URUGUAY
The country of Uruguay has the distinction of being the youngest,
and the smallest in area, of all of the South American Republics. It
must not, however, be inferred that it is therefore the most
backward. On the contrary, its financial reputation is of the best,
its bonds selling in Europe at par and above, while the population
to the square mile is greater than that of any other country in
South America. Although small, indeed, by the side of its neighbors,
Brazil and Argentina, it is twice the size of Portugal and about the
same size as New England combined with Maryland; a trifle smaller
than the Brazilian State of São Paulo, or than our State of
Nebraska.
HISTORY
While the very first landing in the Plata River section was
naturally made in this country, Juan Diaz de Solis with fifty of
his followers here going ashore in 1515, unfortunately to meet
death at the hands of hostile Indians, the permanent settlement
of Montevideo was delayed until December 24, 1726. The Charrua
Indians inhabiting the country seem to have been a particularly
fierce tribe, and several attempts at settlement in various
places resulted disastrously. In the seventeenth century, a
number of colonies had been established by the Franciscans and
Jesuits, including one at Colonia, which site with the country
in general, at that time called the Banda Oriental, was long a
bone of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese.
After the _Junta_ of Buenos Aires had in 1810 established its
rule within its own borders, Montevideo was for a short time the
seat of the Spanish Viceroy; but the people of Uruguay soon
became eager for independence and under the leadership of
Artigas a war was waged for years, sometimes against the
Spanish, then against the Portuguese, and even the Porteños of
Buenos Aires. After the destruction of the Spanish fleet by
Admiral Brown, Montevideo, June 20, 1814, surrendered to the
besieging army, and the Spanish power on the River Plata was
ended. General Alvear of Buenos Aires, for a short time in
command, presently withdrew leaving the city in the hands of one
of Artigas’ lieutenants, the General remaining in camp on the
Uruguay River. In 1816 the Portuguese from Brazil invaded the
country, and Artigas was finally obliged to take refuge in
Paraguay.
When in 1824 the power of Spain was finally destroyed on the
whole continent, Uruguay alone was destitute of independence. In
the midst of rejoicing at Buenos Aires over the victory of
Ayacucho, Lavalleja, who had earlier distinguished himself
against the Spaniards, and other exiles from Uruguay were moved
to free their own country from foreign dominion. It was a small
band of thirty-three men, Treinta y Tres, now a popular name in
Uruguay, that set out from Buenos Aires for the invasion of that
country. Having crossed the Uruguay River, they soon obtained
forty recruits and after a brief skirmish with the Portuguese
forces took the town of Dolores. General Rivera, sent against
Lavalleja, forsook the Brazilian service and with his men joined
the patriots. Soon the whole of Uruguay was in arms, an
independent government was established at Florida. The
Portuguese fleet was later defeated by the Argentine Admiral
Brown, and a series of victories culminating in the battle of
Ituzaingó, which made the expulsion of the Portuguese seem
inevitable, incited Lavalleja in October, 1827, to proclaim
himself Dictator, though in July, 1828, he voluntarily resigned
the office. In August both Argentina and Brazil acknowledged the
independence of Uruguay and on May 1, 1829, the national
authorities made a formal entry into Montevideo.
After a constitution had been adopted, July 18, 1830, the
National Assembly in October elected Rivera, President, to the
great disgust of Lavalleja who at once plotted against the
government. Rivera, however, twice drove him from the country
into Brazil and served his term of four years. The second
President was General Oribe, one of the Thirty-three, who
combined with Lavalleja against Rivera and, with the assistance
of the Argentine Dictator Rosas, defeated him in a battle which
was of especial historical importance from the fact that the red
and white colors were used to distinguish the forces, ever since
emblems of bitter strife as the badges of the two parties called
_Colorados_, Reds, and _Blancos_, Whites, the former that of
Rivera, the latter of Oribe.
Fighting was almost continuous until the fall of Rosas in 1851.
