In 1851 Herndon headed an expedition exploring the Valley of the Amazon, a vast uncharted area. Departing Lima, Peru, 21 May 1851, Herndon and his small party of six men pressed into the wild and treacherously beautiful jungles. After a remarkable journey of 4,366 dangerous miles, which took him through wilderness from sea level to heights of 16,199 feet, Herndon reached the city of Pará, Brazil on 11 April 1852. On 26 January 1853 Herndon submitted an encyclopedic and profusely illustrated 414-page report to the Secretary of the Navy John P. Kennedy. The report was later published as Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon
published 1853.
This volume was unusual and of such importance that in an unusual move, it was immediately ordered, "10,000 additional copies be printed for the use of the Senate."
Commander Herndon captained the ill-fated steamer SS Central America, going down with his ship while helping to save over 150 of its passengers and crew.Most materials are located in the University of Washington Libraries. Images were scanned by staff of the UW Fisheries-Oceanography Library.
Descendiendo el río Mamoré
En la orilla brasilera del río Iténez
Plaza de Trinidad
Plantación de yuracarés
Huésped en Moxos
Vinchuta, Bolivia
Más gráficas de Herndon, Lewis
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon made under direction of the Navy Department
Washington, DC : A.O.P.Nicholson, Public Printer, 1854
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