The country of Uruguay has the distinction of being the youngest, and the smallest in area, of all of the South American Republics. It must not, however, be inferred that it is therefore the most backward. On the contrary, its financial reputation is of the best, its bonds selling in Europe at par and above, while the population to the square mile is greater than that of any other country in South America. Although small, indeed, by the side of its neighbors, Brazil and Argentina, it is twice the size of Portugal and about the same size as New England combined with Maryland; a trifle smaller than the Brazilian State of SÃo Paulo, or than our State of Nebraska.

History

While the very first landing in the Plata River section was naturally made in this country, Juan Diaz de Solis with fifty of his followers here going ashore in 1515, unfortunately to meet death at the hands of hostile Indians, the permanent settlement of Montevideo was delayed until December 24, 1726. The Charrua Indians inhabiting the country seem to have been a particularly fierce tribe, and several attempts at settlement in various places resulted disastrously. In the seventeenth century, a number of colonies had been established by the Franciscans and Jesuits, including one at Colonia, which site with the country in general, at that time called the Banda Oriental, was long a bone of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese.

After the Junta of Buenos Aires had in 1810 established its rule within its own borders, Montevideo was for a short time the seat of the Spanish Viceroy; but the people of Uruguay soon became eager for independence and under the leadership of Artigas a war was waged for years, sometimes against the Spanish, then against the Portuguese, and even the PorteÑos of Buenos Aires. After the destruction of the Spanish fleet by Admiral Brown, Montevideo, June 20, 1814, surrendered to the besieging army, and the Spanish power on the River Plata was ended. General Alvear of Buenos Aires, for a short time in command, presently withdrew leaving the city in the hands of one of Artigas’ lieutenants, the General remaining in camp on the Uruguay River. In 1816 the Portuguese from Brazil invaded the country, and Artigas was finally obliged to take refuge in Paraguay.

When in 1824 the power of Spain was finally destroyed on the whole continent, Uruguay alone was destitute of independence. In the midst of rejoicing at Buenos Aires over the victory of Ayacucho, Lavalleja, who had earlier distinguished himself against the Spaniards, and other exiles from Uruguay were moved to free their own country from foreign dominion. It was a small band of thirty-three men, Treinta y Tres, now a popular name in Uruguay, that set out from Buenos Aires for the invasion of that country. Having crossed the Uruguay River, they soon obtained forty recruits and after a brief skirmish with the Portuguese forces took the town of Dolores. General Rivera, sent against Lavalleja, forsook the Brazilian service and with his men joined the patriots. Soon the whole of Uruguay was in arms, an independent government was established at Florida. The Portuguese fleet was later defeated by the Argentine Admiral Brown, and a series of victories culminating in the battle of ItuzaingÓ, which made the expulsion of the Portuguese seem inevitable, incited Lavalleja in October, 1827, to proclaim himself Dictator, though in July, 1828, he voluntarily resigned the office. In August both Argentina and Brazil acknowledged the independence of Uruguay and on May 1, 1829, the national authorities made a formal entry into Montevideo.

After a constitution had been adopted, July 18, 1830, the National Assembly in October elected Rivera, President, to the great disgust of Lavalleja who at once plotted against the government. Rivera, however, twice drove him from the country into Brazil and served his term of four years. The second President was General Oribe, one of the Thirty-three, who combined with Lavalleja against Rivera and, with the assistance of the Argentine Dictator Rosas, defeated him in a battle which was of especial historical importance from the fact that the red and white colors were used to distinguish the forces, ever since emblems of bitter strife as the badges of the two parties called Colorados, Reds, and Blancos, Whites, the former that of Rivera, the latter of Oribe.

Fighting was almost continuous until the fall of Rosas in 1851. Giro became the fourth President in 1852 but in 1853 revolts began again. The deaths of Rivera and Lavalleja about this time had no effect in promoting peace. Strife continued until in February, 1865, Flores, having obtained the active support of Brazil and entered Montevideo, was made Dictator of the Republic. Then little Paraguay, previously asked to interfere, jealous of Brazil’s power, continued the fight. And Paraguay, with her army of 80,000 men, might have been equal to any one of the countries alone. During this war Flores, who was of the Colorado party, was assassinated in Montevideo, a terrible visitation of cholera occurred in 1868, and a financial crisis that ruined thousands in 1869. Troubles were incessant and up to the present time hardly a single President has had an entirely peaceful term. That after this prolonged condition of turbulence, the Republic shows so remarkable a degree of development and prosperity is wonderful indeed.