Giro became the fourth President in 1852 but in 1853 revolts
began again. The deaths of Rivera and Lavalleja about this time
had no effect in promoting peace. Strife continued until in
February, 1865, Flores, having obtained the active support of
Brazil and entered Montevideo, was made Dictator of the
Republic. Then little Paraguay, previously asked to interfere,
jealous of Brazil’s power, continued the fight. And Paraguay,
with her army of 80,000 men, might have been equal to any _one_
of the countries alone. During this war Flores, who was of the
Colorado party, was assassinated in Montevideo, a terrible
visitation of cholera occurred in 1868, and a financial crisis
that ruined thousands in 1869. Troubles were incessant and up to
the present time hardly a single President has had an entirely
peaceful term. That after this prolonged condition of
turbulence, the Republic shows so remarkable a degree of
development and prosperity is wonderful indeed.
As to the country in general, it may be said that while it possesses
no striking features such as lofty mountains or great waterfalls, it
is a beautifully diversified region, with no flat or desert land,
but with low ridges, valleys, and rolling plains, in some parts well
wooded. It is admirably adapted for grazing and agricultural
products. The climate is healthful and delightful, the population,
numbering about 1,300,000, is more homogeneous than in most of the
Republics, and forms an enterprising and progressive nation.
MONTEVIDEO
HOTELS. _Pyramides_, Sarandí corner Ituzaingó; _Grand Hotel
Lanatta_, Sarandí 325; _Central_, 25 de Mayo, 245; _Oriental_,
Solis, corner Piedras; _Palacio_, Calle Florida; _Globe_, 25 de
Agosto and Colón. In the suburbs, _Parque Urbano_, and
_Pocitos_.
Excellent electric cars and service. Fare in center of the city,
4 cents, farther out 6, 8, 10, and to Colón, 14 cts. _Carriage
fare_ $1.00 or $1.50 an hour. _Post Office_, Sarandí 207.
Postage, letters to United States or Europe, 8 cents; cards, 2
cents.
Uruguay dollars, _pesos_, are worth a little more than the
American; $10.00 United States currency equals $9.66 Uruguay. Or
$1.00 Uruguay equals about $1.04 of our money.
The office of the United States Minister is on the 18 de Julio,
221, that of the American Consul in Treinta y Tres, 53. The
British Legation is at 445, 25 de Mayo, the Consulate at 20
Paraná.
On landing at Montevideo a carriage may be taken to the hotel
preferred, or decision reserved until they have been inspected. No
one in the center of the city is pre-eminent but several will be
found satisfactory except to the hyper-critical. First may be
mentioned the _Pyramides Hotel_ on Sarandí at the corner of
Ituzaingó, near the Plaza Constitución, highly spoken of. Well known
is the _Grand Hotel Lanatta_ facing the same plaza; the _Oriental
Hotel_, the _Central_, the _Globe_, the _Florida_, are all
available, close to the center of the city.
A clean, homelike, and agreeable city is Montevideo, most attractive
as a place of residence, and preferred by many to the great
metropolis farther up the river, with its million more inhabitants.
About the size of our own capital, Washington, it is large enough
for all practical purposes, and is the home of a wide-awake
community. Several days should be devoted to the various objects of
interest, which include parks, suburban and seaside resorts of great
beauty and elegance.
Sight-seeing may be commenced with a stroll in the center of the
city, after which excursions by car or carriage will be in order. As
in Buenos Aires, the cars are conveniently numbered, which renders
the service especially valuable to strangers.
_Plaza Constitución_, sometimes called the Matríz, is a good place
to begin. Of the twelve large plazas, this, with several others, has
a pretty garden occupying the center. On the east side is the
_Cabildo_, a quaint old building now used for the Legislative
Assemblies, the only building of historic importance in the city,
which is practically all new. Opposite is the _Cathedral_ with
towers 133 feet high. To the handsome interior, paintings and other
decorations have recently been added, and there is a sweet-toned
organ. On the south side next to the Lanatta Hotel is the _Uruguay
Club_, which is handsomely housed, its imposing salon for receptions
and balls the occasional rendezvous of the _élite_ of the city. On
the north side of the plaza is the home of the _English Club_.
