.]

Parana is the chief city of the province of Entre Rios, the people of
which are possessed of a fierce spirit of independence, and, like the
Basques of Spain, claiming the right to administer their domestic
affairs in their own way, they are often in insurrection against the
central government at Buenos Ayres, which resorts to force to check
their "separatist" tendencies. Within four years two or three efforts at
revolution have been made on the part of the people of Entre Rios under
Lopez Jordan, their principal leader, General Mitre, and others. One
year previous to the journey we are now describing our traveler had gone
from Buenos Ayres to Parana on business. In consequence of a municipal
election having gone in favor of the government candidates by a majority
of thirty votes, a fresh insurrection had just broken out in the city,
and when M. Forgues reached his destination he found the national troops
in possession of Parana, which was closely besieged by the Blancos or
"Whites," as the insurgents were called from their trappings, to
distinguish them from the Colorados or "Reds," which was the name given
to the Buenos Ayres party. On the occasion of this visit he had need to
seek the insurgent camp in furtherance of his mission, which was to
obtain possession of eight thousand hides that were within the
insurgents' lines. He returned to Parana, after successfully conducting
the negotiations, with a sketch of one of the mounted Blancos, a
picturesque, stately fellow, with the proud bearing of a brigand, having
enormous spurs on his heels, a white band around his hat, and armed with
a lance and a long cavalry sword.

[Illustration: A SALADERO ON THE PARANA.]

Immediately opposite Parana, on the other side of the river, which in
this part is very wide, is the city of Santa Fe, the point of export for
all the region occupied by the foreign agricultural colonies of the
confederation--to wit, the Swiss, Piedmontese, Germans and Belgians. The
chief industry in which these colonists are engaged is the cultivation
of wheat, of which enormous quantities are raised and converted into
flour on the spot, as there are several steam flour-mills in the
district. The flour is shipped from Santa Fe and sold in Rosario or
Buenos Ayres. These colonists number about thirteen thousand. Santa Fe
is a remarkably indolent town--the most indolent in the world, says M.
Forgues. Its chief features are its great plaza, its church and the