The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05

world. The province is larger than New
York and its business Is wheat raising.
Entire Rios and Corrientes are bounded on
the east by the Uruguay being embraced by
tFo of the most fertile rivers on the globe.
These provinces are known as the Argen-
tine Mesopotamia. They are very rich and
their soil is of wonderful fertility. Each
is of about the size of South Carolina.
Entire Rios is growing very fast It now
has about quarter Of million people. but
upon its pastures 100000 cows and about
100000 sheep are feeding. This is an
average of twenty sheep and fifteen cows
for every man, woman and child in the
province. At FIVE to the family this would
be one hundred sheep and seventy-five cows
per family. Suppose we had a State every
family OF which possessed a hundred sheep
and seventy-fve cows. 1t would be the ban
ner State of the Union. The stock. however,
is not equally divided, and much of it is in
the hands of large holders.
THE SCENERY OF THE PARANA.
The Parana is one of the grandest rivers
of the world. Its beauties increase as you
travel up it, and the calm, quiet pictur-
esqueness of its surroundings grow upon
you. The sunsets are gorgeous, painting
the clouds in every color and shade of
rosy pink and red, and often make great
golden canopy over the dark blue Parana.
The morning sun strikes the dewdrops
upon the fresh. green fields and feathery
grasses and gives you shower of diamonds
on an emerald field. while at night the
heavens and earth are clad in the gorgeous
glories of the semi-tropics. You pick out
the Southern Cross from among the stars
and wonder at the tropical brilliancy of the
Milky Way
AS you travel toward the equator the veg
citation changes. The trees are larger, the
grasses more luxuriant and the islands
have greater punches of feathery green and
ferny bamboo. The country grows wilder.
Now you see a white farmhouse cut out
of the forest, and now stop at a little town
consisting of matched huts, one-story brick
buildings, rooted with red tiles, with al
ways a church spire rising over the low
roofs. After three days journey you reach
Corrientes, and then leave the Parana for
the River Paraguay.
The Paraguay is not so wide as the Pa
rama. Between Corrientes and Asuncon a
distance Of between two hundred and three
hundred miles, the banks are not wider, L
judge, than those of the Mississippi above
st. Louis, but the waters are equally deep.
Inc river seems perfectly naVlgaDle. You
often go so close to the bank that you can
see the birds of brilliant plumage which
inhabit the woods. There are plenty of
croeodles, and you now and then get a
shot at one as it scuds through the water
to swim out of the way of the boat. There
is good shooting. F1ocks of wild ducks rise
from the bends Of the river and the lagoons
at every few miles, and curious birds fly
about the steamer Along the left bank of
the river. in what is known as the Chaco
there is little else than virgin forests and
you told that these are inhabited by
jaguars, and that you could not travel a
mile or so back from the coast without
meeting tapirs, pecarys monkeys and wild
hogs. he Paraguay side is also wild save
that here and there you pass little towns,
at some of which the ships stop to load
and unload freight. You now get your first
sight of the Paraguayan people, of whom
you meet more and more you sail on
ward, and nnally come to anchor in the Bay
OF Asuneion at the wharves of the capital
of Paraguay. FRANK G. CARPENTER.