LONDON
PEINT8D BY SPOTTISWOODE ATfD CO.
MEW-6TBEET SQUARE

J*i|gs^s^

T.FLcken,Tith. Dy&San.LiflF'tDtheQueeri
FALLS OF ITAMARITY.

SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES;

A VISIT TO RIO JANEIRO,
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS, LA PLATA,
AND THE PARANA.

THOMAS WOODBINE HINCHLIFF, M.A., F.RG.S.
AUTHOB OP ' SUMMER MONTHS AMONG THE ALPS.'

LONDON:
LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, ROBERTS, & GREEN.
1863.

«fevV\

PEEFACE.

TN visiting South America I had the satisfaction of
~*~ fulfilling a long-cherished desire. As a school-boy
I had wandered in imagination among the forests of
Brazil ; my fancy had been fired by Sir Francis Head's
description of the Pampas; and I had latterly con
ceived an eager wish to compare the Andes with the
Alps. I started from England with the intention of
seeing these three regions in the course of a year's
absence; and though I was unfortunately compelled
by circumstances to abandon the third division of my
plan, yet I derived so much pleasure from all the novel
scenes of Brazil and the Republics of the River Plate,
that I am anxious to call the attention of others to
these comparatively unfrequented countries.
My visit to Brazil was short, but it enabled me to
a

VI PKEFACE.
wander among the exquisite scenery of the Organ
Mountains, the beauty of which can hardly be sur
passed in any country of the world ; to make many
delightful expeditions from the neighbourhood of Rio
Janeiro ; and to see some of the results of modern skill
and energy, in a journey to Juiz da Fora, in the pro
vince of Minas Greraes. Roads and railroads in many
directions, are affording immense assistance to the
material progress of Brazil, and the experiment of a
Constitutional Empire in the Western Hemisphere has
met with a success which must be highly interesting to
a traveller. The grandeur of the forests, the infinite
variety of ferns and flowers and fruits, the beauty of
the birds and insects, and the sublimity of the scenery,
all exceeded my highest expectations: and I wish to
point out for the benefit of other wanderers, that the
limits of a Long Vacation are sufficient to admit of
their spending five weeks in the cool season among the
splendours of Brazil.
I passed several months in Buenos Ayres and the
neighbourhood, where the kindness of friends and
relations introduced me to all that was most agreeable
and interesting both in town and country life. The
society of Buenos Ayres is remarkably hospitable and

PREFACE. _ VII
pleasant, the climate is generally delightful, and it
would be difficult to find anything more healthy and
invigorating than the free and independent life of the
estancias, or country estates.
Availing myself of a good offer, I made an expe
dition up the river Uruguay to the neighbourhood of
Paysandii, about three hundred miles from Buenos
Ayres, where I had a very favourable opportunity of
enjoying plenty of sport on the estancia of a friend,
and of thoroughly examining that district of the Banda
Oriental. Later in the year I ascended the river Parana to
Rosario, Santa Fe, and the town of Parana, which was
then the capital of the Argentine Confederation. After
an agreeable visit for a week at the latter place, I
started with a friend to cross the rarely-visited province
of Entre Rios, and a journey which was both amusing
and exciting brought us to Nogoya and the neighbour
hood of Grualeguay. Here we spent a fortnight at the
estancia of another friend, riding to all parts of the
surrounding country and familiarising ourselves with
the life and pursuits of the estancieros, among whom
we found many of our own countrymen. Ultimately we
left the province at Grualeguay, and had an interesting
a 2

Vlll PREFACE.
voyage down the river in a small schooner which in
due time, but not without difficulty, brought us into
the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres.
Much as I regretted the necessary abandonment of
my intended journey across the Cordillera, I was
partially repaid by witnessing the excitement of the
civil war which caused it. The armies and navies of a
South American republic, though capable of doing
much mischief among themselves, cannot fail to be
amusing to European travellers. I trust and believe,
however, that the Argentine people are beginning to
see the folly of their frequent wars and discords, and
are preparing themselves for such a career of steady
progress and prosperity as would naturally be expected
in so fine a country. I hope that the railroads and
important undertakings upon which 'they are now
engaged for opening communications and developing
the resources of their vast country, will turn their
natural talents and energies into sober and useful
channels. Foreigners have been making great progress on both
sides of the river, and those Englishmen who go out to
engage in the profitable pursuits of sheep-farming in
that part of the world will generally find fellow-

PREFACE. ix
countrymen within reach. Bad government and tur
bulent partisans have been the only serious drawbacks
to the prosperity of the country, and there is at present
every symptom of the evil times having come to their
end. Even in the midst of their internal discords, the
various governments have been sufficiently wise in their
generation to recognise the importance of conciliat
ing foreigners and encouraging the immigration of
Europeans : every man who embarks his capital and
labour upon the estancias of the River Plate is not
only benefiting himself, but contributing his quota
to the prosperity of a country which must soon be
come great and important among the nations of the
earth. The railway which is about to be made from Rosario
to Cordova, with its ultimate ramifications through the
provinces of La Plata, cannot fail to open up very great
sources of wealth in what may even still be considered
as almost a new world. Cotton and corn, wine, fruits,
and tobacco, will be brought within the reach of a short
and easy transit to Europe. The healthy climate and
the vigorous life of the country will be strong induce
ments for all who try it to persevere in their efforts :
and with the increased conveniences which every year

X PREFACE.
is producing, I cannot help feeling sure that La Plata is
destined to be great.
I have endeavoured to give a short but faithful ac
count of all I saw and heard, in the hope of inducing
others to go and judge for themselves. The journals
which I kept and the letters which I sent to England
have afforded the materials of this volume ; and I have
adhered to the plan of describing my journey and
various expeditions in order as they occurred. This
has involved the necessity of retracing my steps for my
second visit to Brazil; but, considering the various
effects of different seasons upon the climate and
vegetation of the countries described, I thought that
this was the best system to adopt.
The illustrations, with the exception of that which is
taken from an interesting photograph of the ruins of
Mendoza after the earthquake, are from rough sketches
taken by myself upon the spot, and completed by the
kindness of my friends. The map is upon too small a
scale compared with the immensity of the country to
enter upon much detail, but it is sufficient to give
a general notion of the mighty basin of La Plata with
the adjoining territories.
In conclusion, I wish to express my thanks to the

PREFACE. xi
many hospitable friends who rendered my visit to South
America one of unmixed pleasure and satisfaction ; and
if any of them derive the least amusement from the
perusal of these pages, I shall feel very greatly pleased
at having been able to give so slight a proof of my
grateful remembrance. T. W. HINCHLIER
London :
May 27, 1863.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE I.
VOTAGE TO EIO JANEIRO.
Start from Southampton — Lishon — Fellow-passengers — Madeira —
Divers — A Jump for it — Teneriffe — Flying-fish — St. Vincent —
Dryness of the Island — Whales — Fernando Noronha — Pernambuco —
A Gala Day — Pineapples — Jangadas — Bahia — Oranges — Cadeiras
— Earthquake of Mendoza — Fate of M. Bravart — Cape Frio — Eio
Janeiro — Beauty of the Harbour — Noisy Negroes coaling the
Ship  page 1

CHAPTEE II.
ARRIVAL AT BUENOS AYRES.
The Market at Eio. — Feather Flowers — Hotels — Carriages — Gardens
— Aqueduct — Business Activity — Purification of Eio — YellowFever
— The Consul's House — A Cruise in the Harbour — The Sugarloaf
Mountain — Botafogo Bay — Feat of a Midshipman — Transfer to the
'Mersey' — A heavy Swell — Cape Pigeons and Albatrosses — Story of
Alpacas and Llamas — Lobos Island — Montevideo — Quarantine —
The Pampero — The Paraguay, Parana, and Uruguay — Shallowness
of the Eio de la Plata — Land at Buenos Ayres . . .23

XIV CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE III.
LIFE AT BUENOS ATRES.
Civility of Custom-house Officers — Streets of Buenos Ayres — The
Plaza de la Victoria — The Foreigners' Club — Sugarplums and Mate
— The Bolsa — Downward progress of the paper Dollar — Eeligious
Liberty — The Eecoleta — 'Assassinated by his Friends' — A Buenos
Ayrean Quinta — The Ombu Tree — Pamperos and Dust-storms —
Cricketers abroad — A dead Horse — First view of Flamingoes page 43
CHAPTEE IV.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BUENOS ATRES.
Visit to a Saladero — Driving in Cattle — The Slaughter — Eapid Dis
appearance — Jerked Beef — Buenos Ayrean Butchers — Villainous
Dogs — French Sportsmen — The 25 th of May — Political Dis
turbances — Anomalous position of Foreigners — Outbreak at San Juan
— The National Guard — Ball at the Progreso Club — Display in the
Plaza — Jugglers and Fireworks — Safety in the Streets — Steamers
seized — A Visit to Montevideo — M. Buschenthal's Quinta —
Amateur Concert  .67
CHAPTEE V.
VISIT TO THE CAMP.
Panic about TJrquiza — Seizure of Horses — Scarcity of Labour — Eeview
in the Plaza — Doubts about Cordova — An intercepted Despatch —
General Mitre marches with his Army — Expedition to Monte Grande
— Tiru-Teros — Biscachos — Pampas Owls — Pantanos — Wildfowl
— Stores — Evening — The Eecado — Bridle, Bit, and Spurs — The
Eevenqne — Maneas and silver Ornaments ... 95

CHAPTEE VL
RIDING AND SHOOTING.
A coming Storm— A friendly Eoof — Armadillos — Ducks  Fla
mingoes — Bad Weather— Still worse — Dead Sheep  Ele/s Cart-

CONTENTS. XV
CHAPTEE VI. — continued.
ridges — Fop and the Nutria— Biscacho Shooting — Their friendship
with the Owls — A Gallop — Visiting in the Pampas — Packing the
Bullock-cart — Peaches and Flowers — Eeturn to Buenos Ayres page 117
CHAPTEE VII.
AN ESTANCIA IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL.
A Visit to the Banda Oriental, or Eepublie of the Uruguay — Lonely
Islands — Conception — Urquiza's Property — Pay sandii — Swimming
a Horse — Where is the Port? — The 'Forest Primeval' — Eobinson
Crusoe — The Eeseue — The Land of Thorns —Vegetation — Arrival
at the Estancia — Partridges — Catching our Breakfast, and killing
the same — The Aroma — The large Partridge — Parrot Pie — Cap-
inchos — Jaguars — ¦ Crescientes — Adventures of an Invalid — The
faithful Murderer — How to get Home in the dark . . 136
CHAPTEE VIII.
LIFE IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL.
A Eide to the Puestos — Ostriches and Deer — Imitating Indians —
Eesults of charging a Bull — A fighting Servant — Character of
Gauchos — Their Holidays and their Quarrels — The Knife — Marking
Lambs — Mule-breeding — Eavages of Ants — The Bicho Colorado —
Mounting a Colt — Away to the^Uruguay — The Golden Fleece — Trees
and Flowers — The Forest — Eun away with in the Forest — An
agreeable Evening — Great Thunder-storm — Arrival of Letters — Ee
turn to Buenos Ayres  164
CHAPTEE IX.
GAUCHOS AND WAR.
Fortifications of Buenos Ayres — Training of a Gaueho — His indepen
dence — Long Eides — TheEastreador and Vaqueano — General Eivera
— Civilisation and the Sword — General Urquiza — El Canon Tiene
la Palabra! — Eailway to Merlo — Peach Woods — Productiveness
of Corn — Solemnities at the Cathedral — Question of Paraguay —
High Prices — Alarming Eeports — Calmness of Hernandez — Victory!
Prisoners — General Glorification — Eesolve to return to Brazil 192

xvi CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE X.
RETURN TO BRAZIL.
Start in the ' Mersey ' — Strange Colour in the Water — Land-birds
blown off Shore in a Gale — Heavy Sea — Engineers from Paraguay
— A Man buried at Sea — Entrance to Eio — Want of Hotels —
Jenny the Monkey — Off for Petropolis — Maua, Eailway — Beauti
ful Eoad — Climate and Elevation of Brazil — Historical Sketch —
Huguenots at Eio Janeiro — The House of Braganza— Dom Pedro I.
— Constitutional Emperor — Dom Pedro II. — The Slave-labour
Question— Attempts to import Colonists from Europe — Condition
of Slaves  page 216

CHAPTEE XI.
SCENERY OF THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Petropolis — Head-quarters with the Turk — A Brazilian Garden —
The Presidencia — Ferns and Lycopodia — Bamboos, Orchids, Palms,
and Bananas — Burning Forests — Birds and Butterflies — Climbing
Ants — The Falls of Itamarity — Eain — Frogs and Toads — Fireflies
— The Alto do Imperador — Mountains again — Beware of Insects
— • Snakes — A severe Eemedy — Carapatos and Jiggers — Yankee
Experience  241

CHAPTEE XII.
VISIT TO THERESOPOLIS.
Start for Theresopolis — Wallets and Holsters — Boots and Umbrellas
—Aloes, Araucarias, and Daturas — Correa — Gigantic Fig-tree —
Mules and Coffee — A Mountain-stream and Flowers — The Castor-Oil
Tree — A Horse breaks down — Summit of the Pass among the Organ
Mountains — The shade of the Forest — Stuck in the Mud  English
Beer — Hospitable Eeception — The Organ Peaks— The Cabeza del
Frayle — Height of the Organs — ' Jolly Heath ' — Guide, Philosopher,
and Friend — Acting Charades — A motley Audience — The Eeturn 
A rough Luncheon — A wet Gallop back to Petropolis . .262

CONTENTS. XVII
CHAPTEE XIII.
EXPEDITION TO JUIZ DA FORA.
Drying Ferns — Beautiful Birds — Journey to Juiz da Fora — A fine
Brazilian Eoad — Swiss Pastor — The Conducteur — Macadam in
Brazil — Eccentricities of the Mules — Unhappy Stonebreakers —
Lifting the Veil — German Toughness — The Half-way House —
Virgin Forests — Coffee Plantations — Trains of Mule-carts — Keep
them straight — Disaster of a Country Gentleman — Mr. Weller
abroad — Anacondas — A Negro Gentleman — Fireflies and Music —
Beautiful Flowers — Changes of Temperature — Farewell to the Turk
— Start again for Buenos Ayres  page 282
CHAPTEE XIV.
LA PLATA AND PARANA.
Southwards again — Storm and Butterflies — Light carried away —
H.M.S. 'Ardent'— Flight of Derqui — Gale in the Eiver — Water
spouts — Courage of early Explorers — The Seibo Tree — Obligado
— Waterfowl — Evening on the Parana — San Nicholas — Eosario —
Buenos Ayrean Army— The General — Victualling the Troops — The
Colonel again — Eailway Prospects in the Argentine Territories —
Probable increase of Commerce — The two Squadrons — A South
American Admiral — ' Defendemos la ley Federal Jurada ' — Changed
appearance of Land — Arrival at Parana .... 307
CHAPTEE XV.
PARANA AND SANTA FE.
Parana, — The Hotel de Paris — The Siesta — Beds of Fossil Oysters —
Pretty Environs — The Nogoya Diligence — Excursion to Santa Fe —
Alligators on the Bank of the Salado — Origin of Santa Fe — Eough-
looking Soldiers — Breakfast at the Fonda — Visit to the Church —
View from the Tower — > Dust and Decay — The Old Fort — The
Scarlet Ponchos — ¦ Affair of the Carcararia — The Post-master of Santa
Fe — A Circus — ' Sic Vos Non Vobis ' — Agreement to start for
Nogoya  335

XvTll CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE XVI.
TRAVELLING IN ENTRE RIOS.
Start from Parana — Want of Water — Muddy Ponds — Arrival at
Nogoya — Country-quarters — Christian Names — The Gualeguay
Diligeneia — A rough Jolting — Letters forgotten — Changing the
Team — Eough Drivers — A dangerous Place to cross — Down they
go — The Coach is upset — Mending a broken Leg — A fresh Start
— Arrival at the Estancia — ' Old Bob ' — Brick-making and House
building — Choice Sheep — Increasing Value of Land — A Garden —
Ferns growing in the Wells — General appearance of the Land page 357
CHAPTEE XVII.
LIFE AT LAS CABEZAS.
Tropillas of Horses — A picturesque Boy — Visiting the Puestos — John
the German — Eough Furniture — Family of the General — Cattle on
the Eodeo — A fine Sight — Fishing extraordinary — A Tajamar —
Huge Spurs — Eiding to Breakfast — Gaueho Head-dress — Hoof-
paring — Thistles of the Pampas — Ant-hills — Killing a Fox — Fresh
Arrivals — The Barrancosa — A Feat of Horsemanship — Carne Con
Cuero — Delightful Evening al Fresco — A Sick Gaueho — A Strange
Funeral — Crossing the Eiver Cle — Lost among the Thistles — Pre
pare to leave the Estancia  379
CHAPTEE XVHI.
VOYAGE DOWN THE RIVER FROM GUALEGUAY.
Departure from the Estancia — Gualeguay — Visit to Don Juan  The
Port — Our Schooner — Scant Accommodation — Snakes in the House 
Great Heat in the Evening — Towing down the Eiver — The Pavon
and Ybicuy— Want of Discipline— A dangerous Cargo— Formation of
new Channels and Islands — Moored to the Bank — Gigantic Snails 
Musquitos — The Nueve Vueltas — Pampero and Panic — Extraordi
nary rise in the Eiver— The Boca del Capitan — San Fernando —
Eeturn to Buenos Ayres— A hot Christmas— Sail for England 398

LIST OF
ILLUSTKATIONS.

PAGE
MAP OF CENTBAL SOUTH AMEBICA .... To face 1
the falls of itamaeity  Frontispiece
BUMS OF THE CATHEDEAL OF MENDOZA, AFTEE THE
EARTHQUAKE  To face 17
THE HAEBOUE OF EIO JANEIBO, FEOM THE ALTO DO rMPEEADOE 256
THE OEGAN MOUNTAINS FEOM THEEBSOPOLIS .... 275 291
THE PEDEO DE PAEAHYBUNA 

\ fcSjjm

c**

20

-T

60

Sinf^'

ApW

25

fVeo^J

£ere&;!

30

35 r

w

40

n

r , Sv In "''''"'"'T^YtA » ^^

J5

r"««<j.

20

ST.riSde, ^
Mn~,eaero'a c '« Samada *

te

v COUNTRIES adjoining th.e
RIO BE LA PLATA
British Statute MAcs

25

<N

A

¦ « Corrumte-j

>

V

T A G'W L^NST

\

*?

3*

30

•« <? ¦»

35

70

55

50

45

SawfyRlR?1

SOUTH AMEEICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER I.
VOYAGE TO EIO JANEIRO.
STAET FEOM SOUTHAMPTON — LISBON — FELLOW-PASSENGEES —
MADEIEA — DIVEES — A JUMP FOE IT — TENEEIFFE —FLYING-FISH
—ST. VINCENT— DEXNESS OF THE ISLAND— WHALES— FEENANDO
NOEONHA— PEBNAMBUCO— A GALA DAT— PINEAPPLES— JANGADAS
— BAHIA — OEANGES — CADEIEAS — EAETHQUAKE OF MENDOZA—
FATE OF M. BEAVAET— CAPE FEIO — EIO JANEIEO— BEAUTY OF
THE HAEBOUE — NOISY NEGBOES COALING THE SHIP.
EARLY in the afternoon of April the 9th, 1861, 1 sailed
from Southampton in the Royal Mail Company's
steamer Magdalena, with a light north-easterly breeze
to help us on our way towards the sunny South.
A kind friend had accompanied me . to the ship, and
introduced me to Captain Woolward ; and, surrounded
by the comforts and luxuries of such a noble vessel, I
soon found that there was nothing further to be desired.
Many have recorded their impressions on leaving
England for distant countries ; for my own part, I may

2 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
fairly say, that next to the natural regret caused by
parting with my friends, the predominant feeling was
intense satisfaction at having got rid of all the trouble
and worry of preparing for a long absence ; and I even
derived a grim pleasure from reflecting that it was
then quite useless to remember anything that had been
forgotten. The cliffs of Old England were soon out of sight as
we rushed through the dancing waves with 800 horse
power ; the sun set with a clear sky, and when the first
stars showed themselves, ' Great Orion ' was exactly
over the bowsprit. Having a fancy of my own for con
sidering this a very favourable augury, I turned into
bed with the full conviction that we should have a
prosperous voyage. We ran through the Bay of Biscay
with scarcely a ripple on the sea ; saw a glorious sunrise
behind the Spanish hills on the 12th; and about six
o'clock in the morning of the 13th we were steaming
up the Tagus into Lisbon. Four days had made a
great change in the temperature : here the hills were
covered with the verdure of full spring, and the heat
during the middle of the day was too great for walking
with any pleasure. I went on shore after breakfast with
a fellow-passenger, and by keeping to the shady side of
the streets, we managed to explore a good deal of the
city ; but about two o'clock we were very glad to get
some shelter in a cool room of the Braganza Hotel.
Two hours later the coaling was over ; and, with some

FELLOW-PASSENGERS. 3
addition to our passengers, and a famous supply of
vegetables and eggs, for which Lisbon is justly cele
brated, we left the beautiful Tagus behind, and said
farewell to Europe for the present.
I was not long in finding some agreeable companions
among the passengers ; several of them were young
South Americans, who, after a few years of study and
travelling in Europe, were now returning home in great
spirits. The most remarkable looking man, however,
was a many-scarred G-aribaldian colonel, who had been
a friend and companion of the chieftain from his early
adventures at Montevideo to the events of 1860. With
a tall commanding figure, of immense power, long iron-
grey hair, and the eye of an eagle, he looked a true
leader of men. He was one of the many discontented
after the affairs in Sicily and Naples, and falling into
disfavour with Victor Emmanuel and Cavour, he had
made up his mind to try his fortunes once more in the
New World, where he had formerly been engaged in all
kinds of operations, from fighting in the Banta Oriental
to surveying the Patagonian frontier of the Argentine
Confederation. There was also a pleasant Belgian
count, who, not liking the political prospects of Europe
in general, and of his own country in particular, had
determined to settle with his family on an estancia
which he owned on the banks of the Uruguay.
The usual course of the mail steamers, after leaving
Lisbon, is to run direct for St. Vincent, in the Cape J,
B 2

4 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Verde Islands ; but, owing to a lucky chance, we were
this time destined to have a peep at Madeira. The
Empress of Austria was wintering in that lovely island,
and the Magdalena was ordered to call there with a
young officer of the Austrian Court bearing despatches,
and charged with certain boxes which we shrewdly con
jectured to contain the latest productions of Parisian
taste for the Imperial lady. So when I came on deck
early in the morning of the 16th, we were lying off
Funchal, near enough to distinguish everything on land,
in the light of a perfectly beautiful spring sunrise. The
Captain had promised us a few hours on shore, but it
was found that there were no moorings for us, and he
was obliged to stay no longer than was necessary to land
the Austrian. It was tantalising enough to see the
beautiful hills and snow-white villas, all surrounded
with exquisite vegetation, without being able to set foot
among them ; but we were compelled to confine our
amusements to trading with the natives, who came off
in a shoal of boats as soon as they ascertained that we
were not from Brazil with the assumed proportion of
yellow fever patients.
'Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,' the
banana, with heaps of oranges, vegetables, fish, and
flowers ; mats, baskets, and Canary birds ; feather-
flowers and shawls, sticks and inlaid boxes. Crowdino-
round the ship's side and climbing the gangway, chat
tering and screaming in broken English and Portuguese,

A JUMP FOR IT. 5
they opened the market in a very animated style ; while
another boat, containing a couple of divers, afforded
infinite amusement to those who were not engaged in
commerce. These fellows, wearing nothing but a light
pair of drawers, dived with astonishing accuracy for
sixpences and shillings, thrown into the sea at a consi
derable distance from their boat. The water being as
clear as crystal, we could watch their bodies glancing
like fish far below the surface ; and, as they never
missed their aim, and many of us gave them all the
remains of our English silver, they must have realised
a small fortune. The first bell was rung to clear the
ship of the speculators who had boarded us, and half an
hour later they had a second warning. The ship then
began to move, and we thought the fun was all over.
But presently we saw that the whole fleet of boats was
racing after us with all their might, as if they were
trying to keep up with the winner at a regatta ; the
men were all screaming in Portuguese and broken
English, and we could make out, ' Hi ! you stop, Cap- •
tain ! ' ' Oh, Lor ! stop ; you got man ! ' &c. &c.
' What 's all this about ? ' said the Captain.
A quartermaster reported that one of the dealers, in
his anxiety to make another sovereign, had not left the
ship. ' Very well, then ; tell him he must jump overboard,
if he does not want to go to St. Vincent.'
In vain he pleaded that he could not swim, as it was

6 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
certain to be a falsehood ; the ship was going faster and
faster, the huge paddles thrashing the sea into waves ; so
he plucked up his courage, and gallantly plunged head
foremost over the side. After a few moments' disap
pearance, he came to the top like a duck, and was just
beginning to show his talents as a swimmer, when the
nearest pursuers caught him by the collar, and dragged
him into their boat — a dripping victim to the love of
lucre !
Next morning we passed Teneriffe, though at a long
distance. The neighbourhood of the island was indi
cated by large masses of cloud, which would have hidden
the Peak, even if we had been much nearer than we
were ; and in passing, we received the first drops of rain
since leaving England. But all was soon bright as we
went southwards — gentle breezes and clear skies put
everybody in high spirits ; and the purple-crested
' Portuguese men-of-war,' floating tranquilly on the
dark blue sea, seemed to enjoy it all as much as any-
.one. Multitudes of flying-fish, frightened by the
steamer, flew right and left in coveys, offering us many
opportunities of seeing that they have a true flight,
although it is limited by the rapid drying of their fins.
I frequently saw them fly nearly a hundred yards,
without touching the water ; and the quick glitter made
by the motion of their broad filmy fins had a very
pretty effect in the sunshine. Now and then they
raised themselves enough to come on board our tall

Washington's nose. i
ship ; and I observed that the large fins, which act as
wings when wet and pliable, stiffened very quickly on
exposure to the air. Meanwhile, the heat increased
daily ; and though it was not too severe to prevent some
of us from indulging in leap-frog and various athletic
exercises under the awning as we crossed the tropic, we
were quite satisfied with more gentle movements when
we reached St. Vincent, in the Cape Verde Islands, on
the morning of the 21st.
The island of St. Vincent would apparently be useless
to the world, if it did not contain a harbour which is
very convenient as a coaling station for steamers. At a
distance, the height of its hills and their fantastic forms
give it a very picturesque appearance ; but on coming
nearer, there is nothing to see but a burnt-up wilderness
of barren mountains. The inhabitants are contained in
a small dirty village, close to the shelving beach of the
bay ; but in the greater part of the island great bluff
rocks descend precipitously to the sea. The most re
markable of the mountains is called 'Washington's
Nose,' its outline being a close imitation of that patriot's
profile. Foreign consuls live in a few little villas stuck
down upon the barren rocks ; but it is difficult enough
to imagine how they can exist in a place where there
can be no amusement or occupation, except what may
be derived from the arrival of ships. I was told that
sometimes it does not rain at St. Vincent for two or
three years together, and such fruits and provisions as

'8 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
are consumed are all brought from St. Antonio or other
islands. The bay is overlooked by a scrap of a fort, which
serves to maintain the dignity of the Portuguese,
though it is scarcely larger than the flag on the top of
it. The authorities must have a dismal life, with no
satisfaction but that of making other people uncom
fortable by putting them in quarantine on every possible
pretext. Between the islands of St. Vincent and St. Antonio
is a very remarkable spot, called Bird Island. It is
almost exactly like the upper part of the famous Swiss
Matterhorn, rising straight out of the sea, and entirely
composed of formidable rocks ; even the snow patches
of the mountain are partly imitated by the guano of
innumerable sea-birds, which sit lazily on the rocks,
digesting their dinner and contemplating the scenery.
As soon as the ship anchored, the coal-barges began
to come alongside, towed by a little steamer of about
forty tons, which had come out from England under
canvass. In this excessively dry climate, the black dust
was intolerable ; and I was glad enough to go on shore,
though I was told that there was nothing to be seen,
and that nothing grew on the island. This, however,
like most of such statements, proved to be not alto
gether true. There were certainly no public buildino-s
or picture galleries in the miserable little village, but it
was very amusing to see the natives, of various races,

SCANTY VEGETATION. 9
from tawny to genuine wool, coming to look at the new
arrivals, and tempt them to purchase work and feather-
flowers. A small but animated negro ball was going on
in one house ; and while the mammas were dancing,
their little darkies enjoyed themselves in the sand out
side. There is something very attractive in the young
of most animals. Puppies and kittens are delightful ;
but there is nothing so charming in its way as a batch
of little bright-eyed niggers playing, stark naked, on a
sand-heap. Passing through the village, we followed
the line of the beach for more than half an hour, and
then turned inland, to ascend one of the nearest hills.
Walking was disagreeable, for the sand was deep, and
burning hot to the feet ; and when we got to the hill, we
found it was covered with disintegrated rubbish. How
ever, we succeeded in getting a fine view of the harbour,
and then turned our attention to the only green spot
which we could see on the island. This proved to be
an extensive thicket of tamarisk, growing in deep sand,
and consisting of very handsome bushes. There was
scarcely any other plant or flower to be found. I only
met with a single specimen of a tall and handsome
Orobanche with large yellow flowers, a very pretty
borage, a few grasses, a Frankenia, and two or three
other plants, sadly scorched by the blazing sun. After
about three hours' walk in the hottest part of the day,
we were glad to get back to the town, and take shelter
in a queer little store called the Cafe Bilhar, where we

10 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
refreshed ourselves with a bottle of good Yankee cider,
and waited till it was time to go on board. The billiard-
table was unluckily hors de combat; if it had been
blessed with cushions, we might have tried a game, in
spite of the filthiness of the cloth.
About four o'clock we sailed, passing very near some
whales, which had been lucky enough to escape the crew
of a large vessel just starting homewards with a full
cargo of oil. In the course of the next two days we
passed the track of the outward-bound India and China
ships, and it was indeed a goodly sight to see those ' tall
argosies,' with every sail set to catch the gentle breeze.
On the 26th we crossed the Line, but there were no
ceremonies to celebrate the event. In these degenerate
days, when so many ancient faiths are rudely shaken,
the God of the Sea has come in for a share of neglect ;
and the Royal Mail Company, after voting Neptune
a nuisance, has abolished him entirely. For a day or
two, between losing the north-east, and meeting the
south-east trade-winds, the heat was very sultry and
oppressive; the motion of the steamer always made a
little air on deck, but it was easy to imagine the suffer
ings of those who are becalmed on the Line in a sailin«-
vessel. On the 27th we passed the extraordinary island of
Fernando Noronha, used as a penal settlement by the
Portuguese, and said to have so dreadful a reputation
that ships hardly like going to leeward of it. It

PERNAMBUCO. 1 1
consists of a series of sharp hills, the most remarkable
of which rises perpendicularly like a monstrous light
house, and was distinctly seen from the deck at a distance
of forty-five miles.
Early in the morning of the 29th I first saw South
America, the ship having anchored off Pernambuco.
The mail steamers lie about a mile outside the Recife,
a coral reef, which extends, with few interruptions, like
a regular sea-wall, for nearly 400 miles along the coast
of Brazil. At Pernambuco it is parallel to the beach,
and nearly a quarter of a mile distant from it : the fresh
sea-breeze sets inland, and the first thing that strikes a
stranger is the splendid effect of the waves breaking on
the reef, and rushing upwards in pillars and towers of
spray. Opposite the northern end of the city a wide
opening admits of the entrance of vessels into a natural
dock formed between the main land and the Recife ; but
the foughness of the sea, combined with the exorbitant
charges of the boatmen, prevents most passengers from
landing unless they are obliged to do so. A friend
kindly came off to see me ; and after luncheon, accom
panied by the Captain, I went ashore in his boat. This
little craft was extremely light, and after the pattern of
a whale-boat, stem and stern alike ; the crew consisted
of four magnificent negroes, each a Hercules in build,
and the patron or master, who had got preternaturally
fat from constantly sitting still and steering, guided the
frail vessel with marvellous skill among waves, which,

12 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
whenever we were in the hollows, completely hid us
from everything but their towering green crests.
The first thing I observed in Pernambuco was the
narrowness and dirt of its streets ; and it is wonderful
that, with the sea close at hand, some good system of
drainage has not been adopted. I should have been
very sorry to show my respect for the New World
by kissing the earth of Pernambuco. The city is
essentially a place of business, but by no means
interesting to a spectator, and I should think that no
one would settle there willingly. It is not, however,
generally unhealthy ; and, though nearly level with the
sea, it is preserved from excessive heat by the constant
sea-breeze, which usually keeps the thermometer at
about eighty-five degrees. The rain-fall is heavy, and
amounted to about 130 inches last year.
It happened to be a gala day in honour of the
election of a president or governor, and my friend '
took me to a large square in the further part of the
place to see what was going on. His Excellency was
showing himself at a balcony, and a large ecclesiastic,
in purple garments, was apparently performing some
kind of benediction ; after which the band struck up,
and the soldiers drawn up round the square fired
running salutes of musketry in very fair style, to the
intense disgust and astonishment of numbers of mules
laden with oranges, bananas, and other delicacies, which
suffered considerably from the violent kicking. The

CATAMARANS. 1 3
pineapples from the neighbourhood of Pernambuco
are probably the finest in the world, and are by no
means to be confounded with the little yellow knobs
furnished to the London market from the West Indies.
Their flavour is perfect, and their size and generally
handsome appearance make them the finest fruit that
can be imagined. They are frequently fourteen or
fifteen pounds in weight, and a resident in Paraiba told
me he had seen them as large as twenty-two pounds.
We had no time to spare, having to return to the ship
in the teeth of a fresh breeze, which raised sea enough
to be exciting in our little boat, particularly as we knew
that in the event of an upset we might speedily become
dinner for sharks. Our stout patron steered us admir
ably, however, and I got on board just in time to see one
of these monsters of the deep hauled on deck by the sailors
who had caught him. In spite of sharks, the Pernam
buco fishermen carry on their trade in most extraordi
nary little vessels, called jangadas, or catamarans ; these
consist of four logs of cork palm, thicker at one end
than at the other, and pinned together into a wedge-
shaped raft, having a single plank for keel, and just
large enough to hold three or four men standing, or
squatting on little stools. A rough mast carries a three-
cornered sail, and with no protection from the water,
which flows over the craft at its own sweet will, they sail
about at a very tolerable speed. They seldom meet with
accidents, and fill the markets of Pernambuco with

14 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
some of the ugliest fish in the world. Dr. Kidder, who
once made a voyage in one of them, reported that they
were breezy, watery, and safe.
Four o'clock comes ; the anchor is up, and we are off
again, running down the coast with glorious skies and
gently rippled seas, bound for Bahia, where we arrive
early on the morning of May the 1st. Lovely is the view
which meets us as we jump on deck. Soft showers have
been falling in the night, and now the glorious sun
makes the whole air redolent with life and growth as it
comes perfumed from the luxurious shore. Streets and
villas rise one above another on the steep and lofty
banks where the city is built, and every scrap of ground
not built upon is covered with brilliant green masses of
palms, bananas, and the numberless productions of a
tropical climate ; while far away to the south stretches
the beautiful bay for thirty miles, surrounded by undu
lating hills, hazy in the blue distance.
I went ashore at once with the mail-boat, and walked
to the Consulate through the fruit-market. This trade
is principally carried on by negro women, many of
whom are fine specimens of humanity, though generally
tending to obesity ; like most of their race, they delight
in gaudy dresses, and I think Mr. Lance would say it is
a very picturesque sight to see a group of them in blue
red, or orange muslin gowns, with large white turbans
and earrings, chattering round a stall covered with
oranges, bananas, mangoes, pumpkins, melons, and

COAL-DUST. 1 5
huge bunches of the gorgeous flowers of Brazil. This,
too, is the head-quarters of the little marmoset monkeys,
small enough to curl themselves into a champagne
glass, and proving an irresistible temptation to pater
familias, whose children stuff them with fruits for the
rest of the voyage. Whole boat-loads of the famous
navel-oranges are waiting on the shore, and the negro
in charge only grins as your boat glides past him, and
you pick out a fine specimen for immediate consump
tion, giving him a familiar nod by way of payment.
These oranges are very large, full of juice, with thin
skins, and not a pip to bless themselves with. Scores
of sedan chairs, called cadeiras, with negro bearers, are
ready to carry you up the hill ; but the Englishman
gallantly takes the steep zigzags on foot, and soon
arrives on the high plateau, where there is almost
always a balmy breeze to refresh him after the close
heat of the town.
On returning to the ship, I found that it was entirely
in the possession of a legion of devils in the shape of
negro coalheavers. The sacks are brought in huge
lighters to both sides of the vessel, and two gangs of
darkies get them on board by walking aft with ropes, on
the same principle as the man-of-war fashion of hanging
a man. If they would do their spiriting gently, we
might swallow our coal-dust with a better temper ; but
they insist on stamping the deck as hard as their naked
feet can do it, to the accompaniment of a dismal howling

16 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
chant, which irritates quiet people to the last degree.
All things, however, have their end; and about four
o'clock we sailed for Rio Janeiro, armed with a stock of
southern papers, which had been left by the homeward
mail. We found plenty of bad news from the Rio de la
Plata, or the River, as it is generally called. Civil war
between Buenos Ayres and the Federal Government
was imminent ; and the city of Mendoza, at the foot of
the Andes, had been destroyed by an earthquake on the
20th of March. I fancy this event caused very little
sensation in England. People who overflow with charity
when half a dozen men are killed by a Lancashire
boiler, look with the most perfect sang froid on the
destruction of whole thousands at the other side of the
world. The facts, however, of this disaster were suffi
ciently appalling. Mendoza was one of the principal
cities in the Argentine Republic, with a population
estimated at nearly 20,000. Situated at the foot of the
Andes, it was described as the garden of the country,
and was the charming resting-place of travellers be
tween the burning plains and the freezing passes of the
Chilian Cordillera. In two minutes all was destroyed.
The city was literally reduced to a heap of ruins ; about
15,000 people perished; and the few survivors could
not easily distinguish the streets in which they had
lived. Walls and fences were destroyed, and wild
cattle and horses trampled the gardens and vineyards

EARTHQUAKE OP MENDOZA. 17
to destruction, whilst other districts were ruined by
torrents of mud. The villainy of man added to the
horrors of the scene. Miscreants, who survived the
earthquake, or came in from the neighbourhood, drove
hard bargains with miserable wretches who were en
tombed by fallen stones and brickwork, and screamed
in vain for help, if they could not promise a suffi
cient reward. The smell of the ruined city, with
its slain thousands, is said to have been utterly in
tolerable. The accompanying illustration of the remains of the
cathedral is copied from a curious photograph which I
obtained in Buenos Ayres, and gives a better idea of the
destroying force of an earthquake than any with which
I am acquainted. Singularly enough, M. Bravart, a
French savant of some eminence, who had foretold the
destruction of the city by an earthquake, was himself
among the victims. He was known to have made very
valuable collections during a long residence in South
America, and, on behalf of Professor Owen, I after
wards made inquiries about them at Parana, through
the English and French ministers, but I found that a
claim had already been set up by some of his relations
in France, with a view to their being probably for
warded to Paris.
The principal watchmaker in Buenos Ayres, which is
about 800 miles distant from the scene of this awful
calamity, told me a curious fact in connection with it.
c

18 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
One day he observed with astonishment that his clocks
suddenly differed twelve seconds from his chronometers ;
and when the news arrived, about a fortnight later,
he found that the pendulums of the former had
been arrested at the moment of the destruction of
Mendoza. On the morning of May the 4th, we rounded the grim
and lofty rocks of Cape Frio, where we fell in with rough
water for the first time since leaving England. At the
back of this dangerous headland H.M.S Thetis was
lost some years ago; and the risk of approaching it
was formerly increased by the fact of the lighthouse
being at the height of about 800 feet above the sea, so
that it was very frequently hidden in clouds ; but a new
light much lower down has been completed within the
last year. Early in the afternoon, we saw high rocky
islands ahead, and a few hours later we had the satis
faction of finding ourselves in the splendid bay of Rio
Janeiro. Who shall worthily describe the , beauties of that
which is perhaps the most beautiful place in the world ?
The European traveller who visits Rio for the first time,
if he has any appreciation of natural beauty, cannot fail
to be entranced with the scenery that awaits him ; and,
whatever fate may attend him in Utopia or Sirenia, he
may be pretty sure that he will never see anything more
lovely in this lower world. As the noble vessel dances
over the blue waves to the shining islands in the dis-

ENTRANCE TO RIO JANEIRO. 19
tance, the excitement continually increases. Telescopes
are produced ; the palms are seen waving over the sea
borne rocks ; and that — yes, that — is the renowned
Sugarloaf. We slide between a twin pair of granite
islands rising abruptly from the sea, covered with palms
and cactus and innumerable green shrubs stretching
down towards the water, and presently we see the
narrow entrance to the harbour. A mighty rolling
swell sets inland, and already we can see the long
masses of white surf chasing one another up the rocks,
against which the waves chafe in perpetual wrath. The
fort of Santa Cruz, trumpery enough, perhaps, in these
days of Monitors and Armstrongs, but imposing in
appearance, guards the right hand of the entrance ; and
on the left the perpendicular precipices of the Sugar-
loaf mountain, though unarmed with man's artillery,
look down awfully on the intruder.
Man, however, makes his voice heard, through the
medium of a speaking-trumpet, as we run through the
huge swell close under the walls of the fort ; a rough
brazen blast is supposed to ask the name of the ship,
and our captain answers in an equally unintelligible
way across the roaring surf which thrashes the walls of
the parapet. A few more plunges, and we are in the
smooth water of the harbour. Close round the shoulder
of the Sugarloaf is the shining bay of Botafogo, the
banks of which are covered with white villas, glittering
in the sun like diamonds among the emerald-green
C 2

20 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
vegetation ; and that long building Like a palace is the
Lunatic Hospital. A little further on the same side is
the Gloria Hill, studded with gardens and houses, and
crowned by a conspicuous church. Then comes the
city itself, covering not only the water-side, but numbers
of low hills immediately behind, above which a range
of luxuriant mountains culminates in the sharp needle
like point of the Corcovado, 2,100 feet above the level
of the sea. The harbour, though only entered by the
narrow gateway between the fort and the Sugarloaf, is
about twenty-one miles in length, and eighteen in
width at its upper end ; it is, in fact, a lovely lake,
studded with exquisite islands, and surrounded by
forest-clad hills ; high above which, at a distance of
thirty or forty miles from the city, rise the fantastic
peaks and pillars of the Organ Mountains, soaring
faintly through the haze to a height of 7,000 or 8,000
feet. As we passed the man-of-war anchorage, and saw
the ships of all nations clustering near the busy city,
and basking on the bright water, the whole scene was
bathed in the golden glory of approaching sunset; long
streamers of light gleaming through the gaps of the
mountains swept across the bay, illuminating here and
there some tall mast or palm-crowned island, and the
boyish dreams of Fairyland were realised.
Off the Gloria Hill we were boarded by a swarm of
officials, custom-house officers, &c, who took every pre
caution against possible smuggling. I fancy the Bra-

COALS AGAIN. 21
zilians must exceed all other nations in their wish to swell
the amount of apparent revenue, for they seem to think
it worth while to impose duties on articles for Govern
ment works. They entered into a contract with English
people for an iron lighthouse, to be placed on the
dangerous Abrolhos ; and the ship which brought it out
last year, instead of stopping at the Abrolhos, so that
the erection might be at once proceeded with, was
compelled to go all the way to Rio, discharge her
cargo and reload, after paying duty on Government
property ! Of course the delay and expense were
considerable, and apparently for no better object than
that of transferring money from one pocket to the
other. So at least I was informed.
The mail steamers moor about a mile from the city,
alongside an island which is used as a coal depot, and
which has in that capacity realised a large fortune for
the proprietor. Early next morning I was aroused by
the diabolical noises of a large gang of negroes em
ployed to coal the ship. On they came in slow proces
sion, bearing the coals in flat baskets on their woolly
heads, howling a dismal chant and grinning when they
saw how disgusted we were with their performances.
A proportion of them were armed with a detestable in
strument of tin, in shape and size very much like the
rose of a watering-pot, and containing a few pebbles,
which they rattled incessantly as they stamped along
the deck ; having listened to this devil's music for an

22 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
hour or two, I can fully understand the strong objection
of a dog to having a kettle full of gravel tied to his
tail. The noise and the dust were distracting ; so after
breakfast two or three of us jumped into a boat rowed
by four darkies, and landed at one of the quays of the
city. Some of the Africans at Bahia and Rio were beyond
all comparison the finest men that I have ever seen.
The most powerful tribe are bronze-coloured rather
than black, and their splendid developement of muscle
fully comes up to the ideal of ancient sculpture.

23

CHAPTER II.
ARRIVAL AT BUENOS AYRES.
THE MARKET AT EIO— FEATHEE FLOWEES— HOTELS— CAEEIAGES
— GAEDENS— AQUEDUCT— BUSINESS ACTIVITY — PUEIEICATION OF
EIO— YELLOW FEVEE— THE CONSUL'S HOUSE— A CEUISE IN THE
HAEBOUE — THE SUGAELOAF MOUNTAIN— BOTAFOGO BAY— FEAT
OF A MIDSHIPMAN — TEANSFEE TO THE MEESEY — A HEAVY
SWELL — CAPE PIGEONS AND ALBATEOSSES — STOEY OP ALPACAS
AND LLAMAS— LOBOS ISLAND— MONTEVIDEO— QUABANTINE— THE
PAMPEEO— THE PAEAGUAY, PAEANl, AND UEUGUAY— SHALLOW
NESS OF THE EIO DE LA PLATA— LAND AT BUENOS AYEES.
TX7ALKING up the stone steps among a crowd of por^
ters and boatmen of every colour, from jet black to
dirty yellow, we found ourselves at once in the open
market-place, surrounded by all that mixture of dirt and
luxuriance which is eminently characteristic of a city in
hot latitudes. Dinah dressed in the most ' gorgeous array,'
sat on a basket surrounded by heaps of grapes, bananas,
melons, mangoes, and alligator pears ; and dirty Sambo
chattered by her side, holding half-a-dozen scraggy
fowls by their legs with their heads draggled in the
mud, and apparently negotiating a barter for his live
stock. Close by were mounds of delicious oranges, and
stalls covered with strange fishes, reminding me of some

24 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
which figure in Raphael's picture of the Miraculous
Draught. Huge prawns abounded, and, with all due
deference to the Isle of Wight, I believe I may say that
the Rio prawns are considered the finest in the world ;
when curried they make one of the standing dishes of
the country. Greatly amused, we passed through the
busy throng, and reached the Rua Direita, which is the
finest street in the place, and turning to the left found
our way up a hill with some barracks on the top, whence
we had a general view of the harbour and a great part
of the city. As we were in the beginning of the cool
season, the weather, though of course hot, was by no means
oppressively so ; and we fully enjoyed a ramble about
the streets and squares for a few hours. The buildings
are by no means handsome, and most of the streets are
excessively narrow. Shopkeepers in the best quarters
pay enormous rents, but get very little frontage to dis
play their goods, which are generally sold at exorbitant
prices. The famous feather-flowers of Brazil are among
the greatest attractions to foreigners; but I would advise
no one to buy them at Rio Janeiro, as they are both
better and cheaper at Bahia. . Hotels are very few and
bad, but outrageously expensive, and I should imagine
that a first-rate establishment of this kind, conducted
on proper principles, would be a good speculation at
Rio. A friend of mine was charged £13 sterling
for eight days' stay at one of them ; and at another
they asked ten milreis, or a guinea, for a bottle of

A BRAZILIAN TURN-OUT. 25
champagne ; such charges as these, combined with small
and dirty quarters, show that there must be room
for improvement. The most convenient vehicles are
neat cabriolets, but there are plenty of omnibuses, which
are always drawn by four mules. Some of the Brazilian
grandees have exceedingly amusing turn-outs. My
gravity was sorely tried by seeing a good-looking car
riage, with the regulation allowance of four mules,
leisurely crossing a square. A negro coachman and
footman sat in front arrayed in a red, green, and blue
livery, which would astonish even a Belgravian flunkey,
and looking as proud as two peacocks ; while four other
negroes in the same uniform, and ambling on mules,
brought up the rear. The narrowness and crowded
state of the streets make it rather difficult for a foot
passenger to keep to the pavement ; but he is constantly
rewarded in his walks by finding himself emerging upon
some pretty spot, where palms, and bananas, and gor
geous flowers overhang his path by way of prelude to
the beautiful suburbs, where the earth appears to revel
in the luxuriance of her own productions.
The opera house is very fine, and some of the more
distinguished European performers are, when possible,
secured. The public garden makes a pleasant retreat ;
but the botanical garden, a few miles out of the city,
with its wonderful avenue of monstrous palms, deserves
its world-wide reputation. The most striking piece of
architecture is a very fine aqueduct, which was built to

26 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
supply the inhabitants with clear fresh water from the
hills. The effect of its lofty arches rising through the
green clumps of palms and other fruit trees in the
suburbs is very striking. The most fashionable side of
Rio is the southern division, where the Gloria Hill and
the neighbourhood of Botafogo bay are occupied by
many delightful residences.
In the city itself the spirit of business engrosses all
attention, and every street is full of activity. The
Exchange is crowded during business hours, and loungers
seem out of their element. Everybody looks as if his
whole existence depended upon some transaction in
sugar, coffee, or tobacco. Immense numbers of negroes
crowd continually up and down the streets with heavy
bags and bales, keeping always on the move like strings
of ants, laughing, joking, and singing as they trot along
with their burdens. Rio is unfortunately by no means
clean, but the City Improvements Company, with the
support of the Government of Brazil, has undertaken
to purify it completely, and there is no reason why they
should not succeed.
Before the sudden arrival of yellow fever, about a
dozen years ago, the delights of this neighbourhood
must have been almost without a drawback ; but that
horrible scourge has given many a severe blow to
society, though, at the worst, it was not nearly so
destructive as in many cities of the United States.
Fortunately, it has been much less violent in the last

YELLOW EEVER. 27
few years, and very possibly it may depart as it came ;
but in the hot months of January, February, and
March, the risk is considered serious. The Austrian
consul at Montevideo told me that in a long residence
at Rio during the worst yellow fever seasons, he had
carefully kept statistics on the subject, and had come to
the conclusion that the mortality was in proportion to
the badness of living among different sections of the
community. Thus, he said the Italian residents lived
most poorly, and suffered most : next to them he classed
the Germans, and then the French, as both cleaner and
better fed ; lastly, he said the English suffered least of
all, because they lived well and drank good brandy and
water. I fortunately had a letter of introduction to Mr.
Westwood, the English consul, who kindly asked Captain
Woolward and myself to dine with him in the evening.
We returned to the ship, and about sunset, on as lovely
a day as was ever seen, we were rowed through the
shipping towards the consul's house on the Gloria Hill.
In about half an hour we landed on some rocks, among
which a gentle swell was swaying languidly, and
ascended, by a sloping path overhung with the shady
foliage of trees on each side, and ornamented with
lovely creepers and orchids, till we passed into the
garden and reached the house, which, with open doors
and windows, was cooling itself after the heat of the
day.

