THE SOUTH AMERICAN SERIES
URUGUAY
_BY THE SAME AUTHOR_
ARGENTINA, PAST AND PRESENT.
PORTUGAL: ITS LAND AND PEOPLE.
MADEIRA OLD AND NEW.
MODERN ARGENTINA.
ETC., ETC.
[Illustration: CATHEDRAL: MONTEVIDEO.
Frontispiece.]
URUGUAY
BY
W. H. KOEBEL
AUTHOR OF
"ARGENTINA, PAST AND PRESENT," "PORTUGAL: ITS LAND AND PEOPLE,"
ETC.
WITH A MAP AND 55 ILLUSTRATIONS
T. FISHER UNWIN
LONDON LEIPSIC
ADELPHI TERRACE INSELSTRASSE 20
MCMXI
(_All rights reserved._)
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
The author has to tender his cordial thanks for the extreme courtesy
and for the invaluable assistance rendered during his stay in the
country by the Uruguayan officials, and by the British Minister
Plenipotentiary, Mr. J. R. Kennedy.
He is desirous of expressing the obligations under which he has been
placed by Mr. C. E. R. Rowland, British Consul at Montevideo, for
general assistance and information on the seal fisheries; Señor José
H. Figueira, for the description of the aboriginal tribes; Señor Ramos
Montero, for the commercial technicalities of the pastoral industry;
and Mr. V. Hinde, for the paper on the British railways in Uruguay.
Thanks are due to a number of British residents, both in Montevideo
and the Campo, greater than it is possible to enumerate individually.
The author would more especially acknowledge the courtesy of Messrs.
Stapledon, W. J. Maclean, H. Hall-Hall, C. W. Baine, Temple, R. Booth,
Piria, Adams, R. B. Harwar, L. L. Mercer, Warren, and J. Storm.
Mr. R. A. Bennett, who accompanied the author for the purpose of
photography, displayed an unremitting zeal that must be gratefully
recognised. He is responsible for much of the information on Mercedes,
the Swiss colony, and the frontier town of Rivera.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
SURVEY 27
Geographical situation of the Republic--Boundaries and
area--Uruguay as an historical, commercial, and
financial centre--The respective positions of Uruguay
and Paraguay--Disadvantages of a buffer State--A land
of sunshine and shadow--The history of Uruguay--The
blending of industry and warfare--Vitality of the
nation--Instances of self-sacrifice--A South American
Switzerland--A freedom-loving folk--Deeds of arms and
the undercurrents of commerce--Montevideo in the eyes of
the casual traveller--Factors that make for the progress
of the Banda Oriental--Influence of railway--Coming
cessation of the North American beef shipments--
Temperament of the Uruguayan--Distinction between
Argentine and Uruguayan politics--The clans of the
Banda Oriental--The birthright of party convictions--
Education in Uruguay--National points of honour--Liberty
accorded the foreigner--The courtesy of officials--An
incident at the customs-house--Popularity of the
English--A gratifying situation--Satisfactory international
relations--The work of Mr. R. J. Kennedy, the British
Minister Plenipotentiary--Uruguay's pacific foreign
policy--Careful finance--Army and navy--General
progress of the nation.
CHAPTER II
HISTORY 37
The discovery of Uruguay--Reception by the Indians--Juan
de Solis and his fate--Navigation of the River Plate--
Serrano and Magellanes--Rivalry between Spaniards and
Portuguese--The first settlement in the Banda Oriental--
Aggressive tactics of the Indians--Forts destroyed by
them--Colonisation under difficulties--The introduction
of cattle--A prophetic move--Intervention of the
missionaries--Jesuit settlements established--Uruguay's
isolation comes to an end--Influence of the livestock--
Cattle-raiders--The first Portuguese invasion--Victory
of the Spaniards, assisted by native auxiliaries--Treaties
and their attendant troubles--The indecision of old
Spain--Partial extermination of the Indians--The town
of Colonia as a bone of contention--Introduction of the
first negro slaves into the provinces of the River
Plate--Unrest on the Spanish Main--Moreau, the buccaneer--
The fate of his expedition--Portuguese invaders expelled
by the Spaniards--A fort is constructed on the present
site of Montevideo.
CHAPTER III
HISTORY (_continued_) 48
Founding of the city of Montevideo--Its first
inhabitants--Inducement offered to colonists--The early
days of the town--Successful rising of the Indians in
the neighbourhood--Victory of the natives--Montevideo
saved by Jesuit intervention--The Portuguese invade the
northern provinces--The first Governor of Montevideo--
Treaties and territorial cessions--Dissatisfaction of
Jesuit Indians--Their defeat by combined Spanish and
Portuguese forces--Vicissitudes of Colonia--The danger of
hostile residents--A concentration camp of the old
days--Expulsion of the Jesuits--Some incidents of the
wars with the Portuguese--The foundation of urban
centres--The English occupy themselves with the whaling
industry on the coast--Discouragement of the enterprise
by the King of Spain--A corps of "Blandengues" is
created--The British invasion--Political effects of
the occupation--The War of Independence--Montevideo
as the seat of the Spanish viceroyalty--Commencement
of the agitation for freedom in Uruguay.
CHAPTER IV
HISTORY (_continued_) 57
The advent of Artigas--First revolutionary movements in
Uruguay--The appointment of leaders--First successes of
the Uruguayans--The germs of future jealousies--Montevideo
besieged by the patriot forces--An incident of the
investment--Spain appeals to Portugal for assistance--
nvasion of Uruguay by the latter--The Buenos Aires
Government concludes a treaty with the Spanish Viceroy--
Raising of the siege of Montevideo--Position of Uruguay--
Discontent of the Orientales--The exodus of the nation--
Incidents of emigration to the Argentine shore--Montevideo
in Spanish hands--The country overrun by Portuguese--Buenos
Aires effects a treaty with the latter--Resumption of the
campaign against the Spaniards--Dispute between the
Argentine and Uruguayan leaders--Montevideo again besieged--
Some battle incidents--Artigas reappears on the scene--
Drastic measures towards an ally--A national Congress
convened--Oriental deputies rebuffed by Buenos Aires--
Artigas withdraws from the siege of Montevideo--Price set
upon his head--War declared between Uruguay and Buenos
Aires--The Argentine littoral provinces adhere to Artigas--
Fall of Montevideo.
