We have now arrived at the place where the Uruguay, a river of the first magnitude, submits to the Parana. It rises in the mountains of Brazil, between the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth degrees of latitude, in the Captaincy of St. Vicente, (according to Bourgainville,) and flows for the space of full two hundred leagues; the rocks and cataracts with which it is here and there impeded render navigation extremely difficult, even to middle-sized skiffs. The largest of all the cataracts blocks up the whole river at the Guarany town Yapeyù, and denies a passage to skiffs coming from the port of Buenos-Ayres, so that the sailors are obliged to carry them on their shoulders by land, in order that they may proceed on their journey. It is proper in this place to describe that kind of vessel in use amongst the Uruguayan Indians, and which in the Spanish language is called _balsa_. Two very large boats, sometimes seventy feet long, are firmly joined together with cross-planks, and over them they strew reeds carefully matted by way of a pavement. In the midst a little reed hut is erected, covered with bulls' hides to defend it from the inclemencies of the weather. Oars, not sails, are made use of, both in going up and down the stream, with more security than despatch. There is, moreover, need of many rowers; in all directions you meet with islands rich in palms, citrons, peaches and various other trees, but which abound likewise in tigers, serpents and other wild animals either dangerous, or fit for food. The immense rocks, of which these cataracts are composed, being blasted, were indeed hurled aloft into the air, but falling back again into the river, obstructed the passage of even the smallest vessels. Thus remedies are often worse than the disease itself. The most considerable rivers which flow into the Uruguay on the western shore are the Yapucà, the Piguirỹ, or Pepirỹ, the Guanumbacà, the Acaranà, the Mborore, much celebrated for the victory I related to you gained by the Guaranies over the Mamalukes, the Aguapeỹ, the Miriñaỹ, flowing from the lake Ỹbera, the Vaccaretâ, the Timboỹ, the Gualeguaỹ, the Rio de los Topes, the Yaguarỹ-guazù. All these rivers are joined in their course by lesser streams. The Uruguay receives, on the east, the waters of the Uruguaỹ-mir̂i, the Uruguaỹ-pîtà, or the little, and red Uruguay, the Ỹribobà, the Rio St. Juan, the Ñucorà, the Yaguarapè, the Yyuỹ, the Piritinỹ, the Ỹcabagua, the Mbutuy, the Toropỹ, after its junction with the Ybicuỹ, the Guaraỹ, the Tebiguarỹ, the Lechiguana, the Rio San Salvador. In this neighbourhood, the Rio Negro, famed for the excellence and abundance of its waters, enters the Uruguay a little before that river unites with the Parana, at La Punta Gorda. From such a number of uniting streams you may arrive at an idea of the magnitude of the Uruguay.