The Republican journal., 1904-07-21

| UCtACC.
In this connection the wellknown
! writer, Mr.. w. E. Curtis, says: "Who-
| ever obtains control of these natural
| lines of communication, and supple
ments them by railway, will hold the
KEY to the treasures of the heart of
South America, whose value has fur
pished food for three centuries of fable.
A section of country larger than that
which lies between the Mississippi riv
er and the Rocky Mountains remains
practically UNEMPLOYED. On its borders
are rich agricultural lands, fine ranges,
unmeasured recesses of timber, the
diamond fields of Brazil, the gold and
silver mines of Peru and Bolivia. What
exists in that unknown region Is
| matter of speculation, but the farther
man has penetrated the greater has
been his wonder. The tales of explor-
ers who have gone in little way sound
like a recital of the old romances OF
Golconda and Ell Dorado: but the
swamps and the mountains, the rivers
which cannot be forded and the jungles
which forbid it's search, the absence OF
food and the difficulty of carrying
supplies. with the other obstacles
| which now prevent exploration, Will
eventually all be overcome and the
secret which has tantalized the world
for three centuries will be disclosed. :"
A few hours out from Montevldeo
we passed close to the rocky island
named Martin Garcia" otherwise
known as 1.-THE Gibraltar Of the river
Plate', which is about two miles long
and rises 1870 feet straight out OF the
water 1t commands the entrance TO
the Uruguay river, and also to the
deep-water channel Of the Parana, ana
has Notifications upon it and naval
school. 1t formerly belonged to Uru-
! quay, lying within two miles OF that
shore and about 30 from the Argentine
side: but a while ago Argentine AN
nexed' it to prevent its falling into the
hands of the Brazilians.
Then we come to the delta OF the
Parana, 20 miles wide and extending
800 miles up the river, which contains
hundreds of islands-some swampy,
others extremely fertile, planted WIN
peach and poplar trees, the homes OF
market gardeners whose products are
sent to Montevideo and Buenos Ayres.
Many of the islands are covered Win
long feather-grass and loW-gro"lhe
scarlet ceibo bushes, Where
innumerable water-fowls breed. Inc
Parana has two channels, the shallow
one known as Parana de las Palmas,
being available only for vessels OF light
draught, and the other, Parana-Guagu'
for ocean steamers. We took the
Palmas channel and passed many
fourlshing new towns, on the ISLANDS
OF mainland notably Campana, Zarate,
San Pedro and Baradero, the principal
business of whose people seems TO De
preserving beef and shipping ti1e-Wood'
At Compana a good deal OF rum Is
made, and at Zarate there is large
paper mill and a government arsenal
About $50 miles above Montevideo IS
San Nicolas, busy town on the llght
hand of the river, with population OF
30 600 or Whereabouts and consider
able trade, as evidenced by the num-
her of ocean steamers anchored Oft the
port and the lighters and schooners
laden with wheat and flour. AT This
point, the stream measures 1000 yards
across, with a depth of 10 feet and a
current of three miles an hour The
water is the. color Of strong coffee, and
the left bank is still lined with marshy
islands, covered with coarse grass ana
caibo- bushes and swarmed with wild
fowl. On the right hand the shore
rises in a series of steep bluffs. At
length we reached Rosario de Santa re,
town OF over $4,000 inhabitants,
the great emporium of the trade
of the inland provinces between
the Parana and the Andes. Itoccuples
| a bluff 50 feet above the water and is
I 325 miles from Montevideo by the
river, though barely 200 overland. Its
vast warehouses and wharves covered
with merchandise, its mills with tall
chimneys, and the long chutes that
convey grain from the tops OF the
bluffs directly into the holds OF waiting
vessels, and the number of steamers
moored among innumerable red buoys,
all bespeak plenty of business Going
ashore, we found an enormous cathe-
dral with big dome like an extingulsh-
er atop; white-stuccoed houses OF one
story, laid out at precise right angles;
tramways running in every direction,
and a central plaza adorned with
double rows of acacia trees. In the
middle of this plaza is a lofty marble
monument, surmounted by a figure
representing victory; and at its base
| four life-sized statutes OF Argentine
heroes. 1t was erected 20 years ago,
and is an artistic piece of work. l for
got to mention in its proper place that
Doo,,;., !, ~, tho A rrantjDa side of the