The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-23

4
by them. But frs. let US give our attention to the
La Plata, and compare the extent of country drain
| ed by it wi b the extent drained by rivera in the
| Northern hemisphere
The valley OF the Amazon lies ia both heni-
spheres IL is the largest rverbssin in tbs world,
but it belongs exclusively neither to the North
to the South The Mississippi then, it will be per
ceived, drains the largest river basin in the North
ern, and the La Plata the largest in the Southern
hemisphere Both these streams run from north TO
south, each one embracing great variety Of pro
ducions aud raversing many divorsltics OF olimste
/ The area OF the principal river basins which are
drained into that accessible TO 0ce .
\ merce may be thus stated
In America The Amszon, (nclutss the Gronoco) srea
/ 20ls 4sOs square miles.
/ North do = The Mississippi es2 eco {.
/ South do The La Plata area $50 to3 :" I"
Eurcps-The Dsrubs area $4,000 I"
/ AfIics.-1hs Me AREA 10000 +"
/ Asia China The Yang tse Kearg ST. 900 s. ms.
4 India The Gsnges area iS2 coo square miles
IL will thus be observed that the valley Of the Ia
Plata in ares is the third in the world; that il ia
twice A. large the valley of the Gauges, aud NOR,
than three times as large as the largest ryerbasin
! in Europe.
The basin of the La Plata embraces sll the iati-
tudes oni more too, that to DO found ia the val
/ leys Of The Indus the Gspges, and the Irsw4idy,
tho great river basins Of India ltconsequen,y has
al the agricultural capacities, aud more that 70
be found in the climates Of lniia These great re-
sources Of the La Plata for the most psrt lie dor
! mant, They are hidden in the bosom of tho Garth,
concealed In fhe recesses of the mount aims Tho
waters of The In Plata Aow through climates that
! are favorable to the growth Of sugar, Of tea and
/ coffee, Of rice, hemp, and tobacco, Of cotton and
corn Of drugs, woods, dyes, and Spices, and Of al
most all tie agricultural staples Of the earth
The 70 oe La Plata lies wholly within the south
hemis pierre and ii is the greatest river thssd
so lie !; consequently 1t has opposite seasons with
those Of The northern. When the hui bandm an is
sowing in the north, thea he who tis the earth in
this beautiful river basin will be gathering his orop
aud consequently the planter, and the farmer, and
the merchant Of the Ii Plata will havo control of
the northern markets for six month, Of every year.
without competitor.
The Rio do La Plata, properly speaking. is that
arm OF The sea setween the parallels OF 33 and
36o Of south latitude It's breadth is hundred
miles or more, according to the place Of measure
mebt and it is formed by the junction of the ParsnA
and the Uruguay. j treat Of all the country
drained by these rivers and their tributaries as tho
valley OF the La Plata.
The Uruguay is beautiful stream. 1t takes its
rise in the Brazilian province Of Santa Catarna,
the western slopes of the Serrado Mar" on the
sea range OF mountains. It's course is first west
vsIdly and then soutbwardly; it is about seven
hundred miles long; drains rich, fertile, and tols
rsbly well settled country For part of the way it
is the boundary between Brazil, with the Banda
Oriental on one side, and the Argentine Confedsra-
ton on the other.
TIE Parana is majestic river It is formed BY
the junction of the two Brazilian streams, tae Rio
Grsnde and the Paranahiba The former takes its
rise near the parallel of 20 deg SOUTH not far from
the seasbore. and in the wealthy province Of Anas
Geraes. The valley in which tho head waters Of
this river are gathered into the main stream is
most magnificent. 1t is about two hundred miles
long. The course Of the Rio Grande through it is
due west ard for about five hundred miles until il
meets the Paranahiba coming from tho northward,
where its sources interlap, and almost interningc
with those Of the Amazon.