CHAPTER V
HISTORY (_continued_) 69
Conclusion of Spanish rule--Situation of the victors--
Rival claims--Alvear defeats a Uruguayan force--
Montevideo remains in possession of Buenos Aires--Rural
Uruguay supports Artigas--Alliance of the Argentine
littoral provinces with the Orientales--Some intrigues
and battles--Success of the Uruguayans--Departure from
Montevideo of the Buenos Aires garrison--The Uruguayans
enter into possession of their capital--Some crude methods
of government--Trials of the inhabitants--Growth of
Artigas's power--The Buenos Aires directors undertake
a propitiatory measure--A grim human offering--Attitude
of the Uruguayan Protector--Negotiations and their
failure--The civil progress of Uruguay--Formation of
departments--The Portuguese invade the country once
again--Condition of the inhabitants--Fierce resistance
to the invaders--A campaign against heavy odds--The
Portuguese army enters Montevideo--War continued by the
provinces--Invasion of Brazil by the Oriental forces--
Crushing defeats suffered by the army of invasion--Final
struggles--The flight of Artigas--Uruguay passes under
Portuguese rule.
CHAPTER VI
ARTIGAS 78
The human product of a turbulent era--Historical verdicts
disagree--Opinions of Uruguayan and foreign historians--
High-flown tribute--The cleansing of Artigas's fame--
Prejudices of some local accounts--Uruguay at the time
of Artigas's birth--Surroundings of his youth--Smuggling
as a profession--Growth of his influence--His name becomes
a household word--Artigas enters the Spanish service--The
corps of Blandengues--Efficiency and promotion--Quarrel
with the Spanish General--Artigas throws in his lot with
the patriot forces--His success as a leader of men--Rank
accorded him--Jealousy between Artigas and the Buenos
Aires generals--Conflicting ambitions--The Portuguese
invasion--Artigas leads the Oriental nation to the
Argentine shore--The encampment at Ayui--Scarcity of
arms and provisions--Battles with the Portuguese--The
subalterns of Artigas--Otorgues and Andresito--Crude
governmental procedure--Arbitrary decrees--The sentiments
of Artigas--His love of honesty--Progress of the war--
Complications of the campaign--Artigas as Protector--The
encampment of Hervidero--Revolting tales--The exaggeration
of history--Artigas refuses honours--His proclamation--
Simple life of the Commander--Some contemporary
accounts--The national treasury--Final desperate
struggles against the Portuguese--Rebellion of Ramirez--
Fierce battles--Extraordinary recuperative power of the
Protector--Final defeat of Artigas--Flight to Paraguay--
The Protector in retirement.
CHAPTER VII
HISTORY (_continued_) 97
The Spanish colonies as nations--The first-fruits of
freedom--Uruguay beneath the heel of Portugal--The
advent of a second liberator--Juan Antonio Lavalleja--
The forming of the league of the "thirty-three"--Opening
of the campaign--The patriot force--Rank and its
distribution--The crossing of the River Plate--Commencement
of operations in Uruguay--A first success--Spread of the
movement--Rivera embraces the patriot cause--The march upon
Montevideo--A daring siege--How the army of occupation was
deceived--Timely reinforcements--Lavalleja establishes an
independent Government--Incident at the opening of the
Senate--Argentina comes to the assistance of Uruguay--
Beginning of the rivalry between Rivera and Lavalleja--
Dissension in the Uruguayan army--Temporary disgrace of
Rivera--His acquittal--Lavalleja declares himself
dictator--Uruguay's independence acknowledged by Argentina
and Brazil--The national authorities enter Montevideo.
CHAPTER VIII
HISTORY (_continued_) 107
Foreign war succeeded by internal chaos--Warriors
as statesmen--The dictatorship of Lavalleja--His
methods--The first open breach between Lavalleja and
Rivera--A temporary reconciliation--Establishment of
the Constitution of Uruguay--Lavalleja and Rivera
candidates for the president's chair--Differences
in the temperament of the two--Rivera is elected
first President of Uruguay--Jealousies and intrigues--
Attack upon Rivera--Narrow escape of the President--
Lavalleja's party temporarily occupy Montevideo--Defeat
of the insurgent general--His flight into Brazil--
Intervention of the Argentine dictator Rosas--His
support of Lavalleja--Combined forces beaten by
Rivera--Lavalleja's second attempt proves unsuccessful--
General Oribe succeeds Rivera as President--Lavalleja's
party again in the ascendant--Rivera heads a revolution--
Civil war--Intervention of France--Resignation of Oribe--
Rivera elected President--His alliance with the French
and Corrientinos--Declaration of war against Rosas--Defeat
of the latter--On the withdrawal of the French Rosas
resumes the aggressive--Severe defeat of Rivera and his
allies of the littoral provinces--Oribe besieges
Montevideo--The services of Garibaldi--The Uruguayan
forces decimated--Further incidents of the war--The power
of Rosas broken by Brazil, Uruguay, and Entre Rios.
