The Rio Neore is formed by the union of several small streams which rise in the Grand Cochilha near the Brazilian border. Its general course is west by south to near 58' W. long., when it. turns more southward and expands into a river of considerable width. It falls into the Uruguay about I2 miles above the union of that river with the La Plata; its whole course is upwards of 300 miles.
On the east coast, as already mentioned, there are several salt lakes ; but the two largest, lakes Mirim and Mangueira, or 3langbcira, which formerly belonged, at least in part, to Uruguay, are now we believe wholly included within the Brazilian territory.
Of the geological character of Uruguay no survey has been made ; and little is really known of its mineralogy. Gold and silver are said to have been found, but neither has been worked. At San Carlos west of Cape Maria, a mine of copper was formerly found to be very profitable. From the banks of the Uruguay great quantities of lime are exported to Buenos Ayres, and in some districts potter's-mill and umber are found.
Being situated without the tropics, Uruguay enjoys a temperate climate, resembling that of Spain or Italy. The air is pure and healthy. There is a good deal of rain in the valleys and on the low plains during the winter, which lasts from May to October. Frost is occa sionally felt In July and August. The high table-Land is annually exposed to it, sometimes for more than a month together ; but as very little snow falls, the cattle find pasture in these districts all the year round.
The country contains &Large portion of fertile land, and a vast extent of profitable pasturage; but cultivation is everywhere neglected, and in the eonstaotly-disturbed state of the country even those pastoral occupations which alone seem to have any attraction for the natives are generally pursued iu a careless manner. The valleys on the west and south are well adapted to a great diversity of productions. Wheat, maize, barley, and rice flourish with little attention. Peas, beans, melons, onions, and numerous other vegetables are cultivated. Cotton, the sugar-cane, and mandioo are grown. Hemp and different qualities of flax grow in great abundance. The fruit-trees of the south of Europe succeed here better than farther to the north, and noue so well as the peach. The vine grows wall, and produces abundantly. Timber is by DO means abundant. It is only on the banks of the principal rivers that auy forests of full-growu timber occur, the table land being either quite bare or only covered with shrubs.
More than four-fifths of the country being only fit for pasture, cattle of course constitute the chief wealth. The richest proprietors often possess thirty or forty square miles of land, and feed from five to ten thousand head of cattle and upwards. By far the greatest uumber are those called bravo,' because they live in a state of wildness. Some
cattle are consumed iu the country, and others seat to the slaughter houses of Montevideo and Buenos Ayres ; but by far the greater proportion is manufactured into jerked beef, which is salted without the honest, dried In the sun, and exported to different parts of America, especially Brazil. Every great proprietor breeds also a certain number of bones and mule*, and some of them a groat number of sheep, which have a fins wool. Neither goats nor pigs are numerous.
Oeme is very abundant, though little sought after. Among other species of wild quadrupeds, there are the ante or tapir, the deer, the ounce, the monkey, the pace, the rabbit, the armadillo, the squash, the boa, the fox, and some others peculiar to the country. The European species of dogs, known as Chia:nal-roe Dogs, have multi plied so excessively that they live wild in the plains, and have become a great pest.
Birds are very numerous. In the lakes of the enateru plain there are wild ducks and Bimetal varieties of large wild geese. A few other birds of the species found in Europe are also met with, ea the heron, the quail, end partridge ; but there are other species not known in Europe, as different kinds of parrots, the Macueo partridge, the tucan, and many more.
The only manufactures are of the rude articles required for domestic use. The commerce is comparatively inconsiderable; though, from the position of the country on the Atlantic and the great icatuary of the La Plata, with the excellent harbour of Montevideo and others of an exceedingly useful class, and with the facilities for internal communi cation afforded by the Uruguay, it is the natural entrepet of the com merce of • east region of the interior; while its own fertile soil and healthy climate would alone render it, in the hands of a peaceful and industrious people, a greet exporting country. At present the trade is chiefly centred in MONTEVIDEO. The exports consist almost wholly of the produce of the herds, as hides, horn, hair, jerked and salted beef, tallow, be, and do not now probably exceed 1,000,0001. sterling annually. The imports are chiefly of articles of British and colonial manufactures, /to.; and of North American and some continental produce. There is also a considerable but fluctuating trade between Uruguay and Brazil, the Argentine provinces, ke. The imports of British goods in 1853 amounted to 529,8S31. The exports to the United States in 1853 amounted to 302,9S0 dollars; the imports to 308,446 dollars.
Uruguay is a republic with an elective president, a senate, and a house of representatives ; but the actual power is generally centred in the president, who is usually some successful general. The country is divided into nine departments—Montevideo, Maldonado, Cane lone., San Joad, Colonia, Soriano, Paisandu, Durango, and Cerro Largo.