As to the country in general, it may be said that while it possesses no striking features such as lofty mountains or great waterfalls, it is a beautifully diversified region, with no flat or desert land, but with low ridges, valleys, and rolling plains, in some parts well wooded. It is admirably adapted for grazing and agricultural products. The climate is healthful and delightful, the population, numbering about 1,300,000, is more homogeneous than in most of the Republics, and forms an enterprising and progressive nation.

Montevideo

Hotels. Pyramides, SarandÍ corner ItuzaingÓ; Grand Hotel Lanatta, SarandÍ 325; Central, 25 de Mayo, 245; Oriental, Solis, corner Piedras; Palacio, Calle Florida; Globe, 25 de Agosto and ColÓn. In the suburbs, Parque Urbano, and Pocitos.

Excellent electric cars and service. Fare in center of the city, 4 cents, farther out 6, 8, 10, and to ColÓn, 14 cts. Carriage fare $1.00 or $1.50 an hour. Post Office, SarandÍ 207. Postage, letters to United States or Europe, 8 cents; cards, 2 cents.

Uruguay dollars, pesos, are worth a little more than the American; $10.00 United States currency equals $9.66 Uruguay. Or $1.00 Uruguay equals about $1.04 of our money.

The office of the United States Minister is on the 18 de Julio, 221, that of the American Consul in Treinta y Tres, 53. The British Legation is at 445, 25 de Mayo, the Consulate at 20 ParanÁ.

On landing at Montevideo a carriage may be taken to the hotel preferred, or decision reserved until they have been inspected. No one in the center of the city is pre-eminent but several will be found satisfactory except to the hyper-critical. First may be mentioned the Pyramides Hotel on SarandÍ at the corner of ItuzaingÓ, near the Plaza ConstituciÓn, highly spoken of. Well known is the Grand Hotel Lanatta facing the same plaza; the Oriental Hotel, the Central, the Globe, the Florida, are all available, close to the center of the city.

A clean, homelike, and agreeable city is Montevideo, most attractive as a place of residence, and preferred by many to the great metropolis farther up the river, with its million more inhabitants. About the size of our own capital, Washington, it is large enough for all practical purposes, and is the home of a wide-awake community. Several days should be devoted to the various objects of interest, which include parks, suburban and seaside resorts of great beauty and elegance.

Sight-seeing may be commenced with a stroll in the center of the city, after which excursions by car or carriage will be in order. As in Buenos Aires, the cars are conveniently numbered, which renders the service especially valuable to strangers.

Plaza ConstituciÓn, sometimes called the MatrÍz, is a good place to begin. Of the twelve large plazas, this, with several others, has a pretty garden occupying the center. On the east side is the Cabildo, a quaint old building now used for the Legislative Assemblies, the only building of historic importance in the city, which is practically all new. Opposite is the Cathedral with towers 133 feet high. To the handsome interior, paintings and other decorations have recently been added, and there is a sweet-toned organ. On the south side next to the Lanatta Hotel is the Uruguay Club, which is handsomely housed, its imposing salon for receptions and balls the occasional rendezvous of the Élite of the city. On the north side of the plaza is the home of the English Club.

On the Plaza Independencia not far away, reached by the calle SarandÍ, is the Government Palace containing the offices of the President and Ministers, presently to be superseded by a splendid structure on the principal avenue, 18 de Julio. Just off the corner of this plaza is the Solis Theater, with a handsome Ionic front, a rather ancient building for Montevideo, more than fifty years old, its right wing housing the Museum. The theater which has recently been remodeled, now seating over 3000, is one of the fine establishments of South America, though rivaled in Montevideo by the newer theater Urquiza, corner of Andes and Mercedes, which was inaugurated by Bernhardt in 1905. In one or the other of these have appeared nearly all of the most noted European artists, at least of the Latin races, stars of the drama and of the opera both. The people are great lovers of the theater and more than 2000 performances are given in a single year with about two million spectators.

The Museum includes a considerable collection of specimens of the natural history and geology of the country; many relics of the native Indian tribes now altogether extinct, such as hundreds of stone bolos and other weapons, with primitive utensils; souvenirs of the colonial wars, and some paintings by artists of Uruguay and Europe.

