Along the sandy coasts of Brazil another mineral, found of recent years to be of value, has been disposed. This is the peculiar monazite. There are, in addition, many other metals and minerals of commerce in various parts of the country: also petroleum. Perhaps the mining laws of Brazil have not been so favourable to the foreigner as those of the Spanish American Republics. The general economic policy of Brazil, one which with greater or less intensity seems to be set before the Government and the intelligent classes, is a scheme of self-supplying trade, commerce and production in general, to produce its own food supplies, to manufacture its own goods, to be less dependent in these matters on the outside world. The magnificent and varied resources of the country are such as, as far as material is concerned, would render this policy possible of fulfilment as time goes on. It has been said by some observers that the Brazilian hates trade. Be it as it may, the country is very highly protected in a fiscal sense. It is a wealthy land, and undoubtedly has before it a future of such life and importance as at present it is impossible to picture in detail, but which might well be one of prosperity. In Brazil there are innumerable matters of great interest, whether in town or country, whether in "the desert or the sown," which we have not space here to consider; and the traveller and observer will find material of the most varied and surprising nature to absorb his energies, be they in what field they may. To the south, Brazil merges into those distinctive regions of the great plains and rivers of the Plate, which we now enter. FOOTNOTES: [23] _Brazil_, op. cit. [24] _Brazil_, op. cit. [25] This is not the case among the business and commercial circles of Rio and San Paolo, where many of the women are educated in Paris and visit it yearly.--[TRANS.] [26] _Brazil_, op. cit. [27] Besides being grown in the great sugar centres, the sugar-cane is a staple crop in Brazil. It is most often used, not for the manufacture of sugar, which calls for a costly plant, but for the production of an alcohol, or sometimes a crude kind of sugar known as _rapa dura_, which is sometimes a kind of molasses, sometimes a sticky cake-sugar. [28] _Brazil_, op. cit. [29] _Brazil_, op. cit. [30] _Brazil_, op. cit. [31] _Brazil_, op. cit. CHAPTER XIII THE RIVER PLATE AND THE PAMPAS ARGENTINA, URUGUAY AND PARAGUAY