CHAPTER IX
HISTORY (_continued_) 118
Condition of Uruguay at the conclusion of the war
against Rosas--Measures for the relief of poverty--
Juan Francisco Giro elected President--The arising of
antagonistic elements--Giro resigns in favour of
Bernardo Berro--A revolution ends in the formation
of a triumvirate--On the death of Lavalleja and Rivera,
Flores becomes Dictator--Rebellion against his rule--
Brazil sends an army to the assistance of General
Flores--Further revolutionary movements--Manuel Basilio
Bustamente succeeds Flores--The policy of General
César Diaz--His exile and return at the head of an
army--Defeat and death of Diaz--Two interim Presidents--
Continuous civil war--General Flores enters the
Republic in command of a strong force and is declared
Dictator--The Paraguayan war--Causes of its outbreak--The
policy and military strength of Paraguay--Strategic
errors--Uruguay's share in the campaign--Flores returns
to Montevideo from the seat of war--His assassination--
General Lorenzo Batlle elected President--The continuance
of political unrest--Various presidents and dictators--
The Government of the present day--Don José Batlle y
Ordoñez--Doctor Claudio Williman--The Uruguayan
battlefields in tabular form--Progress of the land.
CHAPTER X
URUGUAYAN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 128
The temperament of the Oriental--Some merits of the
race--The Spanish Main as treated in fiction--
Distinctions between the villains in print and in
actual life--Civility as a national trait--Courtesy of
officials--The Uruguayan as a sturdy democrat--A
land of equality--Some local mannerisms--Banquets
and general hospitality--Some practical methods of
enjoying life--Simplicity _versus_ ostentation--Some
consequences of prosperity--The cost of living--
Questions of ways and means--European education and
its results--Some evidences of national pride--The
physique of the Oriental--Sports and games--Football--
The science of bull-fighting--Eloquence and the
oratorical art--Uruguayan ladies--Local charm of
the sex--South American institutions--Methods by which
they have been improved--The advantages of experiments--
The Uruguayan army and navy--Some characteristics of the
police--Honesty of the nation--Politics and temperament.
CHAPTER XI
ABORIGINAL TRIBES 138
The population of Uruguay prior to the Spanish
conquest--Principal tribes--Paucity of information
concerning the early aboriginal life--The Charrúas--
Warlike characteristics of the race--Territory of the
tribe--Stature and physique--Features--The occupations
of war and hunting--Temperament and mannerisms--A
people on the nethermost rung of the social ladder--
Absence of laws and penalties--Medicine-men--A crude
remedy--The simplicity of the marriage ceremony--Morality
at a low ebb--The prevalence of social equality--Method
of settling private disputes--The Charrúas as warriors--
Tactics employed in warfare--Some grim signals of
victory--Treatment of the prisoners of war--Absence of
a settled plan of campaign--Arms of the Charrúas--Primitive
Indian weapons--Household implements--Burial rites--The
mutilation of the living out of respect for the dead--Some
savage ceremonies--Absence of religion--A lowly existence--
Desolate dwellings--Change of customs effected by the
introduction of horses--Indian appreciation of cattle--
Improvement in the weapons of the tribe--Formidable
cavalry--The end of the Charrúas--Other Uruguayan
tribes--The Yaros--Bohanes--Chanas--Guenoas--Minuanes--
Arachanes.
CHAPTER XII
MONTEVIDEO 151
Population--Attributes of the city--Situation of the
Uruguayan capital--The Cerro--A comparison between the
capitals of Argentina and Uruguay--The atmosphere of
Montevideo--A city of restful activity--Comparatively
recent foundation--Its origin an afterthought--Montevideo
in 1727--Homely erections--Progress of the town--Advance
effected within the last thirty years--The Uruguayan
capital at the beginning of the nineteenth century--Some
chronicles of the period--The ubiquity of meat--Dogs
and their food--Some curious accounts of the prevalence
of rats--The streets of old Montevideo--Their perils
and humours--A comparison between the butchers' bills
of the past and of the present--Some unusual uses for
sheep--Methods in which the skulls and horns of cattle
were employed--Modern Montevideo--The National Museum--An
admirable institution--Theatres--Critical Montevidean
audiences--Afternoon tea establishments--The Club
Uruguay--The English Club--British community in the
capital--Its enterprise and philanthropy--The _Montevideo
Times_--A feat in editorship--Hotels--Cabs and public
vehicles--The cost of driving.
CHAPTER XIII
MONTEVIDEO 161
The surroundings of the capital--Pleasant resorts--The
Prado--A well-endowed park--Colón--Aspects of the
suburbs--Some charming _quintas_--A wealth of flowers
and vegetation--European and tropical blossoms side by
side--Orchards and their fruits--The cottages of the
peasants--An itinerant merchant--School-children--Methods
of education in Uruguay--The choice of a career--
Equestrian pupils--The tramway route--Aspects of the
village of Colón--Imposing eucalyptus avenues--A country
of blue-gum--Some characteristics of the place--Flowers
and trees--Country houses--The Tea Garden Restaurant--
Meals amidst pleasant surroundings--An enterprising
establishment--Lunch and its reward--Poçitos and Ramirez--
Bathing places of the Atlantic--Blue waters compared with
yellow--Sand and rock--Villa del Cerro--The steam ferry
across the bay--A town of mixed buildings--Dwelling-places
and their materials--The ubiquitous football--Aspects of
the Cerro--Turf and rock--A picturesque fort--Panorama
from the summit of the hill--The guardian of the river
mouth--The last and the first of the mountains.
CHAPTER XIV
FROM MONTEVIDEO TO THE NORTHERN FRONTIER 172
Leaving Montevideo--General aspects of the Campo--The
Rio Negro as a line of demarcation--Growing exuberance
of the scenery--Flor Morala--Blue lupin--Camp flowers--A
sparsely populated countryside--Absence of homesteads--A
soft landscape--Humble ranchos--Cattle and horses--Iguanas
and ostriches--Deer--Cardoso--Influence of climate and
marriage upon the colonists--A cheese-making centre--A
country of table-lands--A Campo road--Some
characteristics of the way--A group of riders--Some
contrasts--A country of rocks--Stone walls--Crude
homesteads--Kerosene tins as building material--Camp
stations--The carpets of blossom--Piedra Sola--Tambores--
Landscape and nomenclature--Increase in the height of the
table-lands--Scenes at a country station--Aspects of the
inhabitants--Some matters of complexion--The train and
its transformation--Influence of the country upon the
carriages--Northern passengers--Metropolitan and local
costume--Some questions of clothes and figure--Relations
between mistresses and maids--Democratic households--A
patriarchal atmosphere--Things as they seem, and as they
are--Conversation no guide to profession.