On the _Plaza Independencia_ not far away, reached by the calle
Sarandí, is the Government Palace containing the offices of the
President and Ministers, presently to be superseded by a splendid
structure on the principal avenue, 18 de Julio. Just off the corner
of this plaza is the _Solis Theater_, with a handsome Ionic front, a
rather ancient building for Montevideo, more than fifty years old,
its right wing housing the Museum. The theater which has recently
been remodeled, now seating over 3000, is one of the fine
establishments of South America, though rivaled in Montevideo by the
newer theater Urquiza, corner of Andes and Mercedes, which was
inaugurated by Bernhardt in 1905. In one or the other of these have
appeared nearly all of the most noted European artists, at least of
the Latin races, stars of the drama and of the opera both. The
people are great lovers of the theater and more than 2000
performances are given in a single year with about two million
spectators.
The _Museum_ includes a considerable collection of specimens of the
natural history and geology of the country; many relics of the
native Indian tribes now altogether extinct, such as hundreds of
stone bolos and other weapons, with primitive utensils; souvenirs of
the colonial wars, and some paintings by artists of Uruguay and
Europe.
The new _Legislative Palace_ on the Avenida Agraciada is a
magnificent building with two fine plazas in the front and the rear,
and space on all sides. The basement will contain fire-proof
chambers for the archives, and rooms for lighting, heat, and
service. The ground floor has a great vestibule and a corridor 55
feet wide extending to the rear of the building, crossed by three
others 10 or 12 feet wide. Near the entrance are quarters for the
guard of honor, and farther in are rooms for police, telephone and
telegraph, wardrobes, and other purposes. On the front a great
marble staircase 55 feet wide leads up from the ground to the
entrance on the main floor. Pedestals with costly bronze statues are
designed to divide the staircase into three sections. Two ramps, one
on each side of the stairway, permit the ascent of vehicles to the
main entrance in front of a large hall, Pasos Perdidos, 55 feet wide
and 160 long, embellished with columns, and with a staircase leading
to the floor above. The two large chambers for the Senate and the
Representatives, one on each side, are 66 feet in diameter and two
stories in height, with galleries for the Press and the public. In
the front of the building are salons for the President and the
Ministers, with private rooms, and at the sides and back are rooms
for the officials of Congress. The design was one of the Argentine
architect, Meano, modified to suit local taste and conditions. The
building, which was to cost $2,000,000, is expected to be complete
in 1914.
[Illustration:
NEW LEGISLATIVE PALACE, MONTEVIDEO
]
Other interesting buildings are those of the _University_, the
School of Arts and Trades, and the Agricultural Institute. There are
two groups of new University buildings, erected at a cost of
$2,000,000; the one on the Ave. 18 de Julio containing the central
offices of administration with the _Schools of Law and Commerce_,
the other, the several buildings containing the Medical School, the
Chemistry Building, and housings for the Institute of Hygiene,
Physiology, etc. The _Administration Building_ occupies an entire
block between Caigna and Yaro, where formerly was the School of Arts
and Trades. Of classical Italian architecture, with two stories and
a high basement, it contains ten class rooms seating from 50 to 100
each, two halls seating 200, and one accommodating 800. There is a
law library of 30,000 volumes, one of the best in South America,
while for the present the _National Library_ also is in the
building. The large _high school_ occupies a handsome structure
covering most of the block south, facing on Lavalleja. It is well
fitted up with laboratories, gymnasium with baths and rest room,
class rooms light and airy, and with all modern scholarly and
hygienic equipment.
The _Medical School_ occupies the block formerly the Plaza Sarandí,
being surrounded by the streets Uruguayana, Ladislao Terra, Yatay
and Marelino Sosa, not far from the new Congressional Palace. There
are three separate buildings which are arranged and fitted up in a
style which would meet the demands of such an institution anywhere.
The central part of the main building is occupied by the various
offices, council chamber, library, and reading room, a hall seating
1000, etc.; one wing is devoted to the Institute of Physiology, the
other to that of Anatomy. The _Department of Chemistry_ has a fine
building on Ladislao Terra and Yatay, the _Department of Hygiene_,
one on Ladislao Terra and Uruguayana.