28 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
I had the pleasure of finding that Sir Stephen
Lushington, the English Admiral on the station, was
one of our party, and he was good enough to offer me
the hospitalities of his flag-ship, the Leopard, for the
remaining two days of my stay at Rio ; so after a very
delightful evening we broke up with an understanding
that I should visit the Leopard about noon next day.
An old negro, with a lantern, lighted us under the balmy
trees to our boat, which was waiting among the cool rocks,
and in about half an hour we reached the Magdalena
again, after having an excellent opportunity of seeing
from the water the singular effect of the city illu
minated by countless gas-lights. The long line of
beach is for several miles brilliant with them, for they
are placed nearer together than in England, and the
many suburbs which crown different hills with their
various lights make a charming scene in the darkness.
About one o'clock next day I was rowed to the
Leopard, and found the Admiral ready for a start.
His barge was alongside, rigged with two tall white
lattern sails, and manned by a dozen splendid blue
jackets : the sweet sea-breeze was just beginning to
ripple the water, and my heart bounded with delight
as we flew towards the eastern side of the harbour.
There is no greater admirer of Rio Janeiro than Sir
Stephen himself, and I was fortunate indeed in having
such an able cicerone. Never shall I forget the enjoy
ment of that day and the next ; it was the very perfec-

A CRUISE IN THE BAY. 29
tion of ' lotus-eating.' For hours we glided over sunny
bays, and between lustrous islands covered with masses
of palms, cactus, ferns, and aloes, mixed with mangoes
and other trees of intensely green foliage and impene
trable shade, many of them trailing into the water,
which reflected every leaf and flower on its surface.
Then we recrossed the harbour for a cruise in the lovely
scenes of Botafogo Bay, out of which rises, to the height
of 1,200 feet, the astonishing cone of the Sugarloaf
Mountain. Here we landed for a while on an island,
the Admiral wishing to take me to the top of a small
hill to enjoy one of his favourite views. As we re
turned, the sun was fast sinking, and a golden glow
stealing over palm and cactus, and all the wonders of
that glorious vegetation, and warming the fantastic
shapes of the Organ mountains in the distance, pro
duced a kind of sleepy enchantment which seemed to
deprecate the interruption of human speech. The
sailors themselves seemed to feel the spell, as we made
the most of the dying breeze, which soon failed us
entirely. ' Stand • by the sails,' said the Admiral, and
in a few moments everything was stowed away with
man-of-war precision. ' Out oars,' and away flew the
boat with the united strength of twelve true sons of
Neptune, away and away over the shining water to
dinner on board the flag-ship. All honour, by the bye,
to the midshipman of the day, who was one of the very,
very select few who have reached the granite crown of

30 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the Sugarloaf — an enterprise which ought at once to
admit him to the fellowship of the Alpine Club ; for the
rock is nearly as steep as rock can be, and far too pro
fusely ornamented with prickly cactus instead of beds
of snow.
Those of us who were bound for the Rio de la
Plata, or River Plate, as it is generally called, were
transferred to the branch steamer Mersey ; and on the
8th of May we steamed out of the harbour of Rio
Janeiro. I left the place with sincere regret, for little
did I then imagine that circumstances would induce me
to return there in the autumn for a visit of some length.
Inside the fort the water was smooth as a mill-pond,
but, as we exchanged challenges with the officials, we
dipped and plunged into the swell which sets in from
the Atlantic. This is sometimes tremendously heavy in
bad weather ; and I heard that an island not far from
the entrance, which is used as a prison, was once so
covered with the sea for several days together, that some
of the prisoners were drowned in their subterranean
dungeons, while their keepers were scarcely able to save
themselves from starvation during the impossibility of
procuring any assistance from the city.
On sped the gallant Mersey, and tender stomachs
suffered all those agonies which, if previous experience
had not assured me of my own invulnerability, might
have checked my ardour in seeking pastime on the
bosom of the ocean. My old friend the Colonel pointed

SEA-BIRDS. 31
out to me a Brazilian priest, and, with true Garibaldian
instinct, remarked that we should have very bad weather.
The sailors fully concurred in this opinion, and I fancy
that plenty of hands would have scarcely objected to
pitch Jonah overboard if they had not been appeased
by witnessing the sufferings of Jonah himself. He
counted his beads patiently, but all was of no avail ; he
bowed his yellow head over the ship's side as he acknow
ledged the supremacy of the pagan Neptune. The
strange forms of the Rio mountains faded in the dis
tance as we sank and rose over the swell which told
of past gales to the southward.
On the following day the weather was still fine, and
I was greatly interested in watching the whale-birds,
albatrosses, and Cape pigeons flying in the wake of the
ship. In these latitudes I have gone on deck before
dawn and seen with the first ray of light the sea-birds
in full activity. Who shall say whence they come,
or whither they go ? I have watched them for hours
together in their weird flight. No motion of the long
wing is perceptible ; they cross at right angles the
water foaming beneath the strokes of the paddles, and
with a wild swoop turn and turn again, now and then
dipping to pick up some scrap thrown overboard; but
the long outstretched wing never seems to move as they
pursue their course all day long in utter silence. No
wonder that the seaman fancies he recognises the ghosts
of departed brethren; and no one who has read the

32 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
wondrous verses of Coleridge can help realising to him
self the feelings of ' The Ancient Mariner.'
One day, when the rough weather prevented most of
the passengers from enjoying themselves on deck, I
took the opportunity to make the acquaintance of an
elderly man, whose dry weather-beaten complexion
looked like that of a genuine traveller. I found that
he was intimately acquainted with Peru and Bolivia, as
well as the Argentine Confederation, and had spent
many years of his life in those countries. He was an
agent for buying South American wool, and especially
that of the alpacas and vicunas of the Cordillera.
Amongst other things he told me that he was well
acquainted with Mr. Ledger, and gave me an extra
ordinary account of the manner in which that enter
prising man succeeded in introducing the alpaca into
Australia.* According to my informant, Mr. Ledger, after a
residence of several years in Peru and Bolivia, was
seized with an idea of supplying Australia with a stock
of alpacas. With this view he made a preliminary
journey across the Pacific to ascertain if proper pasture
could be found for them, and having, with the aid of

* The substance of this story was contained in a letter which I
addressed to the Times, nearly twelve months ago, and I see it is also
alluded to in the Quarterly Eeview for January last. The figures
given in the two accounts do not exactly agree, though there is no dis
crepancy in the main.

MOVING ALPACAS. 33
an Indian satisfied himself on this head, he returned to
Bolivia. The next difficulty was to leave the country
safely with the llamas and alpacas which he purchased:
The Government, actuated by the old spirit of exclu-
siveness, had absolutely forbidden the exportation of
these animals, wishing to retain the monopoly of the
trade in their wool. Finding that it was impossible to
ship them from their own country, he determined on
making an immense circuit which would lead him with
his flock to the coast of Chili. He started from the
neighbourhood of La Paz, near Lake Titicaca, and began
one of the most arduous journeys ever undertaken,
under difficulties which, according to my informant,
no other man could have mastered.
The animals march very slowly, and great care was
necessary to provide for their proper rest and food.
In addition to the constant fear of being stopped, he
was obliged to make anxious search for proper halting-
places, and to provide for their security at night. He
had to pioneer his way by unfrequented routes in an
almost unknown country, and to submit to delays at
every addition to his flock on the march ; taking care,
above all things, never to move them forward by any
route till he ascertained that they would find the ichu,
a pasture which is indispensable to them. His inti
mate acquaintance with the language and customs of
the Indians enabled him to utilise them to the utmost,
and saved him from many a difficulty ; while his firm
D

34 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
will and good constitution enabled him to defy the severe
trials and transitions of the climate of the Andes.
At last, he approached the point at which he intended
to cross the Argentine frontier, near Jujuy, and here he
heard that he would certainly be stopped by the autho
rities, who were looking out for him. Leaving his
flock in a place of seclusion and security, he went for
ward alone, and boldly took the initiative with the
guard. Assuming the character and appearance of a
jovial traveller, he brewed punch, and plied them with
such potent doses that they sank into a torpid sleep.
Then he returned to his treasures, and quietly crossed
with them over the frontier into safe ground. He
arrived at Jujuy and Salta, in the Argentine territory,
thence, by winding and excessively difficult marches, he
contrived to pass safely over the dangers of the Chilian
Andes, and ultimately arrived at Caldera, the port of
Copiapo. There, after obtaining a supply of food for
them, he took them on board ship, and in November
1858 landed at Sydney with a mixed flock of 276, con
sisting of llamas and alpacas, with their cross breeds,
and a few vicunas.* This journey was a marvellous
triumph of patience and perseverance, occupying alto
gether, as I was told, a period of nearly four years.
The result was eminently satisfactory. These immensely
valuable animals are now thriving in Australia, and
* A quotation from a Sydney paper is my authority for the exact
number, which my informant was not sure of.

THE PAMPERO. 35
increasing so rapidly that they are already talked of as
a very important element in the future wealth of our
colonies. In the course of a year I four times made the stormy
passage of about 1,200 miles between Rio Janeiro and
Buenos Ayres ; but in spite of priests, prophecies, and
prognostications, this first was the quietest of them all.
The voyage, including nearly a day's stay at Monte
video, occupies a week ; and on every occasion the wind
has in that period gone exactly twice round the com
pass, generally blowing hard from every quarter in
turn, forming in this respect a most singular contrast
with the voyage from Southampton to Rio, during the
greater part of which the steady trade-winds may be
depended upon, and bad weather is quite the exception
to the general rule. The hurricane wind of the coast is
called in Spanish El Pampero, which, rushing from the
lofty slopes of the Cordillera of the Andes, races over a
thousand miles of Pampas, in which there is scarcely
a mound to break the effects of its ferocity. It may be
compared with the Euroclydon of the ancients, only, as
everything in the southern hemisphere is turned topsy
turvy, instead of coming from the east, it is a furious
and cold south-wester.
On the evening of the 13th, the returning greenness
of the sea was enough to assure even a novice that we
were approaching land ; and the ship's course was altered
to the westward as we drew towards the Rio de la Plata.
D 2

36 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
A ticklish point to be passed is Lobos Island, or the
Island of Seals, a few miles off Maldonado. I was
informed that there used to be a lighthouse on this
island; but according to South American tactics, the
proprietor of the fishery, asserting that the light was
prejudicial to his interests by frightening away the
seals, contrived to procure its removal to the mainland.
The result of this is that navigators to the. River Plate,
knowing they must leave this dangerous island on the
right hand, are compelled to watch carefully, and see
when the lighthouse at Maldonado dips behind the
island ; and the island being so low that the occultation
only lasts for a few seconds, even if the ship is in her
proper course, the observation requires some nicety. If
she is to the northward of her course, and passes between
the island and the mainland of Maldonado, the result will
be her sacrifice, for the sake of this seal-catching mono
polist. Several of us, besides the officers, were on the
qui vive with night-glasses ; the occultation was ob
served, and next morning at an early hour, when I went
on deck, I found that we were anchored at Montevideo.
The first matter of general interest was the question
of whether we should be put in quarantine. The worst
part of the yellow fever season was over when we left
Rio, and, in fact, there had hardly been a case ; but we
knew we should be looked upon with suspicion, and the
health officers avail themselves of every excuse for
applying this system of torture. If a man has died of

QUARANTINE. 37
apoplexy or been washed overboard in a gale, or done
anything else whereby it appears that there is one soul
less than there ought to be, quarantine is immediately
enforced. We had had no fever or other calamities,
but, to our great disgust, we were compelled to hoist the
yellow token of impurity. The reason of this was, I
believe, that the French packet at the beginning of the
month had landed a man who died next day of fever —
a circumstance which had frightened the authorities
horribly, and made them very indignant. Such regu
lations appear very stupid ; but, after all, there is some
reason for the burnt child to dread the fire. Monte
video suffered terribly a few years ago from an incursion
of Brazilian fever. For my own part, I did not care
much about it, as I knew I should visit the city before
long; but the passengers whose voyage ended here
were furious at being shipped off in a huge barge to
expiate their supposed uncleanness on an odious place
called Rat Island. Another victim was an officer of
the Yankee frigate who came alongside us to ask for
letters. He imprudently put his foot upon the ladder,
and, though he did not attempt to come on board, he
was immediately seized by the myrmidons of the Board
of Health, and compelled to spend the rest of the day
with us, in spite of his earnest remonstrances.
Montevideo is so named from a hill about 490 feet
high on the western side of the harbour, which, though
insignificant in itself, is remarkable enough from its

38 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
isolated situation in a flat country. It is difficult to
imagine how it got there, but, at all events, it is ex
tremely useful as the site of the lighthouse. The city
looks very picturesque from the sea, white and shining
in the purest atmosphere that can be imagined. The
greater part of it stands upon and covers a long tongue
of land, and it is thus incapable of expansion, except
in one direction ; property is, therefore, extremely
valuable, and immense rents are paid for houses in the
best situations. The custom-house and public build
ings near the water are extremely handsome, and the
domes and towers of the churches are seen to peculiar
advantage from the fact of the city consisting princi
pally, like all those in Spanish America, of one-storied
houses with flat roofs, or azoteas. Many of them, how
ever, are furnished with miradors, or raised look-out
towers, where people can enjoy a fresh breeze and a
fine view. The harbour was full of shipping, and a
little to seaward were some fine men-of-war of various
nations. The Yankees were represented by a huge
frigate, the 'Congress;' and as she rode there in all
her beauty, no one thought that a few months later she
would be demolished by the fratricidal 'Merrimac'
After looking about us all day without being permitted
to land, we were not sorry to move up towards Buenos
Ayres in the evening. The pilot came on board, and
we were fairly in the Rio de la Plata. There was
nothing to see but an expanse of yellow water, and

MIGHTY RIVERS. 39
I turned into bed rather earlier than usual ; but about
the middle of the night I was roused by the roaring of
a Pampero, which had come upon us at last in earnest.
The noise was inconceivable, and though we were far
up the river, the ship was knocked about more than in
the whole way from Rio. She quivered from stem to
stern, and no one was sorry when the storm moderated,
a little before daylight. The Pampero corresponds in
nature to the well-known north-easter of the British
Isles ; and if any one can imagine the effect of such a
blast upon the human frame after being for three weeks
in a vapour-bath, he will have some notion of our feel
ings on this occasion. To complete our misery, when
we arrived at the outer roads of Buenos Ayres, we were
put in quarantine again for twenty-four hours, during the
whole of which the Pampero whizzed through our very
bones, and many of the passengers suffered consi
derably. Unmixed evil is fortunately as rare as unmixed good ;
while we are * cribbed, cabined, and confined ' by the bitter
ness of the Pampero and the cruelty of the health officers,
it is a capital opportunity to take out the map and con
template this mighty river. Those who wish to study it
thoroughly in all its ramifications should consult the
valuable works of Sir Woodbine Parish and Lieutenant
Page : * I only propose at present giving a general
* ' Buenos Ayres and the Provinces of La Plata,' by Sir W. Parish,
K.C.H. 'La Plata, the Argentine Confederation, and Paraguay,' by
Lieutenant Page, U.S.N".

40 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
reader some idea of what he might perhaps not at once
realise to himself in a hasty consultation of the atlas.
Here we are then, anchored in the outer roads of Buenos
Ayres, with about three fathoms water, and about four
miles from land. The city is partially obscured by the
clouds of dust which are being blown off shore by the
Pampero, and the land on the opposite side of the river
is entirely invisible, because, though somewhat hilly, it
is about thirty-five miles distant : the land on that side
is seen but rarely from Buenos Ayres, and when seen it
is a certain indication of coming rain. Judged by its
name alone, the Rio de la Plata, or Silver River, this
wonderful mass of water would be considered an
impostor, for its colour is yellow; there is no silver any
where near it, and even a silver currency has vanished
to make way for dirty bits of paper. Nevertheless, the
river is a grand reality. From Montevideo to Point
Piedras, on the southern side, where the water is gene
rally fresh, it is nearly sixty miles wide ; and after
navigating upwards for 120 miles we find that at Buenos
Ayres it has only dwindled to rather more than half that
width. The two main rivers which compose this stream
are the Uruguay and the Parana ; the former, rising in
Brazil, divides the southern portion of that empire and
the Republic of the Banda Oriental from the Argentine
provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios, and is about
900 miles in length : the Parana is again subdivided
into the Paraguay and Parana, which meet at Corrientes,

THE URUGUAY AND PARANA. 41
and thenceforth unite in the common name. The
highest waters of the Paraguay are about the latitude
of 13° south, above Cuyaba, in the Brazilian province
of Matto Grosso ; while the Parana comes from latitude
16° south, in the province of Goyas. The importance
of the whole river may be seen in the fact that the
Paraguay is now navigated by a steamer without diffi
culty as far as Cuyaba, about 2,000 miles from Buenos
Ayres, in the heart of one of the most valuable and
productive districts in the whole world, which only
requires steam communication to develope its immense
resources. Steamers have long been running up the
river as far as Asunpion in Paraguay, which is 800
miles from Buenos Ayres, and while I was in the country
the first steamer penetrated to Cuyaba, Lieutenant Page
having previously ascended in the ' Waterwitch ' as far as
Albuquerque and Corumba. All these huge rivers are
fed by many powerful branches, and united form the
estuary called the Rio de la Plata. The width of this
vast expanse I have already alluded to : it is a great
pity that the depth is not more in proportion. There is
good reason to believe that the water was formerly much
deeper, but large vessels are now always obliged to lie
in the outer roads about four miles from the city, and
those that draw more than sixteen feet are frequently
obliged to remain at nearly double that distance. The
outer are separated from the inner roads by a dangerous
bank, and all vessels except quite small craft must make

42 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
a long circuit to enter them. The Rio de la Plata is a
grand sight with all its fine array of shipping, but if it
were half as wide and twice as deep as it is at present,
it would be ten times more useful. I shall have more
to say about these rivers in due course, but as the
quarantine officers have now released us, we will go on
shore in a whale-boat.
On the 16th the wind was still blowing hard from the
south-west, and dead against us ; but as soon as we were
signalled to lower the hateful yellow flag, some boats
came off from shore. I and some half dozen other
passengers jumped into one of them, and good as the
boat was, we had hard work to beat to windward in very
rough water ; but soon after noon we landed at the end
of a long and excellent pier. The shallowness of the
water used to prevent boats from getting to the shore,
and the old-fashioned way was to finish the last few
hundred yards in high-wheeled carts : the pier, however,
almost always prevents the necessity of this very dis
agreeable and risky proceeding, which is only resorted
to when the water is exceptionally low.

43

CHAPTER III.
LIFE AT BUENOS AYRES.
CIVILITY OF CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICEES — STEEETB OF BUENOS
AYEES— THE PLAZA DE LA VICTOEIA— THE FOEEIGNEES' CLUB—
SUGAEPLUMS AND MATE— THE BOLSA— DOWNWAED PEOGEESS OF
THE PAPEE DOLLAE— EELIGIOUS LIBEETY— THE EECOLETA — ' AS
SASSINATED BY HIS EEIENDS '—A BUENOS AYEEAN QUINTA— THE
OMBU TEEE— PAMPEEOS AND DUST-STOEMS— CEICKETEES ABEOAD
—A DEAD HOESE— FIEST VIEW OF FLAMINGOES.
T HAD the pleasure of being met by my cousin, Mr.
-*- Parish, the English Consul, with whom I walked
along the pier, preceded by my goods on the heads of a
couple of active darkies. At the shore end is a neat
building, like a summer-house, where passengers' lug
gage is examined by the custom-house officers, and I at
once conceived a pleasing impression of the place from
the great civility with which this operation was per
formed ; certainly I have seldom been so well treated in
Europe : and I may truly say that this favourable im
pression was daily confirmed more and more during a
residence of several months. The 'general brightness
and cleanliness of the city are very striking, especially
to those who have last come from the tropical dirt of

44 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Brazil. The lofty domes and white towers of the churches
and Cabildo stand out in clear relief against the pure
blue sky, and the marvellous freshness of the air has a
most exhilarating effect on the system. The main part
of the city stands upon the same level as the wide-
expanding Pampas, about fifty feet above the river, and
as every street towards the river ends in a steep incline,
each shower washes the place thoroughly, and carries off
all impurities into the capacious bosom of the La Plata.
Two sets of streets at right angles to each other, and
150 yards apart, divide Buenos Ayres into a system of
equal squares exactly like a chess-board. The official
plan of the city gives thirty-one streets running east
and west, and twenty-nine running north and south ;
many of these are incompletely built over towards their
extremities, but the principal streets are thus about two
and a half miles in length. The quadras or squares
are of course not hollow squares, but blocks of houses
facing outwards to the streets. All the older houses and
great part of the newest consist of only one floor,
and are arranged in two or three courtyards or patios,
into which the various rooms open. Many, however, are
now built upon the more familiar plan of altos or
upper floors, with lofty front and elaborate decorations.
One remarkable feature in the country is, that on the
Buenos Ayrean or right bank of the river there is not a
particle of rock for hundreds of miles, nothing but
alluvial soil; you may look upon the surface for many

MARTIN GARCIA. 45
days' journey, or you may dig to the depth of many
feet, but you will neyer find a stone as big as a marble
to throw at the head of any of the troublesome and
savage dogs that fly at you ; whilst on the Montevidean
side of the river you find abundance of gneiss and
granite without the slightest difficulty. The whole
country from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the
banks of the Uruguay appears to be an immense allu
vial deposit, brought down by innumerable rivers, and
covering the bed of ' an ancient sea, whose former
presence may be inferred from the numerous beds of
marine shells, and probably also from the saltness which
still characterises a large proportion ' of the inland
streams. In the island of Martin Garcia, opposite the
point where the Parana pours its waters into the Rio de
la Plata by the Guazu channel, is quarried the granite
with which the streets of Buenos Ayres are paved and
the best houses are built, though plastered brick is the
most usual material for the latter. This island is very
near the Montevidean, or Banda Oriental, side of the
river ; and as all vessels, except small craft, are com
pelled by the shallowness of the water to keep close to
it on their passage up or down the Parana, it is care
fully fortified, and looked upon by the Buenos Ayrean
Government as a Western Gibraltar.
The stone is brought over in a rough state, and great
pains are taken in paving the streets with blocks, which
contain oh an average about a cubic foot ; but the surface.

46 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
though very hard, is extremely irregular, and causes des
perate wear and tear to the fashionable carriages, to say
nothing of the terrible jolting which afflicts the nerves
and muscles of their occupants. In all probability a few
years more will induce the authorities, who have always
an eye for improvements, to remedy this inconvenience
by employing their convict labourers in squaring the
stones. Numbers of paviours are employed already;
they work in gangs, but instead of each man hammering
in a stone at a time, four of them work together with a
four -handled rammer. The foot pavements are too nar
row, and often raised one or two feet above the carriage
way, involving the necessity of two or three steps.
Buenos Ayres has increased so very greatly since it
threw off the yoke of Old Spain, and it is becoming so
fertile and profitable a field for European emigration,
that it deserves more notice than has been given to it by
Europeans in general. Scarcely anything is known of
the country in ordinary society ; the commercial intelli
gence comes in from time to time stating the price of
hides, wool, tallow, and ounces ; but few are aware of
what an extensive field the Argentine republic opens for
future developement. To get a notion in the first place
of what the city itself is, a stranger must throw aside
many previous prejudices, and place himself, to begin
with, either in reality or imagination, in the middle of
the Plaza de la Victoria. This is a fine square in the
centre of the frontage towards the river. On the west

PLAZA DE LA VICTORIA. 47
side are the Cabildo, or town hall, with a lofty tower
and fine English clock, on the right and left of which
are the courts of law and the Policia ; on the north side
is the cathedral, a very fine building, approached from
the square by a handsome flight of steps, close to which
is the bishop's palace. At the north-west corner is the
Colon theatre, only second to the finest in Europe, and
in every way far superior to those of the second order.
The east side, parallel to the river, consists of a long
arcade, filled with shops, in the middle of which is an
entrance to the large square and parade-ground of the
Spaniards, close to the ancient fort, which is now
replaced by a fine custom-house ; and the south side is
lined with shops and handsome buildings. The square
itself is large and planted with rows of Paradise trees,
among which on holidays the people assemble in great
numbers to see displays of fireworks and other amuse
ments ; in the middle of it is a very fine obelisk sur
rounded by iron railings, and crowned with a figure of
Liberty to celebrate the deliverance of the Argentine
republic from the government of Spain.
There are no small cabs to be hired in the city,
but in this square and at various stables there are
always better carriages for hire with two horses than
I have seen in any city of Europe. A ride to any part
of the city costs twenty-five paper dollars, or rather
more than four shillings ; but considering the different
value of money and the excellence of the article, this

48 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
can hardly be called excessive. Not far from the Cathe
dral, in the Calle St. Martin, is the Strangers' Club, to
the privileges of which any foreigner can be introduced
by a member ; and so great is the hospitality of the
residents, that few respectable visitors to Buenos Ayres
are left for many hours without a ticket of admis
sion, which admits them gratis to all the privileges of
the club for three months ; after which they can either
become members on payment of the entrance fee, or if
their stay is to be limited, they can still enjoy the
luxury on payment of a small monthly subscription.
Here, besides the journals of the country, are to be
found all the best English, French, German, and Italian
papers brought out by the European mails ; and it is his
own fault if every Buenos Ayrean resident is not as well .
up in ' Punch,' ' Charivari,' and the ' Times,' as if he
were in London or Paris, only five weeks after their pub
lication. A handsome billiard-room is in the club, and
refreshments of all kinds are supplied at the cost, of
course, of those who desire them.
The native productions, with the exception of articles
of food, are extremely limited ; but hundreds of shops
kept by English, French, Germans, Italians and
Spaniards, supply all the necessaries and most of the
luxuries of European life. The Italians are especially
great in confiterias, or pastry-cook's shops, the taste for
what schoolboys call lollypops being excessive among all
ages and classes of the community ; the inordinate con-

DRINKING MATE. 49
sumption of these produces disease of the teeth — a too
common detraction from the general loveliness of the
ladies. If you leave your box at the opera between the
acts you would probably bring back a packet of dulces
for the ladies, and many a pair of white kid gloves has
been spoiled by their sticky propensities.
In addition to the shops there are several excellent
markets, where not only meat and bread, but quantities
of beautiful living birds, skins, feathers, and all kinds of
country curiosities, are to be found : the famous yerba, or
Paraguay tea, made from the leaves of a species of ilex
in that luxuriant climate, is sold in vast quantities, to
make the favourite drink of the country ; and another
staple commodity is a small gourd, with the stem for a
handle, which forms the teapot, or mate, from which it is
imbibed, like a sherry-cobbler, the bombilla, or silver
tube, being put into the mate before the hot water is
applied. This is an almost universal beverage among
both sexes and all classes of the community, and seems
to be equally acceptable at any time of day or night,
either in town or country. For my own part I certainly
could not endure it, though I was constantly obliged to
try. Up the country in every shepherd's hut where a
traveller stops to rest himself and his horse, the good
woman of the house instantly retires to make mate for
the new visitor, who would be considered something of
a barbarian if he declined the delicacy ; so I used to
make up my mind quietly to burn my lips with the

50 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
bombilla, or by awkwardness of suction to fill my mouth
with boiling chips, and then return the vessel to the
senora with as much grace and apparent freedom from
painful inconvenience as I could simulate for the
occasion. A handsome new Bolsa, or Exchange, was nearly
finished when I left the country; but the old one was
certainly a very shabby affair. It was a curious sight,
however, in the busy time of day to see some scores of
horses waiting about in the street, while their masters
were transacting business in the building. The trained
horses of the River Plate will generally stand perfectly
quiet, with the bridle merely thrown over their heads
and trailing to the ground ; but sometimes the maneas,
or leathern hobbles, are used for greater security. At
all events, nobody pays a boy to hold his horse, and it
is very rare to see the animal walk off out of patience
with his owner.
Here, in the Bolsa, the great drawback to the pros
perity of the country soon becomes manifest ; and the
Yankees especially might learn a useful lesson as to
what will be the speedy fate of the almighty dollar if
they trifle with it.
Forty years ago, a dollar meant a dollar of rather
more than four shillings in the River Plate as well as in
North America, but in an evil hour the bank of Buenos
Ayres was nationalised, and came very soon so com
pletely under the control of the government as to be

FATE OF THE DOLLAR. 51
compelled to afford almost any accommodation they
required. 'The consequences were soon apparent,'
remarks Sir W. Parish ; ' the wants of the government
increasing, the bank was obliged, in order to provide for
them, to increase its issues, which ere long reached an
amount obviously out of all proportion to its real
capital. The aid of the legislature was again called
in, the notes were declared a legal tender for their
nominal value, and the bank was relieved by law from
the obligation of paying them in specie on demand ;
its credit fell to the lowest ebb, and its notes became
proportionably depreciated.' The downward progress
was remarkably rapid ; and in the first three years of
the experiment, from 1825 to 1828, the dollar was
reduced in value to one shilling, thus losing seventy-
five per cent, of its value. The war with Brazil then
terminated, and the pining dwindling dollar made an
attempt to rally and look cheerful : for a time it suc
ceeded in keeping itself up to the value of two shillings,
but this was merely a hectic smile. It faded away to
sixpence, and at last was considered to look pretty well
at 2\d. sterling. In the excitement of last year's war,
when I was at Buenos Ayres, the go-ahead party sternly
demanded more money for the annihilation of the
Urquizista faction, and it was determined that, in the
sacred cause of progress and liberty, the poor, wretched,
fainting dollar should be squeezed and bled again. Se
veral large emissions of paper took place, and the silly
E 2

52 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Radical newspapers bragged and crowed as if they had
discovered a gold mine. In the latter part of the year
they were so pleased with their success that they asked
for 50,000,000 more ; but the doctors who understood
the case felt the pulse of their old friend, and gravely
said he was so exhausted that he could bear no more.
In fact, the paper dollar, which is the universal currency
in Buenos Ayres, is now worth less than twopence, and
it was felt that a further emission of such notes would
probably reduce them to no higher value than that of
the paper they are printed upon.
The evils of such a currency are manifold : one is
that people naturally become careless about small sums.
It is almost impossible to count the bundles of dirty
scraps of paper that are put into your hand, and sums
corresponding to shillings are soon thought scarcely
more of than pence in England. But the injury to
commerce is enormous, from the rapid fluctuations in
value which take place with every event of public im
portance. The gold ounce, or doubloon, is generally
worth about 66s. English, and is used as a standard.
The price of ounces, that is their value in paper dollars,
may be considered as a political barometer in a very
stormy climate. ' How are ounces ? ' is the first question
one man asks another in the street. And the violence
of the fluctuation in times of excitement may be judged
of by the fact that, during a single month at the latter
part of 1861, while I was absent in Entre Rios, the price

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 53
of the gold ounce ranged between 390 and 440, giving
an extreme difference of fifty paper dollars on each!
Under such circumstances, no one can wonder that
many respectable men, not daring to move a step in
regular trade for the time being, are reduced to that of
speculating in ounces on the Bolsa. Crowds of small
brokers and outsiders, little more than betting men,
hang about the neighbourhood of that establishment,
while the greater chiefs are within ; and the art of in
venting shaves and canards is carried to an unblushing
perfection which would astonish even Capel Court.
Later accounts from the River Plate inform us that
the Buenos Ayrean government, anxious to retrace the
evil steps of their predecessors, are about to inaugurate
a system which will by degrees restore their currency
to a sounder and more substantial basis ; and, among
the many steps they are wisely taking for the develope-
ment and improvement of their country and its re
sources, this probably will be one of the most useful.
Meanwhile, I had the opportunity of changing English
sovereigns at the rate of 125 paper dollars each, the
latter being thus reduced to one twenty-fifth of their
original value.
One very satisfactory feature in Buenos Ayrean life is
the complete religious liberty that prevails. The cathe
dral and the many handsome principal churches in the
city are, of course, monopolised by the Roman Catho
lics ; but the priests do not appear to have the slightest

54 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
influence or control over those who absent themselves
from the flock or prefer the guardianship of other shep
herds. There are no religious processions in the streets,
and it is rare even to see a priest in public. Such
devotion as there may be appears principally confined
to the fair sex, the most devout of whom dress in black,
with black mantillas, and perfume themselves so strongly
with pastilles or incense before going to church as to
make the air for some distance redolent of the odour of
sanctity. A proof of ancient superstition still exists in
a number of round black patches on the towers of the
church of St. Domingo, which are said to be the cannon
balls fired by the heretical English under General
Whitelock, and rendered powerless by the sacred nature
of the edifice. On certain grand fete days Church and
State combine their pomps and vanities to impress the
minds of the multitude with processions and genu
flections ; but the warmth of the entente cordiale is of
short duration. I do not mean to accuse them of quar
relling, but each goes his own way. The priests minister
to congregations of women, and the government looks
after its own affairs. There is probably scarcely a
country in the world where the Church has so little
opportunity of putting spokes into the wheels of the
State. Perfect liberty of conscience is given to foreigners.
The English have a capital church and an excellent
chaplain; the Irish emigrants submit their judgment

RECOLETA. 55
and their consciences to the opinion and keeping of a
priestly fellow-countryman ; and I believe the spirit of
liberality is universally applied. The Protestants of
various nations have as excellent a cemetery as could
possibly be desired at the extreme west of the city ; it
is well planted with Paradise trees, and the vaults and
graves are kept up in European style.
But one of the most curious and interesting places to
be seen in Buenos Ayres is the Recoleta, or burying-
place of the Catholics, whether natives or foreigners.
It is a very large piece of ground in the northern out
skirts, and is completely surrounded by a high wall
pierced with loopholes, which would enable a small
body of soldiers within to hold the road against an
enemy. It is entered by very handsome iron gates,
close to which is a chapel for the performance of the
burial service. The poorer people are buried in the
remoter parts of the ground, in the simple ordinary
graves of Europe; but the central part is divided by
numbers of paths into narrow streets of vaults and
family mausoleums. The latter are for the most part
built of white marble, and look like small temples,
generally covered with a dome; an iron-grated door
permits a view of all the coffins of the family, arranged
on shelves or ledges round three sides of the interior,
and decorated with immortelles and artificial flowers.
Many of the principal inhabitants have spent very
large sums of money upon these structures, and the

56 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
general effect is remarkably good. Seen from the sur
rounding neighbourhood, the large collection of white
cupolas and turrets, rising high above the wall, would
make a visitor believe that he saw an Eastern city in
the distance.
I often wandered about this Recoleta, studying the
epitaphs in many languages ; and one day, close to
where an English Catholic had buried his wife, and
graced her tombstone with the familiar ' Affliction sore
long time she bore, &c.,' I found on a tall obelisk the
most concise and terrible inscription I am acquainted
with. It was this :
DON FRANCISCO ALVAREZ,
ASESINADO POR SUS AMIGOS,
1828.
' Assassinated by his friends ! ' Struck by this extra
ordinary epitaph I made enquiries about the subject of
it, and found that a party of young men from good
families of the place were in the habit of gambling to
gether, till Alvarez won heavily from all the others.
They determined to pay their debts by getting rid of
their creditor, and enticing him to a lonely place they
deliberately murdered him ; they put his dead body in
a coach that was ready, and threw it down a well in the
neighbourhood. They had laid their plans so that
detection seemed impossible ; but by an extraordinary
chance there was a witness to the crime, who denounced
them. Great efforts were made by family influence to

THE QUINTAS. 57
save them, but in vain ; they were executed, and the
brother of the murdered man erected the obelisk to his
memory. In another part of the Recoleta was a dread
ful hole, into which the victims of the tyranny of Rosas
used to be precipitated wholesale ; but those times are
happily over, and no trace of them remains except in
the memory of the Buenos Ayreans.
Not far from the Recoleta and in the most agreeable
suburbs of the city was the Quinta, or country-house of
my cousin, Mr. Parish, where I had the pleasure of
finding a good welcome and delightful quarters during
my stay at Buenos Ayres. We were nearly two miles
from the centre of the town, completely out of the
way of all noise and bustle, close to several friends'
houses, some of which were exceedingly handsome in
general appearance. But the great charm of the place
was its situation. We were close to the edge of the
high land, from which the ground descends in a very
steep incline to the level of the river. The house was
approached by an avenue of huge olive trees, which
grow there with great luxuriance, though nobody seems
to take much trouble about collecting the fruit. The
garden was full of flowers, European and American, and
roses bloomed remarkably well; but they required to
be surrounded with a saucer of water to prevent the
attacks of the ants. Violets, geraniums, and many of
the usual European flowers, were there in perfection,
and an excessively sweet verbena, called the Margarita,

58 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
was one of the most fragrant. Figs and peaches were
in abundance, and a huge ombu tree afforded its dense
shade to a garden-seat looking over the wide-spreading
river. The sloping land between the Quintas and the
river was principally covered with alfalfa, or lucerne,
which grows there with remarkable vigour, and seems
capable of producing good crops in seasons where the
ordinary grasses of the country dry up from want of
rain. The alfalfa fields were divided from one another
by hedges made of cactus, aloes, and wild fig trees,
mixed with a great variety of flowering plants and
shrubs, one of the most brilliant of which had the
elegant leaf of a mimosa, but the flowers were in
bunches, something like immense heads of amber
honeysuckle ornamented with very long and protruding
crimson stamens. The cactus of the river Plate grows
to a great size, and makes impenetrable hedges of
twelve or fourteen feet high, but as a general rule it is
not seen to advantage : the flower is small, and the
stems are much damaged by the ravages of insects.
The fig trees offer a delicious shade and grow luxuri
antly, but the aloes were my especial delight. They
are truly magnificent, and with flower-stems of from
twenty to thirty-five feet they form splendid rows of
natural candelabra. I have measured a single leaf,
which was more than ten feet long, and the branching
flower-stems of some were like young fir trees. The
ombu is a very peculiar tree; its rapid growth and

THE OMBU TREE. 59
dense foliage make it invaluable in a land where good
trees are extremely rare, and shade for man and beast
is often beyond all price. In the open country there is
hardly an estancia-house, a pulperia, or a post-house,
without one or more, beneath which you can tie up
your horse or smoke your pipe according to your
taste and circumstances. All blessings to the ombu as
a friend ! Human creatures are far too ready to sacri
fice their human friends when tempted by motives of
ambition or cupidity ; but the ombu is better off. He
is a friend whose life and prosperity are infinitely more
useful than any possible results of his downfall or
death ; his huge trunk is absolutely good for nothing,
the wood being little better than elder-pith, and the
bark very like the hide of an elephant ; the good which
he does in his life is indisputable, and no one looks out
for a legacy at his departure ; the consequence is that
he lives universally beloved, and when he falls to earth
under the blast of a Pampero he dies, really universally
lamented. Happy ombu !
These Quintas, white as snow, and surrounded by
trees and gardens, ornament the ridge of the barrancas
or cliffs for a considerable distance on the north side of
the city, and have a very pleasing effect when seen from
the river, parallel to which is a fine broad road that is
used as the fashionable promenade for riding and driving :
it is indeed the Rotten Row of Buenos Ayres. The
most ubiquitous tree in my acquaintance is the weeping

60 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
willow, called here sauce, and large numbers of them
were planted to ornament the space between the road
and .the river. Unluckily, in one of the civil wars, which
are the curse of the country, the greater part of them
were cut down by the party in the city, as they were
supposed to afford too much shelter to hostile skirmishers;
but they are now recovering their original beauty.
One of the great disadvantages of a river, enormous in
width but deficient in depth, is its liability to suffer
from the effects of violent winds, which at one time
raise the water to an extraordinary height, and at
another drive it several miles away from its natural
banks. A few months before I went to Buenos Ayres
there had been a dreadful gale from the south-east,
which forced the mass of water up to a most alarming
height, and I saw the carcases of good-sized ships high
and dry among the willow-groves, and close to the high
road, left where they had been driven by the hurricane.
At another time I walked out nearly two miles over the
natural bed of the river, the water of which had been
forced away by a furious Pampero from their channel ;
and I found quantities of fish large and small, which
were left to die on the sand by the rapid retreat of the
river. It is even on record that the Buenos Ayreans
once went out over the deserted bed of the river, and
with horse, foot, and artillery, attacked a blockading
force of ships rendered helpless for want of water.
These Pamperos are sometimes accompanied by dust-

DUST-STORMS. 6 1
storms, and their fury is then terrible almost beyond
description. During the residence of Sir W. Parish at
Buenos Ayres one of them occurred, in the course of
which a constant thumping was heard against the closed
doors and windows; and when the storm with its
attendant darkness had passed away, the courtyard was
found occupied by turkey buzzards, which had been •
whirled along by the gale and stunned against the
building. The following description is extracted from
a letter which was soon afterwards sent to him : — ' Yes
terday we had another of those awful dust-storms
which you have previously witnessed : it came on at
about a quarter past twelve o'clock. The rapidity of
its approach and its awful opacity alarmed the whole
population : in an instant, as it were, there was a tran
sition from the glaring ray of the meridian to the most
intense darkness. Immense flocks, or rather one im
mense flight of birds preceded it, and in fact, however
incredible it may appear, commenced the obscurity by
their numbers.
' The whole time of its duration was eleven minutes
and a half; the time of total darkness eight minutes
and a half, by watch, observed by Dr. S  and myself
by candle-light. It was accompanied by loud claps of
thunder, but no lightning was visible, though the
thunder was by no means distant. After eleven minutes
and a half the rain began to fall in large black drops,
which had the effect upon the white walls of making

62 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
them appear, when the sun again showed itself, as if they
had been stained or sprinkled with ink. I never witnessed
a more majestic or awful phenomenon. The consterna
tion was general, everyone rushing into the nearest
house and struggling to shut their doors against their
neighbours. I have heard as yet of no accidents,
although doubtless there must have been many. The
wind of course from SSW.'
In the neighbourhood of these Quintas are some ex
cellent market- gardens, which supply fruit, flowers, and
vegetables to the city. The orange trees were as large
as our full-grown apple trees, and covered with ripe
fruit, but the species is bitter and of inferior quality ;
the naranja dulce, or sweet orange, which is cried all
day long in the streets, comes generally from Paraguay
and other districts up the river. The love of flowers
amounts to a passion with the fair ladies of Buenos
Ayres, and there is a very large demand for the choicest
and handsomest bouquets that can be found, to the
great profit of the gardeners. Most of the European
vegetables are grown successfully, and I observed a
curious plan which the gardeners employ to protect
young plants from the possible ravages of a Pampero.
They take the huge leaves of the aloes, cut them into
lengths of about two feet, and fix them into the ground
on the windward side and close to the plants, each of
which is thus provided with a good and efficient shield.
The soil and climate are wholly unsuitable for ferns,

THE CRICKET-GROUND. 63
but in the brickwork of the open wells in these gardens
I was much interested to find that three species had
established themselves and were growing luxuriantly.
About a mile farther to the north, and close to the
Palermo Road, was the English cricket-ground. This
important institution is maintained at Buenos Ayres
with as much vigour as in any other part of the world
where a moderate number of Englishmen congregate
together ; and I helped in several very good matches.
The ground was not quite so smooth as might be wished,
and was often excessively baked by the sun, the
consequence of which was that swift bowling was
apt to inflict wounds. One day a party of men from
H.M.S. Ardent and Curlew came up to play, and the
astonishing coolness with which they allowed their
unguarded legs to be battered inspired me with fresh
confidence that they would not flinch from cannon-balls.
Practical cricketers will admit that the excitement of
' lost ball ' is vastly increased by the fact of its being
lost in a hedge of American aloes and gigantic thistles.
During the last siege the besieging force of Urquiza
was between the city and this cricket-ground; the
Englishmen were very much disgusted at the prospect
of losing an intended match, and had the assurance to
ask if they might pass through his lines. Permission
was granted, and the game was played ; but it was a
very risky proceeding for a few men to spend the day
surrounded by such characters as might be expected in

64 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the rear of Urquiza's army. One day as we began the
game our noses were assailed by an intolerable stench,
of which the ' fons et origo ' was discovered to be a dead
horse. The poor beast had strayed into the cricket-
ground to die, and had been treated after the custom of
the country. No one takes the trouble to provide cat's
meat in that part of the world, but he had been very
carefully skinned by the first finder, and then left to
pollute the air : the effect was disgusting, and we could
do nothing till we found a man who tied a rope to his
legs and galloped away with him. I have seen horrible
carcases in this state used to stop a hedge-gap close
under the noses of a country family ; and at all times
they are found extremely useful in helping to fill up a
pantdno, or mud-hole, in the suburban roads. Between
this place and the river is a wide range of marshy
lands, where, in spite of holiday-making French barbers
and cockney sportsmen, snipe and ducks are still to be
found, and where for the first time I saw with astonish
ment and delight the great rosy-winged flamingo.
The climate in general appeared to me particularly
agreeable, though the changes of temperature are now
and then exceedingly abrupt. The north wind, which
is hot, moist, and relaxing, is detested by most of the
inhabitants, who say that it exercises a strange influence
both upon mind and body. It is even recorded that
some individuals have pleaded the north wind as the
only excuse for murders committed by them, declaring

A NATIVE REMEDY. 65
that they were not then responsible for their actions.
I cannot say that I was ever reduced to such a state as
that ; but I certainly once suffered from an abominable
species of head-ache, which seems especially prevalent
during the continuance of this wind. It lasted several
days, and was very troublesome. One day the pain
changed its quarters, and took possession of my back ;
I tried a hard gallop for some hours, and drove it into
my head again, worse than ever. Next I was wheedled
into trying a native remedy, the simplicity of which
may create a smile, though it is firmly believed in by
all the inhabitants. A dry broad bean is split down the
middle; the inside surface is scraped with the teeth
and moistened with the tongue, and each half of the
bean is then applied as a plaister to the temples. I
have frequently been greatly amused by the appear
ance of negro-women profusely ornamented with these
white patches. The charm had no effect upon me,
however, but a little castor-oil was completely success
ful ; and I am happy to say that this trifling incon
venience was the only attempt at being unwell which I
experienced during my whole absence from England.
The moisture of the north wind is sometimes very
great in the neighbourhood of the river, and everything
that can turn rusty or grow mouldy does so ; but I never
found these disagreeable effects in the open country.
There, as far as my experience goes, it is impossible to
wish for a more delightful climate. F

66 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
I had the advantage of an unusually dry winter,
which made riding about the country much more prac
ticable and pleasant than it often is at that time of the
year. Sometimes it was really cold in June and July,
and in the first week of the latter month for three or
four nights running we had very sharp rime-frosts, which
left the ground perfectly white till ten o'clock in the
morning, and made ice about the thickness of a crown
piece. With August the heat increases, and after a few
months of deliciously temperate weather, it becomes at
Christmas decidedly hot, the thermometer ranging fre
quently at about 90°, and sometimes reaching 100°.
These, however, are the exceptionally hot days, after a
few of which the pampero generally returns with a fresh
stock of invigorating influences.