CHAPTER XV
FROM MONTEVIDEO TO THE NORTHERN FRONTIER (_continued_) 183
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
The journey to Mercedes--The outskirts of Montevideo--
Santa Lucia--A pleasant town--Native quince and gorse--
San José--The terminus of a great highway--Some feats
of engineering--The urban importance of San José--A
modern flour-mill--Mal Abrigo--Character of the soil--A
country of boulders--Some animals of the Sierra de Mal
Abrigo--The surroundings of Mercedes--A charmingly
situated town--The terminus of the line--Some
characteristics of Mercedes--Urban dwellings--The
delights of the _patio_--The disadvantages of economy in
space--Streets and plazas--The hospital--A well-equipped
institution--View from the building--An island in the Rio
Negro--The Port of Mercedes--River craft--Some local
scenes--An equine passenger--Formidable gutters--The
industries of the town--The Hôtel Comercial--Colonia
Suiza--Situation of the Swiss Colony--Uruguayan Campo
dwellings--Method of construction--Simplicity of
household removals--Aspect of deserted huts--The houses
of the Swiss Colony--Habits in general of South American
colonists--The range of nationalities--Liberty accorded--
Population of the Colonia Suiza--Its industries--A dairy
farming community--An important butter factory--An
instance of a rapid rise from poverty to riches.
CHAPTER XVIII
COLONIA 215
An historical town--Rarity of mines in the River Plate
countries--Specimens at Colonia--Situation of the town--
Past antagonism between the capitals of Argentina and
Uruguay--Present aspect of Colonia compared with the
former--A sleepy hollow--Periodical awakenings of the
place--Impressions of the old town--Its colouring and
compactness--Fortifications of the city of discord--A
warlike history--Nations that have warred together at
the spot--The reddest corner in a bloodstained land--
Surroundings of the town--Crumbling masonry--A medley of
old and new--A Colonia street--Old-times scenes of peace
and war--Some pictures of the past--Cannon as road
posts--The Plaza--An episode in the wars with Portugal--
The eternity of romance--Real de San Carlo--A modern
watering-place--Its buildings--The bullring--A gigantic
pelota court--Popularity of the spot--A miniature
tramway--Attractions of Real de San Carlo--Vegetation
on the sands--A curious colour scheme--Pleasant
lanes--Buenos Aires as a supplier of tourists.
CHAPTER XIX
THE URUGUAY RIVER 225
A great waterway--The river compared with the Paraná--
Some questions of navigation--The lower stretch of the
Uruguay--The stream from Montevideo upwards--
Montevideo--The docks--An imposing array of Mihanovich
craft--Breadth of the river--Aspects of the banks--Various
types of vessels--The materials of their cargoes--The
meeting of sister steamers--The etiquette of salutations--
Fray Bentos--The Lemco factory and port--A notable spot--
The Paradise of the eater--The islands of the Uruguay--
Method of their birth and growth--The responsibility of
leaves and branches--Uncertainty of island life--The
effects of flood and current--Sub-tropical bergs--The
vehicles of wild creatures--A jaguar visitation in
Montevideo--Narrowing of the stream--Paysandú--The
home of ox-tongues--The second commercial town of the
Republic--Some features of the place--Variety of the
landscape--The _Mesa de Artigas_--An historical table-land--
A monument to the national hero--Salto--A striking town--
Pleasant landscape--The Salto falls--The ending of the
lower Uruguay--A rocky bed--Some minerals of Salto--
Alteration in the colour of the water--The beauty of the
upper Uruguay.
CHAPTER XX
THE URUGUAYAN CAMPO 237
Formation of the land--A survey of the country--Features
of the soil--Types of wild flowers--A land of hill,
valley, and stream--The glamour of the distance--"The
purple land"--Breezes of the Campo--An exhilarating
country--The dearth of homesteads--The Uruguayan Gaucho--
His physique--The product of the blowy uplands--Matters
of temperament--His comparative joviality--The Gaucho as
worker, player, and fighter--The manipulation of feuds--
A comparison between Argentina and Uruguay--Warrior
ancestors of the Gaucho--His sense of dignity and honour--
Conservative habits and customs--Costume and horse gear--
Strenuous _bailes_--Some homeric feats of dancing--
Stirring revelry--The Uruguayan landowner--Foreign
elements in the land--Negro inhabitants of the Banda
Oriental--The numerical status of the Africans in the
north and in the south--Absence of a racial question--The
slavery of former days--The employment of black troops in
war--Lenient treatment of negro slaves--Harsh measures
applied to aboriginal Indians--A lesson in human economy--
Testimony of a contemporary writer--Immigrant colonies.
CHAPTER XXI
ESTANCIA LIFE 246
Similarities between the farming routine of Uruguay
and of Argentina--The Banda Oriental a pastoral rather
than an agricultural land--Viticulture an asset in
Estancia affairs--Wheat, maize, and linseed--Scarcity
of alfalfa--Excellence of the natural pastures--The
possibilities of private agricultural colonisation--
Favourable outlook for grazing countries in general--
Lemco estancias--The estancia San Juan--A comprehensive
enterprise--Cattle, cereals, and viticulture--Stone
quarries--A Campo stretch--The cutting out of a
bullock--A Gaucho meal.
