BUENOS AY RES. 



49 



River*. 



tended plain, covered with lakes and innumerable ri- 

 , in:i:.y ot which, tltough equal to some of the 

 largest in Europe, flow unregarded and nameless, and 

 are considered as merely tributary streams. Few of 

 these, however, ever reach the ocean. They are ei- 

 ther lost in the lakes, or descend into the level plains, 

 where they stop, without taking any decided di- 

 rection, and are soon absorbed, or insensibly evapo- 

 rated. 



The principal rivers of this viccroyalty are the 

 Paraguay, the Parana, the Uraguay, and the Rio de 

 la Plata. The first of these rises about 13$ south 



Paraguay, latitude, in the Sierra del Paraguay, and, bending 

 its course towards the south, passes through the lake 

 Xarayes, and after receiving the waters of the Cuya- 

 ba, Pilcomayo, and Vcrmejo, terminates at its junc- 

 tion with the Parana. It is navigable for golettas as 

 high as the 16th degree ; and though its channel is 

 in general narrow, M. Azara found, that opposite 

 Assumption, where its breadth is only 1332 Paris 

 feet, 196,618 cubic toises of water passed every hour. 

 Its periodical flood, which is occasioned by the over- 

 flowing of the lake Xarayes, commences about the 

 end of February, and continues gradually to increase 

 until the end of June, when it again diminishes with 



Parana. the same regularity. The Parana has its source in 

 the mountains of Brasil, and descending by a rapid, 

 but long and diversified course, is swelled by nume- 

 rous tributary streams, among which is the Yguazu, 

 or Curitiba ; receiving the Paraguay at Corrientes, it 

 passes on to the south ; and after being joined by the 

 Salado and other rivers from the west, loses itself in 

 the Rio de la Plata. The Uraguay rises in the moun- 

 tains which stretch along the eastern coast of Ameri- 

 ca, opposite the island of St Catherine's, about the 

 '28 of south latitude. Flowing to the west through a 

 naked and desert region, it then takes a southerly di- 

 rection, and traversing by a winding and irregular 

 course the immense forests of Guarana, where its 

 itream is swelled by innumerable rivulets, it passes 

 through a rich and romantic country, receiving the 

 waters of the Tebiquari, Mirinay, and Rio Negro, 

 and near the 34-th degree of latitude unites with the 

 Parana to form the Rio de la Plata. Though this 

 river is not equal either to the Paraguay or the Para- 

 na in the length of its course, yet by the immense 

 accumulation of waters which it receives from tribu- 

 tary streams, it surpasses both in the breadth of its 

 channel ; and about 690 miles above its confluence 

 with the Parana, a ten-oared boat requires half an 

 hour to cross it. From the rockiness of its chan- 

 nel, and the turbulence of its stream, the Uraguay, 

 is of difficult navigation, except for balzas, a species 

 of craft peculiar to South America. The name of 

 this river is extended, by ancient authors, both to the 

 Paraguay and the Parana ; and the indiscriminate ap- 

 pellation is still retained by some modern geographers. 

 The Rio de la Plata, or River of Silver, originally 

 called Rio de Solis, from the name of its first disco- 

 verer, received its present appellation from Sebastian 

 Cabot, who, having defeated a body of Indians on 

 the banks of the Paraguay, obtained an immense 

 booty of geld and silver. This name was applied by 

 Cabot to the whole channel of the Paraguay, from 



VOL. V. PART I. 



Rio de la 



its source to its confluence with the ocetn, and the Buea 

 l'ii:iua and Uraguay were merely considered as tri- 

 butary streams, but it is now confined to the Gulf "" "*V" 

 extending from the junction of the two last mention* 

 ed rivers, to the capes St Maria on the north, and St 

 Antonia on the south, where the water ftill retains 

 its freshness, and the tide is very imperceptibly felt. 

 Between these points it is nearly 150 miles broad. 

 But this noble expanse of fresh water, which is with- 

 out a parallel in the world, is deformed with rocks and 

 sand banks, which render its navigation both difficult 

 and dangerous ; and is exposed to impetuous torrents 

 of wind, called Pamperos, which sweep with dread- 

 ful fury over the vast plains of the Pampas. These 

 storms, however, are generally preceded by thunder, 

 which gives sufficient warning to mariners to prepare 

 for the approaching tempest ; and during these gales, 

 Monte Video is the only part where vessels of any 

 considerable burden can lie in safety. 



The most considerable lakes are ; the Titicaca, Lake*. 

 which is the most noted in South America, and lies 

 between the two Cordilleras of Peru, in the province 

 of Los Charcas. It is about 24-0 miles in circumfe- 

 rence, of an. irregular form, and navigable by vessels 

 of considerable burthen ; but subject to violent squalls 

 of wind, which descend from the lofty mountains 

 which surround it. It abounds with fish, and water 

 fowl ; and its banks are covered with a fertile soil, 

 and adorned with populous towns and villages. In 

 one of its picturesque islands, Manco Capac, the 

 founder of the Peruvian empire, is said to have first 

 conceived the design of civilizing the naked savages 

 of his country. This island was considered as sacred 

 by the Peruvians, and contained one of their most 

 splendid temples, which was enriched with the annual 

 offerings of the worshippers of the sun. This im- 

 mense accumulation of wealth was thrown into the 

 lake upon the approach of the Spaniards, who have 

 since made frequent attempts to recover it, but with- 

 out success. The lake of Iberi, or Caracaras, lies Lake of 

 between the rivers Parana and Uraguay. Its north- Iberi form. 

 ern boundary runs in a parallel line with the banks of *** by fi'- 

 the former river for nearly 30 leagues, and extends as ratl n h 

 far to the south ; it supplies the river Mirinay, which p^na.* 

 runs into the Uraguay ; and from its south-western 

 corner issue three other considerable streams, viz. the 

 Sta Lucia, Corrientes, and Battles, none of which are 

 fordable. This lake receives neither rivers, brook, nor 

 spring, but is nourished entirely by the simple fil- 

 tration of the waters of the Parana, a phenomenon of 

 which there is no other example in the world ; and this 

 filtration thus supplies not only the four great rivers 

 which issue from the lake, but also the vast quantity 

 of water which must be continually carried off by eva- 

 poration, from a surface of more than a thousand 

 square leagues, which, from the experiments of Hal- 

 ley, may be estimated at above 70,000 tons a-day, sup- 

 posing it the mean temperature of England. This 

 expanse of water, however, is for the most part very 

 shallow, and filled with aquatic plants ; so that its 

 interior is altogether inaccessible. The islands with 

 which it is studded, are well stocked with deer and 

 other game; flocks of wild fowl are continually skim-, 

 ming on its surface ; its fish are remarkably sweet and 



G 



