168 To the River Plate and Back 



The delta of the Parana is made up of a series of 

 islands, large and small, separated by a multitude of 

 channels, the branching arms of the river, some of which 

 in recent years have been deepened by the Govern- 

 ment and made navigable for vessels of light draught. 

 Here and there canals have been dug to furnish short- 

 cuts from one point to another. Islands are strung 

 in a continuous series on either side of the river from 

 the delta as far north as Rosario and even beyond, but 

 there are rather more of them on the right than on the 

 left side of the stream. The Parana discharges by two 

 main channels, the larger lying to the north and receiv- 

 ing the Uruguay River just before entering the estuary, 

 the smaller lying to the south. Both are navigable for 

 ocean-going craft. Between these two main channels 

 and on either side of them are countless islands forming 

 the delta, which has an area nearly as great as that of the 

 State of Delaware. These islands are low and flat, their 

 surface raised at most only a few feet above the level 

 of the water. All are subject to more or less complete 

 inundation at the time of floods. The houses built 

 upon them are raised upon piles, the lower floors being 

 from eight to ten feet higher than the surface of the 

 ground. Were not this precaution taken, the people 

 would find everything afloat in their dwellings at least 

 once or twice a year. There was a time not very 

 long ago when these lands were regarded as more or 

 less worthless. The inhabitants were squatters, who 

 subsisted by hunting and fishing. Their chief source 

 of revenue was derived from the sale of the pelts of the 

 ' Nutria " (Myopotamus coypus), a large rodent, the 

 fur of which resembles that of the beaver. After a 

 time some of them betook themselves to growing 

 peaches and other fruits, which were found to thrive, 