CHAPTER XXII
URUGUAY AS A PASTORAL COUNTRY 254
Origin of the live stock of the country--Influence
of the climate and pastures upon the first animals
introduced--Live stock census of 1909--Importance
of the breeding industry--Various ramifications--
Principal items of home consumption--Articles of
export--Quality of the first herds introduced--Type
of original sheep and horses--Goats and pigs--The
introduction of a superior class of animals--The
_criollos_ and the _mestizos_--Breeds imported--Durham,
Hereford, Polled Angus, and Devon cattle--Dutch,
Norman, Flemish, and Swiss cattle--Growth of the
dairy industry--Popular breeds of sheep and horses
and pigs--Principal countries from which the animals
are derived--Growing value of the local-bred live
stock--The manipulation of an _estancia_--Well-found
estates--Uruguayan agricultural societies--Work
effected by these--Government support--The Rural
Association of Uruguay--Financial results of
agricultural shows--Side products--Tallow--Hams--
Tanning--"La Carolina"--A great dairy farm--The
factory of Breuss and Frey--The _saladeros_, or
meat-curing establishments--Number of animals
slaughtered--Method by which the meat is cured--
_Tasajo_--Countries to which it is exported--The
frozen-meat trade--"La Frigorifica Uruguaya"--
Important growth of the new industry--Shipments
of frozen meat.
CHAPTER XXIII
DEPARTMENTS, CLIMATE, AND NATURAL HISTORY 265
The nineteen divisions of Uruguay--Their populations,
areas, towns, and industries--Canelones--Florida--San
José--Durazno--Flores--Colonia--Soriano--Rio Negro--
Paysandú--Salto--Artigas--Tacuarembó--Rivera--Cerro
Largo--Treinta y Tres--Rocha--Maldonado--Montevideo--
Climate--Favourable conditions throughout the
Republic--The Atlantic coast line--The summer season--
Pleasantly tempered heat--A land of cool breezes--Its
attractions as a pleasure resort--Climates of the
interior and of the north--Drought--Locusts--Comparative
immunity of a pastoral country--Uruguayan fauna--Some
common creatures of the Campo--Bird life--The ostrich--Its
value as a commercial asset--The trade in ostrich
feathers--Measures for the protection of the birds.
CHAPTER XXIV
INDUSTRIES AND NATURAL WEALTH 276
England's financial stake in Uruguay--British capital
invested in the Republic--Its monetary importance
compared with that of other South American nations--
General commercial development of the country--A
satisfactory outlook--Progress of grazing and
agriculture--Marked increase in commerce--Uruguay's
exports--Cured meat and frozen carcasses--Diminution
of the former trade, increase of the latter--Reasons
for the transformation of industry--An outcome of
Brazilian protection--The breeding of fine cattle for
the European markets--Present situation of the world's
meat market--The British Isles as importers of meat--The
position in the United States--A change from the rôle of
exporter to that of importer--The increase in River Plate
shipments--Closeness of touch between South American and
English markets--Probable admission of foreign meat into
European countries--Intervention of the United States
Beef Trust--Purchase of _Frigorificos_--Possible effects
of a monopoly upon the producers--South American views
on the subject--Favourable general position of the River
Plate--The balance of power in beef--Extract of meat--
The Lemco and Oxo Company--Ramifications of the
enterprise--The town of Fray Bentos--Agriculture--
Wheat--Maize--Barley.
CHAPTER XXV
INDUSTRIES AND NATURAL WEALTH (_continued_) 286
Minerals--Past obstacles to the proper working of
mines--Gold--Auriferous prospects--Situation of the
goldfields of Uruguay--Past and present workings of
the mines--Influence of politics on labour--The
Corrales mine--Manganese--Districts in which iron ore
is met with--Mineral centres--Minas--Maldonado--Silver--
Copper--Marble--Gypsum--Slate--Sulphur--Asbestos--Precious
stones--Diamonds and rubies--Jasper--Agate--The amethyst
and topaz--The water-stone--A peculiarity of Uruguay--
Viticulture--Date of the introduction of the vine--
Vicissitudes at the start--Consequent rapid progress--
Vineyard area of the present day--The introduction of
suitable plants--Countries of origin--Production of
grapes and wine--Departments most suitable to the
industry--The seal-fisheries--Originally carried
on by the Indians--Habits of the seals--Development
of the industry--Government grants--Conditions and
concessions--Number of skins obtained since 1873--
Islands inhabited by the seals--Method of killing
and curing--Waste of seal life--Suggestions for the
improvement of the industry--Scientific measures
necessary--A diplomatic incident in connection with
the seal-fisheries.
CHAPTER XXVI
COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMERCE 296
British enterprise in South America--The various
industries controlled--The railways of the southern
continent--A remarkable record--The opening up of
new lands--Some possibilities of the future--Sound
basis on which the extension of the lines is founded--
Products and transport facilities--Probable influence
of communications--Uruguayan railways--A high standard
of enterprise--Comfortable travelling--Some comparisons
between Uruguay and Argentina as railway countries--
Level country _versus_ hills--Stone _versus_ alluvial
soil--Question of ballast--Importance of the new
ramifications--Railway construction in Uruguay--History
of the lines--Government obligations--Mileage and
capital of the companies--Interest paid on capital--
Various railway systems--Areas served--The Central
Company--Sketch of lines and extensions--Important
developments--The communication with Brazil--Financial
position of the Company--Midland Uruguay Railway--
Development and extension of the line--Receipts and
expenses--The North Western of Uruguay and Uruguay
Northern Railway--Montevidean tramways--Local, British,
and German enterprise--Steamer service of the River
Plate--The Mihanovich line--Ocean passenger traffic--
Montevideo the sole port of call--The Royal Mail Steam
Packet Company--The Pacific Line--The Nelson Line--Other
British companies--Position of British exports--Sound
consular advice.