CHAPTER IV.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BUENOS AYRES.
VISIT TO A SALADEEO — DEIVING IN CATTLE — THE SLAUGHTEE
— EAPID DISAPPEARANCE — JEKK.ED BEEF — BUENOS AYEEAN
BUTCHEES — VILLAINOUS DOGS — FEENCH SPOETSMEN— THE 25TH
OF MAY — POLITICAL DISTUEBANCES — ANOMALOUS POSITION OF
FOEEIGNEES — OUTBEEAK AT SAN JUAN — THE NATIONAL GUAED
— BALL AT THE PEOGEESO CLUB — DISPLAY IN THE PLAZA —
JUGGLEES AND FIEEWOBKS— SAFETY IN THE STEEETS— STEAMEES
SEIZED— A VISIT TO MONTEVIDEO— M. BUSCHENTHAL'S QUINTA—
AMATEUE CONCEET.
A FEW days after my arrival at Buenos Ayres, I was
-*-*- taken by a friend to see some of the Saladeros
and Barracas a little beyond the southern extremities
of the city. The saladeros are enormous establish
ments in which the cattle are slaughtered for their hides
and tallow, and their flesh is converted into jerked beef:
the barracas are store-houses for produce. On approach
ing this district there were plenty of indications of the
trade in dead beasts. In one place was a vast heap of
what I at first imagined must be gigantic mussel-shells,
but they soon proved to be hoofs : a little farther the
land was protected from the encroachments of the
Riachuelo river by a wall composed of thousands of
F 2

68 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
skulls of cattle patched with sods of turf. Large and
fierce dogs in great numbers lurked about in corners,
licking their lips after some dainty bit of offal surrep
titiously walked off with, and looking as if they would
soon take to the legs of a visitor if their natural supplies
were curtailed. Countless seagulls, surfeited with their
filthy breakfast, were lazily trying to digest it on the
land which they whitened with their presence, now and
then whirling about for a few moments, as if shaking
themselves to make room for a fresh supply of garbage.
Presently we saw a mighty cloud of dust, whence came
a sound like muffled thunder, mixed with screams and
wild yells. Stand clear ! get out of the way ! here
comes a drove of about a thousand cattle from the
country to be slaughtered at the saladeros. Not with
the decorous march of Smithfield come these devoted
beasts — quite another style of thing, and well worth
seeing. Four or five peons, or drivers, in brilliant ponchos of
red, blue, and yellow, ride in front at full gallop, crack
ing their whips, and screaming to one another while you
gladly draw up near the wall to get out of the way as
they charge towards you. Close at their heels comes
the whole herd, heads down and tails up, going at their
maddest speed, encouraged thereto by more peons at
their sides. On they go, thundering through the cloud
of dust, and at last the mad line is ended by another
set of peons all shouting and urging on the wild race in

QUICK SLAUGHTERING. 69
such a state of whip-cracking excitement, that even a
calm spectator feels the spell, and is almost ready to
give up his soul to the possession of the galloping
ghost of Mazeppa.
Half-stifled with dust, we went on our way to the
saladeros, where we were to see the completion of
bovine destiny, and arrived there about a quarter of an
hour before the slaughter commenced. About 800
beasts had been driven into a corral or enclosure, made
of strong posts nearly a foot thick, one side of which
towards the yard tapered off into a kind of funnel about
six feet wide, which was crossed by a strong bar with an
iron pulley in it. This was approached by a small
tramway, upon which travelled a truck large enough to
carry two of the animals at the same time, and running
parallel to the slaughtering platform, which was of great
size, and gently inclined towards the gutter made for
carrying off the blood. Groups of dark-visaged men
and lads were chatting gaily as they sharpened their
knives, and the chief executioner stood by his post,
somewhat raised over the bar and pulley. The pulley
was traversed by a rope of the customary raw hide, one
end of which terminated in the lazo or noose running
on a ring of iron, and the other end was attached firmly
to two horses standing saddled in the open yard. The
time had come : two gaily dressed peons, with the un
failing cigarette in their mouths, jumped lightly into
the saddles of the two horses, casting a Parthian glance

70 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
behind to see if all was right ; the infantry were ready,
knife in hand, and the work of death began. The
butcher-in-chief gathered up his lazo, and with practised
eye selected two beasts whose heads were in sufficiently
close proximity to be entangled in a single cast. He
swung it two or three times round his head, and in a
moment the four horns were firmly gripped with un
erring accuracy. At a signal from him the two horse
men spurred their steeds into a plunge forwards for
about twenty yards with the other end of the rope, and
instantly the two poor brutes were dragged forwards
till their heads were jammed hard against the bar with
the pulley. Then the executioner stoops, and with two
quiet thrusts of his knife divides the spine a little
behind the horns ; he casts loose the noose from their
heads, and two corpses fall heavily on the truck which
is ready to receive them ; the truck is rapidly wheeled
to the platform, and another rope attached to a horse
is fastened to a fore-leg of each ; a touch of the spur,
a violent jerk, and the bodies are twitched off the truck
and deposited on the platform with their heads close
to the gutter, while the truck is sent back for more
victims. Two men seize on each, and cut their throats.; the
hide is taken off with inconceivable skill and rapidity ;
knives glance, and with light, but marvellously accurate
touch, the head and limbs disappear. In about five
minutes the animal has literally gone to pieces, vanished

JERKED BEEF. 71
almost before he has done kicking. The hide is huno-
up in one place; the legs are on different hooks; the
good meat is hung in huge slabs to cool upon long
railings; and the bony structure is carried off to the
steaming vats. Meanwhile the fatal lazo is thrown
again and again with horrible monotony, and the whole
platform is covered with animals flying to pieces so
quickly that you cannot follow the operation. In a
moderate day's work the whole eight hundred will be
disposed of in this way. I never saw so disgusting a
sight, and could not help thinking as I watched these
wild-looking men, how quickly they might have turned
us into unrecognisable jerked beef and candles for ex
portation. I was soon glad enough to cross the yard
and see the less horrid parts of the operations of a
saladero. The beef is spread out over a large floor
covered with a rough kind of salt, and is heaped up to
the roof, layer upon layer, with salt between ; in due
time it is taken out, dried in the sun, and piled up in
huge round masses, like wheat-stacks in Cambridge
shire. It is miserable stuff, and is only exported to
Brazil, Havannah, and the slave states and islands for
negro consumption. Such is jerked beef. One of the
latest improvements, however, in the Rio de la Plata is
a process for improving jerked beef so far as to make it
palatable to and valuable for the poorer classes in
Europe, and specimens sent from Montevideo to the
International Exhibition were favourable enough to have

72 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
been consumed by tasters. A little further improvement
may render the flesh of millions of beeves an available
and important article in our rharkets. Meanwhile the
bones and remains of the victims are steamed in huge vats
to draw off the grease. The fibrous parts are then taken
out and subjected to great pressure to extract the last
particles of grease, after which they are dried, and used
as fuel to warm the pot for the next batch. Nothing in
nature is lost : the last atoms are made useful. The
hides are carried off to other establishments, where they
are prepared according to the fashion of the markets
for which they are intended — the main difference of
treatment being, that for the English and German
markets they are stretched so as to be as long as pos
sible, while for Spain they are made so broad and short
as to be nearly square.
Vast quantities of mares are slaughtered for the sake
of their hides and grease ; but the method of execution
is different, as they are killed with the blow of a heavy
hammer on the skull. Nobody in the whole continent
would think of riding a mare, so all are killed except
those required for the purpose of breeding. Thousands
upon thousands of seagulls fatten on these scenes of
slaughter, and find a paradise in what must be the in
fernal regions of the noble quadrupeds.
On the northern and southern sides of the city are the
chief places for slaughtering animals to supply the in
habitants with food. A large piece of ground is sur-

PIGS AND SEAGULLS. 73
rounded by strong pens or enclosures, in which the
cattle are shut up till a buyer comes. He comes, like
all the rest of the South American world, on horseback,
and selects his beast, which is then driven out into the
open space : the mounted butchers pursue it at full
speed ; whizz goes the fatal lazo ; the animal is instantly
cut up where it happens to fall ; and its mortal remains,
disjointed in a way that would astonish a Briton, are
carried away in a cart. The fowls of the air and the
dogs of the field quarrel for the offal with herds of
loathsome swine ; and the horror which I conceived for
pork brought up upon these independent principles was so
great that I can hardly yet look upon English dairy-fed
with anything like complacency. Little urchins resort
to these places and practise upon the seagulls with the
national weapon of the bolas, consisting of three balls
connected by strings or strips of hide, which when
whirled skillfully entangle the legs or wings of the
beast or bird against which they are directed: and I have
seen a couple of filthy negro-women squatting on the
blood-soaked ground, and chattering like magpies over
the disgusting operation of scraping every atom of
grease from the intestines, which are left in all directions
to the protection of Providence, and these loathsome
harpies. The dogs which are brought up on these latitudinarian
principles are, as might be supposed, extremely danger
ous ; and no prudent man would think of walking or

74 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
riding without a good whip or stick for his protection.
I suppose it would be impossible to see anywhere else
such a strange collection of mongrels of every size and
shape. Many of them are large and ferocious ; but
little brutes of every description are to be met with in
all directions. Perhaps the most disgusting are small
bluish hairless curs, like sucking-pigs in a partial state
of decomposition, which are used by women of the
lower orders to keep their feet warm in bed — the ab
sence of hair being a security against vermin. In the
country, every house and hut has its own troop of dogs ;
and if an unlucky passer-by forgets the custom of the
country, which compels him to pull up his horse on
approaching a habitation, they rush out at him with
a fury which soon reminds him of his want of polite
ness. The plague of dogs, if left to themselves, would
soon be quite intolerable, and at certain seasons the
police have regular battues to keep them within reason
able limits.
Amongst the motley collection may now and then be
seen a good pointer or setter, belonging probably to
a French barber or shopkeeper, who, after the fashion
of his countrymen in Europe, takes advantage of every
Sunday and holiday to take a gun into the suburbs, and
there immolate every winged creature he can meet with,
provided generally that the wings are not in motion.
Long strings of little innocents of all sorts and colours,
many of them smaller than larks and sparrows, hanging

THE 25TH OF MAY. 75
in the shops of the market-place, testify to the skill of
these sportsmen, who, however miserable their game,
like, if possible, to be accompanied by a veritable
pointer. I found the Buenos Ayreans in all the bustle of pre
paring to celebrate their great national festival, under
circumstances of more than usual excitement. The 25th
of May is their Independence day — the day on which
they justly glorify themselves for having thrown off the
dominion of Old Spain; and it is generally comme
morated by every kind of festivity. On the present
occasion, however, the general hilarity was tempered by
a gloomy feeling of coming evil. There was every
prospect of their tranquillity being disturbed by the
outbreak of another civil war. It would be a long and
thankless task to attempt to drag a European reader
through the mazes of intrigue which form the main
occupation of the low politicians who seem to flourish
peculiarly in American republics, devoting themselves
to the pursuits personal aggrandisement and profit
under the guise of lofty patriotism and republican
purity. A very able article in the ' Quarterly Review '
of October 1862 shows how the administration of demo
cratic governments naturally falls into the hands of
needy adventurers, whose only qualification for their
office is excessive 'smartness.' Political lawyers are
the chief bane of the North American States, and men
of very much the same description do nearly all the

76 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
mischief in South America also. Disraeli, I think,
says somewhere that ' being in power means receiving
1,200£. a year, paid quarterly, and being in opposition
means having the desire to receive 1,200?. a year, paid
quarterly.' However hard this may be upon European
politicians, very few would doubt its application to
those of America; and it is common enough to hear
that the mere receipt of their official incomes is by no
means the limit of their pecuniary ambition.
Buenos Ayres, with its capital of the 'same name, is
one of the thirteen provinces of the Argentine Con
federation, which comprises the immense territory ex
tending from Brazil to Patagonia, from the Uruguay
to the Cordillera of the Andes. The city of Buenos
Ayres, with its population of 140,000, a large proportion
of whom are Europeans, and its constant communication
with European politics and commerce, is very much
more advanced in civilisation than any other part of
the republic ; and if its leading men would confine their
attention to developing its resources and opening up
fresh communications between this nucleus and all the
outlying provinces, the arts of peace and civilisation
would soon spread through the length and breadth of
the land, and enormously increase the wealth and influ
ence of the whole country. But the unquiet spirit of
these intriguing doctores is not content to let nature
work in her own fashion : they imagine, or pretend to
imagine, that they have a holy mission to redeem the

NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS. 77
provinces from barbarism, and are engaged in continual
intrigues for the humiliation and defeat of the caudillos,
a term which corresponds pretty nearly with that of
military Tories, the great bugbear of fervid Radicals
all over the world. Many of these caudillos are un
doubtedly rough and violent men ; and with the bloody
remembrance of such men as Rosas in their minds, the
Argentine Liberals may be excused for great animosity
against any system of policy which could admit of their
being tyrannised over by semi-barbarous military chiefs ;
but, unfortunately, their tactics have too often given
some appearance of justification to the cruelties of men
who are much more ignorant than themselves.
One great difficulty in the country arises from the
anomalous position of foreigners. A very large pro
portion of the business of the city is conducted by
English, French, German, and Italian firms; and an
Englishman especially is sure to meet his fellow-
countrymen in all the principal streets. Again, very
many of them hold under good titles hundreds of
thousands of acres of the soil itself, covered with count
less sheep, cattle, and horses, and gallop as undisputed
lords over possessions which are equal in extent
to many English counties. Foreigners of all kinds
keep the greater part of the shops ; and among the
lower orders, it is remarkable that even the most tho
roughly national occupations are passing from native
into other hands. The picturesque water-carriers, and

78 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the curiously-mounted bakers and milkmen, include a
very large proportion of Basques.
But all these, whether high or low, rich or poor,
unless born in the country, are politically nothing but
strangers in the land which has in many cases become
their permanent home. No matter how large a stake
they may have in the welfare of the country, they have
no voice in the administration of its government ; they
have nothing to do with the rights or the responsibilities ¦
of citizenship. The German or the Irishman who emi
grates to New York is entitled by a short residence to
become a citizen of the States, but it is not so in the
Argentine Confederation. There wealthy merchants
and owners of estancias, like principalities, are cut off
completely from public affairs, and remain citizens of
their respective countries. The man born in the country
can be compelled to serve in the national guard, or his
horses may be seized by a government which dares not
take a dollar's worth from the wealthiest foreigner,
except at the risk of an immediate remonstrance
through the agents of his government. This separation
of interests is the cause of a total want of public
opinion in any way proportionate to the collective
wealth and strength of the inhabitants, and enables the
professed politicians to intrigue at their leisure.
Unless some great change of feeling arises on both
sides, it is not easy to see how this state of things is to
be changed. It is doubtful if the native Argentines

EMIGRATION IN DEMAND. 79
would concede citizenship to others, but it is not doubt
ful that many foreigners would decline it. They for
the most part prefer having the strong arm of a Euro
pean government to fall back upon for the protection
of their interests, instead of adopting a South American
nationality, with the constant risk of disturbances and
revolutions, which past experience has induced them to
anticipate for the future. There is much reason in
such an argument; but at the same time I must add
that I heard the contrary opinion from one or two old
residents in the country. It must not be forgotten that
a grand union of the representatives of the whole pro
perty of the country would be a greatly increased
security for its preservation, and the greatest check
against anarchy and disturbance. ' In the multitude
of counsellors there is wisdom,' but under the present
system Buenos Ayres suffers from the want of a large
and sound public opinion.
At present this question appears a very difficult one ;
but its solution will very possibly be brought about
by the results of the undoubted fact that the foreign
population is increasing at a very much greater rate than
that of the natives. Emigration from Europe is now
largely in demand among the territories of La Plata ;
and when the excellence of the field is more generally
known, the call will doubtless be well responded to.
Railroads and the extension of commerce will soon call
into existence a much larger population than the native

80 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
stock can supply; and a country in which the majority
of the inhabitants are not citizens would be indeed a
strange anomaly.
In the beginning of the year 1861, and only a very
short time before my arrival in the country, the Liberals
of San Juan had got up a revolutionary disturbance in
that distant province. The provinces being united in
a Federation, the Federal government is, of course, in
times of internal peace everywhere supported by the Na
tional or Federal forces, which were then commanded by
General Urquiza, with the grandiloquent title of Cap
tain-General of the Forces by land and sea. The out
break at San Juan was speedily put down by the troops
under the command of one of Urquiza's officers, named
Saa, who, not satisfied with restoring order, appears to
have acted with great brutality, and was reported to
have allowed the massacre of about 400 men who had
taken to flight. I afterwards heard that this number
was a great exaggeration; but, at all events, the facts
were bad enough to cause the most intense indignation
of the Liberals at Buenos Ayres, who saw in the result
of this affair the entire destruction of a party which
they counted upon as a valuable nucleus for their
schemes of progress in the West. The name of Saa
was naturally branded in the newspapers with every
term of opprobrium of which the Spanish language is
capable ; he had at once established his reputation as
the darkest monster of the River Plate. He was exe-

HEAPING UP WRATH. 81
crated in public, and children were terrified into obe
dience by the whisper of his name.
Under such circumstances as these, imagine the in
dignation with which the Buenos Ayreans received
official intelligence that Saa had been formally thanked
by the Federal government, which was at that time
established at Parana ! It was considered as a sure
indication of an intention on the part of the National
Government to crush the vitality of the whole Liberal
party, by destroying them piecemeal in the provinces,
as a prelude to an advance upon Buenos Ayres itself.
About the same time, another galling insult was per
petrated by the Federal party : the deputies sent by
Buenos Ayres to the Congress at Parana were rejected,
and sent back contemptuously, on the ground of an
alleged informality in their election. It is extremely
doubtful if there was any informality at all ; the elec
tions appear to have been conducted in the form which
had been agreed upon, and the people of Buenos Ayres
naturally looked upon the conduct of the National
Government as insulting to the last degree. Their
anger was doubly roused by knowing that the most
bitter opponents of their liberal views in Congress were
a knot of renegades from their own camp, unscrupulous
men, who, finding themselves defeated and powerless in
their own city, devoted all their energies to the service
of the caudillos. High words arose, and while the
Captain-General Urquiza was preparing his forces to
G

82 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
punish the Buenos Ayreans as rebels, the latter called
out their National Guard and threatened open war.
Recruiting and negotiation went on together, and with
every additional thousand men to either side, the
violence of its language and the extent of its demands
increased in proportion. The Buenos Ayrean papers
hounded on the Government of their State to resist the
National authority, and used ridiculously-inflated lan
guage in their endeavours to excite the languid popu
lation, which consisted, for the most part, of men who
cared for neither parties or principles of policy, pro
vided the country were left to pursue a course of peace
and prosperity.
Thus it chanced that the strength of Federalism was
being tried to the utmost in North and South America
at the same time ; and it was proved contemporaneously
that, though perhaps a good system in calm weather, it
is not to be trusted in a storm. In each division of the
New World a great federation was threatened with dis
solution; the difference being that, while in North
America the slave States determined on seceding, in
the Argentine Confederation the province of Buenos
Ayres, trusting to her wealth and numbers, stood out
alone against the rest, not condescending to secede and
declare her own independence, but determined to make
the rest of the nation submit to her ideas of what the
republic should be. This was the real meaning of the
war which was now impending.

THE NATIONAL GUARD. 83
On my first Sunday in the city, I found myself among
a crowd of people assembled to see the return of the
National Guard from a review. Their number was
about 4,000, but I think they were the most motley
assemblage of troops that I ever beheld. The men
were of every shade of colour — white, yellow, whitey-
brown, rusty-brown, and black. Some companies wore
regular uniforms, some wore . blouses, and some wore
Garibaldian shirts ; while others contained a mixture of
all. I saw one company of men chiefly in blouses,
commanded by an old grey-wooled negro in uniform,
who looked amazingly contented with his own share in
the exhibition. Sometimes, a gentlemanly-looking man
was commanding some of the shabbiest of the troops ;
and, close behind, the next company presented the re
verse of that picture. Drums beating and flags flying
increased the excitement, and the review had at least
two results, one of which was expected, and the other
was not: the newspapers produced glowing articles
on the heroism of Buenos Ayrean troops, and an unfor
tunate spectator was shot through the head.
Meanwhile, wise heads and sober men of business
looked with anxiety upon the symptoms of impending
war, and the May festival was not so lively as usual. I
was present at the ball given by the Progreso Club in
its own handsome rooms ; but, though no pains were
spared to make it a complete success, yet there seemed
to be a want of the spirit and enthusiasm which such
G 2

84 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
an occasion would usually call forth. The Governor,
General Mitre, was present, with his wife, and was the
observed of all observers, who would gladly have guessed
his opinion of affairs by the expression of his counte
nance. He is a tall handsome man, of very elegant
appearance, with a fine forehead and thoughtful face;
he is a poet and scholar, and looks altogether too refined
and gentlemanly to be mixed up with the dirty doings
of second-rate politics. On the present occasion, he
certainly looked anxious, and well he might ; for he not
only had to preside in the councils of the State, but, in
the event of war, would also have to take command of
that motley army in the field.
Buenos Ayrean fashion requires that no one should
go to a public ball of this kind before midnight ; and on
arriving about half an hour after that, we found our
selves almost the first in the room. This is the more
remarkable, because five o'clock is the usual dinner
hour, and ladies who intend to dance are obliged to go
to sleep for two or three hours before dressing for the
ball. The rooms were beautifully decorated and orna
mented with flowers, the band was powerful and perfect,
and everything exceedingly handsome. The ladies are
justly celebrated for their beauty and elegance, and
made the rooms of the club so brilliant with their
presence that an Englishman could not help thinking
of the effect that might be produced by an occasional
introduction of such gaieties into the stately halls of

BALL AT THE PROGRESO. 85
Pall Mall. Promenading, however, seemed much more
popular than dancing in the lively fashion of Europe ;
and, though the ball-room was very fairly filled, yet it
was not uncommon to find only two or three couples
dancing, while the band was exerting itself to the
utmost with a popular waltz. There was, however, an
atmosphere of somewhat stately solemnity about the
Progreso, which does not affect the agreeable vivacity of
the Portenians in private life and domestic tertulias.
Two days afterwards came the 25th of May, the great
national holiday. The whole space of the Plaza de la
Victoria was covered with people, who had come together
to see the display of soldiers and fireworks. Church and
State kiss one another with every appearance of respect on
this occasion ; the Governor and Ministers, accompanied
by a crowd of minor officials, and such foreign repre
sentatives as may choose to accept the formal invitation,
go to the cathedral in procession, and listen to the cere
monies of the Church. The Pontifex Maximus having
completed his task, Mars assumes the duty of escorting
Caesar back to the Cabildo. All the troops that could
be got together were marched round the Plaza, to the
great delight of the crowd ; and the artillery presented
a rather formidable appearance, clustering round the
beautiful pillar of Liberty in the middle of the square.
The sun was brilliant, the sky intensely blue, and the
air pure and invigorating beyond description ; the sol
diers marched off to their barracks, and the crowd

86 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
circulated on the dusty parade which they had left; the
orange-sellers drove a lively trade, and the attention of
everyone was concentrated upon a stage where rope-
dancers, tumblers, and jugglers were to perform in the
open air for the amusement of the people, the expenses
being, I believe, paid out of the proceeds of a govern
ment lottery. Some of the performances of these native
artists were very amusing, and a clown, in sky-blue gar
ments with a white-peaked cap, was not only ' a fellow
of infinite jest,' but an astonishing acrobat into the
bargain. Nothing, however, seemed to delight the mob
so much as the production of a man apparently suffering
from the agonies of swelled face and toothache ; the
clown took him in hand with a crowbar, and, after the
fashion of our pantomimes, very skilfully extracted a
wooden tooth about six inches long, and wide in pro
portion. Fire-balloons of strange form are very popular in
South America, and one of the largest on this occasion
discharged a large number of very pretty parachutes as
it sailed away across the river. But the most amusing
one I ever saw in Buenos Ayres, was a huge effigy of a
woman in full dress, with an immense crinoline and
Bloomer appendages, who, dropping parachutes from
her pockets, was carried by a fresh breeze out of sight
in the direction of the Banda Oriental. The evening
was devoted to a grand display of fireworks, which were
really magnificent, but many of them were allowed to

ORDER IN THE STREETS. 87
burst among the dense crowd so recklessly that I was
surprised at not hearing of serious accidents. Large
numbers of rockets were also let off during the day,
bursting with loud explosions, and sending small white
clouds of smoke drifting across the blue sky. Rockets
by daylight are, however, very common in South
America, and are especially used to announce by their
sharp bangs the intention to have a performance at the
theatre. The May festivities lasted altogether three
days, and, to the great credit of Buenos Ayres, I can
truly say that, though I was moving constantly about the
town by day and night, I did not see a single case of
drunkenness or any kind of disorder in the streets during "
the whole time. I heard of no cases of robbery among
the crowds, or in the houses of those who had left home
to see the amusements of the evening ; and I very
much doubt if there is a single city of Europe, where,
under similar circumstances, such a good character
could be given to the inhabitants. Indeed, I may as
well say, once for all, that in the course of many a dark
night's walk between the Quinta and the city, I never
heard a disturbance or came into collision with anybody
— excepting on one occasion, when a sereno or watchman
had so far relaxed his vigilance as- to sit down on a
door-step with his lantern hidden behind him : he had
fallen asleep with his legs at full stretch across the path,
and as the night was as dark as dark could be, I
stumbled against them and nearly measured my length

88 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
on some rough stones. I recovered myself in time, and
abused him ; . he returned the compliment with a sleepy
grunt, and I went quietly on my way. Let this state of
things be compared to the present condition of London,
which, with all its boasted civilisation, was for a time
given over to the rascally army of garotters ! This,
however, is a great improvement on the ancien regime
of the city.
Meanwhile the probability of war was every day increas-
, ing, and the process of seizing passenger steamers, to be
used for military purposes, commenced with great vigour
on both sides. The principle was ' catch as catch can.'
The Federals kept what they could at Parana, and the
Buenos Ayreans seized all the vessels they could lay
their hands on at their own end of the river. None
were safe except those which sailed under a foreign flag.
The Paraguay steamers continued to run twice a month
up the river ; the ' Montevidea ' was safe under the
flag of Uruguay ; and a huge Yankee steamer, called
the ' Mississippi,' made a very good thing of it, being
almost large enough to carry on all the necessary traffic
between Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, till unluckily
she was blown on shore in a heavy gale. When the
Government took possession of a steamer, they set to
work to strengthen and repair her as well as they could,
to mount a few guns, and, through the agency of crimps,
to get sailors from foreign ships in the port. Every
hijo del pais, or man born in the country, whether

STEAM TO MONTEVIDEO. 89
of native or foreign parentage, was compelled to enrol
himself in the National Guard, or to find a personero
(substitute), to be victimised in his place.
The price of substitutes rose rapidly with the increased
probability of actual fighting, and at last they could
hardly be got for love or money. Many of those liable
to service avoided it by escaping to Montevideo and
elsewhere; but the precautions against this possibility
were made more stringent continually.
About this time a good friend who had business at
Montevideo, kindly asked me to go down with him
in the 'Mississippi,' and I was very glad to have the
benefit of his company and guidance. This immense
vessel was splendidly fitted, and built, like all the North
American river-boats, to combine great speed with little
draught of water. The saloon was splendidly furnished,
and nothing could exceed the comfort and neatness of
the sleeping cabins. A very good dinner was served
in table d'hote fashion soon after we started, and early
in the morning we found ourselves anchored at Monte
video. There were plenty of boats ready to take people
on shore, and after walking up to the Hotel Oriental
we breakfasted with a friend. In the course of the
day we made a number of visits and saw a good deal
of the city, which, though much smaller than Buenos
Ayres, is built upon the same plan of squares and long
straight streets. Its picturesque appearance is increased
by the greater numbers of miradors or high look-out

90 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
terraces and towers, from which the view of the city
and sea is always interesting and animated. Next day
I was taken to see the quinta of M. Buschenthal,
who is a kind of Rothschild in the River Plate. We
had a pleasant ride of about five miles, which gave
me an excellent idea of the general appearance and
position of the city. Instead of continual plains, the
land rises immediately in a system of long undula
tions, from the crests of which we had charming views
of the harbour filled with shipping, and the long
peninsula covered with the snow-white buildings of
Montevideo, all brilliant in sunshine. The hedges
were, like those of Buenos Ayres, composed of cactus
and aloes ; but it appeared to me that the plants were
even larger and finer than those of the latter place.
We passed many very pretty country-houses, surrounded
by gardens full of lovely flowers, and plantations
of huge orange-trees loaded with fruit. Fig-trees also
reached a great size; but the country has not yet
recovered from the destruction of wood which took
place in the nine years' siege by Oribe, before 1851
— in the course of which almost every tree in the
neighbourhood was cut down for fuel by the soldiers,
who spared none but those which were useful for the
fruits which they produced.
I was more pleased than I had even expected with
the appearance of M. Buschenthal's Quinta. He has
spared no expense in filling his grounds with trees and

A MODEL QUINTA. 91
flowers imported from all parts of the world, and has
paid special attention to the cultivation of good fruit.
The approach to his house was by a broad path
bordered by shrubberies and Australian gum-trees,
which, though young, seemed to be growing wonderfully
fast, and showed that a large importation of them
would be of great advantage to the countries of La
Plata, where, as a general rule, want of wood is one of
the most serious defects. The house itself seemed
perfect as a summer retreat in a warm climate, orna
mented with works of art and surrounded by gardens,
while a magnificent ombu in front afforded cool and
impenetrable shade. The grounds were kept in high
order by a staff of French gardeners, who very civilly
answered our questions. Most of the European fruits
were produced here in large quantities, but the secret of
the success of many of them seems to consist in keeping
the trees small by close pruning ; the sap has then a
shorter distance to travel, and is consequently less likely
to be dried up by the excessive heat of a Montevidean
summer. This hint may be useful to many who may
wish to cultivate European fruit in warm countries.
Long winding walks led among luxuriant masses of
flowers and flowering shrubs, and orange-trees growing
in all directions to add colour and fragrance to the
scene. After a very pleasant afternoon we returned to
Montevideo, where a feast awaited us. The landlord of

92 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the Hotel Oriental had honoured my friend by procuring
an anchoa, something like a salmon, and by far the best
fish in that part of the world : like most good things, how
ever, it is not always to be met with. We were fortunate ;
and when the banquet was finished, with a dish of Alpine
strawberries and a bottle of Burgundy, we felt that
we had dined indeed, and were in a contented frame of
mind for returning that night by the ' Mississippi ' to
Buenos Ayres, where we arrived at about six in the
morning. Before parting with the ' Mississippi,' I ought
to say that she was provided with an ingenious instru
ment for registering the number of revolutions made
by the engines. There were six square holes in a row,
and tables of figures behind were so disposed as to mark
the correct number. Every stroke of the piston added
one to this by making the necessary changes in the figures,
which would thus go on increasing up to 999999, when
they must begin again.
A few days after this a grand amateur concert was
given in the Colon Theatre, for the benefit of the suf
ferers by the earthquake at Mendoza, which afforded a
good opportunity of observing the beauties of Buenos
Ayres, and their taste for music. The large and hand
some theatre with its open boxes presented a charming
spectacle ; enormous prices had been paid for places,
but every seat was occupied ; beauty and fashion were
most ably represented, and the concert itself was ad
mirably conducted. The stage was occupied by a full

AN AMATEUR CONCERT. 93
chorus of ladies and gentlemen, who, as well as the solo
performers, were strictly amateurs. Everything went
well, but one of the most brilliant successes was a triple
duet on three grand pianos, with two young ladies at
each. The national hymn was sung, and sung well ; but
in spite of the exciting times it produced very little
enthusiasm : two or three people said ' Bravo,' but even
this seemed more as a compliment to the singers than
anything else. As usual there was plenty of ' Libertad,'
&c, but no one seemed to care very much about it.
Altogether the concert was a grand success, and pro
duced a large sum of money ; and though it lasted till
one o'clock in the morning, I think everyone in the
audience was heartily sorry when it came to an end. I
find that such a large number of English people cannot
divest themselves of the erroneous idea that society in
the cities of the River Plate is semi-barbarous, that, in
remembrance of the many charming acquaintances I
made there, it is a pecub'ar pleasure to attempt to
disprove the popular view. Another fact will, perhaps,
aid me. A brilliant bazaar was got up two years ago,
for the purpose of assisting to build an English hospital.
English ladies were supported by their Spanish friends,
and the result was a contribution of 1,500L to the
hospital fund. Aided by liberal subscriptions from
individuals, and supported by the goodwill of the
Buenos ' Ayrean Government, this hospital was in full
working order before I left the country, and in a state

94 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
to reflect the highest credit upon its founders. Such
works as these in a distant country are worthy of all
praise, and are alone sufficient to vindicate the territory
of La Plata from the unfounded supposition of semi-
barbarism.

95

CHAPTER V.
VISIT TO THE CAMP.
PANIC ABOUT UEQUIZA — SEIZUEE OF HOESES — SCAECITY OF
LABOUE — EEVIEW IN THE PLAZA— DOUBTS ABOUT COEDOVA —
AN INTEECEPTED DESPATCH — GENEEAL MITEE MAECHES WITH
HIS AEMY — EXPEDITION TO MONTE GEANDE — TIEU-TEEOS —
BISCACHOS — PAMPAS OWLS — PANT ANOS — WILDFOWL — STOEES—
EVENING — THE EECADO — BEIDLE, BIT, AND SPUES— THE EEVENQUE
— MANEAS AND SILVEE OENAMENTS.
A BOUT this time we had fresh news from Entre
-£-*- Rios, where it appeared that Urquiza had been
collecting his troops, and was quite ready to cross the
Parana with the Federal army, which had been excited
to fever-point by the well-known principle of giving
them no pay till they could get it for themselves by the
plunder of the enemy. The excitement increased daily;
some people thought that Urquiza would take the ini
tiative, and come down the river without a moment's
notice, and others argued that he would let the Buenos
Ayreans march out to meet him ; that he would give
them a sound thrashing in the field, and then bring
all his hungry hordes for the sack and pillage of the
city. Either of these alternatives was enough to strike

96 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the good citizens with well-founded panic ; and gold
ounces increased rapidly in value, in proportion to the
increased feeling of public insecurity. Vigorous mea
sures were taken to drill the National Guard, and
penalties were strictly enforced against those who neg
lected their duty in attending. A considerable part of
the regular troops was sent forward towards Rosario,
with a force of artillery, and fresh troops were brought
in to supply their places. Draught horses were in great
request for wagons and artillery, and very harsh mea
sures were adopted to procure them. In some cases,
the authorities even stopped water-carts, which are
among the most important institutions of Buenos Ayres,
and took away the horses ; thus robbing the luckless
owners of their little fortune and means of living, and
giving them the poor consolation of receiving the regu
lation price of about 21. sterling for what had been to
them worth 20L Contracts for horses at 150 paper
dollars, or about 25s. each, for government purposes, of
course, encouraged horse stealing to a very great
amount ; in one night about forty were carried off
from a potrero, or meadow, near the Boca. The auda
city of agents assuming the authority of government
was so great that even carriage horses were occasion
ally threatened; and I remember one night, when
some of our neighbours locked up their favourite steeds
in halls and dining-rooms for protection. It was very
unsatisfactory to an owner, after taking incredible pains

REPUBLICAN FREEDOM. 97
to recover his stolen horses, to find them at last with
their ears cropped, by way of indisputable proof that
they belonged to government ! The excitement became
very great ; there were frequent consultations of treaties
which secure foreigners from being compelled to render
military aid or munitions of war to the government;
and strong expostulations were made to the ministers.
Foreigners made good their position by the inter
vention of their representatives ; but the unlucky
natives had no remedy. Forced into a war which they
did not provoke, to carry out the schemes of men whom
they had no respect for, they had no alternative but to
submit to the arbitrary orders of those who had led
them into the scrape. In South America the phe
nomena have been much the same as in the so-called
United States ; in short, if anyone wishes to see
tyranny triumphant, and the rights of individuals
trampled under foot by irresponsible governments, he
must turn his back upon the effete monarchies of poor
old Europe, and visit the republics of the West upon
some occasion of political excitement.
Labour became very scarce, men of all kinds being
pressed into military service ; and happening one day
to be riding past the great slaughtering places at the
north of the city, I saw a number of the gaueho
butchers reluctantly obeying the angry summons of
a bugle. They came up very leisurely to the muster,
and when I observed that they were well mounted, a
H

98 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
friend told me that men who were compelled to serve
in the cavalry, and bring their own horses, preferred
bringing their best, as these were naturally the most
suited to help them in running away ! It is not that
these men are more cowardly tlian others, but they
detest being forced from their ordinary occupations to
fight for a cause which has no interest for them. The
poor devils may well be excused when we remember
that they have everything to lose and nothing to gain
among the miseries of civil war.
On the 30th of June, General Mitre had a grand review
in the Plaza, and made a glowing speech to the troops
whom it was expected that he would shortly have to
take command of in the field. He paid the most flat
tering compliments to those of the National Guard who
had come forward and enrolled themselves for the
defence of their country ; and he spoke with withering
scorn of the cowards who disgraced their 'Argentine
mothers ' by keeping out of the way. This phrase,
' madres Argentinas ' sounds very well, and reminds
one of the barbaric virtues of Rome and Lacedsemon ;
but in these degenerate days, Argentine, as well as
other matrons, generally prefer keeping their sons at
home to assist in supporting the rest of the family,
unless under the strong pressure of foreign aggression.
The General reminded them of the glories of the
Argentine flag — the conqueror in a hundred fights — and
called upon the troops to follow him to victory ; forget-

DERQUI'S TERMS. 99
ting, however, to say a word about who was to be their
enemy or what they were to fight for.
Meanwhile, reports of the most contradictory nature
were set on foot by the Liberals on one side and the
Federal partisans on the other. One morning we heard
that Cordova, where the Liberals thought they had a
strong party, had gallantly refused to admit Derqui, the
Federal President, within its walls ; the ' Tribuna '
newspaper was in ecstacies for two days, at the end of
which it was obliged to eat dirt, and confess that Derqui
had met with no resistance. Some cool heads hoped
that this discouragement of the advanced party might
very likely conduce to peace ; but the first piece of
favourable news undid the work of the other, and big
words became the order of the day.
A few days later, a great excitement was created by
an intercepted letter from President Derqui to Peder-
nera, his acting representative at Paraua. In this epistle
the terms of peace laid down were such as could only
be offered to a defeated enemy, and the Buenos Ayreans
were naturally furious at finding that the President
would make no terms with them, except on the con
dition of their abandoning all the points they contended
for. He required their submission to the Federal go
vernment, the nationalisation of the custom-house, the
surrender or neutrality of the important island of
Martin Garcia, the surrender of their ships and the
reduction of their army ; adding, by way of final insult,
H 2

100 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
that they should pay the expenses of the Federal go
vernment in preparing for the war ! In case of resist
ance, they were informed that the army of Urquiza
would be marched down into the province of Buenos
Ayres, there to support itself by the spoliation of private
property. Derqui from this time was honoured with
the soubriquet of ' Ladron de vacas,' or bullock stealer,
and was looked upon as much worse than Urquiza
himself. There were great doubts about what should be done
with the National Guard. Without this body, the
Buenos Ayreans would make but a poor show in num
bers, when compared with the National or Federal
army, and yet it was a serious question whether they
ought to be taken out for a campaign. Some said they
ought not to go for two reasons : 1st, that they were
only intended for the defence -of the city ; and 2ndly,
that no one could compel them to take the field.
Others said they ought to go and fight the enemies of
liberty, independence, &c, wherever they might be
found ; and a third party suggested pretty plainly that
the National Guard would refuse to march if ordered to
do so, and that any attempt to coerce them would lead
to a revolution in the city itself. It was certainly a
very hard case for the members of that body ; ten times
as bad for them as it would be for the volunteers of
London to be marched off to Lancashire and Yorkshire
under similar circumstances. They marched without

GOING TO THE CAMP. 101
tents in the winter, and though, of course, even in
winter, there is no very severe cold in Buenos Ayres,
they had every prospect of being drenched with
heavy rains, which they would have to endure as best
they could in the open plains, without even the excite
ment of a foreign invader to contend against.
The political barometer indicated stormy weather,
the gold ounce rising in two days from 380 to nearly
400 paper dollars. The city was declared in a state of
siege, and great numbers of men were employed to
surround it with a complete system of fortifications,
which consisted only of a deep and broad ditch and
embankment, studded here and there with small forts
mounting two or three guns of various sorts and sizes.
After several delays and postponements, General Mitre
at last marched with the greater part of the army in
the direction of Rosario, and it was understood that
Urquiza was moving his troops across the river from
Entre Rios at Diamante.
In spite of all the pleasures of society in such an
agreeable place as Buenos Ayres, I was longing for the
first opportunity of going into the camp, as the country
is generally termed. I was also getting tired of the
constant gossiping rumours of war and peace which
entirely occupied the attention of the citizens.
The opportunity soon occurred. Among my chief
friends were the sons of Mr. Fair, one of the first of the
active Englishmen who laboured for many years in

102 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
developing the resources of the Rio de la Plata, and
opening up new channels for the enterprise of Europeans^
He is the proprietor of large estancias in the Banda
Oriental and the province of Buenos Ayres, and my
first visit was to one of the -smaller of these, called
Monte Grande, only twenty miles to the south of the
city. I started one morning with Mr. Frederick Fair,
taking guns and materials for a week's shooting. A
pair of saddle-bags contained a change of clothes, am
munition, and a few creature comforts, such as brandy
and tobacco ; we wore long boots, equally suited for
riding and wading in the swamps, and we carried our
guns in our hands. I was strongly recommended not
to use a gun-sling, because it is a common thing for
horses to fall suddenly on putting a foot into a biscacho-
hole, and the danger of an upset is considerably greater
with such an object as a gun strapped to one's back.
I only once tried a sling, but it broke as I galloped
along, and I never had it mended ; in fact, though at
first a gun in the hand is a great impediment to riding,
a little practice makes it very easy.
No one, except doctors and officials, may gallop in the
streets of Buenos Ayres, and as trotting is unknown to
the horses of the country, we had a long and solemn
march at a walking pace, till we got out to the suburbs.
Here we passed one of the huge slaughter grounds,
bathed as usual in blood, and containing as many dis
gusting sights as could well be produced in the same

VIEW OF THE PAMPAS. 103
space. Pigs, seagulls, and negro-women were contend
ing for the last scraps of the departed oxen, and the
pigs seemed to me to have been degraded by their mode
of life into the most ugly and revolting race imaginable.
The stench was powerful, but not nearly so bad as I
should have expected, and it is asserted by the natives
to be peculiarly wholesome ! A few miles from Buenos
Ayres we crossed the Riachuelo by a bridge, where a
small toll is paid, and we began to feel fairly in the
country. For a few miles farther, however, a good deal
of the land is enclosed by wire fences, a modern inno
vation which greatly annoys the thorough-bred gauchos
who have from time immemorial been accustomed to
gallop by day or night in any direction, and as far as
they please. Presently this sign of civilisation dis
appeared and the road ceased ; the open boundless
Pampas were before me, and with a feeling of indescrib
able joy I inhaled the delicious and invigorating breeze.
Away and away we went, galloping over the short turf
towards a distant landmark on the horizon, which was to
be our guide. The want of rain was being felt, and we
found the camp so hard and dry that there was evidently
good reason for the general expectation of a seca, or
drought. Here and there a damp place had its snipe
and snippets grubbing for worms, and flying startled
from almost under our horses' feet. The tiru-teros or
horned plovers strutted about the plains, rising with
their strange wild cry, and screaming ' tiru-tero,' as they

104 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES*
whirled over our heads. The biscachos were asleep in
their holes, according to custom, and we knew we should
not see one of them till sunset ; but the lovely little
Pampas owls were on duty guarding the approaches to
their subterranean friends. There they sat staring at
us solemnly, not moving a muscle except those which
were necessary to turn their heads horizontally, and not
attempting to stir unless they found we should ride over
them; in which case they flew in a gently indignant
fashion, and with a soft flapping motion, for twenty or
thirty yards, after which they silently perched by the
side of another burrow to stare at us again.
Presently we came to a small arroyo, hardly wider
than a broad ditch. An English horse of the mildest
description would have jumped it instantly, but though
the South American horses have amazing powers of
endurance, they have not the slightest notion of jumping
— and are, with some reason perhaps, extremely suspi
cious of muddy arroyos. There is not a particle of
stone or gravel in those vast plains, and nobody can
judge certainly from the appearances what may be the
depth of mud in a Buenos Ayrean stream or pantano.
Scores of horses are continually being lost in these
places, which sometimes let them in at once over the
saddle ; and scores of clean picked carcases, with buried
legs, mark where these catastrophes have happened,
If you are travelling with a troop of horses nobody
cares a straw for the loss of one : if you have to depend

WATERFOWL. 105
for the day upon the beast you are riding, too much
caution is impossible.
This was one of the first lessons taught to me, and I
never forgot it. On the present occasion we looked
about for the best place we could find, and passed safely
with no inconvenience but a little mud-splashing. Away
and away again, by the banado or swamp region, where
large shallow lagunas were concealed by tall sedges and
rushes, till we were close upon them, and a mighty rush
ing sound announced the alarm of innumerable wild
fowl. Ducks of various kinds, teal and widgeon, were
mixed up with clouds of a species of water-hen. Storks,
mirasols, cranes — some handsome, some foul and un
couth, rushed into the air, trailing their huge legs
under them for a short ungainly flight, and dropping
sleepily into their native mud as soon as we had passed
them. We walked the horses for awhile, and in the
stillness on the soft turf we heard the clear ringing
scream of birds, slowly whirling round and round at
such a vast height above us that they were difficult to
see. These were the great turkey-buzzards — unclean
carrion-lovers, which sometimes alight in such immense
numbers on the plains that I have mistaken them at a
distance for a flock of black sheep. A little way farther
we came to a broader river connected with the lagunas,
and I was for following its banks till we came to a
narrower place ; but the experience of my companion
said 'No,' and he at once rode through, followed by

106 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
myself : we found the water only up to our girths, with
pretty good bottom, as he had predicted; but I had
great difficulty in forcing my horse over ; he was very
hot, and I had a strong suspicion that he meant to get
rid of me by rolling in the middle of the river. About
a couple of miles before reaching the house, we entered
the large wood from which the place takes its name of
Monte Grande— the word Monte being applied to woods
as well as mountains. There were no fine trees, how
ever, and the greater part of them were tola, half
shrub and half tree, which seldom grows larger than
our whitethorn, and is anything but graceful. The
grass was longer than in the camp, and many cattle and
horses were wandering up and down. Here and there a
cloud of hawks, kites, coranchos, &c, rose screaming
as we disturbed them in the act of picking the bones of
a dead bullock ; and now and then large flights of ducks
crossed on their way to the lagunas. We had no in
tention to shoot till next day, but the ride was made
delightfully exciting by the variety and immense
numbers of the birds which form so large a part of
the inhabitants of South America. Latterly, we had
more leisure to admire them, for the great heat of the
day, added to our heavy loads, proved very trying to
the horses, and they required a good deal of encourage
ment to get them beyond a walk. Heavy saddle-bags
and guns make a considerable addition to the ordinary
weight of a man; and the poor beasts must have been

