by the way as may be consistent with the main object of the expedition, always bearing in mind that these are merely incidental, and that no part of the main objects of the expedition is to be interfered with by them.

It is desirable that you should bring home with you specimens or samples of the various articles of produce from the Amazon river, together with such seeds or plants as might probably be introduced into this country with advantage.

Arriving at Para, you will embark by the first opportunity for the United States, and report in person to this department.

Wishing you a pleasant journey and a safe return to your country and friends,

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

Will. A. Graham.

Lieut. William L. Herndon, U.S. Navy, Peru, or Bolivia.