236 THE RIVER-ROUTES 



Before the Revolution the river-trade was confined 

 to exchanges between the Misiones and Paraguay on 

 the one hand, and Buenos Aires and the Andean 

 provinces on the other. After the extinction of the 

 missions Paraguay was the chief centre of traffic on 

 the river. At the close of the eighteenth century it 

 had a fairly large population. According to D'Azara, 

 it amounted to 97,000, and 47,000 for the area of 

 the former Missions (Misiones), while Buenos Aires, 

 Santa Fe, Entre Rios and Corrientes had not more 

 than 103,000 inhabitants collectively. Paraguay 

 exported tobacco, mate and timber by the river. The 

 Buenos Aires Estano received 800 tons of tobacco a 

 year. The exports of mate from Paraguay to Peru, 

 Chile and the interior provinces amounted to 1,725 tons, 

 and 2,250 tons went to Buenos Aires. The timber 

 came mostly from the Tebicuary, where the angadas 

 (loads of timber) were formed. The chief constructive 

 sheds also were on the Tebicuary. Boats of twenty to 

 200 tons were launched there ; and they had armed 

 boats, when they went down the river, to detect 

 ambushes of the Indians, who were masters of the 

 right bank north of Santa Fe. 



The development of navigation on tne Parana 

 during the first half of the nineteenth century was 

 checked by the disturbances and wars of the period 

 of the emancipation and unification of Argentina. 

 The river was blockaded several times and traffic 

 interrupted. Only a few smuggling schooners suc- 

 ceeded in getting through the side branches, which 

 the ships stationed in the river could not watch. 

 Robertson escaped the Spanish vessels in this way. 

 The picture which D'Orbigny has given us of the life 

 of the river belongs to the year 1827. At that time 

 the estuary was blockaded by tne Brazilian fleet in 

 the whole area of the delta as far as San Pedro. Piracy 

 was so rife, and the insecurity so great, on the Uruguay 

 and the Parana, that few ventured as far as Buenos 