The new Legislative Palace on the Avenida Agraciada is a magnificent building with two fine plazas in the front and the rear, and space on all sides. The basement will contain fire-proof chambers for the archives, and rooms for lighting, heat, and service. The ground floor has a great vestibule and a corridor 55 feet wide extending to the rear of the building, crossed by three others 10 or 12 feet wide. Near the entrance are quarters for the guard of honor, and farther in are rooms for police, telephone and telegraph, wardrobes, and other purposes. On the front a great marble staircase 55 feet wide leads up from the ground to the entrance on the main floor. Pedestals with costly bronze statues are designed to divide the staircase into three sections. Two ramps, one on each side of the stairway, permit the ascent of vehicles to the main entrance in front of a large hall, Pasos Perdidos, 55 feet wide and 160 long, embellished with columns, and with a staircase leading to the floor above. The two large chambers for the Senate and the Representatives, one on each side, are 66 feet in diameter and two stories in height, with galleries for the Press and the public. In the front of the building are salons for the President and the Ministers, with private rooms, and at the sides and back are rooms for the officials of Congress. The design was one of the Argentine architect, Meano, modified to suit local taste and conditions. The building, which was to cost $2,000,000, is expected to be complete in 1914.

Other interesting buildings are those of the University, the School of Arts and Trades, and the Agricultural Institute. There are two groups of new University buildings, erected at a cost of $2,000,000; the one on the Ave. 18 de Julio containing the central offices of administration with the Schools of Law and Commerce, the other, the several buildings containing the Medical School, the Chemistry Building, and housings for the Institute of Hygiene, Physiology, etc. The Administration Building occupies an entire block between Caigna and Yaro, where formerly was the School of Arts and Trades. Of classical Italian architecture, with two stories and a high basement, it contains ten class rooms seating from 50 to 100 each, two halls seating 200, and one accommodating 800. There is a law library of 30,000 volumes, one of the best in South America, while for the present the National Library also is in the building. The large high school occupies a handsome structure covering most of the block south, facing on Lavalleja. It is well fitted up with laboratories, gymnasium with baths and rest room, class rooms light and airy, and with all modern scholarly and hygienic equipment.

The Medical School occupies the block formerly the Plaza SarandÍ, being surrounded by the streets Uruguayana, Ladislao Terra, Yatay and Marelino Sosa, not far from the new Congressional Palace. There are three separate buildings which are arranged and fitted up in a style which would meet the demands of such an institution anywhere. The central part of the main building is occupied by the various offices, council chamber, library, and reading room, a hall seating 1000, etc.; one wing is devoted to the Institute of Physiology, the other to that of Anatomy. The Department of Chemistry has a fine building on Ladislao Terra and Yatay, the Department of Hygiene, one on Ladislao Terra and Uruguayana.

Other Schools which might be connected with the University but which have a distinct organization are the Agricultural and the Veterinary. The latter is a little farther out on one of the principal avenues of the outer city, the LarraÑaga, with grounds covering 30 acres. It will ultimately include a number of buildings for the various departments, Laboratories, Clinics, Autopsies, etc., but at present is confined to laboratories, class rooms, and hall for clinics. The School of Agriculture is a fine large building in the suburb of Sayago, 45 minutes by electrics from the center of the city, fare 10 cents. The edifice contains excellent laboratories, class rooms, and general offices, and is doing an important work of great value to the country. The four-story building near the harbor landing, formerly occupied by the University, is now used as an Engineering School.

A Pedagogical Museum of considerable interest to one with some knowledge of educational problems and work, is on the north side of the Plaza Libertad next to the Athenaeum, an institution of much literary and scientific importance in Montevideo.

Another educational edifice which some may be glad to visit is one which houses both the Military Academy and the Naval School. The situation is a convenient one on the edge of the city with grounds covering 30 acres, yet only 15 minutes by electric car from the center of the town. The building with a faÇade 250 feet long fronts on Ave. Garibaldi, but sets back 60 feet allowing space for a pretty garden. In the left wing are the class rooms of the Military School, in the right those of the Naval. On the next floor are dormitories, baths, etc. In the center are rooms common to both, a casino, fencing-room, and a large hall for festal occasions. Above is a tower with steel cupola for the Astronomical Observatory. In the rear are great depots, naval and military, a large gymnasium, a swimming tank, 100 by 150 feet, stables, hospitals, a riding course, athletic field, etc. On the inside, covered galleries permit passage from one building to another in the rain; the U shaped constructions surround a large space ornamented with trees. There is excellent ventilation in the main building, windows on both sides, so that in class and in the infirmary each student enjoys much more air space than the highest amount prescribed.

