A remarkable transformation in nature--The Valley of Eden--The gateway of the garden--An abrupt descent--From bare plain to sub-tropical forest--Picturesque scenery-- Eden station--Some curiosities of nomenclature--Beggary as a profession--The charity of the Latin lands--The cliffs of the valley--Varied aspects of the vegetation-- The everlasting sweet-pea--Some characteristics of the mountains--A land of tobacco--Negro cultivators--Appearance and dwellings of the coloured population--Some ethics of climate and costume--Tacuarembo--A centre of importance--A picturesque town--Scenes at the station--Some specimens of local humanity--A dandy of the Campo--The northern landscape--The African population--Nature and the hut--The tunnel of Bañada de Rocha--Paso del Cerro--On the Brazilian border--Rivera--A frontier town--Santa Ana--The Brazilian sister-township--A comparison between the two--View from a neighbouring hill--The rival claims to beauty of the Uruguayan and Brazilian towns. CHAPTER XVI HERE AND THERE IN URUGUAY 195 Uruguayan roads--A comparison with those of Argentina-- The benefits of stone--Some fine metalled highways--The road to San José--On the way to Pando--The journey as effected by motor-car--A smiling landscape--Distant sand-dunes--A spotless range--The mountains of Minas-- The town of Pando--A typical minor urban centre--The ending of the macadamised road--The track beyond--An abrupt change in the order of going--The bumps of the Campo--Piriapolis--A budding pleasure resort--Completeness of the enterprise--Eucalyptus forests--A vehicular wreck by the way--Unsuccessful Samaritans--The work of Señor Piria--The Castillo--An imposing home--View from the spot--The Pan de Azucar--A landscape of mountain, valley, forest, and sea--Architecture of the Castillo--Piriapolis Bay--A centre of future bathing--Preparations already effected--The hotel and casino--A wonderful feat of private enterprise--Afforestation--Encouragement of the industry by the Uruguayan Government--The work of Mr. Henry Burnett--The transformation of arid soil into fertile land--Commercial success of the venture--The Maldonodo sand-dunes--Fulgurites--A curiosity of the sands--Discoveries by Mr. C. E. R. Rowland. CHAPTER XVII MERCEDES AND THE SWISS COLONY 205