Other Schools which might be connected with the University but which
have a distinct organization are the Agricultural and the
_Veterinary_. The latter is a little farther out on one of the
principal avenues of the outer city, the Larrañaga, with grounds
covering 30 acres. It will ultimately include a number of buildings
for the various departments, Laboratories, Clinics, Autopsies, etc.,
but at present is confined to laboratories, class rooms, and hall
for clinics. The _School of Agriculture_ is a fine large building in
the suburb of Sayago, 45 minutes by electrics from the center of the
city, fare 10 cents. The edifice contains excellent laboratories,
class rooms, and general offices, and is doing an important work of
great value to the country. The four-story building near the harbor
landing, formerly occupied by the University, is now used as an
Engineering School.
A _Pedagogical Museum_ of considerable interest to one with some
knowledge of educational problems and work, is on the north side of
the Plaza Libertad next to the _Athenaeum_, an institution of much
literary and scientific importance in Montevideo.
Another educational edifice which some may be glad to visit is one
which houses both the _Military Academy_ and the _Naval School_. The
situation is a convenient one on the edge of the city with grounds
covering 30 acres, yet only 15 minutes by electric car from the
center of the town. The building with a façade 250 feet long fronts
on Ave. Garibaldi, but sets back 60 feet allowing space for a pretty
garden. In the left wing are the class rooms of the Military School,
in the right those of the Naval. On the next floor are dormitories,
baths, etc. In the center are rooms common to both, a casino,
fencing-room, and a large hall for festal occasions. Above is a
tower with steel cupola for the Astronomical Observatory. In the
rear are great depots, naval and military, a large gymnasium, a
swimming tank, 100 by 150 feet, stables, hospitals, a riding course,
athletic field, etc. On the inside, covered galleries permit passage
from one building to another in the rain; the U shaped constructions
surround a large space ornamented with trees. There is excellent
ventilation in the main building, windows on both sides, so that in
class and in the infirmary each student enjoys much more air space
than the highest amount prescribed.
The _School of Arts and Trades_ in San Salvador street, between
Minas and Magallanes, may be reached by cars 36 and 46.
Other institutions which may be visited are the _Penitentiary_, the
Markets, and the Cemeteries. The first may not interest every
tourist; but if one desires to see a model construction of this
category, arranged according to the most modern tenets of penal
science and of hygiene, the opportunity here presented should be
seized. It has a fine situation near the river on Punta Carreta (30
minutes by Car No. 35, fare 8 cts.), especially open to the
southeast winds well ventilating courts and interiors. The
rectangular plan was preferred to the radial. Back of the
administration building is the entrance to the prison proper, which
is surrounded by a great wall nearly 40 feet high. Here a military
guard is placed. On one side of a central corridor is the kitchen
and bakery, on the other, the laundry. Separated by a large court
from these is the prison house with 384 well lighted cells, each 13
feet long, 8 wide, and over 10 feet high, furnished with iron
folding bed, book shelf, bench, and porcelain bowl and seat. Opening
on a corridor 20 feet wide, the cells are arranged in 4 stories, to
which lead marble and iron staircases and elevators. Fifty baths are
at the service of the prisoners, who may choose either warm water or
sea water for their ablutions. Workshops of eight classes are
provided for the convicts: iron and tin work, carpentry, broom and
shoe making, printing, and book binding. Two patios, 160 by 220
feet, afford space for recreation, and there is room within the
enclosure for two more prison houses if at any time they are needed.
Every one likes to see _Markets_ if not prisons. Of these there are
four, most important, the new market _Agricola_ for wholesale trade,
built of iron except for the base wall, and roofed with glass
according to the Dion system, the construction covering 65,000
square feet with a central height of 72 feet. Provision is made for
the entrance and circulation of carts; four galleries 45 feet wide
surrounding the large central open space provide shelter for
attendants and for the service of the market.
