The hroad Domain of Brazil. 19 



through the Argentine Republic up the Rio de la Plata and its 

 branches. Although the country has many long and navigable 

 rivers, yet the means of intercommunication are very poor ; for 

 the rivers are little used, and the forests, creepers, and under- 

 growth are so dense that the country back of the river-banks is 

 impenetrable, and even if roads should be opened the soil is so 

 luxuriant that they would be quickly overgrown and soon become 

 impassable. 



Lines of steamers have been subsidized by the Brazilian 

 government and run up the Amazon 2000 miles to Tabatinga, at 

 the boundary line of Peru ; there connecting with lines subsi- 

 dized by the Peruvian government, which run 1500 miles farther 

 up the river. These vessels carry supplies to the settlers and 

 bring back India rubber. Brazil-nuts, cacao, quinine, and the 

 beautiful woods of the forest. 



Yet steamers are rarely seen on the Amazon ; they have few 

 passengers, and have not opened the country ; we are told that 

 the Mississippi carries more vessels in a mouth, and the Yang-tse- 

 kiang in a day, than the Amazon in a year. 



The Argentine Republic. 



The histor}^ of South American republics is 'illustrated in the 

 Argentine republic. 



It is a vast pampas or prairie, extending from Brazil to the 

 Andes, and from Bolivia with a southeasterly trend 2000 miles 

 to southeastern Terra del Fuego. 



The climate of the northern portion is tropical ; of the central 

 part, semi-tropical ; of the extreme south, temperate or cold. . 

 The country is generally well watered excepting in the north- 

 western part, where the land is dry and alkaline, like the arid 

 regions of North America. The soil is a rich, deep loam, from 

 four to six feet in depth, excepting in Patagonia and the western 

 pampas, where there is a coarse gravel and detritus from the 

 Andes. Instead of the dense tropical forest of the Amazon 

 valley, the pampas are covered by a coarse grass, three or four 

 feet high, growing in large tussocks and all the year round of a 

 dai'k green. The strong grass crowds out all trees and almost 

 all plants, so that scarcely a flower relieves the uniform, everlast- 

 ing verdure. 



Instead of the arboreal animals of the Amazon there is the 

 I'hea or American ostrich, " ship of the wilderness," adapted to the 