The School of Arts and Trades in San Salvador street, between Minas and Magallanes, may be reached by cars 36 and 46.

Other institutions which may be visited are the Penitentiary, the Markets, and the Cemeteries. The first may not interest every tourist; but if one desires to see a model construction of this category, arranged according to the most modern tenets of penal science and of hygiene, the opportunity here presented should be seized. It has a fine situation near the river on Punta Carreta (30 minutes by Car No. 35, fare 8 cts.), especially open to the southeast winds well ventilating courts and interiors. The rectangular plan was preferred to the radial. Back of the administration building is the entrance to the prison proper, which is surrounded by a great wall nearly 40 feet high. Here a military guard is placed. On one side of a central corridor is the kitchen and bakery, on the other, the laundry. Separated by a large court from these is the prison house with 384 well lighted cells, each 13 feet long, 8 wide, and over 10 feet high, furnished with iron folding bed, book shelf, bench, and porcelain bowl and seat. Opening on a corridor 20 feet wide, the cells are arranged in 4 stories, to which lead marble and iron staircases and elevators. Fifty baths are at the service of the prisoners, who may choose either warm water or sea water for their ablutions. Workshops of eight classes are provided for the convicts: iron and tin work, carpentry, broom and shoe making, printing, and book binding. Two patios, 160 by 220 feet, afford space for recreation, and there is room within the enclosure for two more prison houses if at any time they are needed.

Every one likes to see Markets if not prisons. Of these there are four, most important, the new market Agricola for wholesale trade, built of iron except for the base wall, and roofed with glass according to the Dion system, the construction covering 65,000 square feet with a central height of 72 feet. Provision is made for the entrance and circulation of carts; four galleries 45 feet wide surrounding the large central open space provide shelter for attendants and for the service of the market.

Of the four cemeteries, the Central at the foot of Yaguaron street is called the best; the Buceo, which is the largest, may be reached by Car 39, and by Car 38 which runs to the suburb Union, passing the Buceo and the beautiful British Cemetery adjoining. All of these are finely situated on a bluff above the water. They are adorned with trees and flowers, and contain many fine monuments, some of which are sculptured by noted artists.

The Parks and Watering Places, most important features of Montevideo life, have perhaps been left too long; they are attractions of the highest rank which no one should overlook, however short his stay. The largest and finest park is called the Prado, which contains also the National Botanical Gardens. One may here roam for miles among immense magnificent trees, half a century old, sheltering smaller palms and bamboos, flowering shrubs, and beautiful gardens; here too are lakes and grottoes, vegetation of cool and of warmer climes, a region more delightful on account of the hills and hollows with which it is diversified, in pleasing contrast to the flatness of the Argentine shore. The park, which is surrounded by villas and chalets, is approached by three fine avenues and may be reached by three lines of cars, 2, 44, and 47 (8 cts. fare) in 25 minutes.

A little nearer the city and on the other side, close to the ocean, is Parque Urbano, served in a ride of 20 minutes by six lines of cars, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 33, 36, and 46, with 4 cts. fare. This is a most popular recreation ground, a large park with trees, flowers, lakes, pretty bridges, etc., a great circular avenue, a theater of novelties, and near the entrance on the side towards the sea a pavilion where popcorn is made and sold by a fine young man and his happy looking wife, both from the United States. Popcorn is a new and popular article of food for the natives; every American will certainly wish to buy some. Business is good and the young couple enjoy the place and the people, though now expecting to come home some day. The seashore in front is called Playa Ramirez, a fine bathing resort. On the sands stand a multitude of little bath-houses on wheels, which a horse draws out into the water, thus permitting less display of gay bathing costumes or of bathers than on our own beaches, a custom with obvious advantages. The men generally go in on one side of the iron pier, the women and children on the other.

Close to the Park and the Beach is an imposing hotel and casino, four stories high, the Urbano, with 300 rooms, a great dining hall, and other salons, called the finest and most luxurious hotel in South America. It was erected at a cost of $600,000, and since it was opened in 1909 it has been a point of attraction to many of the best Argentine society, as well as to the people of Uruguay.

Pocitos, a little farther out, is another much frequented bathing resort. The Thursday and Sunday concerts at both beaches attract thousands. In the vicinity are many fine residences. A splendid esplanade along the shore leads to Trouville, another beach beyond. Pocitos, the most fashionable of the resorts, also has a hotel of the first rank.

