" 

 Commercial Handbook of Paraguay. US Dept commerce 1920 
  The natural characteristics of these rivers have been  
 described in the introductory chapter.  

 THE PARAGUAY RIVER.  

 The Paraguay, which constitutes the principal commercial artery  
 of the Republic, has few equals among the navigable streams of the  
 world. At present 1,000-ton vessels operate to Corumba, 1,800 miles  
 above Buenos Aires, for most of the year, while smaller steamers  

  

 118 pabaguay: a commercial handbook.  

 ascend several hundred miles farther to Cuyaba, the capital of the  
 Brazilian State of Matto Grosso.  

 Though the limit for navigation by ocean-going steamers is gen-  
 erally placed at Parana- Santa Fe, during about three months of the  
 year ships of this type could reach Asuncion without difficulty.  
 With the dredging of a few short stretches of the river's course  
 vessels of 2,000 tons draft should be able to reach Asuncion through-  
 out the year, except in seasons of unsually low water. At present the  
 ordinary type of river steamer plying to Asuncion draws between 6  
 and 8 feet when loaded.^ The time of lowest water is during the  
 months of November, December, and January, and the highest stage  
 is reached in April, may, and June. Ehiring the former season the  
 river may fall so low that the regular Buenos Aires- Asuncion packets  
 are forced to transfer cargo and passengers at one of the "" passes ""  
 to vessels of lighter draft. This not only results in delay, but mer-  
 chandise shipped at such times is obliged to pay an additional 20  
 per cent over the regular freight rates.  

 The principal ""passes "" below Asuncion in the Paraguay are those  
 at Angostura, between San Antonio and Villeta, where the channel  
 is narrow and the bottom sandy, and that of the Tres Bocas, at the  
 confluence of the Parana and the Paraguay. During a season of  
 low water pilots can not count on more than 5^ or 6 feet of water at  
 these points. There have been several projects before the Paraguayan  
 Congress for dredging the "" passes "" in cooperation with the Argen-  
 tine Government, but nothing has yet been done in this direction.  
 Except for these few short stretches, the remainder of the course of  
 the Paraguay-Parana is wide and deep.  

 The Mihanovich Line transships freight at Asuncion to its smaller  
 steamers which ply on the Alto Paraguay, as the river is known  
 above Asuncion. However, the Brazilian boats between Montevideo  
 and Corumba do not break their voyage between these two points.  
 On this section of the river there are a number of "" passes "" which  
 impede navigation during times of low water. The first of these is  
 at Romanso Castillo, a short distance above Asuncion. Others are  
 at Pedernal, above Villa Eosario; the narrows at Concepcion; the  
 bad Ita-Curubi pass, a short distance above Concepcion; the rocky  
 passage directly below San Salvador, known as the "" Paso Pena "" ;  
 the dangerous Arrecif e, or "" reef,"" pass a few miles above this point,  
 where vessels are compelled to make an S curve at times of low  
 water in order to keep clear of the rocks ; and the passes of Palacios-  
 cue and Itapucu, the last near the Brazilian border.  

 In nearly all these passes the obstacles consist of rocks in the  
 channel, instead of sandbars, as in the lower river. At low water  
 there is only 4 to 5^ feet in the channel at these points, and at  
 Puerto Fonciere there is a large rock in mid-channel about 3 feet  
 below the surface. However, these passes of the Alto Paraguay are  
 generally short, and the obstructions could be removed by blasting.  

  

 oauirstoMAtioir Aitt> eoMMttNtoAiioit.  

  

 119  

  

 Approximate distance between Asuncion and the principal points  
 on the upper and the lower river are as follows   

  

 Upper River (Alto Paraguay)  Miles.  

 Concepcion 250  

 San Salvador 279  

 Puerto Plnasco 328  

 Puerto Sastre 400  

 Puerto Guarani 476  

 Fuerte Ollmpo 504  

 Bahia Negra 607  

 Porto Esperanca 685  

 Oorumba 765  

  

 Lower River (Paraguay-Parana-  
 Plata)   

 Pilcomayo, Argentina  

 San Antonio  

 VUleta  

 Formosa, Argentina  

 Pilar  

 Humaita 219  

 Tres Bocas 232  

 Oorrientes, Argentina 270  

 Santa Fe 650  

 Rosario 760  

 Buenos Aires 1,023  

  

 Miles. NEWL