CHAPTER XXVII
POLITICS AND REVOLUTIONS 311
The Constitution of Uruguay--Government of the
Republic--Deputies and senators--Their duties--The
civil code--Marriage--Rights of foreigners--Law--The
Commission of Charity and Public Welfare--Hospitals--
Orphan asylums--Infirmaries--The charity hospital
lottery--The distribution of political parties--The
_Colorados_ and the _Blancos_--Policy of either--Feud
between the parties--Old-standing strife--Explanation
of the nomenclature--Origin of the feud--Rivera and Oribe--
Inherited views--Attitude of the foreigners--Revolutions--
Manner of the outbreak--Government precautions--The need
of finance and arms--Some rebellious devices--Rifles as
Manchester goods--The importance of horses--Difficulties
that attend a revolutionary movement--The sweeping up of
horses--Equine concentration camps--A powerful weapon
in the hands of the authorities--First signs of an
outbreak--Sylvan rendezvous--The question of
reinforcements--Some desperate ventures--Their
accustomed end--Chieftains of the north--Effect of
a revolution upon local industries--Needs of the
army--Estancia hands as troopers--Hasty equipment--
Manner in which actual hostilities are conducted--"The
Purple Land that England lost"--The spirit of Modernism
and the internal struggle--Tendency to localise the
fields of strife--Power of the _Colorado_ party--Whence
the restrictive partisans are drawn--Distinguishing
Insignia--Some necessary precautions on the part of
the foreigner--Adventures derived from colour in
clothes--Some ludicrous episodes--The expense of
revolution.
INDEX 343
ILLUSTRATIONS
CATHEDRAL: MONTEVIDEO _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
A RURAL INN 28
COUNTRY COACH AT LA SIERRA STATION 28
INDIAN MACE HEADS 38
INDIAN STONE AXE 38
A GAUCHO RACE: THE START 44
A GAUCHO RACE: THE FINISH 44
RUINED COLONIA 52
ARTIGAS' MONUMENT 52
MONTEVIDEO AND THE CERRO HILL 88
"AFTER CATTLE" 88
LAGO DEL PRADO: MONTEVIDEO 124
THE PRADO: MONTEVIDEO 124
THE PRINCIPAL PLAZA: MONTEVIDEO 130
THE HARBOUR: MONTEVIDEO 130
ANCIENT STONES EMPLOYED FOR NUT-CRUSHING 140
NATIVE "BOLEADORAS" 148
SOLIS THEATRE AND NATIONAL MUSEUM 156
THE CERRO FORT 156
THE BEACH AT PARQUE URBANO 162
THE SAN JOSÉ ROAD BRIDGE 162
EUCALYPTUS AVENUE: COLON 166
OXEN DRAWING RAILWAY COACH 186
BEFORE THE FAIR: TACUAREMBÓ 186
FRONTIER STONE AT RIVERA 192
TUNNEL AT BAÑADA DE ROCHA 192
EUCALYPTUS FOREST: PIRIAPOLIS 198
THE CASTILLO: PIRIAPOLIS 198
THE PAN DE AZUCAR MOUNTAIN 202
THE NEW HOTEL: PIRIAPOLIS 202
MERCEDES: FROM ACROSS THE RIO NEGRO 208
RIO NEGRO BRIDGE 212
ON THE RIO NEGRO 212
COLONIA: RUINED FORTRESS WALL 218
A CAMPO GRAVEYARD 218
THE BULL RING 222
ON THE URUGUAY RIVER 230
A URUGUAYAN STREAM 230
CATTLE ON THE ROAD 234
A CORNER OF THE FRAY BENTOS FACTORY 234
A PASTORAL SCENE 238
THE BICHADERO ESTANCIA 246
HEREFORD CATTLE ON THE BICHADERO ESTANCIA 246
ESTANCIA HOUSE: SAN JUAN 250
CHÂLET AT COLONIA SUIZA 258
THE VINTAGE: ESTANCIA SAN JUAN 258
STREAM ON THE SAN JUAN ESTANCIA 272
THE CATTLE DIP 280
DRYING JERKED MEAT 280
A SEAL ROOKERY 292
BASKING SEALS 292
OX WAGON ON THE CAMPO 316
CROSS-COUNTRY TRAVELLING 316
PEDIGREE CATTLE 320
OVEN BIRD'S NEST 320
URUGUAY
CHAPTER I
SURVEY
Geographical situation of the Republic--Boundaries and
area--Uruguay as an historical, commercial, and financial
centre--The respective positions of Uruguay and
Paraguay--Disadvantages of a buffer State--A land of sunshine and
shadow--The history of Uruguay--The blending of industry and
warfare--Vitality of the nation--Instances of self-sacrifice--A
South American Switzerland--A freedom-loving folk--Deeds of arms
and the undercurrents of commerce--Montevideo in the eyes of the
casual traveller--Factors that make for the progress of the Banda
Oriental--Influence of railway--Coming cessation of the North
American beef shipments--Temperament of the
Uruguayan--Distinction between Argentine and Uruguayan
politics--The clans of the Banda Oriental--The birthright of
party convictions--Education in Uruguay--National points of
honour--Liberty accorded the foreigner--The courtesy of
officials--An incident at the customs-house--Popularity of the
English--A gratifying situation--Satisfactory international
relations--The work of Mr. R. J. Kennedy, the British Minister
Plenipotentiary--Uruguay's pacific foreign policy--Careful
finance--Army and navy--General progress of the nation.
Uruguay may be described as a republic of comparatively small
dimensions sandwiched in between the great territories of Argentina
and Brazil, and bounded on the south by the Southern Atlantic Ocean
and the estuary of the River Plate. Its actual area, 72,100 square
miles, is less than that of the British Isles, and thus the Banda
Oriental, to use the name by which the State is locally known, enjoys
the distinction of being the smallest of the South American republics.
But, although this distinction applies to actual area, it serves for
remarkably little else in the country. Indeed, an astonishing amount
is packed within the frontiers of Uruguay. In the first place it is a
land where much history has been made. Secondly, to turn to its
industrial assets--although I do not intend to deal with the
commercial side of the Republic more fully than can be helped--it is a
country where many cattle are bred. Lastly, it is a place in which no
less than fifty million pounds sterling of English money are invested.