TREASURES DISCOVERED. 107
uncommonly glad when they got quit of us at the house.
As soon as they were unsaddled we got water and hay
for them, leaving them for the night fastened to a post
by one of the hide ropes of the country. Then we
looked after our own interests. An old Scotchwoman,
who had acted as housekeeper there for many years, was
very much surprised to see us ; the house is not regularly
inhabited, and I thought she contemplated the subject
of stores with some anxiety. However, several very
useful things were discovered when we began to search
the cupboards : sardines, pickles, and a case of most
delicious preserve'd lobsters, which proved to have kept
their full flavour and freshness ever since they were
caught at New York. Then we discovered a few bottles
of wine, and playing-cards, also very useful things, as
we found on the first wet day. Bread is a very rare
sight, except in the towns, but there is always an abun
dance of the usual biscuits of the country, which, though
sweet, are so excessively hard that it requires a strong
hand to smash them against the corner of the table.
We were surrounded by thousands of sheep, and knew
that we should have plenty of mutton, so we began to
put things to rights, and prepared to enjoy ourselves,
trusting to ducks and partridges for the improvement
of the larder.
The house consisted, as usual, of only one floor, with
a flat roof, approachable by steps. The rooms were
comfortable, and a verandah in front, and another one

108 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
behind, offered plenty of fresh air, combined with shade
and shelter. At the back was an enclosed piece of
ground, which was once upon a time a garden, when
the house was used as a residence. At a little distance
in front was a row of buildings, which accommodated
the agent and the capataz, or head man ; and a little
farther off the peons used to roll themselves up in
their ponchos on the floor of a long shed, where, with a
proper allowance of mate and beef, they were perfectly
happy and contented. The corrals were close at hand
for both sheep and horses. Even in a small establish
ment there must always be a considerable number of
the latter ; for where everything is done by hard riding,
and sometimes the men are kept all day in the saddle,
they must change their horses now and then, or the
whole would break down, in. spite of their wonderful
powers of endurance.
We bustled about to aid the preparations of good old
Mrs. Macdonald, and presently we announced dinner
for ourselves. The dishes were not numerous; but
good sweet mutton and rice, followed by part of the
never-to-be-forgotten preserved lobsters, made feast
enough for any man of well-regulated mind and body.
I know we enjoyed it intensely after our hot ride ; and
when the feeding was over, we strolled out to smoke
our cigars in the open air. The sun was just setting in
a cloudless sky, and I watched its huge bulk sink be
neath the boundless level of the plains with almost the

OVEN-BIRDS. 109
same effects as are produced by a sunset at sea. And
then the day's work was done; the last peon came
galloping in from a distant station, tossed off his
saddle, put his horse into the corral, and prepared to
join his comrades in cooking their beef and chattering
over the red glare of a wood fire. We could no longer
see flights of ducks passing swiftly overhead, and even
the scream of the ever-watchful tiru-tero ceased. The
biscachos awoke from their sleep with the very last
rays of the sun, and cautiously peeped from their holes
to satisfy themselves that he had really set before they
ventured to begin their supper. The stars came out in
all their glory, .shining through the pure air with a bril
liancy which reminded me of many a night among the
high Alps, where the stars indeed shine like lamps in
heaven. The dogs at a sheep-station howled for a
moment in the distance, and then all was still — buried
in that wonderfully impressive silence of solitude which
almost enables the mind to realise to itself the eternal
silence of infinite space.
Next morning we got up betimes, and I need hardly
add that I was in high spirits at the prospect of being
initiated into the wild delights of a new life. A pair
of oven-birds were ' saluting the morn ' with their loud
rattling note just outside my window. These birds are
excessively sociable, and seem to enjoy building among
the haunts of men. They are about the size of a
thrush, of a reddish-brown colour, and make their

110 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
nests of clay, fixed to walls, trees, or posts— I have
even seen them select a tall post to which horses were
being tied up all day just outside the house.
Very little time is required for the toilet when the
dress consists of merely a strong pair of trousers, a
light shooting-jacket, a flannel shirt, a pair of boots and
a wide-awake hat, so were soon out in the exhilarating
air of the morning. The sun, just above the horizon,
shot its long rays across the vast plains, and preparations
were being made for the day's work. A peon had been
down to a neighbouring pond with about a score of
horses, and he was now driving them back in a mad
gallop to the corral, where they would have ' to wait
till called for.' Breakfast is usually late at an estancia,
and I have known Englishmen imitate the example of
the gauchos, and do a very hard day's work without any
breakfast at all, contenting themselves with cigarettes
at short intervals, till they take a heavy meal at the end
of the day. I certainly think this an unwholesome
practice, and always made a point of eating a good
breakfast, if it could be got ; whilst it was preparing, we
took our guns, and walked to the monte to look for a
partridge. We only got a brace, but were lucky enough
to fall in with a quantity of small doves ; they were
rather less than ringdoves, and of the same colour, but
they were very fat, and proved to be delicious morsels.
I also knocked over a corancho, whom I surprised
among the remains of a dead horse. These powerful

THE TIRU-TERO. Ill
birds are justly hated by the shepherds, for they never
lose an opportunity of picking out the eyes of a lamb,
if it strays away from its mother. We also added a
brace of tiru-teros to the bag, though we greatly doubted
if they were fit to eat. These horned plovers are very
pretty birds, about the size of a pigeon, and have the
singular appendage of a short sharp horn, blood-red in
colour, attached to the end of the pinion, which I
believe they use as a weapon of defence. They are
very tame, and seldom rise till a passer-by is within
twenty or thirty yards of them, when they whirl over
head with a loud and constant repetition of the peculiar
cry which is represented by their name. We found
them very tough, and soon gave up shooting them for
the table ; but I am afraid we often killed them out of
mere revenge for their abominable habit of screaming
at nothing, and frightening ducks which we had been
stalking with the greatest care. They are the most
restless birds I know, and at night many a shepherd
has been warned by the cry of ' tiru-tero ' that some
thing unusual was stirring in the camp.
After breakfast, we prepared for a start to the
lagunas. I was not much accustomed to horses, and
soon found that I had plenty to learn ; there are no
grooms or stables at the estancias of South America,
and * gentleman riders ' must saddle for themselves.
We took our horses down to the water, and then sad
dled and bridled at the door of the house. This

112 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
operation is a serious business with those who use the
recado, or native saddle, but we followed the English
fashion. To the gaueho his recado is all-important,
but it is a complicated and troublesome machine, con
sisting of a great number of coverings and belts, some
for use and some for ornament. The tree is double-
peaked, and on the top of all comes a kind of rug,
which makes a soft seat, though a very hot one. The
whole concern is very cumbrous, and often weighs forty
pounds ; but we must remember that, when taken to
pieces, it makes a pretty comfortable bed, whilst an
English saddle is only good for a pillow. Rich men
are fond of very handsome recados, with elaborately-
stamped leather, and even a moderately good one is an
expensive luxury. As compared with the English
saddle, they certainly give a more comfortable seat;
but, on the other hand, they are very hot and very
heavy, besides being troublesome to put together. For
the hard work of the country, however, they contain
a necessary element which could not be used with an
English saddle : this is a girth of strong hide, and
about nine inches wide, which goes completely round
the horse and saddle, the ends being fastened together
by very tight lacing through two rings. This girth
contains on one side a strong iron ring, firmly worked
into it, to bear the whole pressure of the lazo. Skillful
as the gauchos are with this instrument, they could do
but little service if they depended only on the strength

HORSE-GEAR. 113
of their hand to hold it when entangled in the horns of
an animal going at full speed ; but with the other end
made perfectly fast to this ring, the weight and strength
of the horse are thrown into the scale. This arrange
ment is attended with only one inconvenience, which is
that he cannot get rid of his lazo, even if he wishes,
when it has once been fixed on the horns of a bull : he
must follow every motion of the animal, turn as he
turns, and avoid him if he charges, but he cannot get rid
of him till, with the help of his companions, he throws
him to the ground, to be branded or killed, according
to the requirements of the case.
But whatever difference of opinion there may be
about the comparative merits of the saddles, I think
that, without doubt, the native bridles and head-gear of
plaited hide are infinitely better than our own leather
straps. The strength of their raw hide is immense,
and plaiting fine strips of it is an art in which the
gauchos excel peculiarly, and show very good taste.
The best bridles are made of this work in short lengths
connected by strong rings of pure silver, and the beauty
of the workmanship makes them very expensive; but
when once bought they last for ever. The native ring-
bit is very powerful and punishing, and the fashion is
to have it made also of pure silver ; the same remark
applies to spurs, which I have seen made of the same
material, and weighing about three pounds each, the
rowels being nearly six inches in diameter. In fact,
I

114 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the horse, with his accoutrements, is the grand hobby of
South Americans, and they care not how much they
pay for the latter in perfection. The horse himself is
cheap enough in the country, and even in the cities
20L sterling is considered a large price for a horse
accustomed to town life, with no objection to shoes,
which are entirely unknown to his brethren in the
camp. The strength and durability of the raw hide,
which is there universally used, form a standing proof
of the falsity of the assertion that there is ' nothing like
leather.' All the lazos and everything in the shape of
a rope are made in the same way : a piece of hide is
cut out as a spiral in lengths of 100 feet and upwards,
and then made as pliable as a rope of silk by constant
applications of grease. The revenque, or native whip,
is made of the same material ; the lash being about two
feet long and an inch wide, tapering to a point, with a
beautifully-plaited handle terminating in a large silver
ring, through which hangs a narrow strap by which it
is held on the wrist, so as to leave the hand quite free
to use it only when necessary. In the middle of Entre
Rios I picked up a very good specimen of the roughly-
made country revenque, which had been lost by its
owner ; there is no plaiting on the handle, but there is
a very heavy silver ring at the end, and the frame of
the handle is of iron. This makes a formidable weapon
of attack or defence, and I have been told that, armed
with such a whip, a gaueho, finding his horse quite

USE OF MANEAS. 110
unmanageable, will stand up in his stirrups and kill the
brute at once with a single blow between the ears,
ready of course to transfer his recado and mount the
next that he can find.
The taste for massive silver ornaments has always
been carried to a remarkable extent in South America ;
and it is a matter of everyday life to find that in a
country where a man pays for all the necessaries of life
in filthily dirty paper dollars, he uses handsome silver
coins, as large as English crown pieces, for his buttons.
Bridles are sometimes loaded with silver ; but I think
that the progress of a practical age is rapidly diminishing
the fancy for merely useless and even mischievous
display : no one can deny the extreme inconvenience of
spurs which are so heavy that it is impossible to walk
in them, and nothing can be more unfair on a hard
working horse than to load his head with bars of silver.
One of the most useful of the native instruments is
a pair of maneas or hobbles, without which no one
should go into the camp alone, for fear of losing his
horse if he wants to dismount. With the maneas on
his fore-legs no horse can move far, and very few ever
attempt to.
Sir Francis Head, remembering the great advantages
he had derived from these maneas in his South Ameri
can adventures, has lately succeeded in bringing them
into use among some of our mounted troops, and reports
that they have proved invaluable. I 2

116 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Last but not least in importance among the neces
saries of camp-life, is a long-bladed serviceable knife
always worn at the back of the waist, and used for every
conceivable purpose, from cutting a stick to revenging
an insult.

lr,

CHAPTER VI
RIDING AND SHOOTING.
A COMING STOEM — A FEIENDLY EOOF — ARMADILLOS — DUCKS-
FLAMINGOES — BAD WEATHEE — STILL WOESE — DEAD SHEEP —
ELEY'S CAETEIDGES — FOP AND THE NUTEIA — BISCACHO SHOOTING
— THEIE FEIENDSHIP WITH THE OWLS — A GALLOP— VISITING IN
THE PAMPAS — PACKING THE BULLOCK-CAET — PEACHES AND
FLOWEES— EETUEN TO BUENOS AYEES.
WE were soon ready that morning ; ammunition was
put into the proper pockets, and precautions were
taken to prevent it from being prematurely scattered by
the jolting. We started away at a hand-gallop towards
the north-west, gun in one hand and bridle in the
other — an arrangement which is greatly facilitated by
the fact that the horses are all broken to obey the rein
on a principle exactly contrary to that which Europeans
are more accustomed to. If you want to turn to the
right, you must press the left rein against the neck of
the horse instead of pulling the right, and vice versa,
which I think gives more independence to one hand,
especially valuable to a novice.
The morning was exceedingly hot, and heavy clouds
with distant growling in the north-east warned us of a

118 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
coming storm. My companion, however, thought that it
would pass away, as similar symptoms had frequently
ended in nothing during the last few weeks, and every
body sighed hopelessly for rain. As we rode on I found
I was right ; the crashing of the thunder following soon
after dangerous flashes proved that we were fairly in for
it, and I thought it would be more judicious not to ride
through the storm with guns for lightning-conductors in
our hands. The lonely house of a fine old Scotchman
was not far off, so we turned our horses to the right, and
reached it just as the first heavy drops began to make
large spots in the thirsty dust.
We were very kindly welcomed by Mr. Clarke and his
wife and daughters, who supplied us in the first place
with sheepskins to put over our saddles, and then asked
us into the house. The rain came down heavily and the
storm raged, while we sat down for a long chat about the
old country, which is always the most interesting topic
to an emigrant when he meets anyone freshly arrived
from home. We talked also about the war, and
found that the seizing of horses in* the name of the
government caused great alarm among quiet families,
like that of our host. It is bad enough to be obliged
to give up one's property to a regular official for a very
poor consideration, but the system also encourages bad
characters to rove about and rob without any authority
whatever. Our old friend had all the courage and de
termination of his countrymen, and was fully prepared

SUNSHINE AFTER A STORM. 119
to shoot anybody who might attempt to take his horses
from the corral. Many people were reduced to all
kinds of artifices, such as turning their horses into the
nearest monte, and showing nothing but a couple of
screws to those who came to search the premises.
Foreigners are protected by treaty from such outrages,
but they do not always know this, and erroneously fancy
that it is useless to appeal to the government for
redress. The agents of the government in a crisis
seize all the horses that they dare, without making very
particular enquiries, and are often enabled to keep
their spoil by the unwillingness of the owners to defend
their own rights. The Argentine authorities are now
fully aware that the great drawback to the success and
welfare of their immense country is the want of foreign
immigrants ; they also know that this is owing to a
deeply-rooted feeling of the insecurity of property ; and
they are generally desirous to act in such a way as to
persuade the world that that feeling is erroneous, and
that foreigners may claim and enjoy the full benefit of
their treaties with the Republic.
The storm passed, and on going to the door we found
the refreshing effects of the rain. All nature breathed
again, and a delicious fragrance filled the whole air.
At the back of the house was an enclosure, where pigs
and peacocks walked in close proximity ; pigeons and
poultry shared the roof of the verandah, and two ar
madillos were in a tub, intended as a present for my

120 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
companion. The armadillos are caught by boys, and give
them plenty of trouble, for they dig their subterranean
passages so fast, that even when their haunt is disco
vered, a pursuer can hardly overtake them by tearing
up the ground. They are considered great delicacies
by the natives, but are too much like hedgehogs to be
agreeable to an Englishman.
The sheepskins had kept our saddles dry, and we were
soon mounted again, scudding away at full speed to make
up for lost time. After some few miles we came to the
first laguna, and found immense numbers of ducks and
all kinds of waterfowl. Some were in the water, and
some feeding on land, closely packed together in brown
masses, so we determined to stalk them. This, how
ever, was by no means easy, for the wildness of the
weather seemed to have affected them. As soon as we
got within about 120 yards, off they went in myriads,
and we were obliged to content ourselves with single
shots at stragglers. We certainly had great inducements
to shoot for the pot, but consoled ourselves with the
reflection that we were a very small party, and had
killed enough to begin with at all events. Meanwhile
we left our horses hobbled with the maneas, and on our
return found them surrounded by a large troop of
others, who spying them from afar, had galloped down
to see who the strangers were. As I looked at them in
their perfect freedom, I could have fancied they were
laughing at rather than pitying their enslaved and

DUCK-SHOOTING. 121
saddled comrades, who looked very much like criminals
fastened in the stocks. We left them to their reflections,
and galloped on towards some larger lakes, on one of
which was a perfect cloud of birds very like our water-
hens; we might have shot any quantity of them, but think
ing them worthless we reserved our fire for the ducks.
The natives who supply these delicacies for the
Buenos Ayrean market are very stingy of powder and
shot, but they get at them by what our old friend Sir
John Mandeville would call 'this soteltee.' Birds and
beasts of all kinds on those plains have no fear of a
horse, but cannot understand a man on foot. The
native sportsman, therefore, gets a trained horse, which
walks slowly towards the army of ducks; he creeps
along by its side, so as to be nearly hidden by its body
and legs, till he gets almost close and kills multitudes of
them with a single charge. A much more amusing trick
is resorted to in Central America, where a man puts on
his head a hollow pumpkin with two holes for his eyes,
something like a diver's helmet. Thus armed he wades
into the water up to his neck, so that nothing is seen
but a pumpkin, which appears to be floating upon the
surface ; he soon gets among the ducks, catches them
one after the other by the legs, pulls them under water,
and fastens them to a belt round his waist. Their
companions never miss them, and he goes on quietly in
this way till he has got as many as he can stagger
under.

122 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
We dared not attempt the horse-trick with our
present steeds, for the report of the gun would have left
us instantly without a mount, and many miles from
home; but luckily we had in our pockets a few of
Eley's cartridges, which made splendid practice. As
we approached another laguna the surface appeared
covered with large bouquets of roses, and when we got
a little nearer I found to my astonishment and delight
that we had come upon hundreds of flamingoes. Stoop
ing a little I walked towards them. They did not movej
and I got a little closer: presently they raised themselves
screaming from the water, and flew en masse across the
laguna, which was there not very wide. Never have I
seen such a beautiful sight as that rosy cloud of huge
birds, shaded gradually from the delicate pink of their
necks to the deep red of their long wings, which were
tipped with black. The beauty of the sight and the
rush of their flight as they crossed that silent lake
almost bewildered me for a moment ; but the slaughter
ing instinct of man overpowered my better feelings as I
remembered that I had a cartridge in my left barrel. I
fired at the head of the column when they were nearly
on the other side, and two of the foremost fell. The
distance was nearly, if not quite, 100 yards, and I was
astonished at its effect on such powerful birds. Return
ing to the horses we rode round to the farther side of
the lake, where we found the dead body of one victim ;
the other had life enough to struggle into deeper water,

FLAMINGOES. 123
and escaped us. It was indeed a most exquisite bird, not
fully represented in colour by the African flamingoes
in the Zoological Gardens. All the most lovely shades
of pink and red that can be conceived were to be found
amongst its feathers, and its long legs were of the colour
of blood. I could hardly forgive myself for the shot,
but it was a wonderful test of Eley's cartridges, and I
consoled my conscience by vowing that I would never
shoot another.
Meanwhile it was evident that the thunder-storm
had broken up the fine weather for the present. The
wind shifted to south and south-east, a very bad quarter,
and came mournfully sighing over the plains, raising a
raw mist with its cold breath : every moment it blew
harder and harder, the birds seemed more scared than
ever, and the horses which had come down to drink
looked as if they expected a bad night upon the open
camp ; darkness came on fast with a murky sky, and it
was high time to make the best of our way homewards
for fear of losing our only landmarks. The flamingo
and the ducks were tied to our saddles, and away we
galloped as fast as we could in the teeth of the blast.
Clarke's house was nearly in our way, and we agreed to
call there and ask if his hospitality would improve the
stores of our larder. He kindly gave us a large joint of
pork, a bottle of splendid Hollands, and some fresh
bread, which was a special luxury in that land of wooden
biscuits. Fair's strong arm carried the pork tied by a .

124 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
towel to his bridle-wrist ; the Hollands and the bread
were disposed of in our pockets ; we bade the good
people a hasty adieu as the rain was already falling, and
with the fading light to increase the danger of biscacho-
holes, we galloped baqk to the estancia all safe — guns,
pork, bread, Hollands, ducks, and flamingo.
It was indeed a bad night. We unloaded our stores,
unsaddled the horses, gave them a feed of dry alfalfa
or lucerne, and left them to take care of themselves in
the yard. At first I pitied them for having such a
finish to a good day's work, but I did not yet know the
toughness of their constitutions. The wind and the
rain beat against the house furiously, so we made the
doors and windows fast, and kept up a capital wood fire
all the evening till we turned into bed, and I was soon
asleep. A strange tapping on my pillow at regular
intervals awoke me. What could it be? Was it
some unknown and perhaps direful insect ? A few
more loud taps convinced me of the cause. The exces
sive heat and drought had opened a crack in the roof,
and the rain oozing through fell in heavy drips about
six inches from my head. I found a basin, and squeezing
myself as far as I could towards the wall, tried to go to
sleep again ; but the water falling into the basin made
a noise even worse than before, and splashed me in the
face, about every other second ; besides which I was
presently attacked in the same way on the other side.
I thought of that famous mediaeval torture which con-

BAD WEATHER. 125
sisted in letting water drip on a victim's mouth till it
drove him mad : so I got up and moved the bed into a
part of the room where by the most careful listening
I could not detect the immediate presence of the enemy.
Next day matters were worse rather than better, for the
weather did not improve, and Mrs. Macdonald came to
report that there was no more dry wood. This was
serious, but we found the frame of a large sofa unco
vered, and somewhat dilapidated. Necessity has no
laws : an axe was sent for, and after a little active exer
cise we found ourselves supplied with enough firing for
the rest of the day.
On the third morning came the first symptoms of
improvement, and the afternoon was perfectly fine, so
we had a quiet ride about the estancia. It was ascer
tained that the Monte Grande flocks had not suffered
much, but as we rode along the side of the arroyo
which divided them from those of the next proprietor,
we saw the bodies of dozens of sheep, which seemed to
have crawled under the lee of the 'river-bank and died
there, probably from being previously out of condition.
The next four or five days were among the happiest
I have ever spent. The weather was perfectly lovely,
and continual sunshine on ground moistened by the
rain soon began to give a fresh green tint to the camp.
We were out all day riding and shooting, and as I
became more accustomed to the horses and the cus
toms of the country under the tutorship of a first-rate

126 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
companion, I found the delights of this kind of life in
crease every day. Once we took the capataz down to
the lagunas with us, and found the birds, as usual, very
wild, and moving in masses. Now and then, however,
an unlucky straggler gave us a chance, and in about
ten minutes I made three extraordinary shots with
Eley's cartridges at single ducks flying at a good pace,
certainly not less than ninety yards distant. One fell
like a stone at seventy-five measured yards from my
feet, though he was fully fifty or sixty yards above the
ground when I fired. I never saw anything like the
astonishment of the capataz, though I confess that it
was hardly greater than my own as the ducks fell one
after another with a heavy thump upon the ground.
Anyone who did not know of the existence of that famous
magician, Mr. Eley, would have been justified in think
ing Der Freischutz had come out to the Pampas. We
used the Royal cartridges, with No. 5 shot ; and one of
the ducks at this long distance was so smashed by the
charge as to be hardly worth carrying home.
On another occasion I made a delightful excursion
to Monte Grande and the neighbouring lagunas with
Mr. Parish, when we hit upon a large reedy swamp,
which absolutely swarmed with birds ; the reeds were
thick enough to afford hiding-places, and the sport was
as good as could possibly be desired. Unluckily for me,
I had left my long boots behind, and was obliged to
content myself with outsiders, while my cousin, with

MARSH FULL OF BIRDS. 127
his retriever, went into the mud and water nearly up to
his middle. At the first shot there rose straight into
the air a column of birds of strange ungainly shapes,
mixed with others of the greatest beauty, and the effect
was like that of a picture which used to charm our
childhood— the explosion into the air of the miller and
his men. Some had such massive pelican-like beaks
that they could scarcely keep their heads and tails in
equilibrium : some had such long legs and little bodies
that all the tucking up in the world could not make
them look decently comfortable ; and among them
came the lovely mirasol, a snow-white miniature of
the heron. Some screamed, some whistled, and some
croaked with twenty-raven power, as they hovered
lazily for a few moments and descended to their wallow
with a splash. All of them, after the first alarm, dis
played the utmost confidence in us, and after a short
inspection they settled down in the same places as
before among the rushes. We might have shot any
number of them, and perhaps formed a valuable col
lection, if we had been so minded ; but our attention was
concentrated on the ducks, who were much more un
willing to give us a chance than the creatures who
seemed to know that they were not wanted. The
consul, however, completely filled his bag with them
before he emerged, well sprinkled with mud, from this
magazine of wild-fowl, and, with a few that I contri
buted from the outside, the spoils made a very fair

128 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
show. Fop, the retriever, had a little affair of his own.
Just before we left the place there was a grand splashing
and snarling in the rushes, and presently he came out with
a nutria about as big as a hare, which he had killed in
single combat. The nutria is something like a beaver,
with a dash of the otter in his appearance, and is re
markable for two long front teeth of a deep red colour ;
,the skin is used as an article of commerce, and far up
the rivers it is common to see a boat full of men and
dogs paddling in search of them.
We generally returned from our rides about four or
five o'clock in the afternoon, both men and horses pretty
hot. The best thing for the horse, if very hot, is, as
soon as he is unsaddled, to pour a can of cold water on
his back, and then let him roll on the ground and feed
at his pleasure. Having thus made our animals com
fortable, we used to dine at five o'clock, and then turn
out on foot for an hour or two with our guns about
sunset. Ducks of various kinds were generally passing
in large flights at intervals of a few minutes, but high
enough to be out of shot ; as the evening dusk advanced
they flew a little lower, and with the last of the light
they sometimes gave us very good sport as they flew
across the golden sky.
This was also the only time of day to see those droll
animals, the biscachos. These creatures are, I believe,
not very unlike the prairie-dogs of North America, but
considerably larger. They reminded me of our Alpine

BISCACHOS AND THEIR WAYS. 129
marmots on a large scale, and are brownish in colour,
with white throats; their heads are garnished with
whiskers, and, excepting the ears, are very much like
those of rabbits, though much broader and stronger,
and armed with such powerful teeth that it is dangerous
to touch one till he is perfectly dead. They live toge
ther in groups of families, burrowing deeply in the
ground, and bringing out sufficient earth from their
excavations to make a gently-rising mound of con
siderable size. They have an extraordinary instinct for
accumulating all kinds of extraneous and apparently
useless materials round the mouths of their holes,
where sticks, bones, thistle-stalks, and other rubbish
may be found heaped up. If anything is lost in the
camp, there is always a good chance of finding it
among the biscacheros ; and there is even a story of a
watch having been recovered in this way. It appeared
to me that their object is to raise the level of their
homes, that they may have a better look-out over the
flat plains, and have less chance of being invaded by
water in the event of very wet weather. I never saw
one by any chance in the daytime, during which they
lie in their holes, while their faithful friends, the little
owls, seem as if they were keeping guard at the en
trances. There is something wonderfully attractive in
these pretty little creatures and their solemn ways.
They never attempt to stir till you are within a few
yards of them, but they watch every movement with
K

130 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
a patient and apathetic stare. They do not seem to
have anything to do, and, more often than not, they
stand motionless upon the dry unprofitable ground
which has been excavated by the biscachos, where no
one could imagine there would be anything to eat.
When a man rides nearly over one of them, the little
fellow rises with a ruffled air, and after a very short
but indignant flutter, turns round sharply and settles
again, staring angrily at the intruder, like a man who
has been almost run over by a cab.
I could never understand their precise relations with
their big friends, the biscachos, or what were the terms
of their joint tenancy of the burrows : it seemed to be
a kind of ' Box and Cox ' arrangement. The owls were
certainly out all day, and apparently on guard, while it
is equally certain that the biscachos slept all day and
came out at night, but I could never ascertain if the
owls then went in to keep their friends' nests warm.
This is contrary to the nature of owls generally, but it
is the only supposition on which we can imagine that
they get any rest at all.
The biscachos swarm on some parts of the land, and
nowhere more so than round Monte Grande, where
they injure so considerable a part of the camp that
their destruction is necessary. Their holes are so deep
and so ramified that it is nearly impossible to diminish
the race, except by a steady process of shooting. On
one estancia that I visited, a man had undertaken to

BISCACHO-KILLING. 131
contract for digging them out, but he soon gave up the
attempt in despair; for the same reasons, smoking
them out is impracticable, and we determined to shoot
a few of them at all events. For this purpose we
repaired for several evenings to the principal bisca-
cheros, and generally exactly as the sun set we used to
see their dark heads and white throats sticking out
from their holes. Sometimes they first attracted atten
tion by giving vent to a peculiar sound : it was very
like 'ugh,' delivered from the throat so as to be some
thing between a sigh and a grunt. Whenever we could
see any, and they seldom showed much more than their
heads, we walked quietly towards them, and delivered
our fire as accurately as we could in the dark ; but they
were so tough that, unless they were killed instantly, they
got back into their holes before we could reach them,
and there grunted at their leisure. If they afterwards
die, they are carried out into the open air by their
sorrowing relatives, and are soon picked clean by the
myriads of raptures that range over the plains. We
always bagged a few, but not more than once had any
pretence at sport with one : I fired at him with my first
barrel,, and, instead of tumbling into his hole, he ran
forward at full speed ; I gave him the second barrel,
which turned him over and over, but he had enough
strength and toughness to run again. I ran after him,
followed by the laughter of Fair, and in spite of the
K 2

132 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
risk of breaking my gun, I killed him by a most un
sportsmanlike blow with the stock.
When it was almost entirely dark I thought I saw
another, though it only looked like a dark spot, and I
did not like to fire at what might be the skull of a dead
bullock. I watched him silently to see if he moved ;
he did not move, but he sneezed or grunted, and the
noise was fatal to him. They were very heavy, and it
was hard work to drag home one in eaeh hand for a mile,
with a gun tucked under the shoulder. The peons
gladly eat them as a change from beef, and though we
did not try the experiment ourselves, I was told that they
are quite as good as the marmots which Alpine travellers
have so often eaten under feigned names. It is remark
able, that though these creatures swarm all over the
plains on the eastern side of the La Plata, they are
never met with in the Banda Oriental.
Ostriches and deer are seldom to be found so near
Buenos Ayres as the neighbourhood which I have been
describing, and which is, comparatively speaking, well
inhabited. Houses of small landowners and sheep-
farmers are generally to be met with at intervals of two
or three miles, and here and there a small shabby tene
ment contains a family of squatters with no ostensible
means of supporting themselves, and with a reputation
about as bad as that of the gipsies of Europe. Some
times instead of shooting we would take our horses, and
gallop through a round of visits to some of the neigh-

RECEPTION BY DOGS. 133
bouring estancias. ' The world was all before us where
to choose ; ' not a fence or barrier all around the plain ;
a dark spot on the horizon, with one or two ombu trees
. shading it, would mark the residence of the man to be
visited ; and not being bothered by roads and finger
posts, we had only to ride straight to our distant mark.
Vamos ! is the word, followed by a touch of the revenque
which hangs from the wrist, and we are off at a gallop.
Take what direction we may, the tiru-teros are sure to
be screaming in the air, the owls gravely staring from
the biscacheros, and the coranchos with their unclean
companions picking the bones of the last dead horse.
We pull up for a moment to find a good place for
crossing the arroyo, and the ducks start from under the
bank so close that we regret having left our guns behind.
A short flounder in the mud, and then we are across the
stream, again flying over the plains straight to the ombu
tree, which begins to look a little more distinct, while
the dark spot begins to resolve itself into a house and
some outlying sheds. We pass the corrals, and the
barking of a legion of dogs announces our arrival,
warning us at the same time to bow to the custom of
the country, and exchange the exciting and exhilarating
gallop for a decorous walk to the house.
If the patron is at home we are invited to walk in,
and a gossip is at once started about the state of the
weather and the sheep. Cigars and mate are provided,
if it is in the house of a native ; probably a glass of

134 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
brandy or cana, the white rum of South America, if
the host is an Englishman. A visitor is always welcome,
and sure to meet with help if he wants any. Being
recent arrivals from the city, we were of course expected .
to know a great deal about the war, which was a
subject of very practical importance to all in the neigh
bourhood of Buenos Ayres, as it was clearly understood
that if Urquiza came down to besiege it with the
Federal army, those warriors would be permitted to
support themselves entirely on other people's property.
Natives and foreigners might in case of invasion suffer
equally, if they had horses to be stolen, or sheep to be
eaten ; and it would be difficult to get redress from the
Buenos Ayrean Government for what they would con
sider as one of the calamities which are necessarily
incident to a state of war.
Away and away again, with a fresh sweet breeze
and a grilling sun, the most delicious combination
of elements that mortal man could desire ; away
over the springy turf of a country like ten thousand
Newmarket heaths put together; away for another
ombu and another dark spot on the horizon. A few
leagues more galloping, and rejoicing in the exhilarating
air, now and then suddenly swerving to avoid a bisca-
chero, and laughing at the discomposure of a placid
little owl ; starting at last homewards, and ending with
a race as fast as the horses could lay legs to ground, we
finished another glorious day of healthy excitement.

RETURN TO BUENOS AYRES. 135
Such was life at Monte Grande, but after a time we
were both obliged to return to Buenos Ayres, and look
after the English mail. Early one morning we left the
place with sincere regret, accompanied by a peon carry
ing the armadillos in a box on his saddle, and rode a few
miles to one of the neighbouring houses, from which
we knew that a bullock-cart was to be sent that day into
the city. We rode up to the house through a peach
wood, the trees of which were already breaking into
sheets of spring bloom, and sheltering among their
stems bunches of exquisitely sweet narcissus and white
iris in full flower. We met with a hearty welcome, and
enjoyed a lounge in the garden, while guns, saddle-bags,
and armadillos were being packed in the bullock-cart.
Then we said goodbye to our kind host, mounted our
horses again, and had a delightful ride back to Buenos
Ayres. It seems as if a few such weeks must add
something to a man's natural life.

136

CHAPTER VII.
AN ESTANCIA IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL.
A VISIT TO THE BANDA OEIENTAX, OE EEPUBLIC OF THE
UBUGUAY — LONELY ISLANDS — CONCEPCION — UEQUIZA'S PEOPEETY
— PAYSANDU— SWIMMING A HOESE— WHEEE IS THE POET? — THE
' FOEEST PEIMEVAL ' — BOBINSON CEUSOE — THE EESCUE — THE
LAND OF THOENS— VEGETATION — AEEIVAL AT THE ESTANCIA —
PAETEIDGES — CATCHING OUE BEEAKEAST, AND KILLING THE SAME
-THE ABOMA-HIHE LABGE PAETEIDGE— PAEKOT PIE— CAPINCHOS
— JAGUAES— CEESC1ENTES— ADTENTVEES OF AN INVALID— THE
FAITHFUL MUEDEEEE — HOW TO GET HOME IN THE DAEK.
HAVING had a most welcome invitation to visit a
friend's estancia in the Banda Oriental, on the bank
of the great river Uruguay, and nearly 300 miles from
Buenos Ayres, I gladly accepted it, and on the morn
ing of the 13th of August started in very good company.
The party consisted of one of the owners of the estancia,
with a bride and bridegroom and myself, all bound for
the same destination, and another friend who was only
going to Higueritas
We left Buenos Ayres at 10-30 a.m. in the steamer
Montevideo, a vessel of high reputation in the river,
though scarcely larger than one of those which ply
between London and Gravesend. She travelled fast,

SARSAPARILLA. 137
however, and in a few hours we had crossed the broad
estuary of the La Plata, and were running up the River
Uruguay near the coast of the Banda Oriental. The
difference in appearance between the two sides of the
Rio de la Plata is very remarkable. On the Buenos
Ayrean side boundless plains, with scarcelyan undulation
of a dozen feet, afford not a landmark except to the
long-practised eye that knows the shape of each lonely
ombu tree ; but the Banda Oriental, though certainly
not a mountainous country, is at all events hilly enough
to make very picturesque outlines, and to afford a
charming variety of scenery to the traveller who gallops
over its splendid pastures.
The neighbourhood of Higueritas is extremely pretty,
with fine steep banks to the river, profusely ornamented
with trees and flowering shrubs. Thence, league after
league, we threaded the myriad islands of this mighty
stream, and I was never tired of watching the bound
less variety of plants when we passed near enough to
the banks to observe them. Had the water been of
good colour, the style of river scenery would have been
admirable ; but, unfortunately for appearances, it is so
dirty from the vast quantities of sarsaparilla in solution,
that nobody can willingly bring himself to drink it till
he is assured that in reality it is very different from the
contents of the Thames.
The islands are frequently many miles in length, and
none but old hands at such navigation could possibly

138 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
tell whether at any time the vessel was in the right
channel or the wrong. All of them, both great and
small, are covered with a dense jungle of rushes,
Pampas grass, passion-flowers and other creepers, over
which rise forests of trees with an amazing diversity of
leaves and blossoms. These are the haunts of the
jaguar or South American tiger, and I was constantly
in hopes of seeing one of these splendid beasts refresh
ing himself by the waterside. But scarcely a living
creature appeared to look at us, except a few huge storks
and herons that lifted their heads in silent disgust as
the swell of the steamer disturbed the serenity of their
fishing. Here and there a half-ruined hut showed
where men sometimes come to cut wood, but we saw no
occupants ; and if anyone tried a permanent residence
there he would certainly soon die of despair, if not pre
viously carried off by the legions of mosquitos which
infest the banks of the river.
Swiftly sped the Montevideo. A magnificent sunset
was followed by a cloudless night, great part of which I
spent upon deck in company with my favourite pipe
and the chief engineer, who, as usual in all distant parts
of the earth, turned out to be a Scotchman, and a very
good fellow. Next morning before sunrise I found we
were stopping at Concepcion del Uruguay, the chief
town of the Argentine province of Entre Rios, and the
commercial head-quarters of that dreaded bugbear — late

THE GAUCH0 KING. 139
Captain-General of the Argentine forces by sea and land
— Heaven save the mark — Don Justo Jose de Urquiza.
This terrible worthy is an excellent example of
those violent military despots who are sure to appear in
countries where the civilised element is not sufficiently
strong to render the existence of such persons an
impossibility, while the uncivilised element commits a
sufficiency of evil deeds to afford some apparent justi
fication for the employment of force and brutality.
Beginning as a military adventurer, bold and daring,
he achieved enormous popularity in Buenos Ayres by
overthrowing the blood-stained tyranny of Rosas ; and
he was smothered with the kisses of grateful citizens
who soon took the first opportunity of upsetting him in
his turn, 'when they found that he had not only picked
up, but was preparing to wear, the detested mantle
of- that illustrious fugitive. In the course of many
subsequent lips and downs and sharp encounters, he
completely terrified the Buenos Ayrean mind with the
scarlet ponchos of his wild troops, till the tables were
completely turned upon him in the campaign which
happened during my visit to the country. Now that
the long-dreaded King of the Gauchos has compulsorily
retired into private life, people have ample leisure for
observing that, whether he was right or wrong in his
notions as to the propriety of throat-cutting, he at all
events had a good eye for business, and proved himself

140 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
a perfect master of the art of feathering his own
nest. By hook or by crook, he has possessed himself of an
enormous territory in Entre Riosr difficult to estimate
accurately, though I have generally heard it considered
as upwards of 600 square leagues,- or about 3,600,000
English acres, covered with countless herds of cattle
and troops of horses. At Concepcion he has established
a model saladero, where his cattle are slaughtered
wholesale, and their hides are- prepared for the Euro
pean markets. This establishment is on a very exten
sive scale, and has the great advantage of being so
situated that large sea-going ships can take their cargo
on board directly by means of an elevated' tramway
from the centre of the premises. A very handsome
English barque and a number of smaller foreign vessels
were engaged in this way as we passed the place, and
we amused ourselves with vain attempts at calculating
the annual profits of the unselfish patriot. There was
no time to go on shore at Concepcion, but we could see
it at a short distance, the most conspicuous object being
the white buildings of a college founded by Urquiza.
About 9.30 A.M. we reached Paysandu, a small town
in the Banda Oriental, prettily situated just above
where a bend in the river makes a kind of bay. There
is no appearance of anything remarkable about the
town itself, but the general effect was lovely, the place
being completely embowered in groves of peach-trees

SWIMMING A HORSE. 141
in every direction, which were now, in the early sprino-
of August, in full bloom ; every white house shone out
from its particular sheet of pink, suggesting delicious
notions of sitting under <one's own peach-tree during
the scorching heats of Christmas. It seems dreadful
to English ears, but the fact is that the great majority
of these trees in the neighbourhood of the Rio de la
Plata are only grown for the ignoble purpose of firewood.
They are treated like copse in our own country, the
different parts of each wood being cut down in rotation
every four or five years ; and they grow so fast that
three or four years are sufficient to produce fine young
trees covered with delicious fruit.
During our stoppage of half an hour at Paysandu,
we were mightily amused by the manoeuvres of a native
gentleman and his Chilian horse. I ought not to have
mentioned the horse last, for he was a noble animal,
while his master was a disagreeable little man, who had
been annoying us all the way by the shrill ferocity with
which he discussed the depths and mysteries of Argen
tine politics. The horse had been a passenger on the
foredeck, and the Don wanted to disembark with him
and other chattels. His family and goods, including a
very tipsy Gallego servant, were handed over the side
into a large awkward boat, commanded by the Don in
person, who stood up in the stern holding one end of a
long rope, the other end of which was attached to the
head of his steed. The horse was then compelled to

142 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
leap into the river, with his clothes on, and when he
rose to the surface, the Don in his barge commenced
the operation of towing him as he swam. All went on
well enough for a few minutes, when the horse cast a
hasty glance at the line of country, and resolved to
make for the nearest point of land; this involved his
taking a course exactly at right angles to that of his
master, who soon found himself being pulled out at the
stern of his boat. His ejaculations and shouts were
useless : he leaned over as far as he could, and held on
by the last inch of the rope ; but the horse was a strong
swimmer, and, amidst the laughter of all beholders, the
fierce little man was compelled to let go. The horse
reached the point he aimed at, and had every prospect
of clearing out into boundless space, but, unluckily for
him, he landed on some boggy ground, where, after a
short struggle, he was recaptured by the natives.
After this little diversion, we went ahead again at
full speed up the river, and a very important question
arose before long. We knew that the estancia for
which we were bound extended down to the river side
at about forty miles above Paysandu, and as there was
no town or village within many leagues, it had been
agreed with the captain that we should be landed at
what is technically called the port. Now, a port of
this kind is very different from Bristol or Liverpool,
and only means a particular spot on the deserted bank
which is approached by a narrow path through the

WHERE SHALL WE LAND ? 1 13
neighbouring jungle, and is indicated to habitues by
some tree or other landmark, though there is nothing
whatever to attract the notice of a stranger. It soon
appeared that none of the party knew where the port
in this case was to be found ; and the Captain, though
most obliging and willing to land us at any point we
might indicate, was naturally not in a position to find
that point for us. What was to be done ? The country
grew more and more beautiful, and for the last few
hours I had been feasting my eyes upon the long rows
and waving groups of palms which fringed every hill,
and plainly told us that each minute was taking us into
a hotter climate. We knew that we were somewhere
near our destination, but the hills were remarkably like
one another, and so were the palm-trees : the bank of
the river presented an apparently impenetrable belt of
forest and jungle to cut us off from the interior ; no
habitations of men were in sight, and our expectation
that some one would have ridden down to look for us
was disappointed. Our traps were collected on deck in
readiness, but we began to feel in a somewhat ridiculous
position. At length, a small branch river appearing on
our right hand was very confidently affirmed to be the
Arroyo Malo, which we knew to be the most northerly
limit of our friend's estate.
Going further was useless, for we had gone too far
already, so the ship was stopped, and four sailors pre
pared to lower a boat.

144 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
' Where can you land us, Senor Capitan ?'
He pointed to the forest-covered bank.
'Well but, Capitan, nobody can get through such
stuff as that ; surely you do not expect a lady to try it ;
she would be torn to pieces by thorns, and very likely
by tigers.'
The sailor's heart was, of course, moved by the spec
tacle of a lady in distress, and the boat was ordered to
take us back, coasting along the bank till a convenient
place could be found. About a mile from the ship we
ran the boat into a little bay, with muddy soil, but free
from jungle. This was what we wanted; in a few
minutes we found ourselves with all our traps high and
dry in the Banda Oriental, while the boat's crew re
turned, evidently in high amusement at our appearance
and situation. This was certainly ridiculous enough :
we looked like a batch of Robinson Crusoes wrecked on
the edge of the ' forest primeval,' and we did not know
where we were any more than he did on his desert
island. Our traps consisted of sundry portmanteaus,
three gun-cases, three saddles and bridles, a large
parcel of shears for the coming sheep-shearing, and a
mighty bale of empty woolsacks : in case of our not
being discovered by civilised beings, the only article of
food would have been supplied from a small bundle of
seed-potatoes. After enjoying a hearty laugh at ourselves, we held a
council of war, and decided that the bride and bride-

DICK TO THE RESCUE. 145
groom should be left to take care of one another and
the baggage while I and my bachelor friend should
take our guns and march towards the interior, in hopes
of discovering some puesto, or shepherd's hut. We
loaded our guns with the view of shooting partridges
by the way, to eat with the potatoes if necessary ; and,
bidding a fond farewell to our baggage-guard, we
started in what we thought must be about the right
direction. Luckily, we did not wander long before we
heard loud shouts, and saw three wild-looking men
galloping towards lis at top speed. They pulled up
their horses with a jerk, and the leader, a splendidly-
built young Yankee, with a face expressive of the frank
coolness which is generally characteristic of free and
wild life, informed us where we were. We had landed
about seven miles from the estancia house, and should
have been a long while finding it if these men had not
by the merest chance in the world been employed in
cutting wood in the extreme corner of the estate, from
which they could see the steamer stopping.
Here, then, was an end of our small troubles. The
gallant. Dick at once undertook to gallop to the house
with orders for men and horses and a side-saddle, while
his tawny comrades rode to the nearest puesto, in the
hope of finding a bullock-cart for our effects. We soon
found that the long grass near the forest, through a gap
in which we had landed, proved splendid cover for the
large partridges, which rose in all directions as we
L

146 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
walked up to them ; so we had no difficulty in amusing
ourselves. In making an attempt to find one of these
birds which I had killed as it flew over the wood, I got
a very speedy proof of the mess we should have been
in if the captain had put us on shore at the mouth of
the Arroyo Malo. I could not stir a yard for the dense
growth of underwood and creepers, among which the
beautiful passion-flowers seemed the only plants not
garnished with rasping thorns. And here I may observe
that, from some mysterious cause or other, the tendency
to develope thorns and prickles of every kind is exhi
bited in a most remarkable degree in the countries
bordering on the Rio de la Plata. I don't know if this
phenomenon is connected with, or only emblematical of,
their politics ; its existence is painfully evident to a
stranger. Sometimes he has to deal with huge aloes
and cactus hedges fifteen feet high ; at another time he
must pick his way through leagues of thistles higher
than his horse's head, and armed with points so hard
and strong that every touch is like that of a needle ; or
he may get into a wood, consisting of espinilla, tala,
mimosa, and acacia, with the intervening spaces filled
up by clumps of cactus and prickly pear. I cut off and
preserved a few specimens of acacia thorns, some of
which are six or seven inches long, desperately sharp,
and about as thick as a drawing pencil.
After about two hours' sport we were disturbed
by the arrival of the peons from the house, bearing the

SCENERY OF THE URUGUAY. 147
desired side-saddle, and driving horses before them for
our accommodation. So we packed up our guns and
saddled our horses : two men were left with the stores
to wait for the bullock-cart, and away we went under
the guidance of the capataz.
The appearance of the country delighted me. It
consisted mainly of long undulating hills, something
like our English downs, but not so high ; the hollows
between them being generally watered by arroyos, an
invaluable advantage in a country where want of rain
is more dreaded than any other calamity. One of the
larger of these, our friend the Arroyo Malo, forms a very
pretty river, running merrily to the Uruguay, between
delightful belts of woods and huge evergreen bushes
hanging over the water. Passion-flowers, and the lovely
blossoms of creepers unknown to me, ornament the
trunks of the trees, and air-plants hang from the
branches like natural swings for the blue, green, and
yellow parrots that scream and chatter all day in the
exuberance of their spirits. As to ourselves, we should
have been dull souls indeed if our spirits had not been
roused to enthusiasm as we rode through such novel
scenes, revelling in sunshine, and inhaling a fresh
breeze which had danced over leagues and leagues of
grass and flowers, without being contaminated by the
busy haunts of man. As we cantered over the crest of
hill following hill, something fresh was always ready for
the eye. Here was an immense herd' of wild cattle that
l 2

148 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
would instantly charge anyone attempting to approach
them on foot, though they have no fear of mounted
enemies : there, again, was a noble troop of mares,
glorying in their independence, and knowing that no
human tyrant will ever dream of saddling them for his
nefarious purposes ; the only misfortune that can ever
happen to them is that of being some day perhaps
knocked on the head in a saladero, for the sake of their
hides. Startled deer and ostriches fled before us, and
scores of partridges hid themselves in the tufts of grass
as we galloped close by them, over soft turf mixed with
dazzling patches of 'that scarlet verbena which orna
ments our English gardens. In its native beauty it
seemed a sacrilege to tread upon it, but the crime was
unavoidable. In due time we arrived at the house, were duly stared
at by the peons, and most warmly Welcomed by our kind
host and hostess. It appeared that they had been on
the look-out for us two or three days before, when the
steamer ought properly to have arrived; but finding
that it did not appear they naturally concluded that it
had been seized by the Government, or treated in some
similar fashion ; for it creates but little surprise when
Republican ministers make free with the property of
subjects in a way that would scarcely be tolerated under
the most despotic of emperors.
The estancia house was considered only a temporary
arrangement. Mr. Smith had not yet been long in

COUNTRY QUARTERS. 149
possession, and he was planning a house in a more
picturesque part of the property. Meanwhile, we had
a good specimen of the rough but comfortable quarters
which are all that one requires in the wilds. There was
a square enclosure, on one side of which was the prin
cipal building, containing a snug sitting-room in the
middle, with a bedroom on each side ; on the opposite
side was a shed appropriated to the peons, who cooked
their beef and condescended to sleep there in bad
weather, though on fine nights they very much preferred
rolling themselves up in their ponchos on the open
ground. Part of the third side of the enclosure was
occupied by a building divided into three parts, serving
respectively as kitchen, store-room, and bachelors' hall ;
and the fourth side was only a fence with a gate in it.
These buildings were all made of clay and wattles, well
thatched with the paja, or broad rush-like grass of the
country, and there was also a shed with open sides and
thatched roof, which was chiefly used as a saddle-room.
The bachelors' room interested me particularly, as I
hoped to be located there for a week or two ; but I
could not help wondering how it was to contain three of
us, when it appeared that another friend was staying
there before the arrival of our party. However this
was soon arranged : a few catres, better known in
England as scissor-beds, were set up in the corners of
the room, leaving very little space in the middle. A few
boxes did duty as wardrobe and table, and what more

150 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
can anyone want ? I can very safely say that I never
was more happy and comfortable in my life, and never
left luxurious quarters with such sincere regret. There
was a good deal of life and liveliness about the room too :
the mice running along the tops of the walls under the
thatch constantly brought down pieces of the dried
clay, and sometimes when the cat made a midnight
stampede among them we all three awoke in shouts of
laughter at the volleys that came down upon our beds.
The cocks and hens were remarkably, sociable, and
showed their taste by preferring our society to that of
the rest of the establishment : whenever we went into
the room we commenced operations by a battle to turn
them out, and a dive under the bed was generally
rewarded by a nice fresh egg, left no doubt for us as a
testimony of grateful affection. Two handsome young
tame rams with an extraordinary appetite for tobacco were
also amongst our intimates, and generally looked out for
us at the corner ; if we had none of the favourite delicacy
for them, they had a most amusing way of butting heavily
at our legs en passant ; and once, surprised by them in
that way after dark, I had considerable difficulty in
preserving the perpendicular. One bed was close to the
door, which could be opened by its occupant without
moving, and as the rising sun poured all his splendour
across the boundless pastures, sweet from the refreshing
breath of night, we had but to jump out of bed and
salute him in his glory.

