The most important ports of South America are on the eastern shore. The one that leads all others is Buenos Aires. Santos, the famous coffee-shipping port of Brazil, ranks second in the value of its commerce. Rio de Janeiro stands third, and Montevideo fourth. Its total yearly shipping is worth &75,000,000. This city is the capital of Uruguay. It has a population of 374,000, or about equal to that of Cincinnati, or Milwaukee. It is a modern city throughout. Its buildings and streets are well constructed. Its commercial importance is due largely to the cattle and sheep industry of the little republic. The country is a series of ranches and its railroads all lead to the capital. You may wonder why the city bears such a peculiar name. The word Montevideo means "I see the mountain." The mountain that you can see from Montevideo is named Cerro. It is hardly a mountain since it rises only 470 feet above the sea level. You will observe first of all the large steamers lying in the harbor. These steamers have brought manufactured goods from Europe and the United States. They will be loaded with wool, hides, preserved and fresh meats, to be shipped back to the manufacturing countries. This shipment would not be possible if it were not for the boat which you see in the foreground. This is a huge dredge which works constantly to clear the channel for the great boats. This channel is now 30 feet deep. The River Plata is a broad mouth of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers. These rivers bring down much sediment which they drop into the Plata. This mud must be removed, else the harbor of Montevideo would soon became landlocked. Keystone ID: 20827 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.