The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-02-08
IMPRESSIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA.
A PLEASING LETTER FROM AN IN
YELLIGENT OBSERVER.
The Country and the Peop!e--Interestins
Facts Gathered on a Journey.
deter to the Edgea,ld chronicle.)

NIVEE, SeptemOer ., Iooi.-ENe oaS >
ago, just as your summer began to ware,
and our spring to set in, we quilted
Montevideo IN the beautiful steamer
ssFarfaletts,' p and sped 60 miles across
the great bay which forms the mouth OF
the Rio de ia Plata, to Buenos Ayres,
the immense and magnificent capltal OF
the Argentine Republic, OF which inter
esting city viii give you some account
in future letter. Here, after s night
and day, we take larger steamer, the
ssSan Martini bound for Assuncion, the
capital OF Paraguay, 1000 up the river,
in the extreme heart Of South America.
First, as this mammoth river nears the
sea, it is called the Rio de Ia Plata; a
hundred miles farther up, it becomes
the Parans; and finally it divides into
two great streams, one keeping the name
Parana, the other taking that o. Para
quay. AS We steam, rather slowly, up
into the land Of the monkey and boa
constructor, seat myself on the deck OF
the ssSan Martin to write you s. letter.
The first three days Of our journey up
the Parana are rather monotonous. Ihe
waters continue turbid and muddy, and
the shores mostly barren and wcodless,
given up to huge herds Of cattle which
gaze on the natural growth, and with
but few signs of cultivation. We pass
several fourishing towns, the moss
notable being Rosario, recently and
rapidly developed into q city OF 90, coo
inhabitants, many OF them English, who
have introduced modern comforts and
the luxuries OF civilization, gss, tele-
graph, telephones, tramways, &c, and
founded Protestant church. 1t is also
the focus OF the most extensive railroad
system south of the Isthmus OF Panama,
and the commercial centre Of the sur
rounding country. THERE'S large
foundry at Rosario, belohging to an
American, besides two others, and facto-
ries, saw mills, breweries, hospitals,
libraries and schools of note. The schools
are under the direction of an American
laov. who is appointed Superintendent
of public instruction, was brought out
by the Argentine Government, and re-
ceives salary Of s., ,00G a y ear, house
and perquisites.
The next city Of importance is Parana,
once the capital of the Argentine Repub
lie. Its old government buildings, now
coffee houses, stand out on the elevated
ridgein snowy array. On the opposite
bank, Z miles distant, can be seen Santa
Fe boly faith) one of the Oldest towns
on the River Plata, once Jesuit centre.
Further up the river, Bella Vista shines
out, worthy Of its name, where white
houses and orange trees crown the high
cliffs, which overlook the mighty river,
whose grandeur and beauty now begin
TO strike the most casual observer. The
glossy leayed orange. groves increase,
varied by lighter foliage of water oak
and willow, with few picturesque palms
here and there. The water seems to ex-
pand into succession OF hnpld lakes,
whose shores and islands naingle, with a
continual change of scenery, as We glide
along our tranquil course, now and then
neating various craft and sails.
The fifth morning Of our voyage finds
Us before the quaint old Spanish town
of Corrientes, settled In 1888 by the
planting of the Holy Cross Of the Jesuits.
1t presents charming picture as We ap-
preach, the steeples- and towers OF the
four churches and the columns OF public
buildings gfstsning under the dazzling
rays of South American sun. Cor
rientes was formerly Jesuit stronghold,
and relics Of that fearless and indefatiga-
bic sect are still pointed out. The mas
sive doors OF the ssAadriz" were carved
bv the iriars out of hard Paraguayan
wood, nearly three hundred years ago,
and are, even now, as solid and hard as
iron. There arefalso an organ and altar
ornaments made by the same friars.
This city is S52 miles from BuenoS
Ayres, and receives its name from the
many currents uniting here. Even al
this great distance from It's mouth, this
immense river is said to be three miles
wide.
To the right We now leave the Parana
which extends to the shores of Brazil
while we pursue the Paraguay, nobls
and beautiful stream. Here We begin K
note decided change in scenery wroagh
by our 900 miles voyage from south K
north, and a nearer approach to th'
tropics. On the eastern shore ne behol,
the dense cool forests of Paraguay, witt
It's woods of brushy, outspreadins
branches, variegated with sparing foliag'
of lighter hue, and pink blooming tree
La Brache) and the yellow QGabrech<
whose hard wood never rots. There arr
gua7as and bamboos, and exquisite pam
pas grasses covered with thousands 0
feathery blooms, and palms and palmet
tos and plantains.
The western shore, which presents
striking contrast, is borGered by loV
bushes and abundant grasses, for her
stretches back for hundreds OF mite
from the waters edge, to the great Ande
cordinera, the ssGrand Chaeo, the grea
unexplored region of South America
whose mysteries, from the days Of Soils
have bafied the most adventurous tray
elers, and from whose ssurdiscoveret
bourne" but few have returned. For tn
most part, the eGrand Chaco' is dens
forest, but, in the vicinity OF grea
rivers, is low ana swampy. Thous
nominally belonging, chiefly, to th
Argentine Republic, it is still in posses
sion of the native fierce tribes OF II
dians, as well as other native animals c
all classes. However, I look in vail
for wild beasts and birds, monkeys al
boa constructors! I discover nothin
more strange or formidable than sli2