1 82 To the River Plate and Back 



the one at whose landing we had tied up during the 

 previous night, and the same array of merchandise 

 which had graced the one place graced the other. 

 Boxes containing Huntley and Palmer's Biscuits, Epps' 

 Cocoa, Lipton's Teas, and Heinz's Tomato Catsup 

 grinned at us like old familiar friends encountered in 

 a strange place. There were cans of petroleum bearing 

 the familiar marks of the Standard Oil Company. 

 Cones of sugar wrapped in blue paper were hanging 

 from the roof over the counter. Bolts of muslin and 

 calico, nails and hatchets, corrugated sheet-iron and 

 ditching-shovels, candy in jars, cigarettes, shoes and 

 sewing- thread, cheap jewelry and stationery, tinware 

 and pottery all things under the sun were jumbled 

 together under the shingled roof. It reminded me of 

 similar places which I have found in our own Western 

 country. It was a typical "country-store.' Men are 

 the same everywhere, and their wants are the same the 

 world over. Humanity in the swamps of the Parana is 

 not essentially different from humanity on the banks 

 of the Green River in Utah, or on the banks of the 

 Thames and the Hudson. 



Our next stop was made at one of the plantations 

 belonging to Senor Gnecco, a friend of Dr. Roth, who 

 had told him not to fail to call as he passed by and get 

 a basket of oranges. The house is built upon a slight 

 elevation or hummock, sufficiently elevated to insure 

 against its being flooded, except when the waters attain 

 an unusual height. The orange-trees were loaded with 

 golden fruit, quinces, pear-trees, and apple-trees were 

 white with bloom, the orchards resounded with the 

 hum of bees, and butterflies were fluttering here and 

 there among the flowers. While the Doctor, assisted 

 by the attendants of the place, who welcomed him with 