Thus the small Republic, as an investment field, ranks third in
importance amongst all the States of South America, a fact that is
realised by remarkably few outside its own boundaries.
Uruguay and Paraguay are frequently confused by those quite unfamiliar
with South American affairs, owing to the similarity of the
nomenclature. In actual fact the two countries have very little in
common, save in their political situation. Both separated themselves
from the River Plate Provinces in the course of the War of
Independence, since which time both have served as buffer States
between Argentina and Brazil. The position of such is seldom enviable
at the best of times. Upon Uruguay it has worked with an especial
degree of hardship, since even before the days of her independence it
was upon her suffering soil that the too frequent differences between
Spaniard and Portuguese were fought out.
[Illustration: A RURAL INN.]
[Illustration: COUNTRY COACH AT LA SIERRA STATION.
To face p. 28.]
As to the international jealousies of a later era, they have not been
without their influence upon the domestic affairs of the central
State. Thus on not a few occasions the result of foreign diplomacy has
been civil war within the boundaries of Uruguay, with consequences
that were necessarily disastrous to the nation. The Banda Oriental is
a land of sunshine, it is true, but one of shadow too, which is
logical enough, since without the former the latter cannot obtain. Its
metaphorical sunshine is represented by the undoubted merits of its
inhabitants, its temporary shadows by the circumstances in which they
have found themselves placed.
He would be no real friend of Uruguay who strove to show that the
march of the country has not been rudely arrested on innumerable
occasions. Indeed, were it not for the conditions that have prevailed
for centuries, the actual forward steps that the Republic has effected
would be far less remarkable than is in reality the case. The history
of Uruguay reveals a continuous medley of peace and war. Its swords
have been beaten into ploughshares and welded back again into lethal
weapons ere the metal had cooled from the force of the former
operation.
Each series of such transformations, moreover, has occurred at
intervals sufficiently short to destroy utterly the hopes and
prosperity of an ordinary people. Over and over again the Uruguayans
have strewn the battlefields with their dead; yet during each interval
they have continued to plant the soil with its proper and more
profitable seed. An extraordinary vitality on the part of the people
joined to the natural wealth of the land have been the factors by
means of which the small Republic has brushed away the results of its
wars as lightly as though such convulsions were summer showers.
The history of Uruguay reveals an admirable amount of pure heroism.
Apart from the fighting merits that are inborn and natural to the
race, the most unsympathetic reader of its past pages cannot deny to
it the innumerable instances of self-sacrifice that were the fruit of
loftier ideals. Of the many vivid battle scenes that were painted in
too deadly an earnest against their neighbours and even amongst
themselves, there are few that are not relieved by some illuminating
act of heroism, for all the utter ferocity and courage by which these
conflicts were wont to be marked. Uruguay, in fact, was something of a
South American Switzerland; but a Switzerland bereft of the lofty
peaks and mountain tops that assisted the men of the Cantons against
the Austrians, endowed, moreover, with a more restless and
undisciplined folk of its own. Yet in many respects the resemblance
holds good, and for one reason most of all. The Orientales rested not
until they had won their freedom. Not once but several times they were
forced to wrest it from the stranger ere it finally became secure.
At later periods, too, it is not to be denied that the greater bulk of
the neighbouring nations has stood out remorselessly between Uruguay
and the sunlight. There have been times when the small Republic has
been ground between the great mills of Argentina and Brazil. Thus her
progress--steady and all but continuous in spite of the civil wars and
revolutions that have torn her--has been achieved all but unnoticed
and entirely unapplauded. Europeans, and many South Americans too,
read of the Uruguayan battlefields and deeds of arms, yet they learn
nothing of the undercurrent of industry that has flowed onwards all
the while beneath the turbulence of the wild warrings. Nevertheless,
this progress has been very real, and that it must become apparent to
the world before long is certain. Even to the present day Uruguay
amongst nations has remained "a violet by a mossy stone, half hidden
from the eye." To the ordinary person who passes between Europe and
South America, Montevideo represents little beyond a whistling station
between the two important halts at Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
In justice to the Banda Oriental's neighbour be it said that this
ignorance does not apply to the actual resident in Argentina, and
least of all to the dwellers in Buenos Aires. To them the commercial
importance and general attractions of Uruguay and its capital are well
enough known. This interest, however, is merely local, and fails to
extend beyond the familiar radius of the pleasant little Republic's
influence.
Commercially speaking, it is difficult to understand how the factors
that have now arisen to drag the Banda Oriental from its undeserved
oblivion can well fail in their task. The linking of the country by
railway with Brazil, the influence that the imminent cessation of the
North American beef exportation is bound to exert upon a
stock-breeding country, to say nothing of the internal progress
already referred to, must undoubtedly result sooner or later in
bringing the gallant little nation into the light of publicity.
A fusion of warring parties, an end of civil strife, and a strict
attention to the less risky and more profitable business of the day
should follow in the natural sequence of events. Very hale, hearty,
and jovial though he is, it must be admitted that the Oriental is in
deadly earnest when engaged in civil battle--as is the case with all
who pursue a hobby to the detriment of a more lucrative occupation.
Yet the substitution of gunshots for the suffrage is not only
expensive, but, from the polling point of view, unpleasantly devoid of
finality.
The distinctions between the political arrangements of Uruguay and
Argentina are curiously marked. For generations the latter country has
been governed by a succession of groups that have respectively formed
and dissolved without leaving any marked cleavage in the society of
the nation. Strictly speaking, Argentina possesses neither faction
spirit nor party. Uruguay, on the other hand, is concerned first and
foremost with these very matters of party.
