The war with Paraguay being ended, there is no doubt that the victory gained by Brazil opened wide the ports of Matto Grosso, for the natural declivity of the soil, the course of the streams, with the free river navigation, guaranteed by her triumph, established a regular line of packets between Rio de Janeiro, Corumbá and Cuyabá, by way of the River La Plata, passing by Montevideo, Buenos Ayres and Assumption. The fluvial ways of the Guaporé, Madeira and Amazon were constantly used in the Eighteenth Century, after the exploration made by Manoel de Lima in 1742. Navigation by the Guaporé river to the Madeira, in short to S. Antonio, which is the initial point of navigation on this last mentioned river, is long and full of difficulties. Withal, Matto Grosso is gradually approaching the coasts of Brazil by means of railroads, such as the Northwestern Road, which will shortly unite it with Rio de Janeiro, and the railroad, already projected, which, parting from S. Luiz de Caceres, will reach the old city of Matto Grosso, where the Guaporé begins to be navigable, to Guajará-Mirim, the terminal point of the great Madeira-Mamoré Railway. In a short time, as can readily be seen, these roads will be a reality, the navigable rivers being united by the stretches of railroads between them. The Paranápanema and the Ivahy in the States of Paraná and S. Paulo, continue on the one side of the Paraná River, ascending the Ivanhema, and the Brilhante, as far as the neighboring mountains of Miranda, in the meridional part of Matto Grosso. [Illustration: RUBBER FROM JACY PARANÁ OF FIDEL BACA & CO. READY TO BE PUT IN BOATS TO BE TAKEN TO A STATION OF THE MADEIRA MAMORÉ RAILWAY.] The magnificent regions of Matto Grosso promise in the near future, to be great centers of population and consequently a future focus of civilization by probable fusion of the different elements of immigration, which will certainly come together there in the flight of time, and the increased facilities in the way of transportation. Somewhere it has been said, that colonization without doubt will come from the South, from Paraguay and Argentina; but at the present time, with the completion of the Madeira-Mamoré Railway, undoubtedly colonization will also come from the North, communication being facilitated by the Amazon River, the Madeira being one of its tributaries, on the right bank of which is situated Porto Velho, the initial point of the Madeira-Mamoré Railway. These effects are already commencing to produce results as may be seen from founding of a new municipality and district of Matto Grosso, called the municipality of St. Antonio of the River Madeira, reached by the above-mentioned railway and to which region we will devote a special chapter later on. Already one sees the farthest northern side of Matto Grosso filling with people, while the southern side really contains the greater number of inhabitants.