-way to Buenos Ayres. When completed to the latter city
and to its western terminus, which will be at no distant day, Buenos
Ayres, on the Atlantic, will be connected with Valparaiso, in Chili, on
the Pacific. There is also a line of English steamers which ply directly
between Rosario and the English ports.

At Rosario the Republica takes on passengers, coal and freight, and
resumes her voyage. Above the city, the cliffs, increasing in height,
attain an altitude of nearly one hundred and fifty feet. They are
composed entirely of a hard brown earth having the appearance of
pulverized chocolate; and the river, rushing between them, assumes a
dirty, brownish hue for many miles. In their shadow, as the steamer
passes, lie a Brazilian gunboat and two monitors of the same
nationality: one of the latter is deeply dented in places where she was
struck by Paraguayan cannon-balls.

[Illustration: PUBLIC SQUARE IN PARANA.]

About twelve hours' distance from Rosario the Diamante, or Diamond
Cliff, is reached. Here the cliffs that line the left bank culminate.
They are especially interesting to the geologist because of their
extraordinary richness in fossils of various kinds. Fragments of the
megatherium and of the glyptodon have been found there, but the most
important discovery of all was a very complete skeleton of the former
animal--the most complete in existence, in fact--which now adorns the
museum at Buenos Ayres. The village of Diamante, with a population of
five or six hundred souls, is situated near by. Twenty hours later the
Republica arrives at Parana, a handsome city, formerly the capital of
the confederation. The removal of the seat of government to Buenos Ayres
was a great blow to the prosperity of the old capital. Once the
diplomatic corps had their residences there. The climate of the place is
delicious, and under its balmy influence the orange tree flourishes in
the open air and bears fruit of exquisite flavor. The country around
Parana is very picturesque, and the town itself, though since it has
ceased to be the Argentine capital it presents an appearance of
emptiness, is very gay. Among its attractions are a theatre and a fine
public square adorned with shade trees. The community has musical
tastes, and nearly every second house contains a piano--a fact of which
the stranger strolling through the place is kept constantly aware. Many
of the streets are paved and macadamized.

[Illustration: A BLANCO INSURGENT