THE SMALL PARTRIDGE. 151
The general rule was to get up early and do what we
liked till breakfast, at about ten o'clock ; one or two of
us generally went out with our guns, and as partridges
swarmed all round we used to make large bags in a very
short time. The native boys amuse themselves some
times by riding round and round these birds in a
constantly diminishing circle, which so stupifies them
with fear that they can be knocked down with revenques.
They afford very fair sport, however, for a gun ; they
will very often run and hide in the long grass rather
than rise, but if you walk them fairly up they go right
away like the English bird. In size and appearance
they are something between an English partridge and a
quail, and in shape rather more like the latter ; the
flavour is not remarkable, but in a part of the world
where in general there is nothing to eat but beef and
biscuits, we used to rejoice in seeing five or six brace of
them piled upon a goodly dish, and were quite content
to shoot for the pot.
One of the first mornings of our visit I had just
returned from one of these early strolls with my pockets
full of partridges, and feeling hungry, I asked at what
time breakfast would be ready. I was informed that
the peons had only just gone out to look for it, so I
lighted my pipe and went out to see what was going on.
The house standing on rather high ground I had a good
view in all directions, and presently I saw three men at
full gallop going towards the nearest herd. As they

152 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
came up to them they selected an animal of promising
appearance, and the foremost man threw the lazo over
his horns ; off went the rest of the herd, but there is no
escape for the doomed one ; a second horseman makes
a dash to his side, and carefully avoiding the furious
stroke of his horns, compels him to start in the required
direction. If necessary, a third attacks him on the ¦
other flank ; and in spite of all his roaring, bellowing,
and plunging, he is driven at full gallop towards the
house. On they came thundering over the turf, the
three peons all shouting and yelling at the beast till
they were so near the gate where I was standing that I
fancied he was beyond their control, and was going to
lead them smashing over everything. Not so, however.
At the last moment one of the men at the side reined
in his horse a little, and as the poor beast passed to the
front he was suddenly and dexterously caught by the
hind legs in a second lazo. A shout to the man in
front gave him a Spanish ' All right behind ; ' he rapidly
turned his horse to one side, and the hinder man to the
other side. In a moment the bullock was stretched to
his utmost length by the lazos pulling in opposite
directions ; moored fore and aft, he fell heavily to the
ground only a few yards from the gate, and the first
important work of the day was done — our breakfast was
caught. I had hardly a moment to admire the splendid horse
manship and skill of these peons, for the third man had

BREAKFAST IS DEAD. 153
thrown himself instantly from his' saddle, and cut the
animal's throat before I knew what he was about, and
with an expiring bellow our breakfast was dead, almost
before it had done galloping.
A few more peons now crowded like eagles round the
carcass, which was skinned and picked clean in about
five minutes. The Spaniard who did duty as cook
trotted down and carried off for his master's table some
of the daintiest parts of the beast, consisting of the
tongue, the liver, and some good steaks. He knew break
fast was rather late, so he bestirred himself, and half an
hour after that wild ride we were heartily enjoying its
results. The peons divide the rest of the meat in
proper proportions, and in the course of the morning
each puestero or shepherd rides in from his outlying
post, and carries off his supply of beef for the day.
Every man in these establishments has regular rations
of beef and mate, and they seem to despise all other
food. When their day's work is done they cook their
beef for themselves, and have a regular gorge ; then
comes mate in any quantity, and then sleep till dawn.
Generally speaking, they take no food whatever, except
perhaps a little mate, till the evening, however hard
their day's work may be.
Close behind the house was a grove of a species of
mimosa, called the aroma. The trees were for the most
part about twenty or thirty feet high, and were covered
with bright yellow tufted flowers, which perfumed the

154 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
whole neighbourhood with one of the most delicious
scents I have ever had the good fortune to rejoice in ;
after breakfast we usually selected this retreat for a
morning pipe. Then came more shooting or riding,
according to taste. I particularly enjoyed a shooting
party over part of the estancia near the Arroyo
Malo, where we were always sure of a miscellaneous
bag. Before coming to the river we had to pass through a
tract of long grass, dry and tufty, the favourite retreat
of that charming bird, the large partridge. This bird
has almost exactly the plumage of our hen pheasant,
and is as nearly as possible of the same shape and size,
with the exception of the long tail. There were great
numbers of them on the ground I am now speaking of,
but for want of a good dog we could get very few ; they
often lie so close in the coarse grass that unless they are
trodden upon they will not rise; and even when we
thought we had marked them down pretty accurately,
on walking to the place they were not to be found.
With a good pointer there would have been an endless
amount of first-rate sport with them, and anyone who
may be fortunate enough to visit the estancias of the
Rio de la Plata would be well repaid for the expense
and trouble of taking one out. Without a dog you
must take your chance of a rare shot, for if they do not
lie still they almost always run before you, hidden in the
long grass, instead of rising ; with a dog who is taught to

THE LARGE PARTRIDGE. 155
draw on them as they run, the sport must be splendid.
Mr. Parish Robertson, who was a resident in these
countries for many years, thus describes it : * 'Of all
the shooting I ever saw — grouse, woodcock, pheasant,
blackcock, partridge, snipe, ptarmigan — there is none
equal, in intensity of delight and excitement, to this of
the large South American partridge. He is called, par
excellence, perdiz grande, or large partridge. His
scent is so strong that from the moment your dog comes
upon it the agitation of his frame is all but hysterical.
The bird, before he will rise, runs at a prodigious rate ;
and if your dog in coming upon him, as an English dog
does when he has traced a covey, should stop or lie
down, you would never get a shot. The bird is off the
moment his quick ears or natural instinct has told him
his pursuers are near ; not off by flight, but by a race
which commences in suspicion and fear, and terminates
in absolute precipitation. So that for the chance of
shooting your bird you are ohliged to encourage your
dog to go in upon him, to follow up yourself the game
with unintermitting alacrity, and to pay with palpitating
satisfaction, after perhaps a ten minutes' run, for the
achievement of bringing down the goodly prize you
have so breathlessly pursued. I shipped four of these
birds, under the hope of introducing the breed into
this country ; but they lingered, notwithstanding
* 'Letters on Paraguay.' Vol. i. p. 236.

156 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
every precaution, in an unhealthy state when they
came into a cold climate, and died in the Channel.
Still, I think they might be introduced, and they
would be a very great acquisition to the English
sportsman.' Old inhabitants, who do everything on horseback,
have another plan, and a very exciting one too, for
catching the large partridge. It has been ascertained
by long experience that this bird will only rise three
times. Mounted men take dogs with them, and, as
soon as one of the birds is flushed, away goes the whole
party in pursuit; the dogs are encouraged to their
utmost speed, and so are the horses ; every eye is strained
till the bird is marked down ; when, they come up to
him the same process is repeated : again he is marked
down for the third time ; swifter and swifter is the
chase, and they run into the victim, who surrenders at
discretion and gets little mercy.
Crossing the region of long grass we entered the
monte, or wooded district, bordering the Arroyo Malo,
where we were always sure of enjoyment and various
kinds of sport. Here, shaded from the sun by hand
some trees and tall evergreen bushes, we amused our
selves with shooting anything that came in our way.
Sometimes a strong whirr told us that a partridge had
taken to the wood, and betrayed the course of his flight ;
sometimes a sharp flapping overhead warned us that
wood-pigeons were hovering about the tops of the trees ;

AN EXCELLENT PIE. 157
and sometimes a clatter like that of angry Irishwomen
in an alley announced the immediate neighbourhood of a
flock of parrots. All these in turn fell vietims, and were
most sweetly and harmoniously combined into .a mighty
pie, the flavour of which I shall never forget, and which
I can confidently recommend to anyone starting for the
pastures of the Uruguay. If these pages happen to fall
into the hands of some cold-blooded philanthropist or
humanitarian, who objects to the name of sport, I beg
leave to inform him that we never killed more than
could be conveniently eaten in the establishment, though
it must be confessed that, owing no doubt to the ex
hilarating atmosphere, our appetites were undeniably
large. An ornithologist would have been delighted with such
a situation : we were constantly falling in with birds
that we had never seen, and I remember especially one
of the kite species, perfectly white with the exception
of black tips to the wings, and marvellously elegant in
general appearance.
A little lower down the Arroyo, the wood grew con
siderably thicker, and here we knew that the capinchos
loved to dwell ; so we resolved to pay them a visit,
though as we had no rifles it could only be a compli
mentary call. The capincho, or capybara, is a sort of
river-pig, almost as large as a small bear, with a broad
head and heavy muzzle, garnished with long whiskers
almost as strong as a tiger's. He is a very shy animal

158 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
and difficult to get at, so we crept carefully among the
thick bushes near the side of the river. Now and then
a loud grunting Ugh! followed by a rushing plunge
into the water, proved that we had started a capincho
down the bank, though the thickness of the jungle
prevented our seeing where he came from or whither he
went. At last, suddenly emerging upon a somewhat
clearer place, we had the amusement of seeing one of
them rush grunting into the river close to where we
were standing. He swam strongly, and went right down
the middle of the stream, carrying his ugly head well
out of the water, like a young hippopotamus, and pre
senting a most tempting offer for a rifle-ball. I had
hoped to see and shoot a specimen of the pavo del
monte, or wild turkey, in every way an admirable bird,
but I was disappointed, and it seems they are now
nearly confined to the wooded islands of the main river.
The same is true of the jaguars, which shut themselves
up in these lonely retreats, where if a man wishes to
find them he will have plenty of misery and trouble for
rather problematical sport. The islands are pretty safe
retreats till some great flood or cresciente comes ; large
pieces of them are then frequently torn off and go
floating down the mighty stream with a cargo of snakes,
tigers, and anything else that may have had the bad
luck to be there at the moment. There is no chance
for them unless their floating homes happen to stick
themselves to the mainland or some other less volatile

STRANGE VISITORS. 159
island ; and Sir Woodbine Parish even mentions a case
of four jaguars having been thus carried the whole way
to Montevideo, where they landed, to the horror and
astonishment of the inhabitants.
The hot weather was beginning to 'waken snakes,'
and we often came upon them when out shooting. I
never saw any of them on the estancia more than about
four or five feet long, and those were not of a dangerous
kind ; but I always took care on these occasions to wear
a high pair of buff-coloured boots, which I had procured
before leaving England from Kerby of the Haymarket.
As riding-boots they were perfect, and were so light that
even in a hot climate I could walk with them in comfort,
and was thus enabled to defy thorns, snakes, and insects
of all descriptions. The light colour of the leather
doubles the value of boots in hot countries, where you
can use them easily all day in the face of a sun which
would make black ones intolerably painful in a few
hours. I had been told that the coral-snake is dangerous
and even deadly. I never saw any in the Banda
Oriental, but when I afterwards became better ac
quainted with them in Brazil I found that this is a
popular error.
The young Englishman whom we found already in
possession of the bachelors' room was named Roberts,
and he gave me a very amusing account of how he had
come into the country a few weeks before. He had
made friends in England with i a young Scotchman

160 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
named Anderson, who was then on the point of going
out to try sheep-farming in South America. Falling
into ill health soon afterwards he was advised to try a
change of air and life ; he wrote to his old friend who
was beginning life in the Banda Oriental, and proposed
paying him a visit. After a very long and stormy
voyage of nearly three months, he arrived at Buenos
Ayres, where he was most injudiciously advised not to
wait for a steamer, but to go Tip to Paysandii in a small
native craft, hardly better than an open boat. He spent
nine miserable days and nights in this wretched vessel,
not knowing a word of the language of the sailors, and
then arrived at Paysandii, a stranger in the land.
Luckily he was relieved from his helpless situation by
falling in with a man who spoke English, and told
him that Mr. Anderson's location was about fifteen
leagues distant, and that there happened to be a peon
.who had come over from there, and was then ready to
ride back, so that he would have a guide and companion
if he liked to start immediately. This was too good a
chance to be lost ; a horse was found, and away they
went at the usual pace of the country, which in due
time brought them to his friend's place, after a ride
of forty-five miles by way of a change after the long
confinement on sea and river.
The meeting of the two friends may be imagined, but
no one could depict the astonishment of the new comer
when he found that there was no house ! Mr. Anderson

STARTING IN LIFE. 161
was one of those lion-hearted men who rely on their
own pluck and independence to carry them through
everything, and thus generally succeed in defiance of all
obstacles. He came out to be a sheep-farmer, so he
invested his capital in a flock of sheep, and a piece of
land for them to live on. That was all he wanted to
begin with ; other things might come in due time. His
sole companion was a peon of very unprepossessing ap
pearance, but staunch fidelity, who having distinguished
himself in frequent quarrels by generally killing his
man, now determined to devote all his energy and
talent to the service of his gallant young master. They
began by sleeping on the open ground, resting on their
recados, and wrapped up in their ponchos ; but in a few
days prepared, with sticks and bundles of paja, a kind of
wigwam, the furniture of which consisted of little more
than what is common enough on the Pampas, a bullock's
skull for a chair, with a spare horn for a friend. A
stock of more convenient things was left at the estancia
where I was staying, pending the construction of a
better house in the regular style of wattles and clay,
the side walls only of which were completed when the
invalid visitor arrived from England. It was already late
in the evening ; the sun had disappeared for the day,
and the sky was cloudy ; but Mr. Anderson at once de
termined to take his friend over to Mr. Smith's estancia,
where he was sure of shelter and hospitality. A short
¦hour was enough for the ride in daylight, but darkness
M

162 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
came on so fast that before they had gone half way it was
very difficult to see anything. Mr. Anderson thought
he was sure of going right, and only increased the pace;
a daring and accomplished rider himself, he could not
half sympathise with the sufferings of his friend, who,
at the end of a hard day's work to which he was wholly
unaccustomed, now found himself urged along in a mad
gallop over uneven ground, in total darkness, and ex
pecting every moment to be his last.
At length he felt he could hold out no longer. Mr.
Anderson admitted that he could not find the estancia-
house, but was not yet prepared to give up the search.
He told his friend to sit still on his horse, while he him
self rode round and round in increasing circles, in hopes
of finding the house. The hoofs were heard thundering
round the plain, and the two men kept up communica
tions by shouting till Mr. Anderson returned in despair,
saying he had no notion of where they were. It was
now, of course, as impossible to find one place as
another, and had they both been novices they must have
spent the night where they were ; but the young Scotch
man was ready with a piece of craft worthy to be
noticed, for the benefit of those who may not have
heard of it. He girthed up both horses with all his
strength, and as soon as the benighted friends remounted,
their steeds, by a marvellous instinct, made keener by
the unpleasant pressure of the girth, started of their
own accord at full speed, and finding the way home for

BACK AGAIN. 163
themselves, never stopped till they arrived once more at
the wigwam from which they started. The night was
passed as comfortably as circumstances admitted of, and
next morning they presented themselves at the estancia,
where we found Mr. Roberts on our arrival.

M 2

164 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER VIII.
LIFE IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL.
A EIDE TO THE PUESTOS — OSTEICHES AND DEEE — IMITATING
INDIANS — EESULTS OF CHAEGING A BULL — A FIGHTING SEEVANT
— CHAEACTEE OF GAUCHOS — THEIE HOLIDAYS AND THEIE
QUAEEELS — THE KNIFE — MARKING LAMBS — MULE-BEEEDING —
EAVAGES OF ANTS— THE BICHO COLOEADO — MOUNTING A COLT —
AWAY TO THE UEUGUAY — THE GOLDEN FLEECE — TEEES AND
ILOWEES — THE FOEEST — EUN AWAY WITH IN THE FOEEST— AN
AGEEEABLE EVENING — GEEAT THUNDEESTOEM — AEEIVAL OF
LETTEES — EETUEN TO BUENOS AYEES.
A FEW days afterwards our host took us for a ride to
the eastern or inland side of the estancia, where
we visited some of his puestos. In several we found
the shepherd at home, sometimes seated with a half-
Indian wife, while a few tawny bright-eyed balls of
humanity were playing at the door of the hut. Some
of the best and certainly the handsomest of these men
are Basque emigrants, who, as a general rule, are one of
the most valuable classes of the population. French
Basques and Spanish Basques arrive in great numbers
in the River Plate, and are a remarkably handsome and
hard-working race. The women have frequently very

VISITING THE PUESTEROS. 165
good features, but their general physique is not in
proportion to that of the men.
On these occasions of visits from the master of the
establishment to his puesteros, the greetings are rather
stately, and nothing but the excuse of haste would pre
vent a feeling of disappointment if the whole party did
not dismount and sit down for half an hour's gossip.
The woman, wife or otherwise, is called senora, and she
asks, with much calm dignity, after the health of the
patron and his family ; she then retires into the back
ground, and my instinct informs me that she has gone
to prepare the mate, which I detest, and with which I
shall presently be obliged to burn my mouth, for fear of
seeming rude to the senora in declining it. Meanwhile
the puestero himself, who is resting after a hard gallop
in the morning, answers questions about the sheep in the
usual cool and lazy way of his countrymen, and invites
us to dismount. This we decline, saying we have far to
go, and knowing by experience that if once we get
fairly seated in a puestero's house we are not likely to
get away in a hurry. Presently the dark lady emerges,
and pushing out of the way the small imitations of her
self, bears the mate to the patron, who rather likes it
than otherwise — so does his brother, and then comes my
turn. I have to bend in the saddle and take the mate-
pot with every appearance of gratification ; but, as I
have never liked this national beverage enough to get

166 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
accustomed to it, I burn my lips with the bombilla, and
then suck so awkwardly that I fill my mouth with the
chips, inwardly execrating the good woman for her po
liteness, while she doubtless looks upon me as an unfor
tunate creature unacquainted with the ways of the world.
We were soon off again, further and further to the
east, and fording a river we reached a rather different
kind of country. The undulations of the land were
closer together, and the intervening hollows bore the
appearance of a system of small valleys worn by water
in former ages, all tending in the direction of the river
which we had lately crossed. The palms were here a
great deal more abundant, and we had a delightful ride
among them, up and down the sides of the ravines,
while a refreshing breeze swayed their plume-shaped
crests with a sharp rustling sound. Partridges in mul
titudes rose at our sides, or nearly immolated themselves
under our horses' heels ; further off the deer bounded
over the turf, and the ostrich strode away at our
approach; onward galloped our horses, incapable of
fatigue, and it seemed hard to turn homewards ; but the
sun was sinking towards the palm trees, and we had far
to go. A little deviation enabled us to call upon Mr.
Anderson, whom we found at the door of his new house,
which was now nearly finished ; and another hour's ride
brought us home with only just enough light to see
where we were going.
A few days afterwards, Mr. Anderson came over for a

IMITATING THE INDIANS. 167
visit to our party, when I had a better opportunity of
making his acquaintance. Light, active and daring, he
was the beau ideal of a man for the country in which
he now found himself ; and he took to its ways with
an eager enthusiasm, which was now and then cooled
down by experience. He amused me very much with
the account of some of his early doings, and told his
story with a quaint gravity that doubled the effect. He
said that he had wished to do everything that the
natives did, and hearing that the Indians could let
themselves fall to the ground from their horses when
going at full gallop, he determined to try the result for
himself : he whipped his horse to full speed, and then
threw himself off. The effect upon a novice may be
imagined : he rolled over and over like a ball on the
turf, and made up his mind to leave the Indians to
enjoy the monopoly of their accomplishment. Soon
afterwards, he was present at a cattle-marking, where
a young bull was particularly savage, and for some time
defied the efforts of the peons to brand him. Some
one knowing my friend's daring spirit, challenged him
to charge the bull; he instantly rode at the savage
beast, but at the last moment his horse swerved from
the danger. He was rather laughed at, as if he had
thought prudence was the better part of valour ; and,
being somewhat nettled, he made a furious charge at
the bull, who sent horse and rider flying over his head.
Anderson had proved his resolution, but he also made

168 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
a resolution that, having escaped this time, he would
not again tempt bulls and Providence in the same
reckless way.
His faithful attendant, the accomplished homicide
already alluded to, struck me as being a character in
his way, and may perhaps be considered as a type or
model man of a certain class of the gauchos of the
country. He had the tall upright figure of a European,
and his movements showed an activity and elasticity
which would make him a formidable enemy in a
struggle ; his complexion was swarthy, and his straight
black hair and low forehead showed the remains of
Indian blood in his veins. His bearing was bold and
reckless, and I think he was rather proud of being
pointed out as a man celebrated for concluding per
sonal quarrels by taking the life of his foes. He had
a sort of superstitious idea that he bore a charmed life,
which was very strongly confirmed by the fact of his
having once been led out to execution by Urquiza, and
yet having lived to tell the tale of his almost miraculous
pardon. He was serving his new master very well, and
looking after his interests, especially in the matter of a
certain bad character named Hopkins. This man was
a Yankee, who had given great dissatisfaction in the
neighbourhood, and been turned away by his employers ;
but he continued to hang about for any chance employ
ment, and pestered our friend Anderson by black
guardly and mischievous tricks ; a wrathful disturbance

A FAITHFUL MANSLAYER. 169
was the result, and the peon, drawing his knife and
kissing the blade with a fervid piety which, with gen
tlemen of his kidney, means mischief, swore by the
most pure and immaculate Virgin that, if he ever
caught him there again, that moment should be his
last. He was known to be a man of his word, and
I have not the least doubt that he has kept it by this
time, unless Mr. Hopkins kept prudently out of his
way. It is not, however, by any means to be inferred that
a stranger runs more risk than usual in trusting himself
among such men, provided he acts with becoming dig
nity and prudence. There are, of course, bad characters
to be found in the camps of South America as well as
in other places, and men who would not hesitate to
commit any crimes ; and it is necessary to be extremely
cautious. I was even told that, if asked by a suspicious-
looking fellow for permission to light his cigar by my
own, it would be highly desirable to stick it into the
muzzle of a pistol before letting him come too near on
the pretence of taking it. Some years ago, it is certain
that violent crimes were extremely frequent, and it was
common enough to hear of a man being knocked down
and half or wholly killed for no better reason than that
he was a gringo, or foreigner.
The facilities for escape in a wild country of bound
less extent no doubt favour the commission of crimes ;
but there is great reason to hope that the vast herds of

170 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
sheep and cattle, and the establishments connected with
them, which are rapidly covering the land, are exercising
a most beneficial influence on the inhabitants by sup
plying great numbers of them with regular work ; this,
after all, is the most powerful agent in deterring a
population from the commission of evil deeds. The
large and constantly increasing admixture of foreigners
accustomed to more orderly ways must also be doing
a great deal towards cultivating and improving the
rough old gaueho families, and restraining the worst of
them. It appeared to me to be unusual to hear of violent
crimes committed by the gauchos, excepting under pe
culiar circumstances of passion or the desire for revenge.
I do not remember hearing a single case of attacks for
the mere purpose of robbery, and I have heard it very
unkindly remarked that nobody robs except the Go
vernment ! The gaueho, in his normal state, is generally
a good fellow — somewhat staid and solemn, perhaps;
not making acquaintance with a stranger so easily as
Europeans ; very undemonstrative, and a most complete
adherent of the ' nil admirari ' section of humanity.
You may talk to him of the most exciting reports, you
may tell him the most important or afflicting intel
ligence — the probability is that he will only, between
the puffs of his cigarette, say, in a half-abstracted way,
'Qui en sabe?' which means, being interpreted, 'Who
knows ?' but when qualified by his tone and manner,

GAUCH0 LIFE. 171
has a strong dash of ' I don't care ' about it. But if
you tell him to ride twenty leagues with a message, he
says, ' Si, senor,' and is off like the wind. To say that
he is a perfect horseman is as unnecessary as to ' gild
refined gold and paint the lily;' but I believe that in
his own mind he even judges of the worth of a stranger
by the test of his riding powers more than by any
moral, religious, or competitive process that could be
devised by the whole Board of Education.
Most of them do a hard day's work very steadily
without food till the evening announces the time of
their rest ; they loll or sit lazily about the fire where
their beef is cooking, while the inevitable cigarette
ornaments their sunburnt faces ; and if I may judge
by my own experience of estancias which I visited, I
should say they pass their evenings remarkably quietly
in their own quartier of the establishment, where they
peaceably gorge themselves with beef and mate. When
they get into scrapes, it is generally when they go, after
working hours, to some of the lonely pulperias, or
drinking-shops, which occur here and there at intervals
of some leagues about the camp ; or when they get a
holiday and ride into town, which generally means
a far distant village. Here they meet strangers and
acquaintances, and imbibe cana. Then they indulge in
cards, music, singing and dancing, and soon get excited
by the strongest feelings of rivalry. A dispute easily
arises about a hand of cards or the heart of a woman,

172

SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

and a sharp word is too often answered by a sharp
knife. Sometimes even the sweet muses are the cause
of battle, when two keen rivals try their improvisatore
talents against each other to the accompaniment of a
tinkling guitar. Verse after verse is poured out by
them alternately, and the spectators take an excited
interest in the contest of the bards, both of whom
probably are excited by liquor. At last, one begins to
sing at the other, taunting him that he can do no more
and is beaten ; anger increases the confusion of the
failing poet, and, amid the jeers of the spectators, he
is compelled to ' shut Up.' Boiling with wrath, Apollo
casts his lyre upon the ground, and transforms himself
into the god of war. ' Caramba ! ' he cries, ' you may
beat me at that stuff, but try this ;' long knives gleam
in the light, and a deed of blood is done.
These things happen I admit, but there is not the
slightest reason why any stranger should mix himself
up in them, unless he is carried away by that over
powering curiosity which so often leads the sons of
Britain into disastrous consequences. An estanciero,
of whatever country he may be, will generally have his
work well done, and live in perfect security as far as his
own men are concerned, if he looks after them in
working time, and does not interfere with their private
amusements. These men are very frequently dangerous
when drunk, but I believe it is no less true that they
are rarely ' drunk on duty.' Drunken men are apt to

A FIGHTING IRISHMAN. 173
quarrel in all parts of the world, but in England they
content themselves with hard language and fisticuffs;
Spaniards, Italians and South Americans have a vile
habit of using the knife, and wise men will avoid dis
turbances with them, unless they are prepared to take
to the same weapon. An Irishman in the camp is said
to have adopted the latter alternative in hearty indig
nation. He killed those who tried to kill him, and is
reported to have slain seventeen professed knife-men
by striking fast while they performed the initiatory
flourishes of a fencing master.
This has been an unpleasant digression. Revenons
a nos moutons. Let us talk of the peaceful pursuits
of the estancia where I had the pleasure of staying. It
was not a busy time, but grand preparations were
making for the shearing, which is, of course, the
harvest-time of those who dwell among the sheep-folds.
The marking of lambs had to be gone through in the
meantime, and I saw the operation performed on the
offspring of one flock. The whole of the ewes and
lambs were driven into a large corral, and then the
lambs were separated and driven into an inner en
closure. Peons were here in waiting, and each lamb
was in turn caught and handed over to those who
ruthlessly snipped off its tail, then shortened one
ear, and cut the other into an elaborate pattern with
just such a machine as the railway guards use to nick a
return ticket. This is the master's serial, or mark, and

174 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the poor lamb is then handed over the fence to its
mother, who is waiting to console it by licking and
other refreshment.
We arrived just too late to see a very curious pro
ceeding connected with the breeding of mules. Every
one knows the parentage of the mule ; but in the wild
plains of South America, the mares being accustomed to
do as they like, totally refuse the companionship of
asses, and fairly kick them out of their society. To
obviate this difficulty a crafty device has been hit on,
and an instance of its application had given great
amusement to everybody at the estancia. The oppor
tunity is chosen when a mare and an ass have each
added to their species, the foal of the latter being a
male. The peons then kill the foal of the mare, and
take off its skin, in which they dress the infant ass.
After dark they take it to the mare, who suckles it
under the mistaken idea that it is her own offspring ;
and from the time of this most ludicrous mistake the
little beast grows up on terms of friendship with the
herd of mares, who, but for the trick, would have utterly
scouted him. The operation of putting the skin upon
the young impostor was described as ludicrous in the
extreme. Immediately in front of the bachelors' bedroom was
an enclosure which was surrounded by a neat fence. In
a country where labour and cut timber are exceedingly
valuable, I asked the intention of this place. Our good

PLUNDERING ANTS. 175
host, with an Englishman's dislike of the national diet
of beef pur et simple, had contrived this as a kitchen
garden, and planted it with vegetables that grow in such
a soil and climate with the greatest profusion. But
what had become of the vegetables ? There was nothing
to be seen but coarse grass and thistles several feet high.
It seemed that they had started well, and grown apace,
promising many a treat ; but unfortunately the ants had
an eye for the crops, and as soon as they attained a
satisfactory size, those busy little enemies of the human
race in hot climates took the whole place by storm, and
in two days carried off every vestige of all that was
worth having. Some of them also devoured part of my
saddle, and spoiled the beauty of a pair of boots. I
went to inspect the fortifications from which they had
issued, the inmost recesses of which were no doubt
stuffed with the remains of my friend's kitchen garden.
There were large mounds, from which beaten tracks led
in all directions, looking like the streets of London as
seen from the top of St. Paul's, and marked as distinctly
as the paths of rabbits in the grass. The vegetables
had been disposed of some time ago, but long trains of
the enemy were marching along, bearing pieces of
leaves and flowers edge upwards, several times as big as
their own bodies, and reminding me of nothing but
the famous phenomenon of Birnam wood on its way to
Dunsinane. In the same neighbourhood as that of the
ants we also found that the advancing heat of the season

176 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
had turned out the early broods of a most obnoxious
insect, the bicho Colorado. These are very minute, and
of much the same colour as the cochineal insect : they
fasten themselves into the skin, and produce a horrible
irritation with their poisonous secretions. My host had
not yet had time to devote to the ants, but in other
parts of the country I have seen them entirely exter
minated from gardens by pouring water on their nests,
and then puddling the whole into a paste by means of a
spade : the ants are thoroughly entombed, and the sun
in a few hours bakes them, as it were, into an enormous
brick. During my stay we made up a strong party to ride
down to the banks of the Uruguay, and look at what
was supposed to be part of an enormous fossil, at a
distance of seven or eight miles from the house. We
were prepared to start, and soon found that the horses
were prepared to start also, in more than one sense of
the word. Mr. Smith was a perfect rider, and delighted
in nothing more than managing an animal who would
never let a man cross his back if he could help it. On this
occasion, a young potro or colt, which had been scarcely
ever mounted, was prepared for his amusement. The
animal had been sufficiently broken to allow the recado
to be put upon his back without making a violent dis
turbance ; the difficulty was to get the rider there. Mr.
Smith walked very slowly, almost imperceptibly, to his
side, till he could take the reins in his left hand ; he

LIVELY HORSES. 177
then raised his foot in the same creeping manner, but
did not venture to touch stirrup with it till he had
taken the animal's whola measure with his eye. Sud
denly he sprang with such astonishing quickness and
precision that though the beast jumped high into the
air, kicking out in all directions at the first touch of the
foot in the stirrup, yet he vaulted accurately into his
seat, and the savage colt descended to the turf again
to find himself firmly backed by a master whom nothing
could get rid of. A few desperate plunges followed, and
then finding every effort useless he gave up the struggle
with a good grace, and was perfectly quiet for the rest
of the day.
Fate had reserved for me a destiny much less
graceful, but decidedly more entertaining to the specta
tors. My horse for that day was a very lively bay, and
though by no means such a desperate character as the
potro, he was evidently an active specimen of the
Banda Oriental horses, which are generally rather wild,
and insist on starting the moment you take up their
reins and touch the stirrup. I jumped as lightly as I
could into the saddle, but he instantly made a plunge
towards me, the result of which was that my spring
took me clean over his back, and I came to the ground
on the other side in an ignominious manner, on one
foot and one knee: as, however, I kept my hold on
the reins, I was soon up again, and the second at
tempt landed me safe in the saddle, the animal being
N

178 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
apparently satisfied with my first discomfiture. Away
we all went, over the close turf, upon as glorious a day
as ever gladdened the heart of man. We crossed the
long undulating hills one after another at a hand gallop,
till we all pulled up on the top of the highest of them,
near a point where our host proposed building his new
house. Here we enjoyed a magnificent view over many
miles of the Uruguay, which glittered in broad glassy
sheets under a cloudless sky. Long green hills, crowned
with groves of palms, rose one after another on the
Entre Rios side of the river ; and islands of every size,
all covered with luxuriant vegetation, seemed at a
distance to break up the mighty stream into a lovely
region of lakes. Far as we could see, no town, no
village, no human dwelling met the eye, though every
thing to tempt the energy of man was before us. Our
small party of Englishmen were silently looking over a
vast extent of country capable of producing all that is
necessary to man ; a country which, after having been
first explored by the marvellous courage and enterprise
of Spaniards, such as Spaniards were three centuries
ago, has since, by the folly of their descendants, passed
through a long period of insignificance and degradation,
but is yet destined to be the happy home of thousands
from the surplus population of Europe.
The wondrous deeds of those old Adelantados and
their devoted followers will live for ever in history, and
so will their fate. They crossed the Atlantic and

THE FUTURE. 179
endured infinite sufferings in their efforts, by means of
the Rio de la Plata, to reach the Peruvian land of
treasure, the fabled El Dorado. The courage and
endurance which they displayed surpass all belief; but
the auri sawa fames has ever been an unfortunate
passion. They left their descendants a sorry heritage
till in these times it has been found to be the true abode
of the Golden Fleece. Energetic men from all parts of
the earth are beginning to cover those plains and glowing
hills with flocks and herds of sheep and cattle, gaining
wealth faster than races of gold-diggers; and in due
time towns and cities- must spring up in a country where
not only the beasts of the field, but corn and cotton,
amongst other productions of the earth, can, and, with
proper care and attention, will flourish in perfection.
The land on which we stood is every year rising rapidly
in value: the flocks of sheep are for the most part
doubling themselves every two years and a half; and
there must be a prosperous future for the distant regions
of La Plata. As we halted on the summit, with the
glorious sun above our heads, and the sweet fresh breeze
waving the long grass around us and rippling the broad
waters of the Uruguay before us and below, I became
enchanted with the scene, and indulged myself for a
moment in a fit of musing upon the coming prosperity
of that fair land.
But ' forward ' was the word again : our host led the
way, and we followed in Indian file down a very rough
N 2

180 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
and steep descent, tangled with weeds and bushes which
covered the treacherous stones below. Some caution
was necessary, till after a short time we reached com
paratively level ground, and found ourselves among the
wooded region which divides the pasture-lands from the
river. We took our bearings by the sun before descend
ing, for we knew that when once in the forest we
should find no other sort of assistance towards finding
our way. The forest itself was in some places impene
trable, but by choosing the clearest openings we went
ahead pretty steadily. Some of the trees were of great
size, and some I should think must consist of very
brittle wood, for there were an unusual number of those
weird-looking trunks with broken out-stretched fiendish
limbs, which supply such admirable backgrounds in a
nightmare. Amongst them, however, were many in the
utmost luxuriance, and others almost knotted into a
lump by the continuous nests of the parrots, which
delight in uproarious crowding. The main part of the
wood was composed of acacias and mimosas of various
kinds ; one of the latter of which is distinguished by the
beauty of its myriads of tufted purple flowers, though not
possessed of the delicious scent of the yellow aroma.
Air plants and passion-flowers hung from the branches,
or climbed over the stems, and in spots where there
were no other plants or trees the ground was generally
occupied by the tall cactus or the quaint ungainly shapes
of the prickly pear. My horse evidently had not been

FOSSIL REMAINS. 181
accustomed to the woods, and infinitely preferred the
open country; he had an intense dislike to thorns,
which was natural enough, though at the time I thought
it very unreasonable ; and as I pushed him along in the
best places I could find he jumped and fidgetted about
in a most uncomfortable way, evidently wishing to
revenge himself for his own sufferings by pitching me
into what would have been anything but a bed of
roses. At last we emerged on the margin of the river, and
some of the party indulged in a bath, while the rest
contented themselves with a cigar upon a shady bank.
For my own part I certainly thought that the pleasur
able sensation of cold water would be overbalanced by
the misery of warm mud on stepping out of it. We soon
remounted, and again began picking our way through
the wood, but keeping as near as possible to the water
side, till we found ourselves close to the spot where the
fossil was supposed to be. Here we picketed the horses,
and began to scramble about on foot. The surface of
the ground was very uneven and bare, the result appa
rently of the action of the river, which from time to
time must have flowed over it, washing away the softer
parts and leaving the remainder projecting. Among
these was what appeared very like the long back of
some monster, scarcely covered with soil, but sufficiently
so to prevent the bones from being distinguishable. At
one point, however, one of the horses had broken off a

182 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
piece containing evidently part of a large fossil bone,
which I put in my pocket, and afterwards showed
to Professor Owen at the British Museum. He said it
was undoubtedly fossil, and placing it by the side of the
megatherium he pointed out the complete resemblance
to part of one of its ribs.
We made no attempt to disturb any other part of
the fossil, for at that time I fully calculated on again
coming up the Uruguay later in the year with Captain
Parish, of H.M.S. Ardent, armed with proper means
and appliances for unearthing some of these monsters,
and sending them properly packed to the learned Pro
fessor. There is little doubt that the place contains a
great quantity of fossil remains, some of which may be
as yet unknown, and we hoped to have had a very
interesting expedition ; but the ' dogs of war ' were
determined to spoil everything. The continuance of the
war between Buenos Ayres and the provinces maintained
constant alarm ; for the Buenos Ayreans knew that a
defeat of their army in the field would subject their
city to the fearful risk of pillage and sacking by the
savage troops of Urquiza, who had received no pay for
some months, and were only kept in order by the
prospect of plunder. Under these circumstances the
foreign men-of-war were obliged to be in constant
readiness for any emergency ; they might at any time
be wanted to protect the interests of their own nations,
or to supply shelter and charity to some refugee presi-

BEDS OF PEBBLES. 183
dent or defeated tyrant. Thus it was that month after
month passed away without giving us any chance of
digging for monsters ; but there they are still, quietly
resting by the side of the great river, and I have no
doubt whatever that some day they will amply repay the
trouble of an investigation. I should like to see how
the eyes of some of our wise men would twinkle with
delight if they could suddenly be dropped down into a
garden of megatheriums and * chimeras dire.'
Wandering soon afterwards to some distance I came
rather suddenly through the trees to a very high and
extensive bank of sand and gravel, considerably above
the present level of the river, and containing countless
numbers of agates and cornelians, very bright and
beautiful in colour, but in my short, search I did not find
any large specimens. There would be no difficulty in
filling a ship with them, were it worth while to do so.
Loaded with a pocket full of brilliant pebbles and a
handful of scarlet verbenas mixed with a variety of
other flowers which were quite unknown to me, I
returned to the rendezvous under a shady tree, where
we stretched ourselves on the grass, sucking oranges and
inhaling the fragrant weed, till we found it was time to
return to home and dinner. My horse had with his
brethren been indulging himself upon a good feed of
grass, which seemed to have inspired him with fresh
materials for mischief. I had learnt to mount pretty
quickly, and was soon in my saddle; but at the first

184 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
touch of the stirrup the brute had contrived to run his
head into a bush, and I, unfortunately, had not taken up
my reins so short as I intended. As he flung up his
head suddenly the bridle caught against a thorn, and
the off-side rein was jerked over to the near-side ; at
the same moment his tail encountered another bush,
and he instantly bolted as fast as he could go. I was
helpless, with both reins on one side of his head, which
was stretched out so far that I could not by any amount
of jerking and shaking put matters right again. The
only result of all my efforts was to frighten him more
completely than before, and he flew like the wind.
Luckily I was perfectly firm in my saddle, and felt, as
I fancy many people do, more cool than usual in the real
hour of danger. Still the prospect was far from agree
able, as he rushed through the forest, every tree and
branch of which threatened me with destruction. The
trees, moreover, were of the usual thorny description, and
in the almost certain event of a smash the softest thing
I could there have been impaled upon was a prickly pear!
By a desperate jerk at both reins on one side, and a most
spiteful kick on the other, I steered him clear of a tree,
which for a moment I thought would be the death of me ;
but it was only exchanging Scylla for Charybdis ; I was
fairly in a difficulty, when I fortunately remembered a
hint which I had had from a friend who was run away
with by a horse with a broken bridle. Keeping firm in my
seat I stretched out my right hand till it passed between

RUN AWAY WITH. 185
the ears of the beast, and grasped the head-stall with
all my fingers. Half measures were useless, but rising
slightly in my stirrups I put the whole strength of my
body into one sudden and severe jerk upwards. The
first touch of my hand only quickened his speed, if pos
sible ; but when he felt the sudden wrench which forced
the punishing native bit into his mouth, with a violence
which took him completely by surprise, he stopped as
if he had been shot, and I must have been pitched over
his head if I had not been prepared for such a catas
trophe. Instantly dismounting, I found him trembling
with fear ; he was completely beaten. I soon put the
bridle to rights, and jumping on his back again took him
back as a humbled slave to meet my companions, who
were coming after me in the full expectation of finding
my remains on the ground, or spitted among the thorns
of an acacia, and complimented me greatly on my suc
cessful method of taming a runaway. A few minutes
afterwards I found that in about a dozen strides farther
we should have been tumbled over a steep bank into
the rocky bed of a dry stream, which was completely
concealed by a mass of overhanging brushwood. I was
well out of a dangerous scrape, and I mention the inci
dent in the hope of supplying a hint to some one who
might otherwise not know the best treatment under
similar circumstances. We rode merrily across the
hills again as the sun sloped down towards the palms
of- Entre Rios, and gilded the distant waters of the

186 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Uruguay. The evening was passed very pleasantly ; our
kind hostess, with the taste which accompanies a cul
tivated Englishwoman into the remotest wilds, had
ornamented her temporary home with a pianoforte, and
many a familiar air floated through open doors and
windows over the silent pastures of the Banda Oriental.
Mr. Anderson added to his many accomplishments that of
an admirable voice, and we could see the tall forms of
the peons standing in the broad moonlight, and listen
ing, half enchanted, to the strains of ' Goodbye, sweet
heart, goodbye.'
During the last few days the heat had rapidly increased,
but the weather though oppressive was still perfectly
fine, and the sky was generally cloudless. But a change
was'at hand. Distant thunder growled, and masses of
cloud ranged themselves all round us till at length they
burst with a terrific uproar. For nearly three days and
nights the storm continued with more or less severity.
Sometimes, after several hours of continual thunder,
lightning, and rain, we were able to go out for an hour
or two and shoot a few partridges, while the black
masses of clouds all round the horizon were incessantly
pierced and seamed by the descending flashes. The
noise of thunder was in our ears the whole time, till the
very brain ached with the uproar and longed for a little
repose. As a spectacle, this storm was magnificent in
the extreme, and the effect of such a deluge of soft rain
upon the parched earth was marvellous. I had par-

ANNOYANCE OF INSECTS. 187
ticularly noticed a bush near the house which seemed a
mere bundle of dry sticks, but in the third day of the
rain it was covered with large green buds from which
the new leaves were already springing. The aroma
trees opened their flowers as if by magic, and were
covered with bright yellow tufts breathing one of the
most exquisite perfumes that can be imagined. All
nature seemed gasping with delight. Swarms of fresh
insects started into life ; and, as we rode through the
low grounds, we were pursued by thousands of a race
which combined the attributes of the May-fly and
daddy-long-legs, but of greater size and pertinacity than
either. They clung to horses and men till we were
perfectly black with them ; they got into my ears and
whiskers, and down the back of my neck; every cut
with the revenque and every blow of the hand annihi
lated heaps of them without the least apparent effect on
the others, who followed us as we flew before them like
Tarn O'Shanter. They were fortunately harmless, though
very annoying : but I was not sorry to see the old laws of
supply and demand assert themselves as usual. The
same genial warmth which made the insects dance so
cheerfully, brought out from their retirements a variety
of fresh birds to devour them, and thus enjoy their share
of the bounties of Providence.
In the middle of the bad weather an important event
occurred : the post arrived. A peon is sent to Paysandii,
about fourteen leagues distant, to meet the river steamer

188 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
next after the arrival of the European mail at Buenos
Ayres. The rain had swollen the rivers ; and as it was
known that our envoy would probably have to swim the
Queguay and the Quebracho, we had some anxiety as to
when and in what condition the letters would be de
livered. He arrived looking very wet after his long ride,
but was as undisturbed as his compatriots always are.
' Have you got the letters ? '
'Si, senor,' he replied, untying a closely-knotted
handkerchief with which he had contrived to' keep
them dry.
' Did you have to swim the rivers ? '
' Si, senor.'
' Will you have a glass of wine ? '
'Si, senor.'
This man was not the regular messenger, but con
sidered himself something more of a gentleman, being
in fact a species of policeman from Paysandii, who,
wanting to come in our direction, volunteered to do duty
as postman by anticipation, the steamer having arrived
sooner than was expected. He was accordingly invited
to sit down in the dining-room, where he sipped his
wine in perfect silence, apparently quite puzzled at the
situation in which he found himself. In answer to
questions he never rose beyond ' Si, senor,' or ' No,
senor,' and at last when he was satisfied he quietly
remarked, ' Adios, senor,' and stalked heavily off to his
horse.

