SOUTH AMERICA. 



houses built aroundj shores which gradually ascend 

 in mountains^ covered to their summits with trees 

 which remain in constant verdure; a climate always 

 temperate and healthy; small islands scattered here 

 and there, equally covered with verdure; the soil ex- 

 tremely productive; all combine to render it in ap- 

 pearance the most delightful country in the world/^ 

 We had at length reached the yawning estuary of 

 La Plata, whose width estimated from the Cape St. 

 Mary's to Cape St. Antonio on the southern side^ is 

 one hundred and fifty miles. It would perhaps be 

 more proper to give this great opening the name of bay 

 or gulf. Its waters though not fresh, are much dis- 

 colored^ but not much affected by the tides above 

 Buenos Ayres. Except the isle of Lobos, which 

 can hardly be considered in its channel, there are no 

 islands but that of Goriti, which forms the harbor of 

 Maldonado, and the isle of Flores about fifty miles 

 above. There are, however, a considerable number 

 of islands above Buenos Ayres, where the river pro- 

 perly begins; at the mouth of the Uruguay there is 

 the island of Martin Grarcia, and at the entrance of 

 the Parana there are a great many islands of various 

 sizes. Rio La Plata here loses its name; it is in fact, 

 properly speaking but a bay or gulf, into which the 

 Uruguay and Parana discharge themselves. It was 

 originally called the river of Solis^ from the name of 

 its first discoverer; but was changed by Cabot, who de- 

 feated a party of Indians on its borders, and among 

 whom he found some silver ornaments, from which he 

 was induced to believe, that there were mines of this 

 metal in the vicinity. The entrance of this river was 

 formerly considered extremely dangerous and difficult, 



