The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-12

a business center, exporting large quantities
of mate. or Paraguayan tea, and hides.
There are more Indians and negroes there
than in America, and you find that the
Indians and negroes increase as you go
north.
At Coitnbra, Brazil. 1.s1o miles from
Buenos Ayres, you see upon the west bank
of the Paraguay the first village of any
size for distance Of 700 miles on that side
Of the river So far all the settlements have
been on the east bank of the river, the
country TO the west being almost entirely
wild At Coimbra there is a Brazilian fort.
Further on you come to the little village of
Albuquerque with low. wooded mountains
behind it, and about 1I5 miles further the
steamer stops at Corumba.
CHIEF PORT OF SOUTH BRAZIL.
Corumba is over 900 miles from the At
lantic. 1t is almost as far inland by water
as Salt Lake City is from New York by
rail- 1t is the chief port OF Matte Crosse.
Here is located the only custom house OF
the province, and the officers come on board
and open your baggage.
The steamer stops long enough for you to
get a good view of the city. 1t is situated
On a hill, commanding the country for miles
There are woods about the city, and the
place is picturesque. 1t has the usual Span
ish buildings of stucco and tiles, with palm
trees growing here and there in the garden.
There is beautiful plaza in the center of
Corumba, about which are some of the
principal stores. There is a great deal of
thrift to be observed among the merchants.
The city does large business, the most of
which is managed by French, Italians and
Strasburg Jews.
Goods are sent out from here to different
parts of the interior. There is mule route
TO Bolivia, the nearest town being San Jose
de Chuquito, which is $50 miles away. The
journey takes fourteen days, and it is very
expensive. Mules are costly and you can
not get good one for less than 500 in
gold. You must lay in a good supply of
canned goods, for those who try to live off
the country fare poorly. There are few
horses. They are subject to a peculiar dis
ease, which affects their hind quarters, and
their place has been largely taken by cows
and bulls. Bullocks are used for carts and
also for riding, good riding bullock bring
ing good price. The bullock is not a bad
saddle animal. It's gait is a stumbling trot
or pace, and after you become used TO it,
it is not at all unpleasant. The animals are
directed by reins which are tied to their
horns. They are often used to pack goods
anu, UlUGeu, take the places mat horses
have in our country.
BRAZILIAN TOWN OF CUYABA.
1t is shortly after you leave Corumba
that you pass out Of the Paraguay river
and enter the San Lorenzo The San To-
renzo is not so big as the Paraguay In the
Paraguay proper steamers draw as much
as nine feet, while those to which you
change at Corumba do not draw over five.
II talxpC
San Lorenzo river from Corumba, and you
sail day and half upon it before you en-
ter the Cuyaba river. up which you steam
TO the city.
The steamers are always crowded. two
hundred often being taken in one little boat
The whole journey from Corumba to Cuya-
ba requires six days, and the fare is 81 in
gold. 1t is ore of the cheapest steamship
trips of the world. This price includes your
meals-coffee in the morning, breakfast at
10 a. m. and dinner in the evening
The scenery of the San Lorenzo and Guy
aba rivers is very tropical. There are many
palms. There are cotton trees which have
balls of cotton upon them as big as oranges.
Others have blossoms of silky fiber which
hang down in f~rtt cones Of white. This
stuff is used by the people for making pill
lows.
Cuyaba has about 10000 people. 1t is sur
prisingly good city for its location and very
much up-to-date. 1t has newspapers, hos
pitfalls and schools. 1t has water works, a
street-car line and a cathedral. In it's COL
lege French English and Portuguese are
taught, and in its orphan asylum there are
three hundred boys. The town was founded
in 1722 being laid out in Portuguese style
with a very pretty plaza and park. 1t is
situated about two miles from the river and
you can ride to Ii on one OF the tame cows
or you may go on a street car drawn by
mules.
The country surrounding Cuyaba is rich
agriculturally, and l am told there is much
sold in the hills about the city. The cathe-
dral is said to stand over a gold lode, and
on the edge of the town there are mines
which are still worked by the Portuguese.
have met several Americans who have been
mining gold in this part of Brazil, but so
far none of them have struck it very rich.
1t does not need very sharp eyes to see that
gold exists, for after a heavy tropical rain
the boys go out and search for grains of
sold in the street. 1t is said that they are
often well paid for their trouble. There are
also diamond mines not far off in the in
terror. but 1 am told that the best diamonds
have so far been found much further north.
THE CHACO.
In going to Matte Crosse you skirt one
of the least known parts of South America
This is the vast region known as the Chaco,
lying west of the Paraguay river and south
of Bolivia. The northern part of it belongs
to Paraguay and the rest to the Argentine
Republic The part belonging to the Ar
gentine lies south Of the Pilcomayo river
and comprises a territory bigger than Cali
fornia and Massachusetts, combined, and
enough TO mako three States as big as Ohio.
The only settlements in this vast region
are along the Paraguay. They consist of
here and there an estancia, or farm, and a
few scattering villages. The chief town in
the Paraguayan Chaco is Villa Hayes.
which is in sight from Asuncion and which
has now about ninety-one families of for
eigners. They are chiefly Swiss, French
and Italians, who are engaged in raising
sugar cane and sweet potatoes and in manu-
featuring brandy.
There are two large rivers which run
through the Chaco. The Pilcomayo winds
about like corkscrew from the Bolivian
Andes to the Paraguay river. 1t is full CT
rapids and can never be navigable. The
Vermejo or the vermillion river enters the
Paraguay farther south. 1t is at just about