New-York daily tribune., 1851-07-29
LA PLATA.
From the Household Words

Ii was III lSfS-lCf5 llldt L llldut NV NlSitS
to the Sierra or mountain, the Pampas or plains,
and the Pampas-ndans OF the vast Province OF
BuenOS Ayres also called the Province of La
Plata | was not thoroughly acquainted with
the general nature or the principal features and
remarkable aspect of the scenery and native
population OF the South American Provinces
nevertheless. IN the course OF these visits, was
struck with as much of novelty aud interest by
the remarkable objects everywhere around me,
as If my mind had not been previously impressed
with any precOnCelyed ideas of any OF those Oh
Iects, by means OF the general information pos
sessed expected to see an immense rlver, and
many considerable rivers of less magnitude, but
whose size. III many European countries, would
be estimated as large, but had conceived no
expectation OF beholdlng any so immense as the
River Plata. or even the Uruguay or the Pa
rama likewise expected to view a vast extent
of plains proceeding from along the banks OF La
Plata further than eye could reach-but not an
expanse so vast and characteristic as the Pam
pas SO of the mountains running IN the lnte
nor Of the Proymce-l had no adequate cOncep-
ton of the Sierra.
As an old traveller, always feel more comfort
able, If, before taking Journey into any unex-
plored region, | ascertain as much as possible OF
its geography Possessed of such Information,
some obstacles have been cleared away from any
line OF route may choose and ! certainly feel
the safer and more confidence as | proceed
through the unknown country. Let me, there
fore, before taking YOU to the Sierra, or beyond,
lust lead you by the hand and proceed at gen
tie pace to take a birds eye view of La Plata
Look first on La Plata as much as you can see
of It's breadth and It's length, and whatever your
notion OF It may be, must confess that the more
behold IN reality, or IN memory, or IN descrip-
ton, OF this magnificent river, It's vaStness I'M
presses me more and more with that lneXpress-
bic feeling which / think no other object IN ma
ture not even the widest grandeur Of the high
est mountains, so powerfully inspires one wlth
after the first view, the sublime expanse OF
waters, though peacefully slumberlng IN their
might commanding the MAJESTY oil silence
around In breadth, La Plata equals that OF the
Amazon, and is navigable by vessels OF consld-
erable tunnage, even TO the distance OF 400
leagues from its mouth. OF its yastness, the
European traveller will be able to form some idea
from the fact. that one of the many tributary
rivers flowing into La Plata, the Uruguay, Is
itself In magnitude one that surpasses the Rhine
or the Elbe. In speaking OF the Uruguay, II
must not be forgotten that al It's mouth its
breadth is so great that the eye cannot from any
polnt take In both It's banks al one ylew-nOt
even from the center of the rlyer and that pro-
ceeding POO leagues higher up, 1t requires an
hour to cross II.
In another tributary of La Plata, the Parana,
itself an immense river, Is the great Cataract
(situated IN the twenty fourth degree OF latitude,
not far from the city Of Guayra,) which, over the
extent of twelve leagues hurls itself with ever.
increasing rapldlty and impetuOslty over and
amongst numberless rocks of very singular and
startling forms OF all the tributary rivers, the
largest by far II is asserted, is the Parana hence
the natural designation OF La Plata by the ma
tves as the Parana, comprising all the aggre-
gate rivers Of La Plata and It's tributaries Inc
Spanish designation, however, appears ior
geographical purposes the more suitable ior
adoption. The Parana-regartlng 1t as sepa-
rate. though tributary nyer-spnngs from the
enyirons Of Villa del Carmen, TO the north OF
Rio de JanelrO and IN is course iiOwlng through
q mountainous country, augments lseH III
mensey receiving, IN It's downward progress 10
the vast plains, numerous other streams IL
lIteyise there receives the Paraguay, which,
originating IN plain IN the North, called Gam
DOS. PareSls that during the RAINY season 'olhs
the lake Of Aarayes, Is greatly augmehleu De
fore Il dsembOgues itself into the Parana, ny re-
ceiying the PIlcomayO-iisef a large river
which having It's source near POtOsl,ls the chan
rel Of all the inland navigation from The mines
The yernego and the SaladO also How INTO la
plata from the side OF the Andes, and the l M
quay from the side Of Brazil.
Bearing in mind, az far as you can, TINS assem-,
blage OF magnificent rivers, and the thOusdnu
MINOR streams perpetu4ly rolling down the d.
vers mountains OF the iar-e1tendlng Sierra,
-icture an apparently lntermlnaole exPanse oi
pampas, or plains not yerdant, nor Pralfe-iAe III
snnearance whose scarcely undulatIng surface
forms line OF horizon scarcely broken, save by
abrupt and almost perPendlcularly nsing noun
talns Of extraordinary form and aspect, and mum
beress low hills among the intermediate val,
leys. lutersected by lnnumeraDle rivers dhu
styeams' and covered BY multitudes OF wild cat
,Ie-~and you will then have very inadequate
Idea Of the yastness, the wildness, the magnin-
cence aTa and the dreary and awe-nspIlns pscu pc
Isri,ies OF those regions, thus possessed ol -
man ma Of the grandest elements OF picturesque
beauty IN It's more savage aspects. Of puenos
The apparently nemn1,So.ss ,os esauss 900 Eng
Ayres are at distance OF IT, iuv ~ Ruenos Ayres.
,6s, sh @es eogsy divided By the remarkable chain