6 INTRODUCTION 



people of Argentina, the creators of the greatness of 

 the country. It is true that I have deliberately re- 

 frained from any reference to the political and moral 

 life of the Republic, the national character and its 

 evolution, the stoicism of the gaucho, the industry of 

 the colonist and the merchant, or the patriotism of 

 the Argentinians generally. My work is not a study 

 of the Argentine nation, but a geographical introduction 

 to such a study. 



I began the work during a stay in Argentina which 

 lasted from April 1912 to August 1914. In the course 

 of these two years I was able to visit most parts of 

 the country ; and, as the information I gathered during 

 my travels is one of my chief sources, I give here a 

 summary of my itineraries. 



October-November 1912 : Rosario — Region of the colonies of 

 Santa Fe — Forestry-industries of the Chaco Santiagueno — 

 Banados of the Rio Dulce — Salta — Jujuy — Sierra de la Lurn- 

 brera. 



November-December 1912 : Tucurndn — Valley of Tapi — Santa 

 Maria to the west of Aconcagua — Cafayate (Valley of Calchaqui). 



December igi 2- January 1913 : Catamarca— Andalgala — Valley 

 of Pucara — C6rdoba — Villa Maria. 



January-February 191 3 : Region of the Pampas (Province 

 of Buenos Aires^ south of C6rdoba and of S. Luis, district of 

 the Central Pampa). 



March 191 3 : Corrientes — Posadas — Asunci6n — Forest -indus- 

 tries of the Chaco of Santa Fe. 



August 1913 : Region of the Pampas (Province of Buenos 



Aires). 



March 1914 : Lake Nahuel Huapi — Valcheta^ — San Antonio — 

 The Rio Negro. 



April 1914 : Rioja — Sierra de los Llanos — San Juan — Mendoza. 



July 1914 ; Entre Rios. 



These journeys, by rail or on well-known roads, 

 were not supposed to be for the purpose of exploration 



