Chapter I: Front Matter

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Estancia, Santa Isabel, Province Buenos Aires]

Plaza Pringlés, San Luis, July, 1913]

This rare phenomenon is occasionally seen in April and September at
dawn. The mountain itself is invisible from Valparaiso.]

JOURNEYS AND EXPERIENCES IN ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, AND CHILE

Including a side trip to the source of the Paraguay River in the State of Matto Grosso, Brazil, and a journey across the Andes to the Rio Tambo in Peru

by

HENRY STEPHENS

Harvard, A.B., Vienna, Ph.D.

FIRST EDITION

The Knickerbocker Press New York 1920

Copyright By Henry Stephens 1920

TO
MR. H. L. MENCKEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE AMERICA'S FOREMOST CRITIC
OF LITERATURE I GLADLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK OF TRAVELS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

MONTEVIDEO 1

Experience in landing. Population of the city. Conservativeness
of the inhabitants. Gambling establishment at Playa Ramirez.
Train ride to Colonia.

CHAPTER II

BUENOS AIRES 21

Population of the city. Streets and architecture. High cost of
living. Hotels. Beverages. Street beggars and vagabonds. Mariano
Moreno College. Habit of not bathing. Jews. La Plata.

CHAPTER III

SAN LUIS 62

Appearance of the city. Capitol. Plazas. Hotels. Neighboring
country. Character of the natives. Train ride to Mendoza.

CHAPTER IV

MENDOZA 78

Viticulture. Fruit growing. Wheat. Population and appearance of
the city. Earthquake of 1861. Cerrito de la Gloria. Hotels.
Aconcagua. Cacheuta. Across the Andes. Arrival in town of Los
Andes.

CHAPTER V

SALTA AND TUCUMÁN 101

Train ride to Salta. Lerma Valley. Province of Salta. Chuchu
fever. Population of the city of Salta. 20th of February Club.
Churches and San Francisco Monastery. Population of the city of
Tucumán. Capitol. Governor Padilla. Heat of the city. Hotel
Savoy. Kirwin the photographer. Villa Nougués.

CHAPTER VI

CÓRDOBA 130

Province of Córdoba. Description of the city of Córdoba. Great
number of consumptives. Breweries. Streets, religious edifices,
and hotels. Sierra de Córdoba. Cosquin. Locust pest. Rosario; its
hotels. Pergamino. Mercedes.

CHAPTER VII

ASUNCION 155

Train ride from Buenos Aires. Population of Paraguayan districts
and towns. Don Eduardo Schaerer. Currency. Colonnades. Pavement
of Asuncion's streets. Oratory of Lopez. Climate, rains, and
reptiles. Madame Lynch. Hotels. Mangrullo Cemetery. Market-place.
Cigars. Low cost of living. Asuncene womanhood. Unmorality.
Ypacara-i.

CHAPTER VIII

TO THE SOURCE OF THE PARAGUAY RIVER 195

River scenery. Villa Concepcion. San Salvador. State of Matto
Grosso. Corumbá. Lawlessness. By water to Cuyabá. City of Cuyabá.
Huber. Detour to source of river. Bog and pool. Huber becomes
ill; his death. Diamantino. Return to Buenos Aires by river.
Yerba maté.

CHAPTER IX

SANTIAGO 226

Republic of Chile. Central Valley. Longitudinal railways. Paucity
of factories. Breweries. The Chileno. Illegitimacy. Fiesta of the
Angelito. Reception in Santiago. Compactness of the city; its
streets. Installation of the president. Military parade. American
ambassador. Hotels. High death rate. General Cemetery. Apoquindo.

CHAPTER X

BATHS OF CAUQUENES. CHILOÉ ISLAND. LAKE NAHUEL. HUAPI 263

Rancagua. Baths of Cauquenes. Hostelry. Horseback ride to Los
Lirios. Linares. Panimávida. Araucania and its native
inhabitants. Temuco. Valdivia. Osorno. Fire at Osorno. Ancud.
Castro. Lake Llanquihue. El Tronador Puella. Puerto Blest. Lake
Nahuel Huapi. San Carlos de Bariloche.

CHAPTER XI

CHILLÁN. ASCENT OF THE VOLCANO CHILLÁN 312

Description of the city. Hotel de France. Earthquake. Chillán
Viejo. Birthplace of O'Higgins. Journey to Las Termas de Chillán.
Establishment of Las Termas. Gambling. Episode of the
administrator's brother. Snowfields and glaciers. Eruption of
volcano. Don Vicente Mendez U. Curicó.

CHAPTER XII

NORTHWARD TO ANTOFAGASTA BY RAIL. COPIAPÓ, ANTOFAGASTA, AND 347
IQUIQUE

Greenberg's adventure. San Felipe. Jahuel. Palm groves. Choapa
Valley. Illapel. La Serena. Vallenar. Oasis of Copiapó.
Retrogressant provincial capital. Professor Platner. Desert.
Prosperity of Antofagasta. Strict prohibition laws. Bubonic
plague. Pestilential Tocopilla. Description of Iquique.

CHAPTER XIII

ARICA TO ILO OVERLAND, VIA TACNA, TARATA, AND MOQUEGUA. MOLLENDO 387

Dr. Petit. Morro of Arica. Dispute between Chile and Peru over
Tacna and Arica. Architect Pitaud. Description of Tacna. Peculiar
architecture. Hotel Raiteri. Don Santiago Carmona. Caplina
Valley. Ascending the Andes, Tarata. Parish priest. Tales of
buried treasure. Hacienda Carmona. Ticalco and Sama Valleys.
Stupidity of Peruvian jefe politico. Ilabaya. Dishonest cholo and
Prat's spree. Don José Vergara. Moquegua. Ilo. Stinking Mollendo.
Arrival at Callao.

CHAPTER XIV

LIMA 434

Architecture of Callao. Mixed population of Lima and its seaport.
Origin of Lima. Rimac River. Interesting city. Its population.
Confusion of street names. Concepcion Market. Religious edifices
and procession of El Milagro. Hotels and cafés. Difficulty in
getting money changed. Crookedness of post office officials.
General Cemetery. Viceroys of Peru.

CHAPTER XV

ACROSS THE CORDILLERA TO THE RIO TAMBO 470

Departure from Oroya. Across the Cumbre. Tarma. Valley of the Rio
Palca. Huacapistana. Tropical vegetation. Swinging bridges. San
Ramon. La Merced and the Chanchamayo River. Chuncho, Campas, and
Cashibo Indians. Perené Colony. Down the Ucayali. Iquitos. Head
hunting Indians.