. Area. 71,210 IqU&l'e milei'. Sbe of New England, plU8 part 01 New lersey. PopulatioD, 1.1i.'l.OOO;U+ per &qll&l'e mile. RailWAy mileage, 1600. The first explorers, Sol .. , MageUoA, and Cabot, made fruitless attempts to found settle- ments east of the Uruguay River, the natives of this region offering a more determined resist- ance to the invaders than those in other parts of the River Plate basin. Not until 16i41 was permanent foothold gained at SONomo on the banks of the Rio Negro, but even this was dis- puted and menaced by the Portuguese, who finally established a rival settlement at Coloma in 16BO and drove a thriving trade with Buenos Aires. They were ousted, however, in 17i4l, following which was founded, but the Portuguese did not relinquish their claim to the country, and when the empire was pro- claimed in Brazil Uruguay was compelled to become its southernmost province. This being disputed by Argentina, England was asked to mediate in IBiS, and the result was the creation of the oriental republic of Uruguay, sometimes called the . Internal dissensions followed, and these, with war of the triple alli- ance again.t Paraguay (1866-1870), kept the 117 GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICA country in a state of disturbance until within recent years. The old factional bitterness be- tween Blanco. and Colorado. has, however, much diminished of late, and the republic seems to have entered upon the path of constitutional and commercial progress. It is divided into nineteen departments, within which are but few large cities; instead, there are countless small towns and villages, many of them of recent settlement, much like the prairie towns of our middle Western States. With the same pastoral and agricultural opportunities, Uruguay has devoted the major part of the land to cattle to the neglect of grain. It can- not be said to be thickly settled though the land is largely owned and divided into farms and estates, some of great extent. The need of labor is being supplied by recent immigration, in which ltaliam lead, and there are several i,.. dultrial colonie. planted by the government many years ago. Lying within the temperate zone, with a well watered territory, in which the elevations do not rise above !WOO feet, with a coast line on the Atlantic and River Plate of 850 miles, and a river boundary on the Uruguay of !t70 miles, the republic is admirably situated and ripe for great development. There are but few bays 118 GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICA or harbors, that of Montevideo being the most important, but the Uruguay River, which is from five to six miles wide as far up as Fray Bento. (The Liebig establishment), supports much ocean-going traffic, and vessels of lighter draught go 800 miles farther, and for some distance also up the Rio Negro. The vegeta- tion ranges from the palm to the pine, although the country has no dense forests. Flowers and fruits are of the finest, while wheat and dairy products, cattle, jerked-beef, hides, and seal- skins are among the abundant products of the country. The railroads are almost all built and owned by English capital and radiate from Monte- video, northeast to Minas, Trienta y Tres, with ultimate destination, Lake Merim on the fron- tier between Uruguay and Brazil; northward to Rivera, on the Brazilian frontier, and westward to Colonia, Mercede., and ports on the Uru- guay River. The of Uruguay is mild and healthful; on the uplands frosts and sometimes snow occur in July and August; on the lowlands it may be very hot in February. There is sufficient rain in all seasons, but more in May and Oc- tober. Consequently, the best time to visit Uru- guay - although it is pleasant at all seasons 119 GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICA - is during our winter months, from October to June.

MONTEVIDEO. capital. Population, ~,OOO. 6788 mns 'rom New York. Best harbor on the River Plate, whicb at t.IaiI point is abom fifty miI8 wide. The Ba,. 0' Montevideo is .a miles wide, with the hill or Cerro (Monte) on the west, which gives its Dame to the cit,.. There ill an extensive .ystem 0' moles aDd docb, aDd the harbor worb are not yet completed. although the port is inadequate to its commerce at present. The cit,. u noted 'or salubrity and cleanliness. It has all modern improvements, good hotels, IIandsome public buildinp, includinf cathedral and the great Sol", Tluater. The people are hospItable and charming, and the women are famous 'or their beauty. Excursion to PociIM, a delightful seaside resort, a few miles along the shore, now connected b,. trolle,. with the cit,.. &m;rtfll, a nearer and there'ore more 'requented bathing-place, baa fine municipal baths at a remarkably cheap rate. From Montevideo llCI'OlU to Buenos Aires, 110 miIea, ,_ •. 00, gold, including a fine dinner, berth, and morning co/Iee, is an easy night's run. The trip can be made by daylight. but offers nothinlr of interest. The steamers 0' the M'iJuJfIbIJidI Lin6 make tlie journey from 6 P. II. to 5 A. II., aDd offer a comfort quite comparable to those on Chesapeake Ba,.. • MALDONADO. Population. 6000. 60 miIea east of Monle- video. Founded, 1768. Old tower on IaIaDd of GaM fortifying barbor. There is a Daval station IIIId handsome church; second largest in the republic.

