The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-10-14
THE YGUAZU
A Fine Description of the Worlds
Finest Waterfalls

Great Water), which constitute, per
haps, the largest volume Of fallin
water in the world, are situated som
80 or 40 kilometres up the river of tn
same name, from the point where tha
stream enters the Alto Parana. Tn
confluence is remarkable for being tn,
spot where three countries join on,
another; TO the west Paragua, to tn,
southeast Misiones tArgentina), an,
to the northeast Estado do Paran;
(BraziD.
The Alto Parana itself in this lati
tude is fairly broad stream running
rapidly between banks which rise il
parts to 60 and 10 metres above tn,
level of the water, and are laterally
smothered in vegetation; but the most
singular point with regard to this
river is the existence of a very deep
channel in the middle of the bed run
ming down the course for many
leagues. 1t is as if from each bank
the ground sloped down gradually
towards the centre Of the stream for
some distance, and was then replaced
by sheer drop to an unknown depth.
Sounding have been taken in many
places between Posadas and the falls
of the Guayra, but always with the
same results; the lead has not touched
bottom at 100 metres. II these
soundings are reliable, and as they
were made by well known South
American scientist there is every rea-
son to trust them, the Alto Parana can
boast of a natural formation which |
think no other river in the world pos
sesses.
Few scenes can be more enchanting
than that offered to the eye when at
daybreak from the deck Of a small
steamer, one watches the panorama Of
the river unfold itself. At sunrise
in the autumn season one usually sees
a thin, low mist lowering only three
or four feet above the water, which
with the slightest movement of the
air creeps up the banks and inter-
mingles with the vegetation. The fol-
iage is drenched with dew, and when
the first rays of the sun filter through
the palms and ferns, slowly dispensing
the mist and causing each dew drop
to glisten, the delicate colouring, the
subtle changes and fairy aspect of the
whole scene are such as not even the
art of the painter is adequate to de-
pict. But attention is soon distracted
from the picturesqueness of the sur
roundings by a swarm of gnats and
mosquitoes, which, having arisen with
the sun and espied shipload of hu-
mans, have come on board for their
breakfast.
Insects are truly the curse "par ex-
cellence" of all tropical and subtrop-
ical countries. Heat and the numer-
GUS inconvenience attendant on a
journey made in these climates, one
becomes quickly Injured to, but the
insects remain as the one lasting and
continual source of annoyance. Cattle
are at times driven well nigh frantic
by the attacks Of myriads of these
little insects, some of which are only
big enough to fill the eye of needle.
The traveller, when resting at mid
day, can eat his meal with the GER
tainty of transferring several dozens
of living organisms from his exterior
to his interior, while all the time the
remainder are besieging his eyes, nose
and ears. The only efficient protec-
ton seems to be the smoke from a
pipe. Cigar or cigarette smoke takes
no effect.
The falls can be reached on the
Brazilian side from village on the
Alto Parana called Colonia Brasilera.
The distance is five Brazilian leagues
each league there measuring six Kill
the entire journey is
made through rolling country covered
with dense forest. The ordinary
'picada" or track cut through the for
ests allows of three or four horsemen
riding abreast, when it is kept in good
but the growth of vegeta-
ton in these regions is so remarkably
rapid that "picadas" require reopen
ing or cleaning" every eight or nine
On the occasion of my trip
TO the falls the last half of the journey
was accomplished by the peon going
ahead and cutting away with his
'machete," or long sheath knife,
enough Of the underground and hang |
ing parasites to enable the horses TO
pass through in single file; even then
A certain amount Of gymnastics on
horseback was necessary to avoid be-
ng swept out Of the saddle by boughs |
and creepers. A particularly annoy
ng parasite TO the traveller are the |
aianas." These are long wooden