BOLIVIAN LLANOS 147 



settlements are located along the rivers: there is 

 ground for thinking that it will become a rich pastoral 

 region. 



Bolivian Llanos. The region comprised between 

 the upper Madeira and the Chaco, the Guapore and 

 the Montana of the Andes, is almost unknown. It 

 consists, probably, of extensive llanos intersected by 

 broad rivers and vast marshes, with a predominance of 

 grassy savanas resembling the llanos of the Orinoco, 

 though reedy swamps, groves of palms, and clumps of 

 forest are common. In the province of Santa Cruz, 

 the occurrence of hill ranges has induced the growth 

 of dense forests of a thoroughly tropical nature. The 

 few data so far collected about these savanas authorize 

 the belief that here lies a country rich alike in possibili- 

 ties for stock-raising and agriculture, and able in a 

 distant future to support a dense population. The 

 grass-lands are continued along the foot of the Amazon 

 plateau, and join over the upper Paraguay River with 

 Matto Grosso and Goyaz. 



Chaco. The broad strip of country which extends from 

 the swamps of the Paraguay River to the Andes consists 

 of flat or, in places, hardly undulating land, beyond the 

 limits of the floods of the Paraguay. Its climate is dry 

 and hot, but the uncertain drainage retains in the soil 

 in many parts a fair amount of water, and gives rise to 

 marshes. The nature and quantity of the water in the soil 

 seems here to control entirely the distribution and 

 character of the vegetation. On the flat portions, just 

 beyond the limits of floods, extend vast tracts of thorn 

 woodlands, the quebracho tree being the predominant 

 feature, with its gnarled, twisted form, and extremely 

 light crown of small, hard, finely divided leaves. The 

 undergrowth is a dense and tall brush of evergreen 



L 2 



