292 To the River Plate and Back 



The Falls of the Iguassu are located in the midst of 

 dense tropical forests at the eastern border of the 

 central lowlands, where the river makes its final bold 

 leap from the eastern highlands, about twelve miles 

 from its point of junction with the Alta Parana, and 

 near the point where the States of Brazil, Paraguay, 

 and Argentina come together. The Iguassu takes its 

 rise in the Province of Santa Catharina in Brazil, not 

 more than thirty miles from the Atlantic coast. The 

 waters, which begin their journey there, flow westward 

 and southward, and only again find rest in the ocean 

 after they have gone two thousand miles from their 

 source. The river just before reaching the cataract 

 pursues a very devious course. The fall is divided into 

 two main portions by a large island. The cataract on 

 the Brazilian side descends by an unbroken leap of 

 about two hundred and thirty feet. The cataract 

 on the Argentinian side descends by two leaps, each 

 over a hundred feet in height, the total fall at this point 

 being about two hundred and ten feet. The fall on the 

 Brazilian side has the form of a horseshoe, like that at 

 Niagara. But between the large Brazilian and the 

 great Argentine falls there are a number of smaller 

 falls through which the water spills over the cliff be- 

 tween small islands. In the dry season there is a succes- 

 sion of cataracts presented to view from the Brazilian 

 side of the river; but, when the stream is in flood, these 

 small dividing islets are submerged, and the whole face 

 of the high wall of rock is one immense torrent, save 

 where it is broken by the great central island. The 

 total contour of the fall is about ten thousand feet, or 

 nearly two miles in length, and at the lowest point the 

 fall is forty feet higher than Niagara. Below the fall 

 the stream suddenly narrows, and the tremendous dis- 



