Mineral The only mines that have been worked continuously for many years are the gold mines at Cuiiapira, in the Depart ment of Rivera, in the northern part of the republic. Work began there in 1869. The ore occurs in quartz veins intersecting dioritic rocks. In that part of Uruguay the mineralized terri tory is extensive. Another auriferous zone is found near Soldado, in the Department of Minas, where both gold and copper have been extracted from pyritiferous and ctipriferous formations. Copper has been found also in the Department of Maldonado. A large iron manganese deposit, containing about 35 per cent iron and 23 per cent 'manganese, exists in the Department of Rivera, near the gold mines, and there are other deposits of iron and manganese ore at Carrasco. Talc of excellent quality is mined at Las Conchillas, in the De partment of Colonia, near the estuary of La Plata. Along this southern coast, especially in the departments of Colonia and Maldonado, the granite quarries command attention, and in the republic generally the quarrying industry is very important. (Consult Marstrander, R., Engineering and Mining Journal, 13 March 1915). Coal and petroleum have been found recently, the former in the departments of Montevideo, Cerro Largo and Santa Lucia.
On 8 Oct. 1515 Juan Diaz de Solis sailed from Spain; he explored the estuary of the Rio de la Plata and was slain, with some of his companions, by natives of the Charrua tribe. On 2 Feb. 1520 Magellan sailed from the Rio de la Plata, after having ex plored to a limited extent the Parana and Uruguay rivers in his search for a waterway across Terra Firma. On 1 April 1526 Sebastian Cabot set out from Seville; he ascended the Parana to the great falls and the Paraguay to the mouth of the Bermejo. In 1527 Cabot ordered the construction of a fort in the coun try east of the Uruguay River. The opposi tion of the natives to the Spanish settlements was fierce and, during a century, successful: in 1603 a veteran Spanish force was routed in a pitched battle by the Charruas. In 1624 the oldest of the towns which now exist in Uruguay was founded on Rio Negro. The so-called "Banda Oriental" (that is to say, the region east of the Uruguay River) was the subject of con tention between Portugal and Spain. In 1680 the Portuguese colonists of Brazil founded Sacramento (now Colonia), thus confronting the Spaniards at Buenos Aires. In 1723 the Portuguese fortified the Bay of Montevideo, but surrendered to the Spaniards in the lowing year, and families from Buenos Aires established themselves at Montevideo in 1726. In 1735-37 Colonia was besieged by the Span iards. In 1761 it capitulated, but was restored to Portugal by the Treaty of Paris 1763. This did not put an end to Spanish colonization there; on the contrary, immigration from the north of Spain and from Spanish settlements across the river continued throughout the 18th century. On 26 April and 28 May 1811 Jose Artigas, leader of the Revolutionary party in the Banda Oriental, routed the Spanish forces; a confederation of the settlements east of the great river was formed, with Artigas as Pro tector. But the Portuguese captured Monte
video and Maldonado, and in 1822 the region in dispute was organized as the Cisplatine Prov ince of Brazil. Artigas took refuge in Para guay, where he died; but his gallant, patriotic efforts had not been wasted. Other refugees, who had gone to Buenos Aires, returned to start a rebellion in the Cisplatine province, and on 23 Aug. 1825 issued a declaration of inde pendence. On 24 September and 12 October in the same year the Brazilians were defeated. Then the Argentine government intervened. On 9 February, and 30 July 1826 Admiral Brown, commanding the Argentine squadron, failed in his attempts upon the Brazilian fleet; but in February 1827 succeeded in destroying the ex edition sent by the Brazilian admiral, Lobo, into the Uruguay River, and on the 20th of that month the Marquis of Barbaceno, com manding Brazilian forces, was defeated at Ituzaningo. On 27 Aug. 1828 the Treaty of Montevideo was signed, and the Repiiblica Oriental del Uruguay was created, both Brazil and Argentina renouncing their claims to the country thenceforth to be known as the Eastern Republic of the Uruguay, or simply Uruguay. On 18 July 1830 the constitution was adopted and a new declaration of independence issued — this time guaranteed by both of the strong neighboring states. But, unfortunately, the po litical parties — the "Colorados," or Reds, and 'Blancos,' or Whites—kept alive the tradi tions of home-bred strife. Thus, in 1842, a political chief secured Argentine support and laid siege to Montevideo; in 1862 ex-President Flores, 'Colorado' leader, made use of Bra zilian troops to take Paysandu. On 25 Feb. 1865 Flores with his Brazilian allies took for cible possession of the capital and of the gov ernment; quite naturally, therefore, Uruguay was drawn into the coalition formed to resist the dictator of Paraguay, Francisco Lopez. On 17 Aug. 1865 Flores defeated a division of Paraguayans at Yatay; three years later he was assassinated during a 'Blanco' rebellion at Montevideo, and ex-President Ferro, °who, though not one of the assassins, was arrested in the street with arms in his hands," was exe cuted, with other rioters. The revolution of 1870-73 ended in a triumph. Of the long series of disturbances which have followed, marking the efforts of aBlancosp to regain power, only one need be mentioned at present — the serious revolution which broke out in March 1903 and continued in 1904 despite the increased military force of the gov ernment. Gradually the substantially prosperous republic has outgrown and subordinated law less political factions; gradually the habitual uprisings against the established government have become less formidable, losing the revolu tionary character and appearing rather as mere provincial riots.