Of the four cemeteries, the _Central_ at the foot of Yaguaron street
is called the best; the _Buceo_, which is the largest, may be
reached by Car 39, and by Car 38 which runs to the suburb _Union_,
passing the Buceo and the beautiful _British_ Cemetery adjoining.
All of these are finely situated on a bluff above the water. They
are adorned with trees and flowers, and contain many fine monuments,
some of which are sculptured by noted artists.
The Parks and Watering Places, most important features of Montevideo
life, have perhaps been left too long; they are attractions of the
highest rank which no one should overlook, however short his stay.
The largest and finest park is called the _Prado_, which contains
also the _National Botanical Gardens_. One may here roam for miles
among immense magnificent trees, half a century old, sheltering
smaller palms and bamboos, flowering shrubs, and beautiful gardens;
here too are lakes and grottoes, vegetation of cool and of warmer
climes, a region more delightful on account of the hills and hollows
with which it is diversified, in pleasing contrast to the flatness
of the Argentine shore. The park, which is surrounded by villas and
chalets, is approached by three fine avenues and may be reached by
three lines of cars, 2, 44, and 47 (8 cts. fare) in 25 minutes.
A little nearer the city and on the other side, close to the ocean,
is _Parque Urbano_, served in a ride of 20 minutes by six lines of
cars, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 33, 36, and 46, with 4 cts. fare. This is a most
popular recreation ground, a large park with trees, flowers, lakes,
pretty bridges, etc., a great circular avenue, a theater of
novelties, and near the entrance on the side towards the sea a
_pavilion_ where popcorn is made and sold by a fine young man and
his happy looking wife, both from the United States. Popcorn is a
new and popular article of food for the natives; every _American_
will certainly wish to buy some. Business is good and the young
couple enjoy the place and the people, though now expecting to come
home some day. The seashore in front is called _Playa Ramirez_, a
fine bathing resort. On the sands stand a multitude of little
bath-houses on wheels, which a horse draws out into the water, thus
permitting less display of gay bathing costumes or of bathers than
on our own beaches, a custom with obvious advantages. The men
generally go in on one side of the iron pier, the women and children
on the other.
Close to the Park and the Beach is an imposing hotel and casino,
four stories high, the _Urbano_, with 300 rooms, a great dining
hall, and other salons, called the finest and most luxurious hotel
in South America. It was erected at a cost of $600,000, and since it
was opened in 1909 it has been a point of attraction to many of the
best Argentine society, as well as to the people of Uruguay.
[Illustration:
SOLIS THEATRE
]
[Illustration:
GOVERNMENT PALACE
]
_Pocitos_, a little farther out, is another much frequented bathing
resort. The Thursday and Sunday concerts at both beaches attract
thousands. In the vicinity are many fine residences. A splendid
esplanade along the shore leads to _Trouville_, another beach
beyond. Pocitos, the most fashionable of the resorts, also has a
hotel of the first rank.
On the port side of the city many improvements have been made and
more are planned. Along the south side of the promontory a fine
esplanade is to be constructed to extend also along the east shore
to Ramirez and Pocitos in the manner of the Avenida Beira Mar at Rio
de Janeiro. Pocitos, a 30 minutes’ run, is served by the cars 31 and
37, fare 8 cts.
Under the head of parks may be included the _Zoological Gardens_ at
Villa Dolores (cars 38 and 39, time 20 minutes, fare 8 cts.), a
private property, but open to the public for a small fee. In
addition to a considerable collection of animals, unusually
extensive in the line of birds and domestic fowls, there are various
artistic features, artificial grottoes, lakes, waterfalls, imitation
of classical ruins, etc. A rather original feature is a little
cemetery of various animals, their graves marked by life-size
sculptures: lions, dogs, a rabbit, a cock, even a huge anaconda, a
curious collection. The entrance fees are devoted to charitable
institutions of the city.
