256 THE RIVER-ROUTES 



I 



that is liable to be flooded. Every year the floods 

 threaten their traflic. That is the character of 

 Colastine, east of Santa Fe, which specializes in ship- 

 ping quebracho timber, or Ibicuy, on the Parana Pavon, 

 in the south of the province of Entre Rios, which, 

 however, is protected by excellent works. The small 

 ports of the barranca of the southern bank, on the 

 main river and on the Parana de las Palmas, form a 

 second group. They ship meat (Campana and Zarate) 

 and cereals (San Nicolas and Villa Constitucion), and 

 they are admirably adapted for this by their natural 

 situation. Steamers come right up to the chff without 

 any need of special works on the shore. The sacks of 

 wheat are let into the ships down sloping gangways 

 from stores excavated in the chff or from wagons. 

 None of these ports are equipped for receiving imports. 

 The third group comprises ports with complete appa- 

 ratus for both export and import. The chief of these 

 is Rosario. It was the increase of imports between 

 1850 and i860 that stimulated its early progress. 

 To-day the tonnage of the goods unloaded at Rosario 

 is nearly one-half the tonnage of the cereals shipped 

 there. Yet, in spite of appearances, it is the imports 

 that account mainly for the busy Hfe of its quays. 

 The port company does the unloading itself, as well 

 as the handling and storing of the goods imported, 

 but it is content to receive dues on all exports within 

 the area for which it has a monopoly. Only a small 

 part of the cereals exported uses its elevators. A 

 deep-water port, equipped like that at Rosario for 

 import and export, has just been constructed at Santa 

 Fe. Already it competes with Colastine for the 

 export of quebracho. Its import trade is still small, 

 as such trade requires large capital and a whole net- 

 work of relations with the adjoining country, and 

 that is not the work of a day. 



The second section of the river stretches from Santa 

 Fe to Corrientes, and is continued up the Paraguay. 



