"We saw steamers from half the countries of Europe, and especially from England, taking in their cargoes at Rosario. It has fine and well-paved streets, which are provided with gas and railways, and lined with houses that would do honor to any city of its size in North America; ships of any draught may lie close up to the high bluff on which it stands, and there is no occasion for building expensive docks. There are several railways running to the interior of the republic, and one of them is intended to traverse the Andes, and connect with the Chilian lines to the Pacific coast. "The Salada, the first great tributary of the Parana from the west, joins the main stream about three hundred and fifty miles above its mouth. We made several stops at towns and cattle estates between Rosario and Corrientes, which is a prosperous place on the east bank of the Parana, just below its junction with the Paraguay River. It is a port of entry, like Rosario, and has a good deal of foreign commerce; many German and English merchants are established here, and are getting almost a monopoly of the foreign trade. [Illustration: INDIANS OF THE "GRAN CHACO."] "At Corrientes we saw several Chaco Indians, who are the aboriginals of this region. The country on the west bank is known as _El Gran Chaco_; and though part of it has been settled, there is a very large region still in the hands of the Indians. Unlike their brethren lower down, they remain independent or nearly so; they do not disturb the whites unless first interfered with, and then they are ready for battle. Many a soldier of Paraguay and the Argentine Republic has fallen before their lances and arrows in the last fifty years. "One day, when the steamer was running close to the west bank of the river, we saw a group of horsemen darting among the trees. Inspection with our glasses showed them to be Indians, and the captain confirmed our observation. As we went slowly on they got up a sort of race with the steamer, and gave us a good chance to see them. All were on horseback, men, women, and children; they had neither saddles nor bridles, but guided their horses with thongs, which were fastened around the lower jaws. They shouted and gesticulated for us to stop, but we had no business with them, as they had nothing which the steamer's people wanted to buy. [Illustration: BATTLE WITH CHACO INDIANS.] "They are formidable enemies in war, as they are fearless and skilled horsemen, quite the equals of the Comanches or other wild men of our western plains. In their fights with the Paraguayan troops they have been known to stand up on the backs of their horses to resist an attack; just as the attacking force was within shooting distance they dropped astride of their animals, and with wild whoops dashed forward, creating a stampede among the frightened horses of their enemies, and making a scene of wild disorder. [Illustration: INDIANS OF THE LENQUA, RIVER PLATE.]