The _Hippodrome_ and horse races, if not quite equaling the grand
display at Buenos Aires, are in excellent style; the accommodations
are elegant and luxurious, and the races under the direction of the
local Jockey Club are fashionable events where many notable horses
have appeared. The receipts are in the neighborhood of $2,000,000
annually, the prizes in 1910 were over $400,000. The Hippodrome,
established in 1888 at the suburb Maroñas, may be reached by Cars
13, 17, and 51 after a 45 minutes’ ride, for the sum of 10 cts.
Races occur on days of _fiesta_ from the first Sunday in March to
the middle of January. During the short vacation the horses rest and
take sea-baths at Buceo beach near by. At the gala events, when
15,000 people may be present, elegant toilets are much in evidence,
with many automobiles and carriages. The betting is said not to be
carried to such an excess as in some other places, practiced not as
a means of livelihood but as a pastime, as people bet only what they
can afford. A members’ stand was recently erected at a cost of
$60,000. In the same direction is the _Parque Central_, a ground for
athletic sports, served by Cars 51 and 52 in 25 minutes at a cost of
6 cts. The people are fond of sports, and football is a high
favorite; 10,000 persons may attend matches.
The _Immigrants’ Hotel_ on Bella Vista Beach, opened July 18, 1908,
is an excellent institution, capable of receiving 1000 guests, and
containing all suitable offices.
In mentioning these points of interest several suburbs have been
spoken of, but others should if possible be visited, as these form
one of the great attractions of the city. One of the most enjoyable
and important of these excursions is to the _Cerro_, a hill
overlooking the bay, to be reached in 55 minutes by No. 16 car, fare
14 cts., or by ferry from the landing every half hour, fare 10 cts.
It is well to go one way and return another. While the hill is not
very high and is easily climbed it is notable for several reasons.
It was the occasion of the name, Montevideo, _I see a mountain_; it
is the first true hill on the banks of the Plata, and, far more
wonderful, it is the last (so Mr. Koebel says), for over 1000 miles;
since the river Paraná, as well as the Plata, flows through a very
flat country and the next hill is close to Asunción in Paraguay.
Other hills there are in Uruguay and higher, but these are along the
Atlantic coast and not on the rivers. From the Cerro there is a
varied panorama, worth seeing if one has time to devote to the
excursion—on one side the bay, the city on the promontory, lapping
over on the mainland, the coast line, and the ocean slightly blue;
on the other the level shore and the yellowish brown river.
Of the nearer suburbs the Paso Molino on the way to the Prado is one
of the best residential districts. The suburb of Colón, car 41 (60
minutes, 14 cts.), is one of the prettiest; this car passes through
Sayago suburb where the Agricultural Institute is situated. The ride
is a charming one, with pretty _quintas_ all along (houses set in
their own gardens), and at Colón restaurants, pleasure gardens, and
miles of avenues of stately eucalyptus trees.
=Other Towns.= If one has time for more distant excursions there are
a number of places which deserve a visit, some of these more
accessible from Buenos Aires. The old town of _Colonia_, to which
boats often run from the Argentine capital, is across the river, and
three miles from that old-fashioned, quiet city is a new resort
called _Real de San Carlos_, where a great hotel is planned and
where some attractions are already installed, a bull ring, though
the fights are now discontinued, another ring for _pelota_, a fine,
sandy bathing beach, a modest hotel.
The great _Liebig Establishment_, its products of world-wide fame,
situated at Fray Bentos on the Uruguay River, is also easily visited
from Buenos Aires. This Company, now with a capital of $5,000,000,
with _estancias_ in Paraguay and in several provinces of Argentina,
established its first factory at _Fray Bentos_ in 1865. Since that
time, in addition to enormous development there, another large plant
has been created, 10 miles farther up the river, but on the other
side, in Argentina. Their beef extract, their Oxo capsules, and
their Lemco have a deserved reputation the world over, as for these
productions the best of meat only is used, instead of the leavings
of poor or diseased meat said to be employed in some other
establishments. All of the products are obliged to undergo a strict
test in order to have the use of the Liebig name. For their
employees, 1500 in number, pleasant homes are provided, medical
attendance, schools for the children, recreation grounds, etc.