On the port side of the city many improvements have been made and more are planned. Along the south side of the promontory a fine esplanade is to be constructed to extend also along the east shore to Ramirez and Pocitos in the manner of the Avenida Beira Mar at Rio de Janeiro. Pocitos, a 30 minutes’ run, is served by the cars 31 and 37, fare 8 cts.

Under the head of parks may be included the Zoological Gardens at Villa Dolores (cars 38 and 39, time 20 minutes, fare 8 cts.), a private property, but open to the public for a small fee. In addition to a considerable collection of animals, unusually extensive in the line of birds and domestic fowls, there are various artistic features, artificial grottoes, lakes, waterfalls, imitation of classical ruins, etc. A rather original feature is a little cemetery of various animals, their graves marked by life-size sculptures: lions, dogs, a rabbit, a cock, even a huge anaconda, a curious collection. The entrance fees are devoted to charitable institutions of the city.

The Hippodrome and horse races, if not quite equaling the grand display at Buenos Aires, are in excellent style; the accommodations are elegant and luxurious, and the races under the direction of the local Jockey Club are fashionable events where many notable horses have appeared. The receipts are in the neighborhood of $2,000,000 annually, the prizes in 1910 were over $400,000. The Hippodrome, established in 1888 at the suburb MaroÑas, may be reached by Cars 13, 17, and 51 after a 45 minutes’ ride, for the sum of 10 cts. Races occur on days of fiesta from the first Sunday in March to the middle of January. During the short vacation the horses rest and take sea-baths at Buceo beach near by. At the gala events, when 15,000 people may be present, elegant toilets are much in evidence, with many automobiles and carriages. The betting is said not to be carried to such an excess as in some other places, practiced not as a means of livelihood but as a pastime, as people bet only what they can afford. A members’ stand was recently erected at a cost of $60,000. In the same direction is the Parque Central, a ground for athletic sports, served by Cars 51 and 52 in 25 minutes at a cost of 6 cts. The people are fond of sports, and football is a high favorite; 10,000 persons may attend matches.

The Immigrants’ Hotel on Bella Vista Beach, opened July 18, 1908, is an excellent institution, capable of receiving 1000 guests, and containing all suitable offices.

In mentioning these points of interest several suburbs have been spoken of, but others should if possible be visited, as these form one of the great attractions of the city. One of the most enjoyable and important of these excursions is to the Cerro, a hill overlooking the bay, to be reached in 55 minutes by No. 16 car, fare 14 cts., or by ferry from the landing every half hour, fare 10 cts. It is well to go one way and return another. While the hill is not very high and is easily climbed it is notable for several reasons. It was the occasion of the name, Montevideo, I see a mountain; it is the first true hill on the banks of the Plata, and, far more wonderful, it is the last (so Mr. Koebel says), for over 1000 miles; since the river ParanÁ, as well as the Plata, flows through a very flat country and the next hill is close to AsunciÓn in Paraguay. Other hills there are in Uruguay and higher, but these are along the Atlantic coast and not on the rivers. From the Cerro there is a varied panorama, worth seeing if one has time to devote to the excursion—on one side the bay, the city on the promontory, lapping over on the mainland, the coast line, and the ocean slightly blue; on the other the level shore and the yellowish brown river.

Of the nearer suburbs the Paso Molino on the way to the Prado is one of the best residential districts. The suburb of ColÓn, car 41 (60 minutes, 14 cts.), is one of the prettiest; this car passes through Sayago suburb where the Agricultural Institute is situated. The ride is a charming one, with pretty quintas all along (houses set in their own gardens), and at ColÓn restaurants, pleasure gardens, and miles of avenues of stately eucalyptus trees.

Other Towns. If one has time for more distant excursions there are a number of places which deserve a visit, some of these more accessible from Buenos Aires. The old town of Colonia, to which boats often run from the Argentine capital, is across the river, and three miles from that old-fashioned, quiet city is a new resort called Real de San Carlos, where a great hotel is planned and where some attractions are already installed, a bull ring, though the fights are now discontinued, another ring for pelota, a fine, sandy bathing beach, a modest hotel.

