URUGUAY, IIEPUBLIC ORIENTAL DEL, formerly known as the DANDA ORIENTAL, South America, comprehends the country lying between the southern limit of Brazil and the Rio de la Plata. It extends between 30' 20' and 35' S. let., 30' and 58' 50' W. long. ; and is bounded E. by the Atlantio Ocean, N. by the empire of Brazil, W. by the province of Entre Rios, from which it is separated by the river Uruguay, and S. by the Rio de Is Plata, which divides Uruguay from Buenos Ayres. The area is about 100,000 square miles ; the population has been estimated at 250,000, but, including the few native tribe., it probably does not much exceed half that number.
By far the greater part of the country is hilly and elevated. It forms, as it were, the most southern prolongation of the Sarre do Mar (the sea mountain range of Brazil), which extends northward to near the month of the Rio de San Francisco (9' S. lat.) In Uruguay the range rises rather abruptly on the southern coast, where It forma the hill of Cape de Ste. Maria, the l'ao de Assucar (Sugar-Loaf) some miles to the west of Maldonado, the Monte Video on the west aide of the bay to which it gives its name, and the bill of Sta. Lucia, farther to the west, near the mouth Of a small river bearing that name. At no great distance, however, from the shore, it takes the shape of an extensive table-land, whose surface in many places pre sent,' hardly any perceptible irregularity, and in others is covered with extensive ranges of low bills; both the plains and the hills are without trees, and afford only pasture for cattle. The hills are called Cochilhas, and the highest range, which forms the watershed between the ocean and the river Uruguay, is named the Grand Cochilha. It extends into the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, where it is called Serra de Herval. The eastern declivities of the Grand Cochilha, which termivate abruptly in the plains about the lakes Mirim and dos Patos at about 12 or 20 miles from their banks, are called Serra de los Tappes. On the west the table-land extends to the banks of the river Uruguay, but it is there cut by numerous valleys, and presents the aspect of an extremely billy country. Iu these valleys, as well as in those which lie along the southern coast, west of Cape de Santa Maria, many fertile tracts occur in which the grains and fruits of Southern Europe succeed very well; but the remainder is only fit for pasture.
The coast north of Cape Santa Maria is low, sandy, and intersected with numerous lakes; it forms a small portiou of the great extent of similar coast belonging to Brazil, which reaches up to near 30° S. lat. This low country extends inland for about 50 or 60 miles, and possesses little fertility. West of Maldonado, and along the embou chure of the Rio de In Plata, the coast is much more broken, and affords many accessible bays and harbours, which would afford great facilities for commerce if the inhabitants were prepared to avail themselves of them.
Along this coast there are a few islands, but none of great extent. The largest, called Dos Lopos (of the wolves), is not far from the harbour of Maldouado : it is two miles in circumference, and contains good water, but is almost all rock and stones.
The Rio de la Plata and the Uruguay are the chief rivers of the Republic. The La Plata, the left bank of which belongs wholly to Uruguay, is noticed in a separate article. LPLATA, Rio DE LA.] The Uruguay originates in that portion of t o Serra do Mar which stretches along the ocean opposite the island of Santa Catherloa, and under the name of Pellotas, ruus for a considerable distance west ward, between banks consisting principally of pointed and massy rocks. It assumes the appearance of a large river, about where it begins to bend its course to the aouth-west. Numerous small streams increase its waters in this part of its course. In latitude 29i° S. it receives the lbeeuy, and then begins to flow in a southern direction. Not far from the place where it enters the Rio de la Plata it receives the Rio Negro on the left bank. The Uruguay is navigable for large boats to the first great fall, called Salto Grande, situated about midway between the mouths of the Ibecuy and Rio Negro. About 40 miles below the Ibecuy is the Salto Chico, or Little Fall, which again interrupts the navigation of the smaller boats or canoes. The whole course of this river is considerably over 1000 miles.