During their passage up the river the boys were often hailed from
passing craft, but they took little heed, as they did not care to
lose time gratifying the curiosity of those they met. Indeed, if
they had stopped to talk with all who hailed them, they would have
made slow progress. Up to about sixty years ago the Amazon was
closed to all save Brazilian vessels, but now it is open to the
commerce of the world.

There are now vessels coming from and going to all parts of Europe
and America from Amazon ports. There are lines of great steamers on
the main stream, lines of smaller steamers on the big tributaries,
and launches and small craft of all sizes on the affluent branches.
Often the passing ships, steamers, launches, etc., almost took the
form of a procession on the lower waters.

Everywhere the smaller ships were gathering the products of the
great Amazon basin-rubber, cocoanuts, hardwoods, dyewoods, pelts,
tropical fruits and other commodities. Every year over three
million tons of products come down the great river. The Amazon
drains a country as large as the United States east of the
Mississippi. Its feeders reach the Andes, draining watersheds
within a hundred miles of the Pacific ocean. It has tributaries
fifteen hundred miles long.

It did not take the Black Bear very long to pass the green islands
near the delta. The river there looks like an ocean. In fact, the
main branch of the Amazon is from fifty miles to two hundred miles
in width. Some of the tributaries are a hundred miles wide. It is
from fifty to two hundred feet deep. The water is always dark
colored because of the wash brought down from the uplands. For a