CHAPTER XIII.

THE CENTRAL PROVINCES.

CORDOVA, LA RIOJA, SANTIAGO, TUCUMAN, CATAMARCA, SALTA.

CORDOVA. Government. Pastoral Habits of the People. Productions. LA RIOJA. Population, &c. Famatina Mines. Evils arising from the present subdivision of the Provincial Governments. SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO. The Sandy Desert or Traversia. Quichua Language. Productions, &c. The Salado navigable to the Paranã. The Chaco. Mass of native Iron found there. Theory of its Meteoric Origin questionable. Account of the native Iron from Atacama. TUCUMAN. Delightful Climate. Mines--little worked. Richness of the Vegetation. Declaration of Independence of the Provinces made there in 1816. CATAMARCA. Population, &c. Original Inhabitants--their long Wars with the Spaniards. SALTA. Divisions, Population, Government, Climate, Rivers. The Vermejo, and its Affluents from Tarija and Jujuy. Valuable Productions of this Province. Labour of the Mataco Indians obtainable, and preferable to that of Europeans in such Latitudes. Importance of inland Steam Navigation urged Page 238