=Rivers.= The country is greatly favored with rivers. The Paraguay, 1800 miles long, rises in Matto Grosso, Brazil, near the source of the Tapajós, a branch of the Amazon. From the east the Paraguay receives several important streams. Below the Apá, the northern boundary, two tributaries, the Aquidabán and the Ipané, are nearly 200 miles long. More important is the navigable Jejui (all these north of Asunción); still more the Tebicuary, entering the Paraguay far south of Asunción by two mouths, one over one-half, the other over one-third of a mile in width. The Alto Paraná is different, a more rocky and a shallower stream than the Paraguay. From that country it has many affluents, the Monday over 100 miles long with great cataracts in the lower part but navigable above. The Paraná River, 2000 miles long to the mouth of the Uruguay, rises in Goyaz, 665 miles above the Sete Quedas. It is 100 miles more to the Iguassú, then 492 to Corrientes, and 676 beyond to the beginning of the La Plata. The rivers of the Chaco are more sluggish. Even the Pilcomayo is untraced in its middle course where vast swamps impede passage by land or water. The river is navigable in its lower reaches for a considerable distance, and the upper part is well known. The River Confuso is a smaller stream of similar character. Paraguay has few lakes save those swampy in character, but one, Lake Ipacaraí, east of Asunción, is a popular beauty spot, with pleasure and health resorts. Lake Ypoa is larger and both are navigable by boats of slight draft. CLIMATE The climate of the country is called ideal, that of course depending on one’s taste. In general it is subtropical with two seasons, the summer temperature averaging 81°, the winter 71° or less. The rainfall is fairly distributed, the most in the hot months, December to February. Sudden changes of weather occur; from hot, humid north winds, or cooling south winds from the Argentine plains. In places the winter temperature may fall to 33°-42°, even with frost, but not near the Paraná River where there are fogs. In summer the maximum temperature at Asunción occasionally reaches 100° or more, and there are 60 inches of rain; more farther east, but less in the Chaco. CHAPTER XL PARAGUAY: THE CAPITAL AND OTHER CITIES THE CAPITAL