The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-12-02
THE. RIVER pARANA.


THE RIVER PARANA.
Translated from the Statistical Register of
Buenos Ayres, for the New York Daily
Advertiser.1
The River Parana derives its origin from
the cordilera of hills which lie north west
from Rio Janeiro, in 2l degrees of south lati-
tude-Its beginning, like that of all other
rivers, is humble and insignificant, until af
ter its junction with the Paranaiba, the Tiese,
the Paranapane and the Curtiba, it turns to-
wards, the northwest. In this direction it
runs till it reaches the 18th. degree otlatitude,
when it changes its course again, and running
south, enters the missions of the Guaranies.
At this place it assumes new character, and
forms an Archipelago ofan innumerable as
semblage of the Islands which it is extreme
ly difficult to describe, turning also to-
wards the west, TO flow towards the Para
quay. This last river might claim the super
iority, on account to the distance of its head
stream, in latitude l2, as well as the strait
ness of its course but the peculiar charac-
ter of the Islands, which extend to the very
mouth have preserved to the united rivers
the name of Parana.
Until it reaches the city, the current is
formed only of waters supplied by the hills
of Brazil but there it begins to meet with
streams from the Andes of Peru, in the ii
vers Bermcjo and Plcomava, which pour in
to the Paraguay. Here tbcgins to present
that grand majestic appearance OF an inland
sea, which it exhibits under the name of La
Plata, between the parallels of IL and 81, and
bears along with it to the ocean.
One of the properties of the Parma, which,
most of all, recommends it to the attention OF
the curious observer, is the nature ofits perio-
dical currents, similar in a remarkable de-
gree of those of the Nile. Indeed it is to be
doubted, whether there can be found any two
rivers, whose qualities 50 strongly resemble
each other. Both of them rise in the torrid
zone, and nearly equidistant from the equa-
or, although in different waters almost in
the same latitude, and in directions towards
their respective poles. They are both navi-
gable, for the distance of many leagues, and
contain numerous cateracts; both have perio-
dical floods, which overflow their banks, and
innundate an immense extent of ground. lr
both, Also the cause Of the floods is in oul
opinion, the same, being the abundance d
water falling in the torrid zone, during the
months in which the sun is nearest the tro-
pics. To seek for any other cause than this
is to search for a miracle. Even systema-
tic philosopher can attribute it to nothing
else but the regular winds which blew con
tinuaiiv during the fullness of the waters
and with regard to the Parana, We can give
an assurance to'the contrary, for the wind
have not the slightest influence on th'
floods.
The winds are indeed constant fou
months in the year, and their influence is il
regularly felt on the Plata, but without pro
ducing a constant and stated increase. lti
well known that the swellings Of the Plata
are as variable and uncertain as the wind
which produces them.--ln the morning tn
river falls considerably and rises in the even
ing, on account Of the different force Of tn
breeze and if the Plata has no constant in
crease, it is certain that it cannot ptoduc
one in the Parana. Besides, it is we'll know
that the waters in the Plata have create
elevation in winter, because the SOUTH we'
winds are at that season more frequent, all
blow with greater force; but in the Parani
the cause is exactly the reverse. Its water
begin to increase at the end of Deccmbe
which is some time after the commencement
of the rainy season, in the regions situate
between the tropic OF Capricorn and the |
quator, and to increase without mterruptic
till the month of April, when it begins to ia
with rather more rapidity than If rose, al
in July, it reaches its natural size. In tn
month it is customary to observe a gent
rise, which the natives Of the country call ii
9'etunte, and which we attribute to the W
ters received by the river from the temp
rate zone, where the winter season is almo
always rainy but this increase is so tiifil
that it is not perccptible in the iowcl par
Of the river.