The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

21G AM.VZONIA A^'D LA PLATA.
"Norte" and "Sul" being misnomers for "East" and "West." Eio Grande,
former capital of the proyince named from it, occupies the extremity of a narrow
isthmus between two lagoons, and would present a pleasant aspect but for the
unsightly military structures, dead walls, and forts by which it is disfigured.
The lacustrine channel flows at some distance from the peninsula, close to the
side occupied by S. Jose do Xorte, where all the shijjping engaged in trade has
its moorings. A more serious inconvenience is the bar of shifting sands, which
it has hitherto been found impossible to fix or permanently remove. On the sill
the depth varies with the tides and storms from about 8 to nearly 14 feet. It
Eg. lOS.—Pelotas.
Scale 1 : 375,000.
52*30' Wen oF Gt-eerwicd 52*iO-
OtolS
Feet.
Depths.
. 6 Miles.
16 Feet
and upwards.
stood at 11 feet in 1885, when a new channel was opened farther south averaging
15 feet, but rising with the north-east and falling with the south-east wind.
The works which have been projected to improve the approaches to Rio Grande
comprise two parallel piers carried out to depths of 18 or 20 feet, and the construc-
tion or dredging of a channel between these piers 1,300 feet wide and 26 or 27 feet
deep. But pending the execution of these harbour woi-ks, the export trade of
Rio Grande, consisting almost exclusively of provisions, is declining. Commerce
naturally seeks other outlets, which have at least the advantage of avoiding the
dangerous approaches to Rio Grande. The opposite town of S. Jose is entirely