From Montevideo excursions may easily be made to two unique resorts
in Maldonado, the next State east of Canelones in which the capital
is situated. Both of them face the broad Atlantic, though still on
the south shore. Especially should every lover of nature, of plants
and trees, improve this opportunity. Not money-making
pleasure-grounds are these, but each the labor of love of a
Uruguayan gentleman of public spirit and of great wealth.
=Punta Ballena= has been converted into an Eden by Antonio D.
Lussich, founder of the first life-saving station in America. A
natural diversity has been intensified by art. The Point by a ridge
is divided into two parts—on the east are green meadows, lakes,
woods, and animals; on the west, nature is stern and savage with
rocks and barren sands, grottoes, etc. On a height which commands a
view of the Punta del Este, the sea, the Lobos Island and
Lighthouse, Señor Lussich has constructed a residence with a
beautiful garden in which roses are a specialty, and a wonderful
park including among the reputed two million trees the finest
collection of eucalyptus in South America, more than 100 varieties.
=Piriapolis.= Probably even more worthy of a visit is Piriapolis, to
which a railroad has recently been opened. Francisco Piria,
possessor of an immense estate in this region, in addition to
beautifying a portion, has initiated a reform now being followed by
others. He sells on easy terms to the poor considerable tracts for
cultivation. The city which he has laid out on the seashore is
called an enchanted region unlike any other. Surrounded by mountains
in the form of a horse-shoe open to the sea, it is arranged with
avenues 100 feet wide and with twenty plazas. A still wider avenue
five miles long, in part macadamized, bordered by large trees,
crosses the entire property. On the city streets are 40,000 tall
eucalyptus trees twenty years old, arranged in perfect lines. The
beach, the finest on La Plata River, beautifully smooth, so that
children can bathe in safety, has an area of 150 acres. Around the
city, and in one large grove are several million trees, 15 to 20
years old, some, 120 feet high. The hotel, called the finest in the
country, has 140 elegantly furnished suites with great salons and
dining hall, a portico 250 feet long. In front a beautiful park
overlooks the ocean; at the sides is the _Park of Roses_, where
Señor Piria has planted 30,000 rose trees. Besides these there are
groves of willows, walks, and a trellis more than a quarter of a
mile long, affording grateful shade. Close by is a Casino four
stories high with a 300-foot front. An artesian well supplies daily
10,000 gallons of good water. All modern conveniences are provided,
such as the latest electric and laundry devices.
Two hills separate this beach from the next. On _Cerro Ingles_ is a
Fountain of the Virgin, of mineral water which has constructed a
stalactite grotto. On the _Cerro de los Toros_ is another mineral
spring. High up among grottoes and cascades, in a semi-circular wall
of rocks, is a bronze bull of double size, weighing nearly three
tons, with a stream of clear water from the rocks above issuing from
its mouth. On the same hill is a Greek temple to Aphrodite 30 feet
high, the cupola supported by six marble columns; in the center a
bronze Venus with a jug under her arm from which will pour daily
5000 gallons of mineral water. All of the spring waters have been
analyzed and pronounced good for dyspepsia. At the summit of this
_Cerro de los Toros_ is a kind of crater, at the bottom of which, to
be seen only from the top of the hill, are woods and meadows. On the
_Pan de Azucar_, one of the surrounding mountains, sheltered by a
natural wall of granite, is a row of colossal palms. A chalet has
here been erected for the benefit of youths making an excursion. On
the Cerro Ingles as well, there is a chalet for tourists. The
mountains around, of much interest, are also a source of great
wealth, being composed of superb porphyry, black with veins red or
white, red with black veins, green with white, about 50 beautiful
varieties. The Pan de Azucar, nearly 2000 feet tall, alone is of
rich granite, with blocks 200 and 250 feet high, from which
monoliths may be taken. Señor Piria has in this section a ranch with
blooded cattle, a tract of vineyards, a grove of 10,000 olive trees,
and a chateau and other buildings erected at a cost of $100,000. The
place is three hours from Montevideo by sea and now that it is
accessible in two hours by rail, it will soon become widely known as
a resort of extraordinary charms.
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