The population of the tvo interior provinces Of
Minas Geraes and Gosz in which these two triou-
tares Of the Parana take their rise, and in which
they lie, is for the former million, for tho latter
NM hyn drQd and EEfvf hen and
The JapaDese- like policy which has been observed
with regard to scientific explorations Of tho LIS
Plata ard its tributaries has kept the world in the
dark as to many parts of that valley.
DR.. Francia established in Paraguay many yeArs
age, government founded upon the Japanese sys-
tenn. Rosas attempted an imitation Of this policy so
long as he WIS in power; and Brazil has always
practsed it,. So that geogrsphers really know very
little as to the Brazilisn tributaries of the La Plata
their navigability aud the commercial resources Of
the countries which they drain.
According to the map "Ds Imperio do Brazil"
published in 1916, under the auspices Of the Geo
graphical Society, Rio de Janeiro, and which lie
before NE. the Parana, fer the first Ave hundred
miles below the junction OF the Rio Grande aud Pa
ranahiba, through unnhabi.ed parts of the pro-
vinces Of Gayaz, Motto Crosse, and Sac Psulo.
Passing these uninhabted parts it then through
and among the Spanish republics Of that region tor
about twelve hundred miles to its entrance into tho
Plata. Along this part of its route the country il
pretty well settled, and. according to Montgomery
Martin, whose authority is recent than that of
the map Of the Geographical Society Of Brazil must
be in high state Of cultivation. Writing last year
upon this river, he says -
During the six or eight months that the Parans,
Plate river was reeny opened to European commerce.
upwards oeixteen millions dollars worth Of goods
exchanged produce and this without any previously
organized mercan,il establishments or system. Two
conveys Of oh ships Of no. and the other OF
10 vessels cane down the river with full cargoes II
that this extent Of trade partly attributable
to the Of property owing to the previous
terdctlon Of conmerc. oy General hoss whose ex ,iu
he, hah~
hime boosted He lie therefore entirely hostile to
camille indeed to intercourse especially With Flu
ropeans Were Rosas to succeed he would form State
such as Japan has been for the last two centuries
The commerce of this river know is valuable;
but whether it be very valuable At this time as
the above extract from Martin would make it,
doubt.
But, suppose it were one million instead of six
teen that was brought down through this unex-
pected free navigation for six eight months,
Whist would it not be under regular steam aad free
navigation at the end OF six or eight years, when
the steamboat and comu cree shall have stinulstsd
the productions Of the country mp to tho capacity
of its industrial capital
Leaving the Psrana, and travelling still further
west, we come next to the Paraguay, the most mag
nihcent tributary in this wafer shed Following it
in it's winnings, it is navigable to tas distance Of
about two thousand miles from the sea. 1t is the
Missouri Of the La Plata valley;
the Republic Of Paraguay for several years. returned
thence few months ago ! shall, therefore, draw
upon him for information touching this interesting
RIVER and region of country also, Francis del Cas-
telnsu, who travelled through that country in
1889, is quite full
According to Hopkins Paraguay is but another
paradise. Or this country and its commercial TO
sources, says he:-
spcsk with the greatest certainty, from my own
personal knowledge Almost divided BY the tropc Of Co
pricoIn it's eurfsce Is like chess board ckeckered here
and there with beautiful pastures aud magnificent forests
Unlike all other lands with which acquainted, IL
destined especially for the habiation Of Here
in the eastern portion Of land the rst settlers
found the whole country covered With woods
Mississippi the other extreme exists In the extent Of
prairie destitute OF timber. On the north OF Brazil in
similar manner unbroken forests In its southern
psrs, and throughout the Banda Oriental Entire Rios,
Corrientes and the Argentine Republic find connu-
Gus pampss like prairie In many instances without
bearing the nccefary fuel for household purposes
Not 90 in Paraguay where, added TO sufnceucy for
building fleets Of thousand steamers ta forests TEEN
with every decrption OF ornamental AID useful woods
beginning with the headwaers Of the river Paraguay
find tho productions upon the Brazilian side to be gold