File:Exploration of the valley of the Amazon - made under direction of the Navy Department by Wm. Lewis Herndon and Lardner Gibbon (1854) (14770199581).jpg

Identifier: valleyoftheamazo01hern (find matches)
Title: Exploration of the valley of the Amazon : made under direction of the Navy Department by Wm. Lewis Herndon and Lardner Gibbon
Year: 1854 (1850s)
Authors: Herndon, William Lewis, 1813-1857 Gibbon, Lardner United States. Navy Dept
Subjects:
Publisher: Washington : Robert Armstrong, public printer
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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CHAIN BRIDGE. 65 the lakes at Morococlia, joins this river here, and this is the connexionthat I spoke of between those lakes, near the very summit of the Andesand the Atlantic ocean. The bridge consisted of four chains, of about a quarter of an inchdiameter, stretched horizontally across the river from strong stone-workon each side. These are interlaced with thong-s of hide; sticks ofabout one and a half inch in diameter are laid across them andlashed down, forming a floor. Two other chains are stretched acrossabout four feet above these, and connected with them by thongs ofhide; tbese serve for balustrades, and would prevent a mule fromjumping off. The bridge was about fifty feet above the water when wepassed. It seemed very light, and rocked and swayed under tbe motion ofthe mules in crossing it. The heavy cargoes are taken off and carriedover on the shoulders of the bridge-keeper and his assistants. The tollis twelve and a half cents the mule ; and the same, the cargo. Thebridge-w

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