The great Liebig Establishment, its products of world-wide fame, situated at Fray Bentos on the Uruguay River, is also easily visited from Buenos Aires. This Company, now with a capital of $5,000,000, with estancias in Paraguay and in several provinces of Argentina, established its first factory at Fray Bentos in 1865. Since that time, in addition to enormous development there, another large plant has been created, 10 miles farther up the river, but on the other side, in Argentina. Their beef extract, their Oxo capsules, and their Lemco have a deserved reputation the world over, as for these productions the best of meat only is used, instead of the leavings of poor or diseased meat said to be employed in some other establishments. All of the products are obliged to undergo a strict test in order to have the use of the Liebig name. For their employees, 1500 in number, pleasant homes are provided, medical attendance, schools for the children, recreation grounds, etc.

From Montevideo excursions may easily be made to two unique resorts in Maldonado, the next State east of Canelones in which the capital is situated. Both of them face the broad Atlantic, though still on the south shore. Especially should every lover of nature, of plants and trees, improve this opportunity. Not money-making pleasure-grounds are these, but each the labor of love of a Uruguayan gentleman of public spirit and of great wealth.

Punta Ballena has been converted into an Eden by Antonio D. Lussich, founder of the first life-saving station in America. A natural diversity has been intensified by art. The Point by a ridge is divided into two parts—on the east are green meadows, lakes, woods, and animals; on the west, nature is stern and savage with rocks and barren sands, grottoes, etc. On a height which commands a view of the Punta del Este, the sea, the Lobos Island and Lighthouse, SeÑor Lussich has constructed a residence with a beautiful garden in which roses are a specialty, and a wonderful park including among the reputed two million trees the finest collection of eucalyptus in South America, more than 100 varieties.

Piriapolis. Probably even more worthy of a visit is Piriapolis, to which a railroad has recently been opened. Francisco Piria, possessor of an immense estate in this region, in addition to beautifying a portion, has initiated a reform now being followed by others. He sells on easy terms to the poor considerable tracts for cultivation. The city which he has laid out on the seashore is called an enchanted region unlike any other. Surrounded by mountains in the form of a horse-shoe open to the sea, it is arranged with avenues 100 feet wide and with twenty plazas. A still wider avenue five miles long, in part macadamized, bordered by large trees, crosses the entire property. On the city streets are 40,000 tall eucalyptus trees twenty years old, arranged in perfect lines. The beach, the finest on La Plata River, beautifully smooth, so that children can bathe in safety, has an area of 150 acres. Around the city, and in one large grove are several million trees, 15 to 20 years old, some, 120 feet high. The hotel, called the finest in the country, has 140 elegantly furnished suites with great salons and dining hall, a portico 250 feet long. In front a beautiful park overlooks the ocean; at the sides is the Park of Roses, where SeÑor Piria has planted 30,000 rose trees. Besides these there are groves of willows, walks, and a trellis more than a quarter of a mile long, affording grateful shade. Close by is a Casino four stories high with a 300-foot front. An artesian well supplies daily 10,000 gallons of good water. All modern conveniences are provided, such as the latest electric and laundry devices.

Two hills separate this beach from the next. On Cerro Ingles is a Fountain of the Virgin, of mineral water which has constructed a stalactite grotto. On the Cerro de los Toros is another mineral spring. High up among grottoes and cascades, in a semi-circular wall of rocks, is a bronze bull of double size, weighing nearly three tons, with a stream of clear water from the rocks above issuing from its mouth. On the same hill is a Greek temple to Aphrodite 30 feet high, the cupola supported by six marble columns; in the center a bronze Venus with a jug under her arm from which will pour daily 5000 gallons of mineral water. All of the spring waters have been analyzed and pronounced good for dyspepsia. At the summit of this Cerro de los Toros is a kind of crater, at the bottom of which, to be seen only from the top of the hill, are woods and meadows. On the Pan de Azucar, one of the surrounding mountains, sheltered by a natural wall of granite, is a row of colossal palms. A chalet has here been erected for the benefit of youths making an excursion. On the Cerro Ingles as well, there is a chalet for tourists. The mountains around, of much interest, are also a source of great wealth, being composed of superb porphyry, black with veins red or white, red with black veins, green with white, about 50 beautiful varieties. The Pan de Azucar, nearly 2000 feet tall, alone is of rich granite, with blocks 200 and 250 feet high, from which monoliths may be taken. SeÑor Piria has in this section a ranch with blooded cattle, a tract of vineyards, a grove of 10,000 olive trees, and a chateau and other buildings erected at a cost of $100,000. The place is three hours from Montevideo by sea and now that it is accessible in two hours by rail, it will soon become widely known as a resort of extraordinary charms.