CONTENTS OF THE POST-BAG. 189
Meanwhile, there was a rush to the contents of the
handkerchief. 'Punch,' 'Illustrated News,' the last
number of the ' Times,' only six weeks old, and a bundle
of letters ! The Pope seemed to be in a fright, the
Emperor in a difficulty, and the Yankees rapidly getting
accustomed to fratricidal slaughter ; but what cared we
for Popes, Emperors, or Presidents ? The Pope might
' lead a happy life,' or the contrary ; Italy might be
united, or divided into cubic inches ; it was perfectly
immaterial to us who were roaming at our own sweet
will among the delights of a wild country where the
hills were spangled with verbenas, and where we could
gallop after ostriches or make parrots into pies. But
though it is true that public news loses nearly all
its influence in passing through the medium of distance,
and the ' thoughts that shake mankind ' in cities are
dissipated into thin air when they reach the remoter
regions of the earth, how differently valued is the happy
gossip of brothers and sisters and friends ! No man has
any notion of the value of a letter till he has feasted
upon one far away from all his old associations in some
wild halting-place among the forests or the plains.
Then every word is sacred, and he dreads coming to the
last page.
That evening we read and talked, and played at
whist, while the storm raged round us more fiercely
than ever. Mr. Anderson had made one of the party,
and finding that there was no chance of the weather

190 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
improving, he made up his mind to ride home, in spite
of all remonstrances and the temptation of a comfortable
sofa. He found his horse by the aid of the lightning,
saddled and bridled him, and shouted ' Good-night,' as
he rode off through the tremendous rain into utter
darkness. He had about eight miles to ride, with nothing
to guide him on such a night ; and he had a river to
cross which we knew was so swollen that, even if he
found the ford, his horse would probably not be able to
keep his legs, and anywhere else he must certainly swim
for it. But storm and darkness, slippery ground and
swollen rivers, had no terrors for him ; he girthed
up his horse tight, and reached home without any
catastrophe. My visit was now coming to an end ; and after nearly
a fortnight's very great enjoyment I was going back to
Buenos Ayres with one of my late comrades. The
steamer going down the river, on her course from Salto
to Montevideo, was expected to pass the estancia about
eleven o'clock in the morning, and when all was ready
we rode off towards the river, with two or three peons
carrying our baggage on the front of their saddles. We
passed by one of the puestos on the top of a hill which
overlooked the river, and there hoisted a large union-
jack as a signal for the steamer to stop. A little way
farther we came to the place where we ought to have
landed on our arrival ; and, after waiting nearly an hour,
our old friend the ' Montevideo ' arrived and pulled up

RETURN TO BUENOS AYRES. 191
for us. A boat was sent ashore, and in a few minutes
we were descending the river under the care of the
Scotch engineer. There had been no rain for a couple
of hours, so we were quite dry, but very soon after we
got on board our vessel the storm returned to the
charge; it lasted all the afternoon, and at night the
thunder and lightning became so tremendous that the
captain resolved to wait at Fray Bentos till the weather
improved. Early in the morning we moved on again,
and at Higueritas took in some half-drowned passengers,
one of whom proved to be a great friend of mine. About
noon we arrived at Buenos Ayres, full of grateful recol
lections of happiness in the Banda Oriental.

192 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER IX.
GAUCHOS AND WAR.
FOETIFICATIONS OF BUENOS AYEES — TEAINING OF A GAUCHO —
HIS INDEPENDENCE — LONG EIDES — THE EASTEEADOE AND
VAQUEANS — GENEEAL EIVEEA— CIVILISATION AND THE SWOED
— GENEEAL UEQUIZA — EL CANON TIENE LA PALABEA ! — EAIL-
WAY TO MEELO — PEACH WOODS — PEODUCTIVENESS OF COEN —
SOLEMNITIES AT THE CATHEDRAL — QUESTION OF PARAGUAY —
HIGH PEICES — ALAEMING EEPOETS— CALMNESS OF HEENANDEZ
— VICTOEY 1 — PEISONEES — GENEEAL GLOEIFICATION — EESOLVE
TO EETUEN TO BEAZIL.
TIT HEN we returned to Buenos Ayres, wars and
rumours of wars were still in the ascendant, and
it was interesting to watch how in an immature country
such matters are managed. A state of siege was main
tained, and the fortifications had been progressing.
Every man and horse that could be got at was pressed
into the service and sent into the field ; but the question
which naturally suggested itself was how, with only a
few troops and national guards left in the city, it would
be possible to man the works that extended round a
place of such dimensions. Large issues of fresh paper
dollars were voted by an enthusiastic Sala, and high
wages were paid to hundreds of men employed in the

THE FORTIFICATIONS. 193
construction of the forts. The trenches and embank
ments were completed, and one of the most curious
little forts ever seen was established on the side of the
Palermo road, scarcely a quarter of a mile from the
quinta in which I was staying with the Consul. It was
a thorough toy: they patted it smooth, covered the
outside with plaster to look like stone, and arranged
turfs very neatly on the top of it. Two guns were
mounted, one apparently a 12-pounder and the other
about half that size ; a solitary sentinel paced up and
down, and when some heavy rain set in they built a
sentry-box for him ; a small gipsy-tent on the other side
of the road contained three or four other soldiers to
relieve guard : and this was called a fortification.
Some of the works at the opposite end of the city were
rather more imposing, and had the advantage of a very
commanding position ; but no European could look at
them without wondering how they were to be manned
or defended against a determined foe. The fact is,
however, that they were in all probability quite
sufficiently strong to resist any enemy that wras likely
to be brought against them. The greater part of such
an army as Urquiza could bring into the field would
consist of gaueho cavalry, to whom the trenches, slight
as they were, would be an insuperable obstacle, while a
few round shot thrown judiciously among them from the
occasional forts would deter them from attempting the
task of entering by even the most favourable approaches.
o

194 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
In fact, a gaueho army is in all probability too wild and
undisciplined to maintain such a continuous and ener
getic effort as would be required to storm the simplest of
defences. The red ponchos and long lances of Urquiza's
horsemen inspired terror in the open field, but the
Buenos Ayreans had an infinitely better chance with a
trench in front of them.
One day in the camp, seeing something moving in an
unusual manner we turned towards it, and found two
little ragged urchins, about eight years old, who hid
themselves suddenly in a hole in the ground, but seeing
they were discovered they came out again; they had
been skinning a 'cow — which we will charitably hope
had died a natural death — and then, harnessing two
dogs to the hide, they were driving it home in that
fashion across the camp, looking highly satisfied with
their prize, lawful or unlawful. We amused ourselves
by trying to frighten them with questions about it, but
the swarthy imps boldly said it was their own property,
and we left them with a laugh.
Such are the materials from which the full-blown
gaueho is developed in perfection. These half-wild
urchins ride almost as soon as they can walk, and their
highest ambition is to be tall enough to catch a horse
by the mane, which is all they require for mounting
him ; they are on his back in a moment, and he must
be a very clever back-jumper if he can get rid of them.
Saddle or no saddle, it is just the same to them, and

GAUCH0 TRAINING. 195
they ride with a gusto and keen sense of wild enjoy
ment which is very inspiriting to a spectator. They
practise with the lazo and the bolas on pigs and fowls ;
they ride round and round the partridges till they are
near enough to knock them down with the whip, and
make a profound study of the use of the knife. With
these accomplishments they are considered ready for
the life of a peon or servant on a farm or estancia,
where they soon get accustomed to managing sheep and
cattle, and where by good conduct they may be pretty
sure of obtaining promotion on the establishment.
From men trained in this way the greater part of the
army is extemporised: they are taken suddenly from
their occupations and their homes ; and though they
have no objection to using the knife in a disturbance
among themselves, they detest being compelled to fight
in masses for some object which they do not understand
or care for. No wonder that numbers of them throw
down their arms and run away at the best speed of their
favourite horses. They abhor discipline, and are dis
tinguished by a haughty and independent dignity. If
they do not like their master or their position they ride
away, perfectly sure of suiting themselves somewhere
else, and would generally do anything rather than take
to soldiering.
Their endurance on horseback is wonderful, and
they think nothing of riding hard all day, before
touching a morsel of food. In actual distances however,

196 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
I doubt if they have ever surpassed some of the feats
of our own countrymen. I remember an English
man in the Banda Oriental who rode 55 leagues,
or 165 miles in one day, with a tropilla of horses
from Montevideo; and great as was this exertion,
I think it is surpassed by Sir Francis Head's exploit
of riding 900 miles between Buenos Ayres and Men
doza in eight days. Many years' experience, how
ever, are required before a foreigner can hope to
rival the skill and address with which a true gaueho
manages his horse in all circumstances as if it were a
part of himself. To ride a certain number of hours is
a mere matter of .endurance, but to catch a bull with
the lazo and then drive him over the plain in any
direction required, turning and winding to avoid the
stroke of his horns — to do this requires the hand and
eye of a master.
Mr. Darwin relates that once upon a time a South
American army elected its general by the following
trial : — A troop of unbroken horses being driven into
a corral, were let out through a gateway, above which
was a cross-bar; it was agreed that whoever should
drop from the bar on one of these wild animals as it
rushed out, and should be able without saddle or
bridle not only to ride it, but also to bring it back to
the door of the corral, should be their general. The
person who succeeded was accordingly elected, and
doubtless made a fit leader for such an army. This

THE RASTREADOR. 197
extraordinary feat has also been performed by General
Rosas. Many of these men have extraordinary powers of
following a track, and of finding their way at night or
in unknown parts of the country. I have before me a
curious little Spanish book by Don Domingo Sarmiento,
the governor of one of the Western Provinces, who
gives some marvellous stories of these faculties.
'Once upon a time,' he says, 'I fell in with a path
crossing that from Buenos Ayres, and the peon who
was my guide fastened his eyes upon the ground, as
usual. Presently he said, " Here goes a dark mule, a
very good one — it belongs to- the troop of D. N.
Zapata — it is saddled, and has a very good saddle too —
it passed yesterday." This man came from the Sierra
of San Luis, the troop was coming back from Buenos
Ayres, and it was a year since he had last seen the
mule whose foot-print was mixed up with those of a
whole troop in a path of two feet wide. This, which
may appear incredible, is nevertheless a common kind
of knowledge: the man was a common peon, and not
a professional rasireador or tracker.
' The tracker by profession is a personage of grave
and circumspect appearance, whose assertions are be
lieved in the inferior tribunals. The consciousness
of the knowledge which he possesses gives him a cer
tain reserved and mysterious dignity. ... A theft
has been committed in the night — they run to find a

198 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
foot-print of the thief, and when found it is covered
with something to prevent the wind from effacing it.
Then they send for the rastreador, who sees the track
and follows it, looking only from time to time at the
ground as if his eyes saw in relief the footprint which
is invisible to another. He follows it through the
streets and across the gardens, enters a house, and
pointing out a man whom he meets, he coolly says
" That is the man ! " The crime is proved, and it is
seldom that a delinquent resists this accusation. To
him, even more than to the judge, the deposition of
the rastreador is convincing evidence : to deny it
would be ridiculous, absurd. He submits then to
this witness whom he considers as the finger of God
denouncing him.'
My legal friends will probably agree in thinking
that this would be a very dangerous kind of evidence
to receive in a court of justice, nor do I suppose it
would be considered conclusive in Buenos Ayres.
It points, however, to a very singular state of society,
and a certain Calibar, who was personally known to
Sen. Sarmiento, and who is said by him to have prac
tised the profession of a rastreador with the greatest
distinction for forty years, must have had many oppor
tunities of revenging himself on an enemy if he were
so disposed.
To be a good guide, or vaqueano, is a very impor
tant qualification for life in the Pampas, and many of

THE VAQUEANO. 199
the gaucbos are marvellously skilful in that way. Don
Domingo goes on to say that an accomplished vaqueano
can find his way by methods inconceivable by other
men: he observes trees and bushes, and knows them
all by heart ; in utter darkness he dismounts from his
horse and tastes the herbs or grasses, or tries whether
the water is fresh or salt. He can inform a general in
what direction an enemy is approaching by the course
taken by ostriches and deer ; he observes the dust, and
states the number of the foe. By the manner in
which the crows and condors whirl in the air, he can
tell whether they are hovering over a party of men, or
only a dead animal.
He adds: 'Will this be thought an exaggeration?
No. General Rivera, of the Banda Oriental, is a
thorough vaqueano, who knows every tree in the
whole Republic of the Uruguay. The Brazilians could
not have occupied it without his assistance, and with
out him the Argentines could not have liberated
it  General Rivera began his studies of
the country in 1804, and in making war against
the authorities as a contrabandist, against the contra
bandists as an employe, then against the king in the
character of a patriot, afterwards against the patriots
as a brigand, against the Argentines as a Brazilian
chief, against the Brazilians as an Argentine general,
against Lavalleja as president, against President Oribe
as a proscribed chief, and lastly against Rosas as a

200 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
general of the Banda Oriental, he had plenty of time
to learn something of the trade of a vaqueano ! '
That is a singular history of an old-fashioned chief:
no doubt Sarmiento is right in saying that he must
have learned something in the course of such varied
and distinguished services. Probably he was really
fond of fighting, but that is not the general feeling of
the country gauchos.
Urquiza kept his men together with an iron hand
and by the promise of plunder, but they must have
been sadly disappointed at the result of the campaign.
This is a dangerous game to play : when the Captain-
General was defeated and compelled to fly back to
Entre Rios, it was said that he would find no greater
enemies than those of his own party.
The Rio de la Plata, with its countless branches
running through an immense and fertile territory,
ought to secure wealth and prosperity to a very large
number of inhabitants. There is room for hundreds of
thousands to live happily in its delightful climate, but
the progress of the Argentine Republic has been always
retarded by the feeling of insecurity which has been
firmly implanted in the European mind by its disturbed
politics and frequent wars. It is true that the cir
cumstances which have unfortunately given rise to this
want of confidence have been greatly exaggerated, and
that the amount of ignorance which generally prevails
in Europe with respect to those countries is very

DISTURBED POLITICS. 201
great ; but still it must be granted by their best
friends that the misconception has not been altogether
without reason.
Under the galling yoke of Old Spain her colonies
were governed by a blind and narrow-minded tyranny,
which exerted all its power to convert their means and
resources to the sole benefit of the mother country.
When, after a series of struggles, they proclaimed and
maintained their independence, the reaction seems to
have been at first too violent ; and it is true that,
according to the laws which generally assert them
selves in periods of revolution, the Republics of South
America have been frequently subjected to military
tyrannies forced on them by adventurers who from time
to time have been enabled to assert the power of the
sword over that of law and civilisation. The most dis
astrous consequences have ensued, and the confidence of
the world has been withdrawn from countries which,
if the real feelings of the mass of their inhabitants
could have made themselves better known, would be
found more worthy of it than is generally supposed.
The Buenos Ayrean politicians and newspapers, finding
that the Congress at Parana, presided over by Derqui
and dictated to by Urquiza, was inimical to their
interests, adopted a tone of defiance and bluster, which
brought down upon them the retort that they were
rebels and traitors to the Confederation. This was
theoretically perfectly true; but they determined to

202 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
carry matters with a high hand, to beard the Congress,
and draw out the old lion from his den in Entre Rios.
They made up their minds to beat him, and have done
with him for ever ; and, finding that he did not come
out so readily as they expected, they assailed him and
his friends with violent and abusive language, after the
manner of hunters who throw squibs and crackers into
the cave of a wild beast. To say the truth, he had every
reason for remaining quiet in his own province, where
he was surrounded by immense possessions and where
his influence was entirely paramount. But the Federal
party CGuld do nothing without him, and in compliance
with the wishes and necessities of his old friends he
prepared once more to bring the terrible red ponchos
into the field.
Mr. Thornton and M. de Becour, the English and
French Ministers, exerted themselves to the utmost for
the preservation of peace, and when their mediation
was accepted, great expectations were entertained by the
general public of a favourable issue to the conferences
that ensued. They had an infinitely difficult task, and
at length the passions and intrigues of the contending
partisans proved too strong for all better influences : it
was found that the quarrel must be settled by the
sword, and 'El canon tiene la palabra' was the ex
pression of the day. Sober men, wealthy merchants,
and thinking men of the world, all those whose opinions
ought to be entitled to the greatest weight, were dis-

EL CANON TIENE LA PALABRA. 203
gusted at seeing a state of things which they were
powerless to prevent. In South America, as well as in
North America, it is abundantly shown that the
Republican form of government suffers from this very
serious drawback. Where all assume equal rights to
talk, to act, and to govern, it is scarcely possible that
any but the noisiest should be heard, or that any but
the most intriguing and least fitted for good honest
government should rise to the head of affairs. Under
such circumstances the best men will not and cannot
come forward, and in moments of danger or difficulty
the national ship tosses grievously on the waves for
want of good pilots and commanders.
If the silly and excited newspaper editors, who
hounded on the war -party, had devoted a little calm,
longheaded calculation to the subject, they would have
found that the whole question in dispute could have
been compromised by a few concessions to the Provin
cials for a much smaller expenditure than that which
even a successful war must infallibly involve ; whilst, on
the other hand, a defeat would have been followed by
the most ruinous and disastrous consequences to the
whole province. They preferred to rush into war, madly
thinking to cure all the evils of the State by boundless
issues of inconvertible paper money ; they did not con
sider the infinite injury they were about to inflict upon
their country by still further depreciating the pining,
dwindling dollar, and offering to Europe one more

204 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
proof of the folly of their government : 'No surrender !
No compromise ! El canon tiene la palabra ! '
The hardest part of all this is that the whole coun
try gets the undeserved reputation of turbulence and
ferocity. All the mischief is brought about by a few-
violent men on one side, and a few clever but un
scrupulous intriguers on the other. I frequently heard
it observed that the elimination of twenty or thirty
unquiet spirits would secure the tranquillity of the
Republic. In the middle of all the excitement I went out to
spend a few days with my friend, Mr. Harry Smith, on
his estancia at Merlo, about thirty miles from Buenos
Ayres. This short journey gave me a delightful
specimen of what civilisation has done for the country,
and enabled me to judge better than before of what a
satisfactory prospect there is for the future. Merlo is a
station on the railway which runs westward from the
city, so we took tickets at the terminus in the Plaza del
Parque. The price was very small, the carriages clean
and airy, and passengers in plenty were going' into the
country for business or pleasure.
The generally level nature of the country offers the
greatest possible facility for railway-making : there is
nothing to be done but to lay the rails over any extent
of land that may be required, and your railroad is
ready, without cuttings or embankments so high as
your knee. As the train emerged from the city, after

RAILWAY ADVANTAGES. 205
quietly travelling down the middle of a street, it soon
became evident that the railway was producing its
natural effect. Stores and mills were growing like
mushrooms in its neighbourhood; pretty villas were
springing up near the stations ; and cafes with pretty
flower-gardens were tempting crowds of Buenos Ayrean
cockneys to spend their Sundays and holidays as
Englishmen do at Richmond or at Gravesend. I know
no place where there is a greater want of something of
the sort ; for Buenos Ayres itself has no public gardens
or parks like those which ornament the European
capitals ; and though I believe the native-born inhabi
tants are for the most part satisfied with the sociable
ways of town-life, yet there is an immense foreign
population of English, French, Germans, and Italians
who are eager to grasp at any opportunity of getting a
little of the variety which so pleases them in European
ways. I think the South American railways will, for
very many reasons, be highly successful, and pleasure-
seekers will probably contribute considerably to the
returns. A wildly-picturesque boy, with a dash of the Indian
about him, had brought horses to the station, so we had
nothing to do but to gallop straight over the smooth
turf till we came to the estancia house. The house
was very agreeably situated by the side of a large
peach-wood. These trees grow very fast, and the crop
of peaches is generally enormous ; but sometimes one of

206 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the great hailstorms of the country will destroy the
whole. Farther up in the interior vast quantities of
peaches are split up and dried for sale ; and, though in
appearance they are not more tempting than bits of
leather, the flavour comes out well when they are
cooked with rice like Normandy pippins.
The ants had been very troublesome in the garden,
and great efforts were being made to exterminate them ;
but they had got under the house, and after a great
deal of digging and smoking they were still in possession
when I left. The early spring was bringing the flowers
into bloom, and I was particularly pleased with an
avenue bordered with masses of a large and very
beautiful iris, perfectly white, and possessed of a deli
cate perfume. We had a delightful ride about the
neighbourhood for some hours, passing a very handsome
country house of the Alcorta family, and we visited
what was considered a great curiosity in the camp.
Some enterprising Frenchmen had built a large flour-
mill on the side of an arroyo, and by damming up the
stream had obtained a powerful head of water to turn
the wheel. The cost must have been very great, and
the machinery was in high order.
Where the land is so admirably adapted for sheep-
pasture, the cultivation of corn has been greatly
neglected, but the advantage of transport to the city
which is supplied by the railway will no doubt draw
more attention to it. The Montevideans sent some

A GREAT DAY AT CHURCH. 207
specimens of wheat to the London Exhibition of 1862,
which were highly remarkable for the immense pro
ductiveness of the seed. There were 135 fine ears from
a single grain.
When we went to take our places back to Buenos
Ayres, a day or two later, the station-master told us
that the news was very bad: the city was placed in
asamblea, meaning under martial law, and things were
supposed to be going all wrong. The armies were
known to be close together in the neighbourhood of
San Nicolas, and every hour was expected to bring
tidings of a bloody battle. We found great gloom in
the city : shops were not allowed to open till the fire of
a gun at nine o'clock, and were compelled to close
when another gun was fired at four in the afternoon.
Payment of debts could not be enforced, and some
people were delighted to take advantage of that com
mercial phenomenon.
The 11th of September being considered a lucky day
for the arms of Buenos Ayres, it was supposed that
Mitre would, if possible, give battle on that day, to
encourage his "troops. To add solemnity to the occasion
the aid of the Church was called in, and it was
announced that a solemn service would be held in the
cathedral and other churches on the morning of the
10th, to invoke a blessing on the army. I went, like
many others, to see what was to be seen at the
cathedral, and to observe the conduct of the people on

208 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
such an unusual occasion. The editor of the Tribuna,
departing from his usual line, had called on all good
patriots to go and listen to the church through the
medium of its bishop, and had declared Urquiza guilty
of sacrilege, in addition to all his other crimes, for
daring to invoke the favour of the God of battles on
behalf of the other side of the question.
I found the whole body of the building filled with
ladies and women of various ranks kneeling on the
marble floor, while the aisles were occupied by men
quietly promenading and commenting sotto voce on the
ladies. The mass, followed by a sermon from the
bishop, made a very long service, and the fair devotees
evidently suffered from kneeling on the hard floor,
which compelled them sometimes to turn and assume a
very graceful half-sitting posture. The men went in
and out as they pleased; and one of them, on being
asked by one of my companions what it was all about,
merely remarked with a shrug that he believed it was
some piece of ' religioso fanatismoS Certainly it is only
justice to the taste and beauty of the belles of Buenos
Ayres, to say that the clouds of incense "floated over a
rare collection of lovely faces and exquisite mantillas.
My own plans and arrangements were greatly ham
pered by the state of public affairs. My heart was set
upon crossing the Andes into Chili as soon as the
summer melting of the snow should make the passage
of the Uspallata pass practicable, but I was told that

DOUBTFUL REPORTS. 209
this could not be till near the end of the year. To fill
up part of the time, I determined to take my passage
by the steamer to Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay,
about 800 miles from Buenos Ayres ; and having been
kindly furnished with valuable introductions, I intended
to start by the 'Salto de Guayra' on the 16th of
September. The suspense about the expected battle,
which would determine the fate of Buenos Ayres for
some time to come, became more intense every day, and
I did not like leaving my kind friends and relations in
the city at a crisis in which it would have been my
pleasure as well as my duty to assist them in case of
need. Had Urquiza gained the day and brought his
undisciplined troops into the city, every bullet might
have been useful, and I should have been sorry to be
absent on such an occasion.
Seeing ah advertisement that a Brazilian steamer,
the ' Marquis d'Olinda,' would sail two days later than
the 'Salto de Guayra,' I gave myself the benefit of
this extra time to wait for the great event. The
people seemed to be more and more oppressed by
gloom and uncertainty: no definite news could be ob
tained, but reports multiplied at an astonishing rate.
It was said that parties of dispersos or runaways were
already scouring the country, and had actually come
into San Isidro, only five leagues from Buenos Ayres
itself. This circumstance, if true, would indicate that
the popular army had been beaten in the field,.
p

210 . SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
and that the arrival of the pursuing enemies was a
mere question of hours; but lies of every description
abounded. In great uncertainty I went to the office to
which I was referred about the ' Marquis d'Olinda,' and
found that that vessel was only going as far as the
Guazu mouth of the Parana, not far beyond the island
of Martin Garcia, at which point the passengers, if any,
would be transferred to a small steamer which was to
make the first regular trip up the river to Cuyaba, in
Brazil. The smallness of this vessel, and the un
certainties of such an experimental trip in what I
expected would be like a travelling tea-kettle in the
coming hot weather, were so many additional reasons
for deciding me against the expedition. I afterwards
was very glad to have arrived at this decision, par
ticularly when I heard that the ' Marquis d'Olinda ' was
stopped by the authorities at Martin Garcia.
As the crisis approached, the price of necessaries was
greatly increased. Hay, or dry alfalfa, rose to about
16£. English per ton; and the butcher declared that
beasts cost him nearly four times as much as usual,
owing to the number of peons who had been compelled
to join the army, and the consequent difficulty of
bringing the necessary quantity of animals into town.
This may have been partly true, and partly owing to
the fact that butchers, like bakers, are animated by
much the same principles all the world over. Milkmen
may safely be put into the same category ; and those of

BUENOS AYREAN TRADESMEN. 211
Buenos Ayres are fully equal in resources to their
brethren in Europe. The greater part of the milk is
brought into the city by mounted lecheros, who squat
. upon the top of a sheepskin saddle, garnisned with large
vessels of tin on both sides. They are so exceedingly
given to the admixture of water that scarcely a month
passes without the police making a general raid upon them
as they come into town, and fining them all round for
adulteration ; but the process is so lucrative that they pay
the fines cheerfully, and continue their nefarious practice.
Things came to a head on the 19th of the month.
The government was pretty sure of getting certain news
in the course of the day, and about 10,000 rockets were
said to be ready at the Plaza del Parque, in hopes of
being able to announce a victory. In the middle of the
day a sprinkling of weather-beaten deserters rode into
town, declaring, as is usual with such men, that it was
all over with the army, and faces grew proportionably
long. In the afternoon, at a house where I called to
pay a visit, I found a very lively discussion going on
among a large party of ladies. One section declared
that there was a complete derrota or rout of Mitre's
army, and the other said it was perfectly certain that
Urquiza was in full flight. They were of opposite
political principles, and in each case 'the wish was
father to the thought.' Matters looked rather serious,
however, and the ladies gravely doubted if it were
safe to sleep in their suburban quintas. They were
p 2

212 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
persuaded to be tranquil; and before going to bed I went
with the Consul to ask the last news from our friend Sr.
Hernandez, the chief of the northern section of police.
He was calmly smoking his cigar, puzzled as much as
any of us by the conflicting rumours, and patiently
waiting the result with the dignified tranquillity of a
Spaniard. In due time I went to sleep, and was awoke
about two o'clock in the morning by a peculiar bang,
which I instantly recognised as proceeding from one of
the detonating rockets. I jumped out of bed, and saw
the sky alive with these victory-announcing meteors,
streaming up among the stars in every direction.
Presently an infinite variety of reports proved that
weapons of every description, from pop-guns to 12-
pounders, were being fired all round us; and having
satisfied ourselves that matters were all right, we went
to sleep again, though the noise and uproar were
continued till after daylight.
Next morning we found the streets all strewed with
the remains of fireworks, and it appeared that a
chasque or government courier had ridden in with
the joyful news of a complete victory. Nearly the
whole of Urquiza's artillery with many prisoners had
been captured, and the redoubted Captain-General
himself had ridden at full speed with a few officers of
his staff to Rosario. People were wild with joy, even
though it soon transpired that the Buenos Ayrean
cavalry had run away as usual before the red ponchos

victory! 213
of the Federals, and that a great part of Mitre's
baggage had been captured. Before long, however,
it turned out that the runaway cavalry had succeeded
in taking some of the baggage of the other side, and
the extraordinary spectacle was presented of a good
hard infantry fight having been well maintained and
completely gained by the Buenos Ayreans, while the
cavalry on both sides had got round to their enemy's
rear. Mitre's infantry, and especially an Italian
brigade in Garibaldian costume, had captured the
artillery of Urquiza in a really brilliant charge, and
we were told that a batch of guns, prisoners, and
standards would soon vouch for the reality of the
victory which had been gained on the banks of the
Arroyo del Pavon. The total spoil announced in the
official despatch consisted of 37 guns out of 42, 10
standards, 1,600 prisoners, and no end of ammunition
and stores.
Two days later I formed one of an immense crowd
assembled on the mole to witness the reception of the
standards, which were sent down in charge of a few
officers on board the ' Montevideo ' steamer. The same
vessel brought 96 prisoners, said to be officers, but it
was not judged advisable to land them till the
crowd had dispersed. The standards were carried in a
very undignified way, being strapped into a bundle and
carried on the shoulders of a couple of sailors, just like
a dead man on a stretcher.

214 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The honours of a public reception were reserved for
the following day, which was Sunday. The population
turned out en masse to witness a very brilliant dis
play. All the troops and national guards remaining
in the city were marched through the principal streets
to receive the trophies of war and escort them to the
Government House. The day was gloriously fine, and
the people showed as much enthusiasm as the Spanish
disposition is capable of. Myriads of rockets banged
away in the clear blue sky, and the evening terminated
hilariously. There was indeed plenty of cause for
rejoicing: Buenos Ayres had passed through the peril
of a neck-or -nothing encounter with her most dreaded
foe, and had come out undeniably victorious. I can-
hot, however, help thinking that surprise was mingled
with delight. The sober mind of Europe can hardly ap
preciate the wild and explosive spirit which headed the
official account of the battle as follows : — ' Viva la Pa-
trial Viva Buenos Aires vencedora sobre el caudillaje !
Viva el valiente exercito de Buenos Aires, cubierto de
gloria en los campos de Canada Rica! Viva el joven
y patriota General Mitre ! Viva el gobierno!' 'Long
five our country ! Long live Buenos Ayres, victorious
over the provincial tyrants ! Long live the brave army
of Buenos Ayres, covered with glory in the plains of
Canada Rica! Long live the young patriot, General
Mitre ! Long live the government ! '
The immediate crisis was over, but the campaign

PREPARATION FOR BRAZIL. 215
was not at an end. Colonel Gelly, the war minister,
aided by the valiant editor of the Tribuna, went out to
collect the scattered cavalry, and it was supposed that
their task would be greatly facilitated by the fact of
Urquiza's men having been once beaten. Meanwhile
we enjoyed comparative repose, and had some capital
cricket-matches in spite of the sun. My expedition to
Paraguay having been abandoned for the present, I
turned my attention once more to Brazil ; and, con
sidering that I had seen very little of that lovely part
of the world, I determined to take advantage of the
season, and see all that I could in the next two months
among the Organ Mountains.

216 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER X.
RETURN TO BRAZIL.
STAET IN THE ' MERSEY — STEANGE COLOUE IN THE WATEE— LAND-
BIRDS BLOWN OFF SHORE IN A GALE— HEAVY SEA— ENGINEERS
FEOM PAEAGUAY— A MAN BUEIED AT SEA— ENTEANCE TO EIO
— WANT OF HOTELS — JENNY THE MONKEY— OFF FOE PETEO-
POLIS — MAUA EAILWAY — BEAUTIFUL EOAD — CLIMATE AND
ELEVATION OF BEAZIL — HISTOEICAL SKETCH— HUGUENOTS AT
EIO JANEIBO— THE HOUSE OF BEAGANZA— DOM PEDEO I. — CON
STITUTIONAL EMPEEOE — DOM PEDEO II. — THE SLAVE-LABOUE
QUESTION — ATTEMPTS TO IMPOST COLONISTS FEOM EUEOPE —
CONDITION OF SLAVES.
/"YNthe 27th of September the 'Mersey' dropped down
^ the river, and anchored at Montevideo early in the
next morning. According to regulations we waited
there for two days ; and at noon on the 30th Captain
Curlewis with his usual punctuality gave the order to
go a-head. The weather was delightful, and we started
with as good a prospect of a pleasant voyage as could
be expected on that uncertain coast.
Early in the morning of October the 1st we passed
through two very large patches of reddish-brown water,
which contrasted strangely with all around it. No one
on board had ever seen such a thing before on that part

DISCOLOURED WATER. 217
of the coast, and the captain stopped the ship to see if,
by any possibility, we were going over an unknown shoal.
The lead, however, gave twenty fathoms water, so we
went on our way wondering what cause could have so
completely discoloured several miles of sea.* Some one
suggested that it might be a set of fresh water on the
surface, but on hauling up a bucketful we found not the
least diminution of the usual saltness. Whether it had
anything to do with the weather I cannot say, but on the
following morning all pleasant symptoms had departed.
A heavy gale was blowing right a-head, and a furious
sea was flying in sheets of spray and water from one end
of the ship to the other ; the deck was so flooded that
the scuppers could not carry off the water, and the engines
were eased to prevent her driving through it too heavily.
The cape pigeons and the stormy petrels screamed and
whirled in our wake, caring nothing for the savage blast
as they steadily fulfilled their destiny, and swept
monotonously over the foaming crests.
Next day two shore-birds came on board, having
been blown away by the fury of the gale, and seeming-
very glad to find something which they could hold on
by. One was a lovely little creature, pure crimson in
colour, and the other was a kind of butcher-bird, which
is the most constant and sociable frequenter of the
* They were probably shoals of minute confervae, like those observed
by Mr. Darwin higher up on the coast of Brazil. — Voyage of the ' Beagle*
p. 14.

218 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Buenos Ayrean gardens : it is called in Spanish ' bien
te veof or 'I see you well,' from a cry resembling those
words. Their favourite position was in one of the ship's
boats, and when disturbed they made very short flights,
taking good care to keep close to the ship. They kept
company with us all day and all the next night, soon
after which they were captured by the sailors, and
added to the menagerie which Jack generally likes to
have in the forecastle. I dearly love stormy weather at
sea, and for two days I had a good opportunity of
enjoying myself in. that way. It was a grand sight to
watch the long hull of the 'Mersey' dipping down the
side of a huge wave, and then rising with a joyous shake
of the head, which sent sheets of spray and broken
water flying sometimes over the foreyard. The posses
sion of a sound stomach makes one rather unfeeling
under these circumstances towards the sufferings of
weaker brethren; and I am conscious of having upon
this occasion behaved in a way to justify the criticism,
though the cause may perhaps be held to justify me in
return. The doctor and I were smoking a pipe in the
driest place we could find under shelter of the bulwark,
when an unlucky Brazilian staggered past us, and,
making for the first door he could see, prepared to pour
his sorrows into the bath-room ! There was no time
for gentle remonstrance, but we made a rush at him
with loud shouts, accompanied by violent shaking and
vituperation. The sorrow-stricken look of the poor

STORMY WEATHER. 219
wretch almost made me regret the harshness ; but what
else could we do ?
The ship behaved nobly through the gale, though I
was obliged to stop the continuance of my journal for a
couple of days. Sitting and standing were feats of skill,
but I would have defied Blondin himself to write a
letter in the ridiculous positions occasionally assumed
by the chairs and tables of the cabin. Though I could
thoroughly enjoy the weather in the daytime, yet the
long night passed in one's berth during a gale of wind
is hardly so pleasant as on shore: the combination of
groaning, roaring, shaking, bumping, rattling, and
quivering, accompanied by the various noises of pails,
plates, chairs, and glasses flying from their proper
place, makes sleep almost impossible ; and on the third
day we all rejoiced to find a glorious sunshine and a
gradually subsiding sea.
Among our passengers were three working engineers,
on their way home to England after completing a con
tract for three years with the government of Paraguay ;
and I learnt a good deal about the state of things in
that very out-of-the-way part of the world President
Lopez was doing everything in his power to promote the
progress and developement of the country. He had im
ported a staff of English engineers, who were well paid and
well treated ; a railway and various public works were
progressing favourably. These men had been receiving
monthly 16L sterling, with free quarters, and 4.1, more

220 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
for provisions. They complained of the climate being
fearfully hot for three months in the year, and exces
sively changeable during part of the southern winter.
One of them said he had often been utterly exhausted
by excessive heat, and reduced to that state in which
Sydney Smith said ' he should like to take off his skin
and sit in his bones,' only a few hours after being
compelled to warm himself against the side of a boiler.
English doctors have also been in request among the
Paraguayans ; and one of the pleasantest of my fellow-
passengers from England was an assistant-surgeon in
our army, who, after serving through the Crimean war,
had been induced by handsome pay and the prospect of
gratifying his sporting propensities to form one of the
medical staff of the Paraguayan troops. He was par
ticularly interested in cases of tetanus, or lockjaw, and
I understand he has had a great many cases of it to
deal with. It is certainly true that for some reason or
other this fearful malady is much more common through
a great part of South America than in other parts of the
world, and often results from the most trifling wounds.
A member of the club at Buenos Ayres died of it after
running a small splinter of a skittle-ball under his nail.
I am informed that one of my medical friends in that
city has lately succeeded in curing two cases by constant
use of chloroform — lasting in one instance for, I think,
eight days.
A quarrel with President Lopez had been the cause

FUNERAL AT SEA. 221
of suspending diplomatic relations with the British
government ; but individual Englishmen seem to have
lived pretty comfortably in Paraguay. On his death,
which happened quite recently, his son General Lopez
began to reign in his stead ; and it is supposed that the
interests of Englishmen will be favoured by the circum
stance that the honours of the presidential throne are
shared by an amiably-disposed Englishwoman. The
diplomatic quarrel has been adjusted, and it is said that
there is very much that is curious and beautiful in
Paraguay ; but at the same time I must be permitted
to doubt the fulfillment of the late Mr. Mansfield's
fanciful idea, that it would be the chosen and the
choicest home of the migratory Anglo-Saxon.
But I am forgetting the good ship ' Mersey.' A hope
less invalid from H.M.S. ' Curacoa' died in the middle
of the voyage and was buried at sunset. The wind was
abeam, and the ship rolling in the swell left by the
gale as we came on deck to attend at the ceremony.
The poor fellow's body was laid upon a narrow sloping
plank, and the captain read the service as we stood
bare-headed in the breeze. When he came to the words,
'We therefore commit his body to the deep,' and a
heavy plunging sound told that the sailor's corpse was
being swallowed by the waves which he had so long
triumphed over, I thought it the most affecting sight
that I had ever witnessed : it was one that could never
be forgotten.

222 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The next day was lovely, but in spite of steam we
could not make up the time lost during the gale. Late
in the evening we approached the lighthouse island
near Rio Janeiro, but were obliged to anchor for the
night in a heavy swell outside the entrance to the
harbour. Early in the morning of the 6th I came on
deck to watch once more the exciting operation of
running through the swell, as it broke in walls and
towers of foam upon the granite rocks which guard the
entrance to the most famous harbour in the world.
As soon as we had got through the usual formalities
with the officials, I went ashore with the captain, and
landed among the usual picturesque combination of fish
and fruit, heaps of bananas, and crowds of the gaudiest
negro women. A powerful darkie whipped up my
portmanteau as lightly as if it had been a pocket-book,
and we marched away for the Rua Direita. In the
only two decent hotels I found there was not a room
to be got till the next day, when the English steamer
was to sail, and I received another proof that the busy
crowded city of Rio Janeiro, with its 400,000 inha
bitants, is worse off in the matter of hotel accommoda
tion than any place with which I am acquainted. The
Emperor is doing wonders in the way of roads and
railways, and a thriving English company has taken
in hand the drainage and purification of his capital ;
but there is scarcely a tolerable place for a traveller
to lay his head in, and, considering the wealth and

JENNY THE MONKEY. 223
importance of the city, I should think it must be diffi
cult anywhere to find a better opportunity for starting
a model hotel on a really large and handsome scale.
On the second day I thought myself fortunate in
getting a very small room at M'DowelPs, which was
approached by a narrow passage through a perfect
chaos of boxes and packing-cases, among which the
only redeeming feature was a charmingly sociable little
monkey, whose grand delight was to be half-suffocated
by tobacco-smoke. I always stopped to talk to poor
Jenny, and at the mere sight of a cigar she used to
curl herself up in an attitude of delight, and almost
entreat me to puff the whole smoke into her face.
Peace be with Jenny ! But I could hardly have
imagined anything so bad as the hotel system at Rio,
and I shall congratulate any speculator who may take
advantage of my hint. He will probably make his
fortune before long, and I might find respectable
accommodation if I go there again. Rio is about
the most expensive place I ever saw. The shop
keepers pay almost fabulous rents in the principal
streets, and of course their customers are charged
accordingly. Here I found my friend Mr. Malet, the attache to
the British Legation, by whom I was introduced to
Mr. Baillie, the Secretary of Legation. The city was
abominably hot already, and I was anxious to be off to
the hills ; so I gladly accompanied them to Petropolis,

224 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
as soon as they had concluded their business for the
homeward mail. Our traps were carried down to the
pier by negroes for a few dumps — the elegant name for
a penny in Brazil — and at one o'clock we started in a
small steamer to cross the lovely bay. The heat was
intense, but as the deck was covered with an awning,
we fared very well. We passed the dead body of a
man floating on the surface, but no one seemed to care
who he was or how long he might have been there.
He was evidently, however, beyond the possibility of
human aid.
Our course was right across the bay in a nearly
northerly direction, and towards the end of it we
passed among a number of curious little rocky islands,
some of which seemed nothing but a collection of huge
loose boulders, like the blocs perches of the ancient
glacier districts of Europe. At first it was difficult to
imagine how they got there, surrounded, as they were,
with deep clear water, and poised so delicately, that,
to all appearance, they could be upset by the slightest
touch. The truth, however, I believe to be that, the
granite being very coarse-grained and liable to de
struction, huge blocks, at first only fissured by cracks,
have been weathered down to the appearance of
boulders. Wherever the islands were large enough to
have accumulated a little soil of their own, they were
ornamented with palms and cactus in abundance.
Two hours of pretty fast steaming carried us nearly

AWAY TO THE MOUNTAINS. 225
twenty miles, at the end of which we ranged alongside
a small pier, within fifty yards of the railway carriages
that were waiting to take us to the foot of the Organ
Mountains. The whole fare for the journey to Petro
polis, a matter of more than five hours, was only eight
milreis, or about seventeen English shillings, including
the steamboat across the bay, the railway for about
twelve miles, and carriages for about two hours and a
half up the steep zig-zags of the mountains. The
guards and porters were chiefly negroes, and when one
of them called out ' All right ! ' in good English, we
rattled away for about half an hour ; this brought us
to the foot of the Serra, towering overhead in lofty
summits, the upper part of which was veiled in dark
clouds that promised us a damp reception. We were
soon transferred to small carriages, built low to diminish
the chances of an upset ; and, to prevent the passengers
from picking and choosing among the vehicles, each
man's ticket consigned him to a particular place. The
carriages were each drawn by four mules, almost the
universal propelling power in Brazil, and after a little
plunging and kicking we soon started up the winding
road at a jogging pace, which in spite of the steepness
was seldom allowed to reduce itself to a walk. Every
bend revealed some new beauty in the scenery ; magni
ficent trees were above us and below, and between
their huge trunks and marvellously green foliage we
enjoyed infinitely various views of the harbour of Rio,

226 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
which I had never half appreciated till the increased
elevation began to give me a worthy idea of its beauty
and extent. The vegetation astonished me, and I did
not know which to admire most, the stately trees with
their dark wide-spreading branches, the graceful fes
toons and clusters of palms and bamboos, or the
masses of ferns, lycopodiums, and brilliant flowers
which clustered round their feet, and drooped over the
road. All were new to me in their wild state, but
every moment showed me some fern or flower in which
I recognised an old hot-house friend. There was a
wonderful charm in climbing up a sort of St. Gotthard
pass with such gorgeous fringes instead of barren rocks.
About half-way up we stopped for five minutes at a
small roadside inn, to rest the mules, and let the
passengers enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of cana.
Then we climbed on again, higher and higher, and soon
got into the cloud which cooled the air with a light
drizzling mist. Just before we entered it, we had a
very remarkable view: under the black canopy which
hung over our heads like a pall, we looked down across
slope after slope of mountain and forest, all glowing in
brilliant sunshine, till the eye rested on the broad
silvery sheet of the harbour 2,000 feet below, and the
long line of purple mountains stretching out to the
Atlantic beyond it. Truly a < magnificent contrast of
light and shade ! As we reached the top of the Serra,

ARRIVAL AT PETROPOLIS. 227
the mist settled into a steady rain ; but the mules were
whipped into a lively gallop, and a few more miles over
a pretty level road brought us to Petropolis, where I
was deposited at the door of a clean-looking inn called
the Hotel Oriental, which I intended to make my head
quarters for some weeks.
Before entering into a more minute description of the
lovely district in which it was my good fortune to spend
some time, I wish to make a few general remarks on
Brazil which may perhaps afford some information to
those who have not visited it, and which may assist
them in understanding why it may be considered a
particularly delightful region to a traveller.
One of the most interesting works on the subject is
the joint production of Messrs. Kidder and Fletcher,
two American missionaries who have spent many years
in Brazil, and who have given the results of their
experience in a book which is as agreeable as it is
instructive.* To them I am indebted for many obser
vations which the shortness of my visit and the limited
extent of my Brazilian excursions rendered it impossible
that I should make for myself. One of these writers
speaks as follows : —
'Those whose Tropical experience has been in the
East Indies or on the West Coast of Africa can have no
* Brazil and the Brazilians, by Bev. D. P. Kidder, D.D., and Rev.
J. C. Fletcher, Philadelphia, 1857.
Q2

228 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
just conception of the delightful climate of the greater
part of Brazil. It would seem as if Providence had
designed this land for the residence of a great nation.
Nature has heaped up her bounties of every description :
cool breezes, lofty mountains, vast rivers, and plentiful
pluvial irrigation, are treasures far surpassing the
sparkling gems and rich minerals which abound within
the borders of this extended territory. No burning
sirocco wafts over this fair land to wither and desolate
it, and no vast desert, as in Africa, separates its fertile
provinces. That awful scourge, the earthquake — which
causes strong men to become weak as infants, and which
is constantly devastating the cities of Spanish America —
disturbs no dweller in this empire. While in a large
part of Mexico, and also on the western coast of South
America — from Copiapo to the fifth degree of south
latitude — rain has never been known to fall, Brazil is
refreshed by copious showers, and is endowed with
broad flowing rivers, cataracts, and sparkling streams.
The Amazon — or, as the aborigines term it, Para, " the
father of waters " — with his mighty branches, irrigates
a surface equal to two-thirds of Europe ; and the San
Francisco, the Parahiba do Sul, the vast affluents of the
La Plata, under the names of Parana, Paraguay, Cuiba,
Parahiba, and a hundred other streams of lesser note,
moisten the fertile soil and bear their tributes to the
ocean through the southern portions of the empire.
Let any one glance at the map of Brazil, and he will

ELEVATION OF BRAZIL. 229
instantly be convinced that this land is designed by
nature for the sustenance of millions.'
This moisture and fertility is supposed to be chiefly
caused by the trade-winds which sweep across the
Atlantic from the north-east and south-east, charged
with vapour that condenses against the lofty sides and
rarefied temperature of the Andes, to descend again to
the ocean in the shape of mighty rivers.
The author from whom I have already quoted re
marks that — ' No other tropical country is so generally
elevated as Brazil. Though there are no very lofty
mountains except upon its extreme western border, yet
the whole empire has an average elevation of more than
seven hundred feet above the level of the sea. This
great elevation and those strong trade-winds combine to
produce a climate much cooler and more healthful
than that of the corresponding latitudes of Africa and
Southern Asia. The traveller, the naturalist, the
merchant and the missionary, do not have their first
months of pleasure or usefulness thrown away, or their
constitutions impaired, by acclimatising fevers.
' The mean temperature of Brazil — which extends
from nearly the 5th degree of north latitude to the 33rd
degree of south latitude — is from 81° to 88° Fahrenheit
according to different seasons of the year. At Rio de
Janeiro, according to Dr. Dundas, the mean temperature
for thirty years was 73°. In December (which cor
responds to June in the northern hemisphere), maximum,

230 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
891°; minimum, 70°; mean, 79°. In July (the coldest
month), maximum, 79°; minimum, 66°; mean, 73|°.
I can add, from my own observations for several
years, that I never saw 90° attained in the summer
time, and the lowest in the winter (June, July, and
August), was 60°, and this was early in the morning.'
These figures are, no doubt, correct in the main ; but
when I passed through Rio, in January 1862, the
thermometer stood at 98° ; and a few days later, when
close to Bahia, the water which was brought up from
the sea for the morning's bath showed a temperature of
80°, according to the statement of the chief engineer.
The highest of these points, however, is not much
greater than may occasionally be found on a very hot
day in the south of Europe : what the European feels
most in a tropical climate is the steady continuance of
the heat, day and night, for weeks and months together.
Places near the coast get the benefit of the afternoon
sea-breeze, which is one of nature's most beautiful and
welcome instruments of compensation. The air on
land becomes so heated by the morning and mid-day
hours of an almost vertical sun, that it rises rapidlv,
and the cooler air rushing from the sea to supply its
place makes a breeze that brings fresh life and ani
mation to exhausted nature.
Over a great part of the interior of the country, the
very considerable elevation of the land which has been

HIGHLANDS OF BRAZIL. 231
mentioned already has a powerful effect in moderating
the intensity of the heat, and the hill-climate of 2,000
or 3,000 feet above the sea is generally delightful,
though it must be admitted that the pleasure of out-door
amusements is too often interfered with by excessive
rains. Under these circumstances, it is natural that the
highlands of Brazil should present unrivalled attractions
to a visitor. In a few hours he can transport himself
.from the city of Rio Janeiro to a region where moun
tains of fantastic shape, with magnificent forests, rapid
rivers, and the infinitely beautiful forms and colours of
tropical vegetation combine into scenes of unimagined
beauty, under a climate not too hot for their enjoyment.
History-writing certainly forms no part of my present
intention ; but I hardly like to say anything of so
interesting a country as Brazil without alluding briefly
to the circumstances which have led to a far greater
political prosperity than that of other South American
States, and mentioning a few curious matters connected
with the olden time.
Brazil may be said to have been born in disputes and
grown into tranquillity. To begin with, there was a
grand dispute in the year 1500 between Spain and
Portugal, each of whom claimed possession of the land
by right of discovery. It so happened that a Spanish
and a Portuguese explorer had landed on different parts

232 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
of the coast within less than three months of each
other, and the latter had fixed upon Vera Cruz for
the name of the country. The Pope had the cutting
or untying of this knot, and decided in favour of
Portugal. The next disagreement was about the name of the
country. When some of the earliest ships returned to
Europe, bringing home as the most valuable part of
their cargo the red dye-wood which before the discovery
of America had been called brasil-wood, on account of
its resemblance to brasas or coals of fire, the land
whence the new supplies came in such great abundance
was termed the ' land of the brasil-wood.' * This
appellation was shortened to Brasil, or Brazil, and com
pletely displaced the name of Vera Cruz. The change,
however, was not received unanimously. According to
Dr. Kidder, ' One of the reverendissimos declared that it
was through the express interposition of the devil that
such a choice and lovely land should be called Brazil,
instead of the pious cognomen given to it by Cabral.
Another, a devoted Jesuit, poured forth a jeremiad on
the subject, concluding with emphatically stating what
a shame it was that the cupidity of man by unworthy
traffic should change the wood of the cross, red with the
* I happened lately to find the following passage in Evelyn's Diary,
showing that the Dutch made criminals useful : ' Here (at Amsterdam)
we went to see the Rasp-house, where the lusty knaves are compelled to
worke, and the rasping of Brasill and Logwood is very hard labour.'