The history of the Colorados and the Blancos--the reds and
whites--would in itself suffice to fill a volume. Probably in no other
part of the world have the pure considerations of clan triumphed to
such an extent over the general political situation. Until the present
day the line between the rival camps has been as absolute as that
between life and death. The position of either is immutable. Neither
argument, mode of government, nor the vicissitudes of state are among
the considerations by which they are affected. A man is born one of
two things--a Blanco or a Colorado. This birthright, moreover, is to
be exchanged for no mere mess of pottage; it is valued above the price
of life itself. Such, at all events, has been the creed of the past,
and to a large extent it still holds good, although the stress of
modern influence is just beginning to leave its mark upon the
cast-iron prejudices that are the relicts of another age.
At the same time, it must not be inferred from this that the Uruguayan
is ignorant or small-minded. Far from it. Education enjoys an
exceptionally high standard throughout the country, and a most liberal
breadth of view is typical of the nation. This is readily admitted,
and even insisted upon, by foreigners whose dealings with the
native-born dwellers in the Republic have placed them in a position to
render an accurate judgment. In internal politics, however, there are
prejudices, considerations of clan, and points of honour that are not
to be gauged from a purely commercial standpoint.
The foreigner in Uruguay is accorded a most complete liberty, and
there are few of these who have resided for any length of time within
its frontiers who have not become very truly attached to the land and
its people.
It has frequently been my lot to pass over from Argentina to Uruguay,
arriving at one of the minor ports that dot the middle reaches of the
great river. But it so happened that I had never landed, bag and
baggage, at the capital until the time came for a regular and
organised spying out of the land. An incident at the start lent a very
pleasing aspect to the visit. The customs-house officer, in whose
hands lay the fate of the interior of my baggage, gazed from where it
lay piled upon the official trestle in the direction of its owner.
"Inglez?" he demanded in the curt tone of one in authority. When I had
signified assent he smiled cordially, sketched with rapid fingers the
magic chalk marks upon the impedimenta, and then motioned me to pass
through the portals with all the honours of customs, locks unviolated,
and straps in repose.
I have not introduced this incident from any personal motives. It
merely affords an instance of a very genuine courtesy rendered to the
nation through the medium of one of its most humble units. Yet it is
from such attentions to a stranger that the trend of the general
attitude may be gleaned. The English are not a little addicted to a
frank confession of their unpopularity amongst the South Americans in
general. The attitude may be the result of a certain pose, since they
claim full credit for the respect that is undoubtedly theirs by right.
Nevertheless, whether imagined or real, the idea obtains.
In Uruguay at the present moment the Englishman is so obviously _not_
unpopular that it is gratifying to be able to proclaim the fact.
Whatever the fates may have in store the existing understanding
between the Uruguayans and the British is very cordial and complete.
In words as well as in deeds it is perhaps advisable to let well
alone. Yet it is satisfactory to reflect that innumerable practical
proofs show that this mutual esteem which has existed for centuries
has never been more firmly grafted than at the present day. There can
be no doubt, moreover, that the present satisfactory phase is very
largely due to the efforts of Mr. R. J. Kennedy, the British Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, whose tact and conscientious
ability have won for him respect and popularity on the part of
Uruguayans and resident British alike--a consummation to which it is
the lot of sufficiently few ministers to attain.
Although internal disturbances may continue to arise from time to
time, the position of Uruguay is now undoubtedly consolidated to a far
greater extent than has ever been the case in former years. The nation
that sprang into being at the commencement of the nineteenth century
had to contend with indefinite frontiers at the best of times, and
with the frequent waves of turbulence that swept inwards over the land
from the greater centres of disturbance without its borders. Now for
many decades an undisturbed peace has characterised the foreign
affairs of the nation, and such differences as have occurred from time
to time with the neighbouring republics have been settled in an
essentially pacific and reasonable spirit.
A striking instance of this has occurred quite recently in the case of
the vexed question concerning the delimitation of neutral waters in
the River Plate. The rights affecting a great inland and international
highway are naturally most delicate and difficult to adjust, as the
past history of the entire river system here has proved on numerous
occasions. In this particular instance had either Uruguay or Argentina
shown any other but a fair and conciliatory spirit, the consequences
cannot fail to have been serious in the extreme. As it was, the
dispute was brought to a satisfactory and amicable conclusion, much to
the credit of the respective diplomatists concerned.
For many years now the policy of the Banda Oriental Government has
been practical and deliberate. In matters of finance extreme caution
has been exercised, and economy in expenditure has been rigid. The
result is now evident in the very favourable financial position of the
Republic, since it is now endowed with more solid monetary sinews than
has ever been the case before. The nation, moreover, is free from any
excessive expenditure on its army and navy. Both branches of the
service are on a small scale, and in this moderation Uruguay is
undoubtedly wise; since, although the race possesses its fighting
instincts to the full, the population and resources of the Republic
would not allow it to compete either in numbers, guns, or ships with
the armies of the neighbouring countries, or with the great naval
armaments that are being brought together.
In the past there is no doubt that matters in Uruguay have been
regarded with a certain amount of pessimism--a gloomy view for which
the alleged instability of the Government was chiefly responsible.
Were all that has been said on this head strictly accurate, there is
no doubt that the condition of the country would be parlous indeed. On
numberless occasions, however, the reports that have prevailed have
been remarkable merely for their exaggeration. Frequently, moreover,
such highly coloured--or rather darkened--pictures have been depicted
to serve interests in Europe rather than in Uruguay. Commercially
speaking, it is surely a matter for congratulation that even such a
disturbing element as civil strife should have left the financial
solidity of the Republic unimpaired.
This point of view, however, is merely the financial one--important
enough in its place, but not sufficiently overwhelming to eliminate
all the other interests at stake. The spirit of progress has been
abroad, not only in the ethics of the pastures, banks, and business
houses, but in the more subtle fields of science, literature, and art
as well. This, however, is not the place in which to introduce details
or statistics concerning the improvements in the various ramifications
of the nation's existence. For the present let the statement suffice
that in no direction has a retrograde movement been perceptible: on
the contrary, a continuous progress has been evident in almost every
matter from the curing of beef to the making of scholars--two products
that are equally essential to the welfare of the land.