ENGLISHMEN AT BAHIA BLANCA. FOREIGN SETTLERS AT BAHIA BLANCA. 71 The following are the names of the principal foreign settlers at Bahia Blanca. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are already occupying the *S. J. Eyre, J. Jaccar, J. Jockez. The greater number of the English portion of the above are settled on the banks of a river, known as the Sauce Grande, situated about ten leagues from Bahia Blanca, to the north. They have some twenty-five squares of land under cultivation, sown with wheat, barley, and maize-this being their first year-and we may look forward to seeing three times this extent of camp turned up for next season. By the commencement of 1869 a large brick-built estancia-house will be finished, and before June next two other smaller ones. We have great hopes of the newly-elected President, Señor Sarmiento, and trust he may afford us the protection that is alone wanted to make this part of the Republic a most prosperous district. He may rest assured that European energy, combined with capital, will accomplish the work of civilisation, if it is only allowed to run its course unmolested, and in a very short space of time will change a comparatively waste corner of this province into a thriving and populated country. CHAP. VII. RIO DE LA PLATA AND TRIBUTARIES. THE River Plate is one of the longest rivers in the world, including its two great tributaries, the Paraná and Uruguay. Suffice it to say that the traveller can take steamer at Montevideo and ascend without interruption to the capital of Matto Grosso, a distance of over two thousand miles. At Montevideo the river is about 75 miles wide, but the water is brackish : at Buenos Ayres the water is quite fresh, and the river is 28 miles wide. Twenty miles above Buenos Ayres we arrive at the junction of the Paraná and Uruguay. The lower Paraná is about 900 miles long from its embouchure, near San Fernando, up to the Tres Bocas, above Corrientes: the upper Paraná, from the Tres Bocas to the Salto de Guayra is only navigable for small boats. The Paraguay river, which debouches into the Paraná at Tres Bocas, is navigable as far as the Cuyaba: on this latter stream is built a city of the same name, residence of the Brazilian authorities of Matto Grosso, about 1,100 miles above the city of Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. The Uruguay is ordinarily navigable only as high as Salto, but in flood-times the steamers ascend the rapids and go up to Uruguayana and San Borja, in the Brazilian province of Rio Grande. The Rio Negro is one of the chief affluents of the Uruguay; the Salado of the Parana; and the Vermejo, Tebiquari, and Pilcomayo fall into the Paraguay. VOYAGE TO MATTO GROSSO. THE PARANÁ. Buenos Ayres to Matto Grosso. 73 Before the breaking-out of the Paraguayan war there was a regular Brazilian monthly mail-service from Buenos Ayres to Cuyaba, making the trip in ten to twelve days. The vessels were of light draught, and the accommodations pretty good. At the same time the Paraguayan Government had a fine line of steamers plying twice a month between Asuncion and Montevideo. Various private companies also had steamers running from Buenos Ayres to Corrientes, and an ineffectual attempt was made to navigate the Vermejo. The scenery from Buenos Ayres to Cuyabá has much of interest for the traveller, although at times the coast is low and marshy, and the wooded outline of the Chaco, at last grows monotonous and wearisome: there are sundry important towns and halting places. If we leave the roadstead of Buenos Ayres on a fine morning, nothing can be more charming than the panorama of the city and suburbs. We pass, in succession, Palermo with its plantations to the water's edge; Belgrano, seated on a gentle acclivity, Point Olivos, a handsome promontory, where a new town has been projected; San Isidro, with its delightful country-seats; and San Fernando, at the head of the estuary of La Plata. We enter the Paraná by one of its many mouths, the best known of which are the Guazů and Palmas: the latter is the shorter route, used by small steamers which touch at Zarate and San Pedro. The delta of the Paraná comprises a multitude of fertile and picturesque islands, planted with fruit-trees; and if the traveller halts at San Fernando or the Tigre, he can amuse himself for several days by boating in the Conchas and Lujan rivers, or making an excursion to the Carapachay islands. These islands are poetically termed the Argentine Tempe; they teem with the richest fruits, and a number of Italian charcoal-burners are the principal inhabitants. We do not get a glimpse of the mainland till reaching Campana, the estancia of Dr. Costa, late Minister of Education, who has built a fine house on the bluff. Zarate is a straggling village of 1,000 inhabitants, with a small trade in grain, firewood, and vegetables. The principal shopkeeper is an Italian, Constancio Silvano. There is a new church, also a tolerable Basque inn, and two public schools which are attended by 106 children. The adjacent estancias of Latorre, Lima, Saavedra, and Fox, are worthy of mention. The cultivation of grain has greatly increased of late years. During the Paraguayan war this has been the chief port for shipment of horses. The 'barrancas' on our