HUGUENOT EPISODE. 233
real blood of Christ, for that of another wood which
resembled it only in colour ! '
France next tried to establish herself on the new
continent. Rio Janeiro, then called San Sebastian, was
chosen in 1555 for the experiment of forming a colony,
which, under the support and patronage of the famous
Admiral Coligny, was to form a home for the persecuted
Huguenots. Three vessels started under the command
of Villegagnon ; and on arriving at Rio Janeiro, the
colonists were so well received by the native tribes,
who had already begun to detest the Portuguese, that
the French began to believe that the continent
would be their own, and they called it La France
Antarctique. This promising scheme was brought to an end by the
treachery of the leader, and France lost a good chance
of important possessions in the South. Thenceforth
Portugal held her own against all comers, and governed
the country by viceroys, upon a system of extreme
political, commercial, and religious intolerance. Spain
governed her colonies in the same way, both nations
looking upon these invaluable possessions as merely
mines wherein to dig wealth for the mother countries,
and taking every precaution to prevent the colonies
from raising or benefiting themselves. But the day of
reckoning came ; and a few years of struggling deprived
Spain and Portugal of the whole continent of South
America.

234 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Brazil differs from all the other colonies in the
immense advantage of having: established a constitu-
tional empire. The independence of the country
virtually dates from September 1822; Dom Pedro I.
was soon afterwards crowned as 'Constitutional Em
peror and Perpetual Defender of Brazil,' and an as
sembly of delegates was convoked from the provinces
to draw up a constitution. Ultimately the completion
of this task was entrusted to a commission of ten, who
drew up an admirable constitution, which was sworn to
by the Emperor, March 25, 1824, and which has ever
since been maintained to the great benefit and ad
vancement of Brazil in peace and civilisation.
The empire has been a great success, and de
servedly i o ; for the government being monarchical,
hereditary, constitutional, and representative, combines
all the elements which experience has shown to be
most conducive to the welfare of a state. Brazil has
been constantly progressing, while the Spanish Ame
rican colonies which exchanged the yoke of the old
country for republican government have been con
tinually distracted and torn to pieces by the intrigues
of politicians, and the violence of military adventurers.
Some of them are no doubt improving, and much may
be hoped for the future of Chili and La Plata, but
many valuable years have been lost.
Under a good system of government, with an honest
man at the head of it, no one need be surprised at

SUCCESS OF THE EMPIRE. 235
finding that the peace-loving people of Brazil have
made immense advances in all the elements of mate
rial prosperity. Europeans generally complain that the
Brazilian ideas of religion and morality do not alto
gether agree with their own standard; but we must
remember that Brazil is almost entirely between the
tropics ; and I fancy that, in spite of the opinion of
enthusiasts to the contrary, the world will some day
be compelled to acknowledge that religion and mo
rality are considerably tempered by geographical posi
tion. Dom Pedro I., the darling of the people, proved at
length a little too independent for them. In 1831
they called upon him, in a manner that was something
more than pressing, to dismiss the ministry which had
just been appointed, and to reinstate that which had
been disgraced. Dom Pedro, however constitutional he
may have been, did not forget that he was also an
Emperor, and very gallantly exclaimed, 'I will do
everything for the people, but nothing by the people.'
He who nearly ten years earlier had given to the
people of Brazil their favourite watchword of ' Inde
pendence or Death ! ' feeling himself in the right, now
declared that he would suffer death rather than submit to
the dictation of the mob. Though he was determined
not to yield to their demands, he was far from desiring
bloodshed ; whatever may have been his faults, he
acted at the critical moment like an honest gentleman,

236 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
and abdicated in favour of his son, rather than sacrifice
his own convictions.
Dom Pedro II., the present Emperor, succeeded to the
throne, and a long period of peace with foreign nations
has been accompanied by great prosperity and con
tinual progress. The Emperor himself is a man of
very high attainments, and gives every encouragement
to the advancement of science and art. He is a
distinguished historian and linguist, and holds wide
and liberal views for developing the wealth and im
portance of his vast country. English, French, and
German engineers have been carrying the skill and
experience of Europe across the Atlantic; admirable
roads, railways, and bridges testify to their success,
and are yearly adding to the commercial progress of
the empire.
The grand difficulty of Brazil is the labour question.
In abandoning the slave trade out of deference to the
prejudices of Europe, the Brazilians deprived them
selves of their usual supply, and they have found
it difficult to remedy the deficiency. I was told on
very good authority that the rich coffee proprietors
of the southern, and consequently cooler, parts of the
country, are constantly buying up at high prices slaves
who have been employed in the equatorial districts,
where it is much more difficult for white men to do any
hard work. The withdrawal of slaves from the regions
where they are most necessary, and where it is most

THE SLAVE-QUESTION. 237
difficult to find substitutes for them, must of course
produce a very serious derangement and deficiency in
the labour-market. It is notorious that free blacks
will not do more than just enough to earn a bare sub
sistence for themselves ; and white men cannot do
the work of sugar estates. In the more temperate
districts Europeans can and do thrive pretty well, but
the difficulty of procuring land deters the great mass
of emigrating whites from trying their fortunes in
Brazil. The government has tried many colonies of
Swiss and German labourers with very indifferent
success; the best of the land is in the possession of
large owners who will not part with it, and there is a
great tendency to deteriorate among white men, when
they are engaged in the same pursuits with slaves.
They learn fresh vices in addition to their own, and
are too apt to degenerate into the condition of their
companions; to become, in fact, nothing but white
slaves. In some cases the colonising experiment seems
to have been carried out with good effect upon a new
system, the credit of which is attributed by Kidder
and Fletcher to the intelligent mind of Sr. Vergueiro
of Ybecaba.
He conducts his immense coffee estates by means of
free labour, and has brought Swiss and Germans to dis
place the blacks. His plan, according to their authority,
is either to pay the emigrant's passage money before
hand, the emigrant agreeing to repay it afterwards,

238 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
or to let each man pay for himself. On arriving in
Brazil, the colonists are conveyed to the plantations
at the cost of the proprietor, who furnishes each head
of a family with a house and so many thousand coffee-
trees, according to the size of the family, and he agrees
to supply all with provisions and clothing at wholesale
prices. The expenses and profits of the plantation are
shared equally between the master on one side, and the
labourers on the other. Each man has, therefore, a
direct interest in the success of his labours, and these
gentlemen found the colony in a very thriving and
happy state, some of the colonists having already in five
years gained from 5,000 to 7,000 milreis, or rather
more than from 5001. to 7001. sterling. This is a model
estate, and if such a system is widely extended in Brazil,
there maybe an ample field for some of the superfluous
labour of Europe. The plan appears to be as satisfac
tory to the master as to the men, and in all probability
slavery will gradually die out in the cooler parts of the
empire. It remains to be seen, however, if free labour
can take the place of African slaves in the hottest work
of the Amazonian regions.
As far as the slaves themselves are concerned, few
men could visit Brazil without being convinced that in
all matters of material comfort they are, generally
speaking, better off than the lower orders of aoricul-
tural labourers in Europe. No one can look for a mo
ment at a party of them without seeing that they

COLONISTS VERSUS SLAVES. 239
have no cares : they are always merry and laughino-,
whether bustling about the streets as porters, or trying
to persuade you to patronise their boat. They
have great facilities for making money for them
selves, and purchasing their freedom if they desire it,
and the great ambition of a liberated negro is to have
slaves of his own. From all I could hear and see, they
are generally very well treated in their working days,
and when they get old or feeble they are not tormented
by the fear of the workhouse. An English gentleman
of large experience assured me that not only were the
slaves in Brazil in every way, morally and physically,
much better off than the free blacks of the West Indies ;
but that many of those who had actually bought their
freedom, and gone to Africa, were so disgusted with the
savagery of their native land, that they came back to
Brazil of their own accord to offer themselves again for
the service of their old masters.
Let not my reader imagine that I am going to drag
him into a discussion about the great question of
slavery. Nowadays it is the fashion for almost every
one who has not seen 'the institution' at work upon
its own soil, to pour out the strongest language at
his command in wholesale condemnation of slavery,
and all connected with it; but it is equally true that
almost every one who has ever visited a slave country
has felt himself compelled to hold the contrary opinion.
I have no intention to dogmatise about such a knotty

240

SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

point ; but I may venture to remark that we must
judge all things by comparison. Most people would
agree with poor Sambo that it is much better to be
compelled to carry coffee in Rio Janeiro than to assist
at a custom of the throat-cutting King of Dahomey.
He has a strong idea that a live donkey is better than a
dead lion.

241

CHAPTER XL
SCENERY OF THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
PETEOPOLIS— HEAD-QUARTERS WITH THE TUBE — A BEAZILIAN
GARDEN— THE PEESIDENCIA — FEENS AND LYCOPODIA— BAMBOOS,
OECHIDS, PALMS, AND BANANAS — BUENING FOEESTS — BIEDS
AND BUTTEEFLIES — CLIMBING ANTS — THE FALLS OF ITAMAEITY
— EAIN — FEOGS AND TOADS — FIEEFLIES — THE ALTO DO IMPE-
EADOR — MOUNTAINS AGAIN — BEWARE OF INSECTS — SNAKES —
A SEVERE REMEDY — CARAPATOS AND JIGGEES — YANKEE EX
PERIENCE.
T)ETROPOLIS is one of the most successful results
-^- of foreign emigration to Brazil, and a compa
ratively flourishing town now occupies the place of
a miserable little village called Corrego Secco. Don
Pedro I. obtained all the land in the neighbourhood,
with the view of establishing a German colony there,
and the present Emperor has carried out his father's
scheme. Being only six hours' journey from Rio,
and situated in a lovely position among the Organ
Mountains, Petropolis had very great advantages.
The Emperor has built a beautiful palace there, to
retire to in the hot season, and most of the foreign
ministers and fashionable Brazilians are very glad to
R

242 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
avail themselves of such a delightful situation; the
town is studded with good houses, and there is employ
ment for tradesmen and artisans of all countries and
of all sorts.
The town is about 2,500 feet above the level of
the sea, and is completely embosomed among moun
tains, which are covered with luxuriant forest, except
where the colonists have made way for their patches
of maize. From the centre of the town numberless
roads struggle away among the mountains in all direc
tions, dotted with houses, and cottages, and gardens,
till the verge of cultivation is reached, and the paths
lose themselves in impenetrable forests. One thing
which I have no doubt is very conducive to the salu
brity of Petropolis is a stream of running water, which
has been diverted into several channels so as to pass
through the principal thoroughfares. A road is carried
along both sides of it, crossing it at proper intervals,
over excellent bridges for carriages ; besides which,
others are provided for foot-passengers only. There
is a hospital, and schools which are doing good service
for the rising generation of Petropolitans ; some very
fair cafes and billiard-rooms are ready for the delecta
tion of idlers ; and Petropolis altogether may be, in
some respects, considered as a combination of happy
. valleys. The Hotel Oriental, my particular head-quarters,
- was an establishment both peculiar and polyglot. The

THE HOTEL OF THE TURK. 243
landlord was an elderly Turk, named Said Ali, who,
having accompanied a distinguished nobleman about
the world in the capacity of valet, had feathered his nest
thereby, and then settled down as proprietor of the
hotel. He was, and I hope is still, a right good fellow.
I certainly did not understand the languages of the
shining Orient, and my knowledge of Portuguese was,
to say the least, imperfect ; so I liked him all the better
when I found we could get on together in French,
which was tacitly agreed upon as our corresponding
medium. The only waiter was a Portuguese — quiet, and
by no means a genius ; but possessed of inexhaustible
good-humour, and a partial knowledge of the Freneh
tongue. The chambermaid was a bare-legged daughter
of Deutschland, great at scrubbing, and a most per
severing enemy of the dirt and insects which are too
commonly the pest of tropical countries. The fourth
and last element in the household was the 'boots;' a
young negro of unprepossessing exterior, but very
amiable disposition, who was always ready to make him
self useful upon the slightest provocation. I had been
told that the Turk rather objected than otherwise to
the incursions of visitors, because he felt bound to exert
himself in the department of cookery ; but that he felt
it was his 'kismet' to keep an hotel, and he kept it
accordingly. Whether his taking a personal fancy to
me, or the paucity of visitors at that season of the year,
made the endurance of his kismet more tolerable than
R 2

244 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
usual, I know not ; all I can say is, that everything was
done for me in a manner that ought to satisfy all but
the most unreasonable of men. If I got up earlier than
usual in the morning, I was sure to find Said Ali
smoking his cigar, and carefully pounding a beefsteak to
the maximum of tenderness, or skilfully manipulating a
fowl which had just been decapitated by the attendant
' boots.' His cooking was admirable ; and this circum
stance, added to pretty good powers of digestion, enabled
me at all times, and in the hottest weather, to enjoy
everything he put before me, and to leave the house
after a stay of several weeks without having had a
single hour of any kind of bodily discomfort. I had a
perfectly clean bedroom, with new furniture ; and close
by me was a very pretty public sitting-room, with a
pianoforte for those who understood the mysteries of
that instrument ; and though I was for the greater part
of the time the sole guest in the house, every Saturday
brought a few who, exhausted with the heat and bustle
of business at Rio, came up to enjoy their Sunday
among the cooler beauties of Petropolis.
At the back of the house was a small garden, with a
profusion of the lovely flowers of the country mixed
with others of a hardier race, most conspicuous among
which were the giant orange and red Gladioli which
are so popular in England, and which, whatever may
have been their original habitat, appear to arrive at
unusual perfection in the hill-gardens of Brazil. Close

HILL SCENERY. 245
behind this rose up a hill, the greater part of which was
still covered with noble trees, feathering palms, rich
clusters of bamboos festooning into natural bowers,
and tree-ferns in all the beauty of their bright green
fronds, 7 or 8 feet long. Underneath was a mass of
tangled ferns, creepers, and lycopodiums — all new to
the European, except those which he might have known
in hothouses at home, and so beautiful in their variety
of form and colour, that when I took my first morning-
climb up a zigzag path among them to a point which
overlooked the chief part of the town and the countless
hills of equal beauty around me, I almost felt glad that
my solitude prevented the disturbance of a charm which
was increased by silence.
After breakfast came my friend Mr. Malet, from the
British Legation, which he was occupying during the
absence of Mr. Christie, the minister, and away we went
for a walk, armed with the conventional umbrella, which
is almost indispensable in a country where it may be at
any time wanted as a defence against excessive sun or
rain. We followed one of the winding valleys for a
little while, and then took a branch road leading rather
steeply up among the hills. The view increased in
beauty and extent as every moment's ascent revealed
some new summit, delicately blue with distance, and
contrasting exquisitely with the rich colouring of the
nearer hills, which were separated from us by deep
glens of the forest stretching below towards Petropolis.

246 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
A turn in the road brought us to a large house called
the Presidencia, which, I believe, was for some time
kept by an Englishman, and used as a sanatorium.
Certainly it would not be easy to find a better situation
for one. The view from it was remarkable, even among
the host of beautiful objects round Petropolis ; the great
peculiarity of it being that the wooded hills on both
sides, fringed with palms and forest giants standing out
against the brilliant sky, approached each other very
nearly, and were only separated by a deep ravine which
became purple in the middle distance, while far above
it rose up range after range bathed with a glorious light,
in which at last they seemed to lose themselves. About
noon the heat was very considerable, in spite of our
elevation of about 3,000 feet above the sea ; and in an
attempt to sketch the scene under the shadow of our
umbrellas, we found that the colours dried almost as
fast as we could put them on the paper. In the course
of the ramble I began a collection of ferns and lycopo
diums, which were continually delighting my eyes and
arresting my progress.
One of my chief objects in going to Brazil, was to see
the tropical ferns in their wild state, and I never can
forget the intense enjoyment of realising my wish. I
had taken with me a large stock of botanical paper, and
made additions to my collection in every expedition
round Petropolis and other districts of the Organ Moun
tains. Sometimes I came home laden with a bundle of

BEAUTIFUL FERNS. 247
them large enough to make me look something like
Jack-in-the- Green, on the 1st of May. The natives
could not understand such extraordinary conduct, and
the honest Turk looked on with that placid bewilder
ment which prompted one of his countrymen to ask
why on earth Englishmen took the trouble to play at
cricket, instead of making somebody else do it for them !
It was a constant source of amusement to me ; but un
fortunately I found that the greater part of my treasures
were much too large for botanical paper, and I was
obliged to confine myself to the smaller species, or look
for very small specimens of the larger kinds. The tree-
ferns, when not more than 10 or 12 feet high, are
amongst the most lovely creations of the vegetable,
world : standing under one of them is like being covered
by a huge umbrella, consisting of drooping fronds, about
6 or 8 feet in length, of the most exquisite green that
can be conceived, and moulded into lace-like forms by
the delicate hand of nature. Many of them appeared
to be 30 feet high; but I thought that the great
length of stem took something off from the beauty of
their proportions. An infinite variety of smaller species
ornamented the ground, and seemed to fill up every
corner that was not already occupied by some more
powerful vegetable brother. Great clusters of the beau
tiful silver-fern were among the most common by the
roadside, and nearer the streams were frequent masses
of a fern which in size and general appearance resembled

248 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
our common bracken, or Pteris aquilvna, but whose
fronds proved to be divided more like the Osmunda
regalis. There were several Osmundacece of remark
ably graceful form, and others grew into such tangled
masses of branching fronds, that none but a fern-lover
would have distinguished them from the more ordinary
shrubs as he passed on his way.
Vast bowers were formed by the festooning bamboos ;
and winding about their feet, or drooping over a bank,
were creepers of various colours, chief among which
were the long-petaled scarlet passion-flower, and a mag
nificent ipomcea. Now and then came a tall fuschia,
20 or 30 feet high, contrasting its crimson blossoms
against the bright green background of bamboos ; and
again, a more than usually moist place was pink with
hundreds of begonias. High above rose the rustling
palms, and the hardwood monarchs of the forest spread
their dark green boughs across the sky to shade the
many-coloured orchids which clustered about their stems
or hung from their branches. Such were a few of the
beauties upon which I feasted my eyes among the
mountains of Petropolis.
I was very glad to find that the profusion of flowers
with which nature had blessed the country had not the
too common effect of making the people neglect them.
The better houses were for the most part ornamented
with pretty gardens, the hedges of which were made of
pink and white cluster-roses, so thick with blossom that-

BURNING THE FOREST. 249
it was difficult to see the leaves. The gardens of the
Emperor's palace and the chateau of the Baron Maua
were in a blaze of beauty; and even in the outskirts
of the town many of the poor German cottages were
surrounded with roses as well as bananas. I have seen
the pigs fattening themselves into a most desirable
rotundity upon wreaths and clusters that would have
been invaluable in a drawing-room. The orchids and
air-plants are brought by negroes from the forests, and
some of the inhabitants have beautiful collections of
them. The rarer kinds are, however, very expensive,
and the chief gardener in the place did not scruple to
ask from 51. to 10Z. sterling for a single plant.
It was a cruel sight to see the process of destroying
these lovely forests for the purpose of cultivating the
land. Sometimes in our rides or walks we were
warned by clouds of blinding smoke that we were
approaching the conflagration, and a sudden turn
round a corner displayed columns of fire destroying
all before them, while the German agents of destruc
tion screamed to one another through the clouds of
smoke, with voices that could scarcely be heard for
the roaring of the blaze and the bursting of canes and
bamboos. When the work was over, nothing would
remain but the blackened trunks of the largest trees :
the lovely palms and bamboos, and all the flowers of
the forest, had disappeared to make way for maize.
The gaunt trunks remain for a time, grimly mourning

250 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
over the departed glories, and then they fall, rotten
from the effects of the heat and moisture, soon to be
converted into vegetable mould. The terror of the law
ful inhabitants of the forest — birds and beasts, snakes
and insects, — may be imagined, and a regular stam
pede is the result.
A day or two after my arrival, Mr. Baillie, who was
always ready to fill up the intervals of his diplomatic
duties by walking, riding, and sketching, accompanied
us in a delightful excursion towards the falls of Da
rn arity. We followed the old Minas road for several
miles, and then turning sharply to the right, took a
very narrow footpath along the side of one of the
tributaries to the Parahiba. The river was bounding
merrily over its rocky bed with all the life and anima
tion of a Scotch salmon-stream, but with the inde
scribable advantage of tropical luxuriance as a setting
to the picture. The mountains all around were shining
with a perfect glory of warm light, and dark thickly-
leaved trees overhung the greater part of our path,
shading the masses of trailers and parasites which
drooped towards the laughing water, and met the
unnumbered ferns and flowers clustering on its banks.
Gorgeous butterflies, purple and red, fluttered among
the bushes, and the wild rattling note of the iniambu
resounded through the forests which mixed with the
granite rocks above us. Now and then the last wriggle
of a tail and a rustling over the dry leaves showed where

CLIMBING ANTS. 251
a snake was running away from the intruders ; and once
in this exquisite valley an iguana, the eatable lizard
of Brazil, apparently nearly four feet long, skimmed
across our path to hide himself in the jungle.
At last even the narrow path seemed to come to an
end, and we scrambled among some huge rocks which
stretched out into the middle of the river ; hence we
had a perfect view of the sunlit mountains in the
distance, while we sat under the shade of trees whose
overhanging boughs almost embraced across the rush
ing waters. A scarlet-blossomed creeper hung in
wreaths by our side, and the stem of the nearest tree
was ornamented with masses of a fern whose long
green fronds drooped gracefully for 4 or 5 feet from
the hollow in which they grew. I soon filled my
vasculum with specimens close round me, and then
amused myself by watching the movements of a colony
of ants. They must have had reasons of their own
for preferring the leaves of a particular tree, the
branches which overhung the river ; for a continuous
stream of them was descending by the long shoot of
a trailing plant which led from the upper boughs to
the neighbourhood of their own abode, each one laden
with a piece of leaf from the tree. They were evidently
aware that caution was required to pass this narrow
suspension-bridge hanging over the torrent ; and travel
ling as it were upon a single line of rails, they avoided
the risk of collision by only moving in one direction.

252 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The fresh ants ascended by another route ; and each
having cut off as large a piece of leaf as he could carry,
began the descent with great caution and apparent
safety over this perilous rope.
We were so enchanted with the beauty of this spot,
and my companions were so well occupied with sketch
ing, while I amused myself with hunting for ferns and
watching the ants, that we did not move till the ap
proach of evening warned us to turn our steps home
wards ; but a few days later Mr. Malet and I retraced
the path, and followed it up to the Falls, in the heart
of the Serra da Estrella. The name of Itamarity is
said to signify in the Guarani or Indian language,
' the rock which shines ; ' and the glittering appearance
of the rock between the two falls in the engraving,
caused by the trickling water, may have originated it.
The only way to see the Falls well from below was to force
a way through the ferns and bushes which guarded the
precipitous side of the river ; after which, by a narrow
winding track, we climbed to a point where the water
emerged from a darkly-shaded retreat in the forest, and
took the- upper plunge over a wall of granite. Between
this and the lower fall, a large and somewhat hollowed
shelf in the rock formed a basin in which the water
paused for a moment before taking a greater leap
into the gulf below. Above the upper fall it was
easy, by jumping from stone to stone, to cross the
stream, and return to Petropolis by another route.

THE CHORUS OF FROGS. 253
The weather had been excessively hot ; and, shut in
as we were by hills and forests, we had felt it more
than usually. In the evening, however, a thick mist
settled down upon the mountains, and was followed by
many hours of heavy rain. The rain in these high
lands is more frequent and enduring than down at Rio
Janeiro, and it is no uncommon thing to be shut up at
Petropolis or Theresopolis for several days together ;
but it does not appear that any part of Brazil suffers
from such continuous wet as that of the rainy season
in India. Generally speaking, through all the year
round, brilliant sunshine alternates pretty equally with
nourishing moisture; still it must be admitted that
one of the great drawbacks to travelling in Brazil is the
frequently excessive rain. All this luxuriant vegeta
tion must be fed upon something ; and though orchids,
air-plants, and epiphytes may boast that they can live
without earth, it is certain that they imbibe a mon
strous quantity of water. In soft dripping weather
the country roads become almost impassable, and my
favourite resource was to sit still and read Tennyson
or Longfellow ; but the studies of a novice in Brazil
on a wet evening are strangely interrupted .by the
extraordinary proceedings of frogs and toads of all sorts
and sizes, which testify their exuberant joy by the most
discordant noises. Croaking is no name for it. Some
of the milder and quieter kinds may perhaps be said to
croak, but these are soon silenced by another tribe,

254 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
whose name is Legion, grunting, snorting, and almost
shrieking like a railway train at full speed ; and when
they stop for want of breath, the ' wondrous song ' is
taken up by larger numbers of other detestable batra-
¦chyians, which keep up a frantic revel of rattling and
clattering such as I have never heard equalled, except
by an intoxicated chorus of May sweeps.
Some of the toads are enormous. In one of my
mountain rambles I suddenly spied a very beautiful
lycopodium growing in large quantities on a moist
bank, and, without looking at my feet, sprang across
the path to gather a specimen. I stumbled over some
thing very hard and immoveable, and nearly measured
my length in the mud ; but I seized the lycopodium,
and then turned round to look at the obstacle. It was
.a monstrous toad, nearly a foot long, with great yellow
pits round its spiteful eyes, and as ugly a brute as ever
I saw. He did not make the least attempt to move,
and seemed to be chuckling over the fact of nearly
upsetting a traveller. A friend of mine, however, told
me that he had been offered a still larger specimen as a
present, which he had declined to accept on the ground
of ferocity. He said it was as big as a hat, it opened
its mouth like an oyster, barked like a dog, and flew at
his legs ! A nice pet to keep in a strawberry-bed !
¦- But, if a wet night at Petropolis was not agreeable;,
>who shall describe the glories of a fine one? The
-balmy breath of nature reposing after her encounter

THE ALTO DO IMPERADOR. 255
with the sun : the moon rising behind the crest of a
palm-crowned hill ; the sky blazing with stars more
brilliant than in the - frigid north, and great Orion
saluting the Southern Cross through the ether ; the air
sparkling with swarms of fireflies, some skimming along
a hedge of roses,"some shooting downward, and others
darting upwards with their intermittent flashing light —
the remembrance of the whole is that of a ' thing of
beauty,' and a 'joy for ever.' The intermittent light of
the fireflies in motion on a dark night has a very peculiar
effect : it is often easy to trace the course of one of
them in the same direction by the bright flashes which
alternate with the few seconds of darkness in which the
insect has advanced some distance ; and I could not help
thinking now and then of the famous question raised by
Thomas Aquinas, as to whether an angel who wished to
go from one point to another is obliged to pass through
the intervening space.
A view which I imagine can hardly be equalled in
the whole world, is that from the Alto do Imperador,
to which Mr. Baillie escorted me. A walk of about
seven miles from Petropolis, among the winding moun
tain roads, ended with rather a sharp pull up a hill,
where the trees so completely overshadowed the way
that the effect of the heat was somewhat counteracted.
Suddenly, as we turned a corner and reached the
summit, the whole scene was before us, never to be
forgotten. Right down from our feet stretched endless

256 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
masses of forest, glowing with the lustre of mid-day
sun, and clothing the tops of the pyramidal mountains
below us. Beyond these were the long undulating
plains between the Serra and the water ; and then came
an almost complete panorama of the harbour of Rio,
with its narrow entrance from the Atlantic, nearly 40
miles from where we stood. A little white speck
marked the Fort, and the Sugar Loaf was diminished
into a blue molehill. On the right the sharp peak of
the Corcovado and the mountains of Tijuca looked
down upon the city, now indistinct in the distance; and
the long island of Gobernador stretched for miles across
the glassy waters of the bay. Memory and imagination
filled up the details of the glorious picture. Did I not
know that those distant spots upon the surface of the
mirror were islands most lovely to behold ? Had I not
sailed blissfully amongst them, peering into fairy-like
retreats among palms, and aloes, and bananas, as the
sweet sea-breeze made the water lap against the over
shadowed rocks? Had not the oars skimmed lightly
past the groves where —
' Slides the bird o'er lustrous woodland, droops the trailer from the
crag;
Droops the heavy-blossomed bower, hangs the heavy-fruited tree 
Summer isles of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of sea ? '
And did I not know that, in spite of all its seeming
smoothness, the sea was rolling its long swell through

T. Picken,lith Day & SmXi MliSto4e Qufien|
HARBOUR OF RIO JANEIRO FROM THE ALTO DO IMFEKADOR .

THE PATY D'ALFERES. 257
that gateway from the Atlantic, and bursting against
the cactus-covered hills.
A few days later we rode to the Paty d'Alferes, a
more distant point among the mountains, where the path,
winding steeply up through the forests, was suddenly
carried round the side of a precipice to an open place,
whence we saw range after range of hills, all purple and
gold, rising beyond the sea of forests at our very feet.
One side of the path was so precipitous, that the green
crests of the trees below were only on a level with our
eyes, temptingly displaying the rich flowers of the
orchids which hung upon their branches. On the other
side was a rising bank leading up to still higher
forests, and densely covered with ferns and flowers,
among which I found a very beautiful crimson
amaryllis, and a fern of which I never saw another
specimen in Brazil. I saw some enormous fuchsias in
the course of that day's ride, one of which could hardly
have been less than twenty-five or thirty feet high, and
immense quantities of passion-flowers in full blossom.
On our way home we were obliged to make our horses
push on as fast as they could through the smoke of a
blazing forest, which was doomed by civilisation and
the wants of man. To judge by our own sensations, I
should say that it must be cruelly hot and suffocating
work to the men engaged in it, and excessively alarm
ing to the snakes.
Such were our walks and rides about Petropolis. In

258 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
every direction some new charm was found, some new
and unexpected view was ready for the eye. In bad
weather the mountain roads became almost impassable,
and we were often forced by stress of mud to confine
ourselves to the house or to walk upon the main road,
which is macadamised. Generally, however, I contrived
to be out for a great part of the day. Half-past six or
seven o'clock was the usual hour for dinner, when,
thanks to the hospitality of my friends, I was not very
often alone. Generally speaking, I got through a little
reading and writing in my own room before going to
bed, but was never tempted by the coolness of the
night air to open my windows to the invasion of insects.
I had not forgotten a lesson which I heard some years
before from one of my relations who arrived at Rio
with his family and three or four English maidservants.
He took a house, and consigned the maids to a large
room in the upper part of it. Before midnight he was
aroused by fearful screams which proceeded from that
quarter of the house, and on opening the door of the
maids' room he found a scene of horror. With the
superstition common in their class, they resolved not to
sleep in the dark in a strange place ; and as they found
the heat very different from what they were accustomed
to at home, they went to bed with the windows open.
The lighted candles soon attracted all noxious things
that fly by night : mosquitos and other enemies of the
iiuman race took possession of the room, and stung the

KILL OR CURE. 259
poor girls almost into madness, while their pain was
raised to terror by the sight of tropical bats and
vampires careering about the room. Hinc illoz lacrymce.
Their master found them rushing frantically about, and
screaming violently, in their nightgowns.
I was very much afraid of snakes in my first rambles,
and kept a good look-out if I wandered among the
jungle ; but I afterwards found that they were not
nearly so numerous, or so dangerous as my ignorance
imagined, and I seldom saw anything but the latter end
of a fugitive. The coral-snake had been described to
me as poisonous; but the doctor in charge of the
hospital at Petropolis assured me that this is not the
case, and added that, out of the many accidents coming
under his care, the cases of serious snake-bites were
comparatively uncommon. He said, however, that a
species of rattlesnake — un serpent qui crepe — inflicted
a wound which generally proved fatal in half an hour.
It is said that some years ago a crotchet-monger asserted
that the horrible disease of elephantiasis, so common
among the negroes of Rio, could be cured by the bite
of a rattlesnake. A patient was discovered who found
life such a burden from this disease that he had no
objection to a 'kill or. cure' remedy. A cage was
brought with the snake, and the man's arm was exposed
to the bite: the snake seemed rather to shrink from
him, but at last delivered his bite in the little finger.
s 2

260 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The disease apparently retarded the effect of the venom,
but the man died within twenty-four hours.
The enemies most to be dreaded in reality are those
which escape notice by reason of their small size. The
tick, or carapato, and the jigger (a corruption, I suppose,
of chigo), are plagues indeed. Carapatos frequent the
low brushwood, but on the first opportunity exchange
that habitation for the human skin. Getting into a
snug corner, the loathsome beast buries its head under
the cuticle, and his body grows fat upon your misery.
It is a difficult task to eradicate him ; and if the least
bit is left behind, it produces a serious sore.
Jiggers appear to be even worse ; but fortunately, by
taking great care of my feet, I escaped their attacks.
They generally insinuate themselves under the toe-nail,
or into other parts of the foot, and, burying themselves
entirely under the skin, deposit a little sae of eggs in
the cavity which they have made. A bad wound is soon
formed in hot countries, and it is no uncommon thing
for the loss of toes to follow the attack of this minute
tormentor. Negroes are peculiarly skilful in the deli
cate operation of extracting them ; and as the Africans
have the credit of having originally introduced them
into the western world, their experience no doubt is
very ancient. They suffer terribly from this cause ; and
when a banjo-bearing darkie sings
' Rose ! Eose, coal-black Rose !
I wish I may he jiggered if I do n't love Rose,'

CARAPATOS AND JIGGERS. 261
you may depend upon it that he speaks feelingly, and
means to invoke a heavy malediction on his feet.
A very amusing Yankee, with whom I afterwards
travelled from Rio Janeiro, gave me a graphic and
characteristic account of his sufferings in this way.
' By the bye,' said he, ' have you had jiggers ? '
' I 'm happy to say I have not,' was my reply.
' Well, I guess I have. One day I felt something
itching like fits under my great toe, and I could n't see
what on earth was the matter, but I scratched away
when I could get a chance. Next day it got a deal
worse, and I found that scratching did no good ; so I
sent for the doctor. "You've got jiggers," said he,
" and bad ones too." So he brought out his knife, and
whittled away at my toe till there was precious little
left but the bone, I can tell you, sir ; and that 's a fact.'
They are an abominable nuisance, and I always took
particular care not to move with bare feet, if I could
avoid doing so.

262 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER XII.
VISIT TO THERESOPOLIS.
STAET FOE THEEESOPOLIS— WALLETS AND HOLSTEES— BOOTS AND
UMBEELLAS — ALOES, ABAUCAEIAS, AND DATUBAS — CORBEA —
GIGANTIC FIG-TEEE— MULES AND COFFEE— A MOUNTAIN-STREAM
AND ELOWEES — THE CASTOE-OIL TEEE — A HOESE BREAKS DOWN —
SUMMIT OF THE PASS AMONG THE OEGAN MOUNTAINS — THE
SHADE OF THE FOEEST — STUCK IN THE MUD — ENGLISH BEEE —
HOSPITABLE EEOEPTION — THE OEGAN PEAES — THE CABEZA DEL
, EEATLE — HEIGHT OF THE OEGANS — ' JOLLY HEATH '— GUIDE,
PHILOSOPHEE, AND PEIEND — ACTING CHAEADES — A MOTLEY
AUDIENCE— THE EETUEN— A EOUGH LUNCHEON— A WET GALLOP
BACK TO PETEOPOLIS.
AFTER a day or two of very heavy rain, the north
wind came one evening to our assistance, and
blew away the clouds to sea. I and my friend Mr. Malet
had been kindly furnished by Mr. Tupper, of Rio, with a
letter of introduction to his wife and family, who were
residing at his fazenda, or country establishment, at
Theresopolis, close to the highest peaks of the Organ
Mountains, the distant view of whose curious forms
had often struck me with astonishment. We were very
anxious to avail ourselves of such a pleasant oppor
tunity of seeing that part of the country, and we;

START FOR THE MOUNTAINS. 263
thought the change of weather favourable for an imme
diate start.
The usual way of reaching Theresopolis is by a
steamer across the harbour, and then by a somewhat
rough road up the mountains. We did not, however,
wish to descend to the level of the sea, unless it were
absolutely necessary; and having heard of a path by
which we could reach our destination in a long day's
work, without leaving the mountains and forests, we
determined to go by this overland route. The grand
difficulty was to find the way, which did not seem to be
known to many of the inhabitants, and we had to send
eight miles for a man who was warranted to be a good
and trustworthy guide. This involved the loss of a
day; but on the 16th of October the weather was still
finer than the day before, and we were in high spirits at
the prospect of our expedition. At six o'clock in the
morning I breakfasted with Mr. Malet at the Legation ;
the guide came up with three horses and two dogs, and
we soon completed our preparations. Mr. Malet had
an admirable set of wallets and holsters made by Peat,
of Bond Street, and our saddles had been fitted so
as to receive them. Each wallet carried a change of
clothes, and was fastened at the back of the saddle ;
and the holsters, containing spare boots, with a revolver
and a flask, were adjusted in the usual fashion. The
guide had to carry a sketch-book, a bottle of sherry,
and some light refreshments, as we knew we should

264 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
have no chance of getting anything else to eat till we
arrived at Theresopolis.
We wore long buff riding-boots, fitting loose above
the knee, and very thin light-coloured ponchos, which,
with their fringe and border of red, blue, or green, are
picturesque as well as comfortable. Umbrellas are
indispensable in Brazil, and, by way of economising
implements, we determined to make them also do duty
as whips. About seven o'clock we fairly started ; the
dogs barked for joy, the guide looked resigned, and
none of the party, except the horses, could have
dreamed of anything but a pleasant expedition. We
filed slowly out of the town, and, passing the beautiful
rose-hedges of the Baron Maua, we followed the new
road towards the province of Minas Geraes. Close to
our side was a small but rapid river, tumbling merrily
over its rocky bed, and sometimes hiding itself under
the overhanging mass of trees and flowers. About two
miles from Petropolis a sudden turn in the road showed
us in the distance some of the mountain group towards
which we were bound, and the river banks formed an
admirable foreground to the picture. Sloping down to
the river on our right, now some hundred feet distant,
the ground was covered with characteristic vegetation.
Huge araucarias, most truly named puzzle-monkeys,
raised their dark heads and stiff-looking branches to
the height of apparently sixty or seventy feet ; clusters
of aloes fringed the road with their lofty candelabra-

AN IMMENSE TREE. 265
like spikes of flower ; and the river below was overhung
by masses of datura, filling the air with the sweetness
of their long white bells.
A few miles further we left the macadamised road,
and crossed the river at Correa. Here are a few stores
and immense ranchos, or stabling-sheds, for the mules,
which make this one of their halting-places in the
journey to and from the mines and plantations. Close
to the bridge was a noble clump of trees ; the trunk of
one of them was enormous, and at a height of about
sixty feet from the ground it was ornamented by a fine
orchid of very unusual size. A considerable part of the
open space near the ranchos was completely shaded by
a celebrated wild fig-tree, the branches of which are
said to extend to a circumference of four hundred and
eighty feet. This, for a single tree, was a tolerable
approach to the 'boundless contiguity of shade' so
ardently desired by the desponding Cowper.
We were now on the old Minas road, and the change
from the new-fashioned Brazil to the old was remark
able. In place of the admirable Macadam, which I
shall have to say more of hereafter, we had for the
rest of the day to deal with the lumpy ground and
quagmires of that ferruginous soil which makes the
worst of roads, though it is eminently well adapted
for sbowing off the green glories of the vegetable
world. It was cut into deep narrow tracks by the
troops of mules continually passing in their wonted

266 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
fashion, and we met multitudes of them coming down
laden with the treasures of the interior. Each is
furnished with a substantial packsaddle, peaked like
the roof of a barn : their heavy loads of coffee are
piled upon this in bags, and drawn together by a rope
of hide, tightly twisted with a stick which is used like
a tourniquet. They march in Indian file, following
their leader, turning when he turns, or crossing the
road when, for reasons best known to himself, he chooses
to do so. They insist upon going their own way,
and if a traveller in the opposite direction attempts
to divert them from their course, he will very likely
throw the whole troop into inextricable confusion.
Some will break away from the road, and get entangled
in the bushes, and others will stop in a sulky fit and
roll with their burdens on the ground, in which case
they often have to be unloaded before they can get up
again. We had followed this road for about an hour among
a charming variety of beautiful scenery, when our guide
suddenly turned up a narrow pathway to the right,
and started us upon a track which none but a man
who was thoroughly acquainted with the country would
have thought of following. Sometimes it was so
narrow that a horse could scarcely pass between the
tall bamboos and creepers that interlaced over our
heads ; sometimes we dived into deep glens with
difficult streams at the bottom, and narrow foot-bridces

A FLOWERY BANK. 267
so rotten that we were obliged to dismount and drag
our horses over them. Then would come a heavy
up-hill pull over a path slippery with moisture collected
under the dense shade of an overhanging forest ; and
presently we emerged upon the side of a steep moun
tain, round which the narrow winding path led us
between ferns and bamboos and scarlet passion-flowers,
giving us occasionally a 'splendid view of forest-covered
hills before us and around.
The heat became excessive, and on coming to a
stream my horse made up his mind to. drink with a
determination not to be resisted. The water was clear
as crystal, and rippled over a pebbly bed like a Cumber
land trout-stream. A huge tree with giant arums
clinging to its stem shaded the ford : close on my
left was one of the largest daturas I had seen, not
less than ten or twelve feet high, with its long white
trumpet flowers drooping towards the water, by the
side of a passion-flower, hanging in festoons from a
group of the freshest bamboos. No enjoyment that
my horse may have derived from the water could have
equalled my own as I dropped the bridle and took my
fill of gazing at that lovely spot. Then I pushed up
the steep bank and rejoined my companion. At about
half-past eleven we came to a lonely deserted hut,
where we determined to halt for a while and enjoy
our luncheon. We tied up our horses to a castor-oil
tree, and left them to bury their heads in the shade of

268 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
its broad leaves whilst we made the most of a light
repast, and followed it up with the pipe of tran
quillity. Half an hour later we extricated our unwilling steeds
from their castor-oil umbrella, and mounted at noon
under an almost vertical sun. Before us were two lofty
mountains connected by a magnificent saddle, or col, as
my Alpine brethren would call it ; and, though my
knowledge of Portuguese was not enough to enable me
to hold much conversation with our rather stolid guide,
I soon discovered that our path lay over it. He led the
way with perfect confidence on his small horse, and I
brought up the rear as we began a very steep ascent,
which wound round the side of a tolerably steep moun
tain. The path was very slippery from the late rains,
and not much wider than a sheep-track; I was the
heaviest of the party, and my horse, not being the
strongest, soon began to show symptoms of distress.
Several times I pulled him up when nearly on his
nose ; but at length he seemed determined to carry me
no higher. He flung out all his legs at once, and
dropped on his belly in the miry path. I had nothing
to do but to extricate myself quickly, for fear of being
rolled down the steep side into the jaws of a possible
ounce or the folds of a boa-constrictor. The beast
picked himself up, but mounting him again was impos
sible in such a narrow path, with a steep slope on each
side of me. I yielded to my destiny, and, seizing the

A GRANITE MOUNTAIN. 269
bridle, began towing him up the pass, in the hope of
finding some more convenient locality. It was not to
be done, however. The track became narrower and
narrower, steeper and steeper ; and masses of bamboos
and a thousand plants closed upon it so completely that
it was sometimes difficult to force a way. Moreover,
the brute displayed an unconquerable passion for eating
the bright green leaves of the bamboos, and half my
strength was exhausted in tugging at him. The dense
jungle shut out every particle of the light breeze, and I
never felt the effects of heat so intensely as in the hour
which elapsed before I got to the summit of the pass.
My companions had kept their saddles ; but we were all
rather done, and let our horses eat what they liked while
we threw ourselves upon a bed of ferns and again en
joyed the blissful weed.
We were in a position which commanded the whole
of the surrounding scene. We looked backwards over a
great part of our morning's work, and forwards to a
new view of surpassing beauty, through which we were
to pass to our evening's rest. On our right rose a huge
truncated cone of bare granite, in one clear unbroken
precipice, smoothly rounded like the roches moutonnees
of the glacier-world, seemingly more than a thousand
feet higher than our own position, which I suppose to
have been not less than four thousand feet above the
sea, though we had no means for taking accurate obser
vations. I had never seen anything so marvellous in

270 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
its way as this mass of rock, and the singularity of its
appearance was increased by thousands of huge yucca
like epiphytes, which clung to every cleft around its
base. Its bare grey head soared into the blue sky
under a sun which seemed hot enough to split it.
In the descent we were all obliged to lead our horses
for three-quarters of an hour, and a difficult task it
was. At one moment it was impossible to tear them'
away from the fascinations of a delicate bamboo, at
another there was a long glissade in wet clay, and at a
third the difficulty was to make them jump down a steep
rock without falling on our heads. At last all these
difficulties were passed, and after halting for a few
minutes on a lovely little knoll, we girthed up all fast
and mounted again.
A few miles further, on turning round, we had a
wonderfully fine view of the pass which we had crossed,
and of the extraordinary mountain which towered above
it to a greater height than we had imagined. As the
afternoon advanced, and still not a cloud appeared, the
whole air glowed with light and warmth. A hazy
golden lustre enveloped earth and air, mountain and
forest, with a beauty that seemed not of this world, but
the work of an enchanter. For some time we had
fancied that we saw the highest peaks of the Organs
rising through the luminous atmosphere; but at
another bend in our course we were undeceived by the
reality. A much higher chain came into view, tower-

STUCK IN THE MUD. 271
ing above the rest, and we knew that we now were not
very far from our destination.
Having been grilling in the sun for several hours,
and almost dazzled with the splendour of the scenery,
we could hardly be sorry when we dived once more into
the recesses of a dense forest. The path descended
steadily, and the difference of elevation was soon marked
by the enormous size of the bamboos, eighty or a hun
dred feet high, instead of the dwarfed specimens in the
upper regions of our journey. The ferns in this moist
shade were more luxuriant than I had elsewhere seen
them, and I observed many species which I had never
met with on the Petropolis side of the mountains. As
we approached the Theresopolis road, which we knew was
not far below us, the path became worse than could be
easily imagined. Some people were employed in
cutting timber, which was being dragged down by
bullocks. These animals had poached up the soft wet
soil till the way was impassable, and then an attempt
had been made to mend it by laying down short
timbers, like railway sleepers, to form a corduroy road.
The bamboos were so thick and close on both sides
that it was impossible to get out of the path, and the
horses' legs sank deeper and deeper between the
timbers. At a point where the jungle was a little
thinner, I forced my beast into it, but was soon com
pelled to return, and presently he sank up to his belly
in a filthy mud-hole. I thought I should never get

272 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
him out again, and in his struggles I had the greatest
difficulty in keeping my seat. To dismount, however,
was to put myself into a hopeless mess ; so I held on by
my knees, and by dint of kicking, shouting, and en
couraging with the point of my umbrella, I forced him
to a final effort, which brought us out pretty well covered
with mud. My companions were not much cleaner,
and we found a lively amusement in laughing at each
other. Soon after this our troubles were over, and at about
half-past four we found ourselves upon a tolerable road
with a clear stream running by the side of it. Our
first care was to march the horses into the water, so as to
wash them and our boots at the same time. The guide
ascertained from a passer-by that we must turn to the
right to reach the fazenda ; but we rode about a league
in that direction without seeing more than a few small
scattered habitations. We were getting rather dis
gusted, when we arrived at a small imitation of an inn ;
a woman came to, the door, but our limited knowledge
of Portuguese prevented a good understanding, until it
occurred to me to try her with German, which, from the
number of Swiss and German colonists in Brazil, is
more often useful than any other foreign language.
The old lady was highly pleased, and told us that she
came from near Strasbourg, and her husband was a
Frenchman. Summoned by her he appeared, and, find
ing we were Englishmen, he at once began speaking in

GRATITUDE TO BASS. 273
our native tongue : he was rather drunk, but assured
us that many years ago he had been a French cook on
board an English man-of-war. We had a polyglot
conversation while a few bottles of good English beer
were produced. Our day's work had been a very fair
one for a hot climate ; and if the beneficent Bass could
have known how our thirsty throats were at that
moment doing honour to his production, I think it
would have rejoiced his heart. The worship of Bass
and Allsopp is a very popular cult in Brazil, and even
in lonely places it is by no means uncommon to find
Cerveja Inglesa.
We found that Mr. Tupper's fazenda was hardly half
a mile farther, and about half-past five we rode up to
the house in such a dirty condition, that we almost
hesitated before presenting ourselves as perfect strangers
to the lady of the house. I soon found that I had
under-estimated South American hospitality. We were
received most kindly, and assured by our hostess that we
had been expected for several days. Negroes were ready
in abundance to carry off our horses and our guide to
proper quarters ; and a good-natured negro woman, who
introduced us to our rooms, was very particular in re
peating that if we wanted anything we were to be sure
to ask for Florence, the fair name of this sable beauty.
As soon as we had got rid of our muddy garments,
dinner was ready, and never was that meal more
thoroughly appreciated than it was by ourselves after
T

274 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
our long ride. We passed a delightful evening ; and as
the stars with marvellous brilliancy lighted up the faint
outlines of the Organ peaks, and the fireflies danced
among the palm-trees, we turned into our beds well
disposed for a sleep.
The house consisted, as is usual in Brazil, of several
buildings ranged round the garden. The main block
contained the principal sitting-rooms and bed-rooms,
and close by the side was another, which was appro
priated to ourselves. Next came a large room, called the
billiard-room, containing a billiard-table, a pianoforte,
and a library; and various other tenements were in
tended for servants, negroes, and stables. The lovely
Florence had made all things comfortable in our rooms,
and we slept without need of rocking.
In the morning we had a good opportunity of looking
at all around us, and as far as natural beauty was con
cerned, we might say —
' And oh ! if there is an Elysium on earth, it is this.'
The garden ended in a deep glen, through which a
shady path led among rocks and natural bowers down
to a bath made in the hollow of a clear stream and
overhung by luxuriant vegetation. The rocks were
covered with masses of ferns and flowers, and here and
there were magnificent bunches of the crimson strelitzia.
To the left of the glen was a hill covered with palms
and forest, and on the right rose up the granite preci-

T. Pickea, Hth. Day&SaivLiJHstoilieQueHL.
ORGAN PEAKS FROM THERESOPOLIS.

CABEZA DEL FRAYLE. 275
pices of the Organ peaks, separated from us by several
miles of forest stretching upwards to the base of the
highest rocks. It will be seen by the accompanying
illustration that the form of these peaks is very
singular, the most remarkable being the second from
the left. It is called the Cabeza del Frayle, or Monk's
head, from the likeness to a long draped figure, with a
stooping head, formed by what appears to be a detached
block on the very summit. How or why that ancient
granite grew into so strange a shape must remain a
mystery : at all events no man is likely to climb the
peak and examine it for himself. If the hardiest of
my Alpine friends succeeds in reaching the crest of
the Matterhorn, let him not despair of finding fresh
difficulties to master. I confidently recommend him
to go to Brazil, and find out how the Monk's head is
fastened upon his shoulders.
A little farther to the left, but in such a position that
I could not introduce it into a sketch with the other
peaks, is the Finger mountain — an extraordinary pillar
of granite, exactly in the proportions of a human finger,
rising vertically to a vast height above the surrounding
forest, and seeming, like the finger of Time, to hold
out a cold grey menace to the beautiful world. The
fantastic forms of this group, when seen from Rio,
reminded its first visitors of the pipes of an organ,
and gained for the whole range the name of Organ
Mountains. T 2

276 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Though the most remarkable in form, they are not,
however, so high as some of the summits a little to the
east of them. Dr. Gardner, the botanist, after much
labour, succeeded on his second attempt in reaching
the highest top, where, with the thermometer at 64° in
the shade at noon, he found water boil at 198°, and
thence estimated the height of the mountain to be
7,800 feet above the sea. The rule of Professor Forbes
is, that each degree of diminution in the boiling-point
of water corresponds to about 550 feet of elevation ;
and if we multiply 550 by 14 — the difference between
198 and 212 — the result is 7,700 feet, or very nearly
the same as that of the Doctor's observation. It must
not be imagined, however, that the difficulty of climbing
up such tropical mountains is in any way proportioned
to their comparatively small height. Many of us who
have enjoyed the ascent of Mont Blanc and Monte
Rosa would be exhausted by the task of cutting and
forcing a way, for days together, through dense jungle
and pathless forests, climbing in the stifling tempera
ture of a hothouse, and lucky now and then to come
upon the track of a tapir leading in the right direction.
For my own part, I never suffered any serious incon
venience from the heat of the sun, provided there
was a sufficient amount of open air; but whenever I
wandered away from paths to look for a fern or a
flower in the thick jungle, I found the close heat very
oppressive.