COLONIA. Population, 9000. 150 miles (by rail) west of Montevideo, SO miles to Buenos Aires. Founded by the Port~ese in 1680. Has had a langtJJD8J'1 history. Old fortifications demolished in 1859. Large light- house on the island 0' Fflf'aMm Has IlI'OwinR cooimercial importance, and modern harbor worb under construction. This is to be the terminus 0' the Pan-Amencm. RailWOI/, the name 0' a line building across Urugaoy to the Bra&iIian 'rontier. ' 120 GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICA

MERCEDES. PO~D, 16.000. SO miles from the Una- guay River up the Rio Negro. 188 miIeI from Montevideo by rail. PlCtureIquely Situated, hal some good buildioi!a. oon8jderable river tr&ffic. Import&l1t ·tioB CIIl the Rio Negro, which is S50 miles long. &nd divE:: the republic into two equal parts, uavipble for U miles above the toWD. Near by is the village of SorI4flD (population, 1000), oldest IettIed place in Uruguay. founded, 16U.

FRAY BENTOS. Population, 15,000. 200 miles to Monte- video. SolDetiIlla called l~ • weD-built town, foUDded in 1859, its activity depending u!'On its proximit;r to the 1Mbig Ezlrad « Beef Oompany, fOunded in 1861 by English and Belgian C8J11tal under the guidance of the celebrated Chemist, Baroo von Liebig. Its develOpment hal nrpused aU early ezpectations and plans, and the present great establisbment hal been called the World'. Kitclien. aud baa laboratories and stockyards furnished with the most scientific and hygienic appliances. '!'be whole neij;(hborhood is a great stock-raising country, but in addition it draws its material from aU Uruguay, much of Paraguay and Arj!t!ntina, whose port of ConceP!'iOn (which see) is nearly OPPOSiteon the Una- IlU&Y River. The company hal here wharves of its own at which it Ioade steamers diftct for Europe. Direct rail c0n- nection with Montevideo. PAYSANDO. Population, ti,ooo. SOIlmiles by rail north- west of Montevideo, on the Uruguay River. founded, 178i. Heed of ocean-going uaviption on the River UrullUAY. Second city of the republic; harbor visited by fO~llD veaae1e. There are four 80uriahing suburbs of indU&- trial character. The city hal aU modern improvements.

SALTO. Population, W,OOO. 875 miles from Montevideo by mil. Heed of coasting naviption on the River UtherullUAY. Is the third city of the republic and lies opposite . Ar.sentine city of Concordia. Founded, 185i. Modern City. From h~, the railway from Montevideo. through the IiI GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICA junction of Rio Negro (PIUO de w TOI'06). foDoWtlthe east baDk of the Urugua,Y to the frontier town of &mta &.a where the River Cuarem jOin5 the Uruguay, theDce to the Brazilian ~ of Uruguay

RIBERA. Population, 10,000. 8M milea from Montevideo. Terminus of the Uruyual/ Cmatral Rail_I/, oppo- site the Braziliao town of Santa Ana do lMramen0. ThiI is ODeof the prettiest toWD8 in the republic. A center of mining interesb, chiefly gold. (CuoapiruCompaoy.) Intbisregion the Italian triot Garibaldi tbered the nperieooeI that led later to I:great triumpba ~ his native IaDd.