above the river; the first distinct rise occurring some 150 miles up
the river Tocantins, south-west of Para; the whole district was
intersected by streams, with cross channels connecting them, access by
this means being comparatively easy to villages and estates lying
farther inland.
Before making an extensive excursion into the interior, he spent some
time on the larger islands at the mouth of the Amazon, on one of which
he immediately noticed the scarcity of trees, while "the abundance of
every kind of animal life crowded into a small space was here very
striking, compared with the sparse manner in which it is scattered in
the virgin forests. It seems to force us to the conclusion that the
luxuriance of tropical vegetation is not favourable to the production of
animal life. The plains are always more thickly peopled than the forest;
and a temperate zone, as has been pointed out by Mr. Darwin, seems
better adapted to the support of large land animals than the tropics."
We have already referred to the fact that at the very early age of 14
Wallace had imbibed his first ideas of Socialism, or how the
"commonwealth" of a people or nation was the outcome of cause and
effect, largely due to the form of government, political economy and
progressive commerce best suited to any individual State or country.
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