left are precipitous, and here and there crowned with a hut or ombú-tree, till we reach— Baradero: this is another small port, comprising 105 houses, a church, and an unfinished school-house. The place derives some importance from a flourishing Swiss colony. The department comprises ninety-two estancias, of which seven belong to Irishmen: the largest proprietor is D. Patricio Lynch. San Pedro is a better town than the preceding, and looks well from the river: it has a new church, fifty-six rateable houses, and two public schools. D. Martin Pagardoy keeps a good inn, and is favorably known to all the Irish sheepfarmers. A little above San Pedro is the pass of Obligado, where the English and French cut the chain placed across the river by Rosas. Higher up is the fine estancia of Llavallol, at a point of the river called Rincon de Las Hermanas, after which we pass the Rincon Ramallo. San Nicolas is the last town in the territory of Buenos Ayrcs; it is a place of some importance, having received the rank of 'city,' with a population of about 8,000 souls. It has 300 rateable houses, besides Mr. Armstrong's valuable mill. It is the centre of a district which comprises sixty-five estancias, and a number of chacras under wheat. By daybreak we are coasting the territory of Santa Fé, and in less than twenty-four hours from our departure from Buenos Ayres we are in sight of Rosario: the steamer goes alongside a wharf, there being deep water close to shore. Rosario is the great outlet of the upper Provinces, and will shortly be connected by railway with Cordoba, the chief city of the interior: the trade of the port has much increased of late years, especially since the beginning of the Central Argentine Railway. The 'barranca' is so high that there is no view of the place till you reach the Calle Puerto. It is a well-built town covering 150 cuadras or blocks, with a population of 20,000 souls. The plaza, parish church, custom-house, market-place, and Jardin de Recreo, are worthy of notice: the theatre was recently burnt down. The railway terminus and workshops at the North end will repay a visit. The town also possesses two mills, three saladeros, two cemeteries (for Catholics and Protestants), a public hospital, an American chapel and school, and gas-works in course of erection, There are some good hotels and coffee-houses. Messrs. Keane and Soames, agents for the Standard, will give strangers any information they may require. Mr. Hutchinson H.B.M. Consul, lives beyond the railway terminus. Excursions may be made by rail to the English settlement at Frayle Muerto, or on horseback to the fine English estancias in the valley of Pavon. For further particulars of Rosario, see the chapter on Santa Fé province. On leaving Rosario, the first thing that calls attention is Mr. Wheelwright's mole for landing materials for the Cordoba railway; they have cut away the 'barranca' and erected works projecting into the river. We next pass Urquiza's saladero, and another a short distance higher up. The Parana is here very wide, at least 2,000 yards, and the current runs three miles an hour, the water being very deep in the channels. The islands on all sides are low and slightly wooded, and we can see the mainland on either side. About six leagues above Rosario we sight the edifice of San Lorenzo, with its tapering belfry and large convent. This was erected by the Franciscan missionaries, years gone by, with the probable view of forming a nucleus of civilization on the frontier of the Indian territory, and is excellently adapted for a river port, having a small cove hard by. The cove alluded to, was the scene of the first struggle for South American independence; General San Martin (1810) here attacked a Spanish force which attempted to land, defeating them with a handful of cavalry. The high land on our left soon merges into a network of islands, the deep water channel skirting along the opposite coast, which presents a number of inlets, through which we get glimpses of wood and dale, perfectly charming, in contrast with the sloping barrancas' of sand-stone or tosca. The soil of these, generally presents to the eye a superficies of luxuriant grass, or thick shrubbery, and casually a grove of trees, resembling the olive, at a distant view. The section made in successive ages, by the river, shows a variety of geological strata. A thick, loamy, dark soil, of six or eight feet, covers a layer of sand, beneath which latter, the hard tosca stretches down to the water's edge, the base being lined or interspersed with sand heaps, fragments of boulders, or trunks of uprooted trees. The approach to Paraná, is highly picturesque: towering bluffs of red sand-stone, here and there relieved by a wild furze of deep green, the effect being very pleasing to the eye. There are several lime-kilns along the Entre Riano coast, as the sand here makes excellent lime: it looks like tosca, and the lime appears of the best quality, its snowy heaps studding the beach. About a mile below Paraná are some hulks, used for coal deposits. The town of Paraná is not visible from the landing-place. The scenery of this part of the river, all the way from Rosario, is interesting, but there is a solemn stillness on these rivers that almost oppresses you. |