' JOLLY HEATH.' 277
The day after our arrival we found a supply of horses
ready, and started with the two daughters of our hostess
and their governess for a delightful ride among the
mountains on the other side of Theresopolis. On our
way we paid a visit to Mr. Heath, an Englishman, who
is one of the chief notabilities in the place. He is the
son of a Kentish farmer, but has been nearly forty-five
years in Brazil without once leaving it, and seems as
hearty and flourishing as if he had remained on the
paternal acres. For a long time he kept a boarding-
house at Constancia, not far from his present quarters,
where, by his good arrangements and many excellent
qualities, he seems to have fairly earned his soubriquet
of ' Jolly Heath.' He has long been the Nimrod of
the neighbourhood, and has slain innumerable ounces,
tapirs, and other animals. He accompanied Dr. Gardner
in many of his expeditions, including the ascent which
I have just mentioned, and always has the greatest
pleasure in doing the honours of Theresopolis to a
stranger. We were fortunate enough to find him at home ; and,
after showing us his house, he took us into the garden,
of which he is justly proud. Three years ago the land
had been covered with virgin forest, and now here was
a large garden in perfect order. Geraniums and roses,
violets and heliotropes, fuchsias and lilies, camellias and
Cape jasmines, flourished in company with the flowers
of the country. The elevation of Theresopolis above the

278 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
sea is about 3,000 feet, which enabled many of the
European fruits and vegetables to grow to perfection ;
and peas, beans, cauliflowers, and strawberries, were
especially flourishing. Mr. Heath's gardeners were
negro women, who, as he said, worked remarkably well,
and took a real interest in the results of their labour.
He gave the young ladies a magnificent bouquet in a
basket, which was consigned to the care of their servant,
and he showed me, with great delight, a copy of Kidder
and Fletcher's book, in which he is very pleasantly
remembered. He appears to be the general confidant
and counsellor of the neighbourhood, and doctor besides,
being thoroughly acquainted with local complaints, and
specially skillful with snake-bites. Could we have
stayed longer, and had a continuance of fine weather,
we should have seen more of that excellent fellow,
- Jolly Heath,' and perhaps have had the benefit of his
guidance in some new mountaineering expedition.
That day's ride, the merry party, and the splendid
view of the mountains, were things to be remembered
as sunny spots in an existence ; but after a short walk
next morning the weather changed, and we had an
uninterrupted deluge of rain for thirty-six hours, during
which it was impossible for anything except amphibious
animals to enjoy themselves out of doors. We were,
however, by no means dull : the whole party adjourned
to the billiard-room, and spent the day with music,
billiards, reading Dickens aloud, and reviving half the

BOX OF COSTUMES. 279
games of the old country. In the evening, a grand
discovery was made. Mr. Tupper, during the Crimean
war, had made a journey to Europe to see Sebastopol,
Constantinople, and Greece, whence he had brought a
huge chest full of national costumes. These were dis
interred. I was soon dressed in a burnouse and a
huge turban, Mr. Malet was arrayed in the stiffly-folded
petticoat and jacket of a Greek officer, and the two
young ladies were brilliant in scarlet velvet jackets with
gold lace and sundry ornaments. One of the rooms was
turned into a theatre, and the greater part of the estab
lishment, negroes and all, were admitted as audience
and spectators, while we performed various charades to
their infinite delight and astonishment. It was a treat
to see the faces of dark Florence and her brethren.
We should have found it difficult to tear ourselves away
from the lovely Theresopolis and the cordial hospitality
of our kind friends ; but business sternly intervened.
My companion was obliged to return to Petropolis, and
do his share in preparing the despatches for the French
mail ; and one fine morning, about seven o'clock, our
guide, with the three horses and the two bridled dogs,
which had been fattening on good cheer, presented
himself at the door. There was nothing left for us
but to bid an unwilling adieu, and we started home
wards, not without being loaded with good things for
our march.
We returned by our former route, and the weather

280 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
seemed very promising ; but we expected that the late
heavy rains would make the road even more difficult
than before. In this foreboding we were agreeably
disappointed ; for the country is so mountainous, that
the water had soon passed off, and carried a great deal
of the hateful mud along with it. At a lonely fazenda
among the mountains a man was standing looking at
us, who, to our great surprise, proved to be an English
man. He had very seldom seen a countryman passing
that way ; and when we told him we were going to
Petropolis, he said that the weather was changing, and
we should have a rough time of it over the mountains.
Unfortunately he was right. When we arrived at the
foot of the high pass, the air was filling with a driving
Scotch mist, which soon settled into steady rain. We
were obliged to lead our horses all the way up, and the
path was detestably steep and slippery. It was hard
work ; and our boots, which were intended for sun rather
than rain, were soon wet through. We descended the
other side with very cautious steps, and were sufficiently
cold and miserable when we arrived at our haltinc-
place in the middle of the journey. We did justice to
the ample luncheon which had been sent with us, and
shared it with a negro, who was so wretched and
deserted that I concluded he had lost his master.
We fortunately had a little brandy, which in some
measure counteracted the evil effects of wet and cold,
as we rode for the next two or three hours, generally at

RETURN TO PETROPOLIS. 281
a foot-pace, on account of the slippery state of the steep
paths. At last we joined the main road again at Correa,
and, with the hope of getting a little warmth into our
feet and legs, we galloped over the remaining four or
five miles as fast as we could make the horses go under
the combined influences of persuasion and umbrella-
points. Soon after five in the evening we reached the abode
of the friendly Turk at Petropolis, wet through and
covered with mud — a spectacle for London friends to
gibe and sneer at. This state of things was, however,
soon remedied, and we dined together in the best of
spirits, and in a high state of satisfaction with our suc
cessful expedition.
As a matter of finance, and for the benefit of those
who may be fortunate enough to follow in our steps,
I may state that each of the horses cost us six milreis,
about thirteen English shillings, and the guide three
milreis, for each day of our absence. Our joint daily
expense was thus twenty-one milreis, or rather more
than two guineas. Of course, anyone who might wish
to make a very long journey in the interior, or to stay
in the country for a considerable time, would buy
horses or mules, instead of hiring them ; but the latter
is the pleasantest and least troublesome process if
animals are only wanted for occasional expeditions.

282 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER XIII.
EXPEDITION TO JUIZ DA FORA.
DEYING FERNS — BEAUTIFUL BIRDS — JOURNEY TO JUIZ DA EORA
— A FINE BRAZILIAN ROAD — SWISS PASTOE — THE CONDUCTEUE
— MACADAM IN BEAZIL— ECCENTRICITIES OF THE MULES— UN
HAPPY STONEBEEAKERS — LIFTING THE VEIL — GERMAN TOUGH
NESS—THE HALF-WAY HOUSE — VIRGIN FORESTS — COFFEE PLAN
TATIONS—TRAINS OF MULE-CARTS— KEEP THEM STRAIGHT —
DISASTER OF A COUNTRY GENTLEMAN — MR. WELLEE ABROAD —
ANACONDAS — A NEGEO GENTLEMAN — FIREFLIES AND MUSIC —
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS — CHANGES OF TEMPEEATUEE — FAREWELL
TO THE TURK — START AGAIN FOR BUENOS AYRES.
THE next week or ten days were spent at Petropolis,
with a very good share of fine weather, during
which we had several new walking and riding expedi
tions, and I again visited the Presidencia and the Falls of
Itamarity. Sometimes we made up a party of three or
four, and sometimes I wandered about by myself with
the tin case which always came home full of ferns. In
such a moist climate the process of drying plants is
troublesome, and I was constantly obliged to steal an
hour or two on the hottest days to change all the
papers, and bake them thoroughly in the sun. Every
one has heard of the brilliancy of the Brazilian birds,

SINGING BIRDS. 283
but I was agreeably surprised to find that some of them
were very tolerable songsters. Besides the harsh screams
of toucans and parrots and the wild rattling of the
iniambu, it was not at all uncommon in remote places
to hear notes not much inferior to those of a thrush.
Outside show is, however, their prevalent characteristic :
some were of pure red, and occasionally I saw one of
the colour of the most brilliant emerald flashing
through the air.
I had settled so comfortably into my quarters with
Said Ali, and was so delighted with the infinite variety
and beauty of the surrounding country, that I was in
no hurry for the next change. Having been, however,
strongly advised to travel by the new road to Juiz da
Fora, in the province of Minas Geraes, I determined
to do so on the first favourable opportunity. An
other burst of bad weather detained me for a couple of
days, during which it was almost impossible to move
from the house. The ordinary roads are composed of the
red earth which lies below the vegetable soil, and their
state after a few hours' rain is filthy in the extreme.
The Brazilians are fully aware of the vast importance of
making better roads, Dot only for the comfort of travel
ling, but also for the more safe and expeditious transit
of their valuable productions from the interior to the
coast. The province of Minas Geraes is one of the most
important in the empire, on account of its mines of

284 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
gold and diamonds, and its still more valuable treasures
of coffee. It was determined to open up a communi
cation between this part of the country and Rio Janeiro
by means of a first-rate road, to be made available for
wheeled carriages and wagons in all kinds of weather.
A company was formed with the support of the govern
ment, and a few months before my arrival at Petro
polis the new road had been opened as far as Juiz da
Fora, about a hundred miles distant. It was spoken of
as a miracle of good work, which was not only well
worth seeing for its own sake, but would also take me
through some of the finest scenery in Brazil.
The cost of constructing this road through a moun
tainous country was necessarily enormous, and with the
purchase of mules, coaches, &c, amounted, as I was in
formed, to about 1,200,000k sterling. Every morning
and every night one coach started from Petropolis and an
other from Juiz da Fora, while a fifth relieved the others
in rotation. The coaches were sent out from England,
and are exactly like those which were the glory of our
school-boy days, except that they are not so high : this
difference is intended as a precaution against upsetting.
The outside fare was nearly 21. 10s. English, which is not
too much for a hundred miles, considering the expenses
of the company and the novelty of the experiment.
At six o'clock in the morning of October the 30th,
the swarthy 'boots' walked with me to wait for the
coach at the corner of Baron Maua's, carrying a very

A SWISS MISSIONARY. 285
small allowance of baggage in a hat-box, together with
a waterproof coat and a stout poncho, for I was by this
time much too experienced in the changes of weather
and climate to trust to favourable appearances. The
driver kept time punctually, and I was in a moment
perched on the seat behind him and the conductor.
Away went the four mules at a slapping pace, which
greatly increased the effect of the morning air in our
faces. There was a raw fog, positively cold and very
disagreeable. The driver and conductor were well
wrapped up, and I soon slipped on my own good poncho.
Thinking my neighbour looked very miserable, I gave
him my waterproof, venturing a remark in German, for
I thought he had been pointed out to me a few days
before as a Swiss missionary. I was right : his coun
tenance lighted up as he expressed his thanks ,in the
same language. I soon found that he had lately been
sent out from Europe to look after the spiritual welfare
of his countrymen somewhere in the interior of Brazil.
He was a good-natured rustic, who had been educated
at the University of Basle ; and, though he did not look
a very promising subject, yet I hoped to have some
interesting conversation. To my utter disgust it turned
out that he had never been so far as Berne, and hardly
knew what was meant by the high Alps. This appeared
downright treason, ' flat burglary,' in my eyes ; but
before I had recovered my surprise he turned the con
versation towards his theological opinions upon the

286 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
state of the world in general. I saw I should speedily
be drawn into the direful vortex of Calvinism, and felt
it was now my turn to withdraw from the conversa
tion. For the rest of the day we confined ourselves to
occasional remarks upon wayside objects.
Luckily I discovered that the conductor was a
lively Frenchman and a capital little fellow ; very well
informed and as sharp as a needle. He had left his
country in disgust at what he called the 'canaille' of
Imperialism, but seemed quite contented with living
under the constitutional empire of the west. An
exchange of cigars cemented our acquaintance, and in
the course of the journey he supplied me with much
amusement and information. He was armed with a
whistle and a brass horn, and I soon saw that he had
no sinecure. These instruments were continually called
into play to warn the drivers of mule trains and
wagons to get out of the way, our mules being so
skittish that a sudden pull up or jerk to one side would
very likely throw them all into confusion and perhaps
upset the coach. This kind of accident appeared to be
not unfrequent, according to the conductor, but very few
people had been seriously hurt.
The road is admirably made throughout the whole
distance, and I can truly say that I never saw its equal
in any part of England or Europe. The greater part
of it is carried through a mountainous country, where an
inexhaustible supply of gneiss and granite is to be found

TROUBLESOME MULES. 287
on the spot ; and hundreds of men, black, brown, and
yellow, are constantly employed in blasting the rock,
breaking it up, and mending weak places in the road
This is not done in the slipshod English fashion oi
throwing down vast quantities of broken stone across the
way and then leaving the unhappy public to smooth
and pulverise it as best they may. The Brazilian
labourers fit in every piece almost as if it were for a
mosaic ; pails of water are then poured over all, and an
enormous roller drawn by a dozen mules pounds it
down into a firm floor. The road thus made was per
fectly sound and smooth.
So far, so good : the mules are the ticklish part of the
matter. These beasts are the most amusing fellows in
the world, and if their pranks were not so very serious,
they would be a source of unmitigated mirth. They
are small, but well-bred, and beautifully formed ; they
are very fast, and are kept to a pace of twelve miles an
hour without much apparent effort or distress. The
conductor told me that the company keep three hundred
for the service of each of the five coaches, besides a large
number for running between Petropolis and the railway;
and as they cost, I believe, on an average, nearly 40L
apiece, it is clear that they must be a formidable source
of expense. When all goes right, it is very pretty to
watch the little team well settled down to work, and
going at such a pace as to leave no possible excuse for
the whip : but sometimes, when they are going on as

288 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
steadily as clockwork, the sight of a novelty is too much
for their nerves. The driver hopes they will pass it;
the conductor is ready to jump down in case of a
catastrophe. Just as we think they are all right, they
suddenly begin to shy in all directions, and it requires
great skill and heavy flogging to get them together
again without overturning the coach on a bank.
On the day of my journey they had a considerable
number of young mules, and, though there were no
accidents, our escapes were quite narrow enough to be
eminently exciting. At one point in the road we
suddenly came upon a mule drawing a cart of heavy
stones and led by a sun-burnt boy, who instantly tried
to draw on one side : the mule, however, was determined
to dispute the way against his Imperial Majesty's mail,
and refused to move an inch. Our driver was a
stolid young German, whose coolness and strength
qualified him particularly for the management of lively
mules. He slackened speed without stopping, the
great object being to keep the team moving, and the
active Gaul was on his feet in an instant ; he rushed
at the cart-mule, found he could not move it to one
side or the other, seized it by the bit, punched its
head as if he were the illustrious Sayers, forced it
backwards till he upset the cart in a ditch, spattered
the boy with kicks and execrations, and jumped to his
perch again without having let go his cigar. A des
perately steep slope on our left led to the river, which

AN UNLUCKY STONEBREAKER. 289
was thundering along some hundred feet below us, so
that it would have been an awkward place for a serious
battle with our teams.
Later in the day we caused confusion among a gang
of stone-breakers. The heat was tremendous, and most
of them had contrived a little shelter for themselves
by sticking up a branch or two so as to shade the place
where they sat at their work. Others had planted
three sticks and hung their shirts and coats on the top,
thereby making something between a gipsy-tent and
a scarecrow. My friend the conductor had no objection
to the branches, because the mules are accustomed to
them, but the scarecrow arrangement with a red waist
coat made him furious. The pace was again slackened,
while he jumped down and rushed forward against the
enemy. The unlucky object of his wrath was quite uncon
scious of committing a crime against Don Pedro ; he came
forward to meet the Gaul with a smile, offering him
a light for his cigar ; but the latter brushed him out
of the way, knocked down the obnoxious construction,
and kicked it over the steep bank amidst a torrent of
abuse. The poor fellow was altogether taken aback,
and looked helpless with dismay and astonishment.
' Voila, ! ' said the Frenchman, resuming his seat and
shaking his fist at the discomfited enemy, while he
explained to me that nothing would have induced one
of our leaders to pass that waistcoat if she had seen it.
The chilling fog in which we had started did not last
u

290 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
more than an hour. A few gleams partly breaking
through the mist then warned us of the sun's approach
ing victory, and in a few minutes more nothing re
mained of it but a few fleecy puffs curling over the
sides of the palm-crowned hills, which, in all their
luxuriance of flower and forest, were now suddenly
revealed to us as if by the uplifting of a veil. Truly
it was a glorious sight. From that moment the
heat rapidly increased, and for several hours in the
middle of the day it was impossible to sit long without
the shelter of an umbrella. The effect of the mid-day
sun was greatly increased by the fact of our travelling
down hill all the morning and reaching the Parahiba
river, which was the lowest point in our journey,
exactly at the hottest part of the day. The blazing
sunshine and the white dry roads made my head whizz,
and everybody else seemed to suffer except the young
German coachman, who, with nothing but the smallest
of caps on his head, seemed utterly unconscious of
inconvenience. Sometimes I used to wonder what these
Brazilian Germans could be made of. At Petropolis in
the hottest weather I have seen their flaxen-haired
children playing bare headed in the sun, just as actively
as if they were still on the banks of the Rhine. Even
the wiry Frenchman tied up his head in a handkerchief
under his hat, but the German winced not for a
moment. Our inside passengers were two or three of
the large coffee planters in the country through which

Mif.

Mm, '

fr

m.

i

THE PEDRO DE PARAHYBUNA. 291
we were going, one of whom was an elderly man,
looked upon with much reverence by the conductor,
and always called Monsieur le Comte. He very good-
naturedly made acquaintance with me, and hospitably
insisted upon my trying various refreshing compounds
which he recommended. He and his friends being
nearly stifled with heat inside the coach, joined us on
the top for an hour, but after the next change they
crept into their old quarters rather than face the burn
ing sun.
About noon we came to the half-way station near
the junction of the Parahiba and Parahybuna rivers,
almost at the same moment as the return coach arrived
from Juiz da Fora. Here we dined tolerably well and
not expensively, but the heat was too great for exces
sive hunger, especially as we were obliged to contest
every morsel with a legion of flies, in spite of the
activity of the negroes who were especially devoted to
keeping them in order. They filled the plates and
dishes, and it was difficult to eat without swallowing
them. I was glad to escape from the table and sit
down in a shady balcony to admire the magnificent
scenery of the great Pedro de Parahybuna, and the
river rushing by its feet. There was something mar
vellously grand in that vast mass of -rock, rising pre
cipitously almost from the roadside to so great a height
that the palm trees on the summit looked mere specks
against the sky. U 2

292 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The variety of scenery which we had passed through
was very great, and its beauty was immensely increased
by the river, which was our companion nearly all the
morning, thundering through rocky falls and rapids, or
swirling more quietly through the recesses of the virgin
forests. Here the trees were infinitely finer than any
I had seen near Petropolis ; and where the broad road
was carried through the midst of them, so that whilst we
travelled in their shadow we could enjoy all the beauty of
the vegetation, it would be difficult to imagine anything
much more delightful. A true monarch of the virgin
forest is not only a tree — it is a garden. Gigantic
arums and drooping masses of ferns cling about its
stem, and orchids display their brilliant colours and
fantastic forms upon the branches ; rope-plants hanging
to the ground form natural ladders for innumerable
creepers and climbers to raise themselves towards the
sky, and trailers stoop to meet them as they rise. The
only ungraceful tree that I used to observe in Brazil is
the sumambaia, or sloth-tree. The boughs are stiff
and ungainly, and the chesnut-shaped leaves only
appear in tufts at the extremities. Sloths abound in
the forests, and climb these trees to eat the leaves, of
which they are remarkably fond ; but I suppose they
find that the task of getting at their favourite food is
difficult, for having once got into the branches they
remain there till every leaf has been devoured, and
nothing remains but the skeleton of a tree.

COFFEE PLANTATIONS. 293
For many leagues we travelled through some of the
coffee plantations, which produce such a large share of
the wealth of Brazil. The contrast was very striking
as now and then we emerged from one of the magnifi
cent forests which I have attempted to describe, and
found ourselves surrounded by hills which had been
entirely cleared of wood and jungle, and covered
with the stiff lines of coffee plants, looking something
like Portugal laurels grown in the shape of small
poplars about 7 or 8 feet high and 2 or 3 feet thick.
They look very well in flower, the pure white star of
the blossom being well set off by the extreme dark
ness of the foliage. I observed that in many places the
leaves looked thin, and Monsieur le Comte told me that
they were suffering from the attacks of an insect which
by destroying the leaves would have a very injurious
effect upon the fruit.
This region was full of bustle and activity; large
numbers of people were at work in bringing new soil
into cultivation, and long trains of loaded mules and
waggons streamed along the road, to the constant peril
of ourselves. In the careless fashion of English wag
goners, the drivers were generally chatting among
themselves, while their charges went quietly along the
middle of the road, which wound about among the moun
tains so that we could seldom see much of it at once.
The moment a train was seen the horn was put into
requisition and blown furiously by the conductor ; and

294 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
very amusing were the battles that began at once between
the obstinate mules and their drivers, who tried push
ing, punching, and kicking with all their might to
clear the way for the coach. The mule is, as far as I
have been able to observe, a quaint, but at the same
time a sociable beast, with a strong disposition to
fraternise with strange brethren on the road ; so that
all the skill in the world, aided by hard thumping and
whipping, could hardly prevent collisions. We were
generally going at full gallop, often having a river or a
precipice at our side, and at least a dozen times in the
day I thought we must be upset by the heavy waggons,
which seemed on the very point of running into us.
But a vicious blow of a heavy whip at the very last
moment enabled us to pass, and to my surprise we got
through the day without accident.
Each team was, upon an average, driven about ten
miles. The stations were new and clean buildings,
something in the chalet-style ; at some of them a toll
is taken, and large supplies of spare mules are kept.
On driving up to one of these we always found the
negro or German hostlers ready, and the gallant little
animals were led off to their rancho : there was no
hurry in bringing out their successors, and driver,
conductor, and passengers all enjoyed themselves for at
least ten minutes. M. le Comte and his friends insisted
on being hospitable, and proved to me at one of the
hottest moments of the day that nothing was so whole-

OFF THEY GO ! 295
some and supporting as a glass of cana, with plenty of
sugar, filled up with the nearest approach to cold water
that could be got. Fresh cigars were lighted, and then
came preparations for a fresh start, which was more
exciting than pleasant till we were pretty well used to
it. The wheelers are with some difficulty forced into
their places, and then all the passengers are compelled
to take their seats : another fight ends in the leaders
being put-to at the same moment that the driver
mounts to his perch. Two negroes hold the heads of
the leaders, and all is quiet for an instant till the driver
gives the signal to march by a furious crack of his
whip. An explosion of the team follows immediately :
one jumps in the air and another to the side, and on
one occasion I saw the wheelers squatting on their tails
and staring wildly at different sides of the road, while
the leaders kicked out right and left, and tried to shake
off the men who held them. The driver answered with
tremendous blows from a whip almost as thick as a
rattle-snake, and they all plunged forward a little with
heads on high: the negroes could hardly keep their
hold till a shout of ' Larga, larga ! ' gave the word to
them to get out of the way. The team rushed towards
the river on the right, and I was preparing to drop off,
when the sturdy German smote the off-siders with such
might that they charged across the road and tried to
wreck us against a steep embankment; but again the
heavy thong successfully asserted its power, and before

296 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the phlegmatic Jehu could take another puff from his
cigar, the whole team surrendered at discretion, and
settled down into a fast hand-gallop, which they kept
up for the whole stage. It was a practical illustration
of ' Ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute.'
The most amusing episode of the day was our
meeting with a country gentleman travelling after the
manner of his fathers, and in a direction opposite to
our own. Our team was going at full speed when we
met a very different kind of conveyance. A heavy kind
of palankeen or sedan-chair advanced towards us, not
carried by men, but attached by its shafts to two gaily-
caparisoned mules, one before and one behind. A
native lady lounged at her ease in the interior, and the
slaves in charge kept the mules very steady as we
passed. So far, so good ; but about fifty yards behind
them rode ' paterfamilias ' in all the glory of the old
style, mounted on a showy mule, with gaudy trappings
for both man and beast. Not thinking of danger, and
seeming to contemplate us with dignified contempt, he
advanced at a foot-pace till he was abreast of our
leaders, when his mule was either panic-stricken or
seized with that irresistible love of mischief which
appears to me to be a strong feature in the mule
disposition. The animal turned sharply round, almost
unseating its astonished owner, and galloped away
ahead of us as fast as it could go. Now and then the
poor man turned his head, shooting Parthian glances

JOHN GILPIN ABROAD. 297
of rage and despair at us, and now and then he made a
fruitless effort to induce his mule to turn again and face
the coach. It was not to be ; his situation was ridicu
lous in the extreme, and as an Englishman I could not
help thinking of the famous Johnny Gilpin. M. le
Conducteur, as the representative of modern progress,
enjoyed the joke extremely, and urged our driver to
' make the running ; ' so away we went in a mad gallop
after the unwilling fugitive, whose career was only
terminated by his running to earth in a narrow cross-
path through the forest, after a sharp chase of about a
quarter of an hour. What must have been the feelings
of the lounging lady and her slaves, as they saw the
strange disappearance of the head of the family !
Never in Europe have I seen anything to compare in
its way with the excitement of this Brazilian coaching ;
and even the immortal Mr. Weller might have envied
the skill and boldness of his representatives in the
land of the sun. Blow the whistle — sound the horn —
out of the way, you niggers — clear out with your
mules — clear out, clear out, in the name of Dom Pedro
Segundo !
We spent nearly an hour in the mid-day halt, and
then prepared once more to face the heat, which in
creased in intensity till about three o'clock. The
Frenchman tied up his head so effectually that nothing
was to be seen of it except the ever-watchful eyes ; and
we all felt as if we had been consigned to an oven. We

298 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
crossed the broad river Parahiba by a magnificent iron
bridge, which had been sent out from England; and
thence, having passed our lowest point of elevation, we
began to rise again during the greater part of the after
noon till we reached Juiz de Fora, which is about the
same height above the sea as Petropolis. I saw a great
many snakes in the latter half of the journey, some of
which seemed large, and a particularly fine specimen
of the handsomest snake in the world, the coral-snake,
crossed the road immediately in front of us, as if ex
pressly for the purpose of showing off his splendid
blood-red rings to the greatest advantage. This ' beau
tiful devil ' seemed to be about five feet long ; it wound
itself gracefully up a steep bank and disappeared in the
jungle. Near this part of the Parahiba, Mr. Caldcleugh,
a former traveller, saw a boa constrictor of sixteen or
eighteen feet in length playing in the foliage just over
his head, which frightened his horse so excessively that,
t
though the snake retreated at once, it was only with
the greatest difficulty that he could be induced to pass
the place in a trembling state.
The common boa constrictor is, however, nothing in
comparison with the anaconda, or sucuruju of the
Indians. Dr. Gardner, when at Sape, in the province
of Goyaz, saw one of these monsters which had just
been found dead in the fork of a tree, where it had
been left by the retreating waters of a flood, when in
an inert state and incapable of motion. It measured

SNAKES AND SNAKESKINS. 299
37 feet in length, and when opened, was found to con
tain the bones of a horse in a somewhat broken condi
tion, and the flesh in a half-digested state. The bones
of the head were uninjured, and there is little doubt
that the horse had been swallowed whole. Dr. Kidder
received from an Italian physician in Brazil an account
of the way in whicfi the anacondas swallow their food,
from which it would appear that, though they un
doubtedly gulp down whole cows, after breaking their
bones by compression, yet they do not attempt the
deglutition and digestion of the horns ; he said that they
get over this difficulty by beginning with the tail and '
hind legs, and allowing the horns to protrude from their
mouth till they fall off from decay. Dr. Kidder does
not vouch for this as his own experience, but it appears
very probable, when we remember that these brutes
remain for a long time in a state of inaction after in
dulging in a gorge.
Those who visited the Brazilian department of the
late International Exhibition, may have seen some fine
skins of these large snakes tanned and ready for use ;
the leather is soft and very popular for boots in the
interior of the ^country. One of those exhibited was
swung horizontally like an immensely long ham
mock, and was nearly wide enough for a man to
sleep in. The scales are defined as those of the
living snake.
This has been a digression from our journey. About

300 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
four o'clock the heat began to moderate, and as we'
were pretty constantly ascending, matters became much
more tolerable. Two hours more of winding among
hills and forests, and coffee-plantations, through constant
scenes of beauty and magnificence, brought us to Juiz
da Fora, the terminus of the new road. This place was
described by Mr. Caldcleugh forty years ago as a small
spot, with two or three huts, called ' the Juiz da Fora,'
the chief inhabitant being a justice of the peace. It
is now a flourishing place containing, as I was informed,
nearly 4,000 people, and sure of a large and constant
increase from the extension of commerce and the im
provement of communications. There are many ex
cellent houses, which being almost entirely white give
a bright and cheerful appearance to the town ; but its
chief ornament is a very beautiful Italian villa, built
for the director of the road, surrounded by a flourishing
garden and decorated with excellent taste.
The coach pulled up at the company's station, close
to the small hotel which they have provided for travel
lers. It was not yet quite six o'clock; so we had done
a hundred miles in rather less than twelve hours, out
of which more than two had been spent in stoppages at
the various stations : not bad work in a mountainous
country, on a blazing day, in the tropics. The pace
could not be kept up, if the road were not so skilfully
engineered: the gradients are very easy; and in one
place I observed that a small hill, only about 50 feet

AN AFRICAN GENTLEMAN. 301
high, had been cut through to avoid the sharp pitch
that would be necessary to cross it.
Hat-box in hand, I walked through the little garden
in front of the hotel, and met at the door an ' African
gentleman' of gigantic proportions. He was dressed
in European fashion, with a Panama hat ; and, from his
way of looking at me, I fancied he must be the master
of the house. While I was hesitating what I should
say to him, he opened the conversation himself, by
asking, with the peculiar gutturals of his race — 'Are
you English?'
Satisfied on this point, he looked as stately as the
Emperor Soulouque, and said — ' Ah ! it is well. Vary
few peoples spik de English; I spik it some. What
will you?'
He led me into the house in a patronising way that
I was obliged to submit to, and then handed me over
to the landlady — a very pleasant and intelligent German
woman. She and her husband, M. Bartels, did the
honours of the little place ; and, about an hour after
our arrival, I and a few other passengers were served
with a comfortable table d'hote dinner and excellent
wines. The dark gentleman turned out to be only an
amateur, who derived his principal amusement from
watching the arrival of the coach, and smoking the
evening cigar under the shade of some magnificent
cocoa-palms in the hotel garden.
After my long ride I was glad to stretch my legs

302 SOUTH AMEBICAN SKETCHES.
for an hour before dinner, and strolled about to get a
general view of the place, which has a tolerably open
situation, in the midst of a hilly rather than a moun
tainous country. The sublimities of the Organ range
have long been left behind ; and the scenery, though
very pretty, is of a much tamer description. Everything
that I saw was suggestive of progress and activity ; and
the people looked perfectly aware of the great things
which would result to them from the opening of the
road which I had just been travelling over. Seldom
have I felt dinner more welcome than on that evening ;
and when it was over I turned out into the garden to
enjoy a quiet cigar on the black gentleman's favourite
seat among the palm-trees.
I was utterly enjoying the coolness and tranquillity
of the evening ; the sky blazed with stars, and the air
was alive with fireflies darting in every direction and
entangling themselves in the palm branches, which they
illuminated by their presence ; the host and hostess
came out to have a little chat in German about their
old country, and to wonder that I had travelled so far
for mere pleasure ; a few people were pacing up and
down slowly to cool themselves after the labours of the
day ; and all nature seemed luxuriating in rest : when
a well-trained German band of about twenty young
men marched out from a neighbouring building, to
prove that the Germans carry their love of music
wherever they go. These lads were in the habit of

A DELIGHTFUL EVENING. 303
practising together regularly, and twice a week they
turned out in strength for the benefit of the small
public of Juiz da Fora. I listened with delight to
well-known airs of Meyerbeer and Mozart, and to
Mendelsohn's Wedding March, while thousands of fire
flies danced wildly to the music.
I had neither time nor inclination to travel further
in this direction, and visit the mining districts of Villa
Rica. I had only wished to see the road to Juiz da
Fora, and the magnificent scenery which it passes
through. After a long and very pleasant evening, the
tranquillity of which was all the more appreciated after
the heat and excitement of the day, I went to bed about
midnight, and got up again about five o'clock in the
morning for the return journey to Petropolis. M.
Bartels and his wife soon had a good breakfast ready
for me. I paid a bill of eight milreis, about seventeen
English shillings ; and at six o'clock we started with a
lively team of mules, and the Frenchman's horn in full
play. I enjoyed the second day's journey even more
than the first. It was, if possible, hotter ; but then, on
the other hand, I was more accustomed to the style of
thing, and had more leisure to look about me. I
observed two conspicuous plants which were new to me,
but could never find either of them near any of the
places where we stopped. One was a large white
Ipomea, and the other a flowering shrub of from three
to twelve feet high, completely covered with Magenta-

304 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
coloured blossoms, which, at a little distance, appeared
of much the same size and shape as those of the azalea.
We had no particular adventures that day; more
plunging mules, more cigars, more dust, more heat,
and more amusement with the Gaul, accompanied us
through the greater part of the journey. In the middle
of the afternoon the closeness of the heat became
very oppressive, and the black clouds quickly forming,
though they veiled the blaze of the sun, yet did not
make the temperature more comfortable. A storm was
brewing, and would evidently burst upon us in a very
short time. We arrived at Petropolis, and as I walked
up to the abode of the Turk, a huge drop of rain made
a splash upon my hat-box almost as large as an oyster,
by way of a prelude to a terrific thunderstorm, which
raged for two hours. After turning the streets into
rivers, it effectually succeeded in cooling the air, and
the remainder of the evening was deliciously pleasant.
These changes of temperature are sometimes exces
sively great. Mr. Caldcleugh, in his ' Travels in South
America,' says, that one day when ' the land breeze
continued until four o'clock in the afternoon, the air
became intolerably oppressive and resembled the hot
wind of India. At five o'clock the storm began, and
an immediate fall took place in the thermometer,
which soon after daylight was found to have registered
highest 120°, lowest 56°, a difference of 64° ! '
The effect of the present storm was delightful in the

FAREWELL TO THE TURK. 305
extreme ; all nature seemed refreshed, and in the course
of the next few days, I had some very agreeable walks
and rides, making many additions to my collection of
ferns. I made another expedition to the Alto do
Imperador, and impressed for ever on my mind one of
the most perfect scenes in the world. On another day
I had the pleasure of escorting two strangers to the
falls of Itamarity, and began to, think myself a cicerone
in the familiar, neighbourhood of Petropolis. But all
these things were coming to an end. The ' Mersey ' was
due from the Rio de la Plata on the 5th of November,
and it was expected that she would go for a few days into
the new dry dock just opened at Rio. I had intended
in the meantime to devote the spare days to another stay
in the capital; but an old friend of mine at Buenos
Ayres, coming up to Petropolis before leaving for Eng
land, declared that the dry dock was occupied by
another ship, and the packet would therefore return at
once. After spending a pleasant day with him I
packed up my goods, and with sincere regret paid my
bill and bade farewell to Said Ali. Peace be with him !
may his shadow never be less, and may all his guests
have as much pleasure in his house as I had !
Early in the morning of the 7th my friend and I
started for Rio ; a fresh burst of rain had set in which
made things look thoroughly miserable among the
mountains. Before noon, however, the sky had again
cleared, and in the hotter regions near the level of the
x

306 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
sea I found that five weeks had made an astonishing
difference among the vegetable world. The southern
summer had fairly set in, and that which I had formerly
.admired was now a scene of still more gorgeous beauty.
Huge trees covered with purple flowers to the very
summit contrasted with others which appeared like
masses of golden bells, illuminating the dark shades of
the evergreen forest. Fresh creepers were hanging in
bright festoons, and multitudes of orchids had opened
into blossom. Once more we passed among the lovely
islands of the bay, and reached Rio early in the after
noon. The city had been cooled and refreshed by the
heavy rain of the morning, and the commercial world
was in full activity for the departure of the packets.
We amused ourselves with a few hours of strolling
about the streets and shipping, and then consigned
ourselves to the care of the negro boatmen, whose
strong arms rowed us away to our respective ships. I
felt some disappointment at losing the expected stay '
at Rio ; there was nothing to do, however, but to go
on board the ' Mersey,-' which was to start early in the
morning for Montevideo and Buenos Ayres.

307

CHAPTER XIV.
LA PLATA AND PARANA.
SOUTHWARDS AGAIN— STORM AND BUTTERFLIES— LIGHT CARRIED
AWAY — H.M.S. 'ARDENT' — FLIGHT OF DERQUI — GALE IN THE
RIVER — WATERSPOUTS — COURAGE OF EARLY EXPLORERS — THE
' SEIBO ' TREE — OBLIGADO — WATERFOWL — EVENING ON THE
PARANA— SAN NICOLAS— ROSARIO— BUENOS AYREAN AEMY— THE
GENEEAL — VICTUALLING THE TEOOPS — THE COLONEL AGAIN —
EAILWAY PROSPECTS IN THE ARGENTINE TERRITORIES— PROBABLE
INCREASE OF COMMEECE — THE TWO SQUADRONS — A SOUTH
AMERICAN ADMIEAL — '.DEFENDEMOS LA LEY FEDERAL JURADA'
— CHANGED APPEARANCE OF LAND— ARRIVAL AT PARANA.
QOON after breakfast on the 8th of November, we
^ steamed down the harbour, and ran through the
heavy swell rolling into the entrance. Next day we had
a strong wind and following sea behind us : the weather
was fine, but distant lightning in the south was the
prelude to a change. A heavy squall struck the ship
about 2 o'clock in the morning, accompanied by in-
3essant thunder, lightning, and torrents of rain, making
' night hideous ' and sleep impossible. At breakfast-
time all was quiet again, but the squall had left behind
it a very curious effect. Though we were about
1"50 miles from land, thousands of moths and'butter-
x 2

308 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
flies had been blown on board, and were being caught
in all parts of the ship. The largest which I saw
was handsomely marked with blue and brown, and
measured six inches across the wings. Everybody was
surprised at the phenomenon, for it is difficult to
imagine how these delicate insects could survive such
a long journey amidst all the dangers of tempestuous
wind and rain.
About noon the ship was stopped for a short time
for the purpose of securing a rickety float in one of
her patent wheels. We were in deep water, and had a
better opportunity for observing the colour of the sea
than we could have when in motion. It was of the
deepest ultramarine, verging upon purple.
All was made fast just in time. The wind suddenly
flew round to the south-west, and by 3 o'clock a savage
Pampero was tearing the sea into ribbons and raising
a sort of fog with the scud. Every half-hour added to
its violence, and by nightfall it was not easy to stand
on deck. The ' Mersey,' however, is especially well-
behaved in a head sea, and I wanted to see how she
would go through it; the other passengers had long
ago turned in, hoping vainly for sleep, when I put on a
waterproof and went on deck. I joined the officer of
the watch, and stood near the companion to observe
the effect of the sea striking the ship. About midnight
we were trying hard to look through the darkness and
the spray which swept along the deck, when a tremen-

A HEAVY SEA. 309
dous sea struck the port paddle-box, and nearly blinded
us in a sheet of foam ; but through the roar came a
shrill cry from the look-out man, and the officer, rush
ing forward, found that the port light was carried away,
smashed to atoms. The strong brass frame and im
mensely thick plate-glass were as completely flattened
and destroyed as if they had been pounded with a
Nasmyth's hammer. Had I not seen it, I should not
have believed that a sea could produce such an effect
on so small and strong an object.
Soon after this the two men at the wheel, not being
strong enough to hold it, were sent spinning over
and round it; one of them was considerably hurt by
being squeezed between the spokes and the deck, while
the other, being thinner, passed safely under. Four
men were then sent to this duty, and there were no
more accidents. Meanwhile, I began to think I had
had enough of it ; and, finding that my waterproof
coat did not prevent streams of water from entering
at my neck, and effectually cooling my back-bone, I
at length retired to my cabin. Next day the wind
shifted to the south-east, which made the ship roll
heavily, and on the day afterwards it followed what
appeared to me the general rule of that stormy coast : it
worked round by east to north and west, and then set
tled into the south-west again, though the Pampero was
very much lighter than that which we had lately fought
against. It must be a plaguy coast to sailing-vessels*

310 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
As usual in this voyage, the wind went twice round the
.compass in the week, blowing more or less violently
from every quarter.
Early in the morning of the 14th, we anchored once
more in Montevideo, where, to my surprise and plea
sure, I found H. M. S. ' Ardent,' commanded by my
cousin, Captain Parish. I had thought she was faraway
up the river, but it appeared that one result of the
Argentine war had been the flight of President Derqui,
the arch-enemy of the Buenos Ayreans. He found that
his game was lost; and, dreading the consequences of
falling into the hands of those who might have been
tempted not to temper justice with mercy, he had asked
the protection of an English man-of-war to convey him
and his family to the neutral ground of Montevideo.
The Buenos Ayrean authorities at Martin Garcia re
quested that he might be given up to them as the
ship passed down the river, but they only received
from her captain the appropriate answer, that it is not
customary for English men-of-war to deliver up political
refugees. He had been landed at Montevideo the day
before our arrival, and, as the 'Ardent ' was going back at
once to Parana, I gladly accepted my cousin's invitation
to accompany him to that place. He sent off his boat,
and I was soon transferred with my goods to the deck
of his ship : at 11 o'clock we started up the river, and
reached the outer roads of Buenos Ayres next morning
before daylight.

ADVANCE OF SUMMER. 311
After breakfast we went on shore, and found that the
stormy weather we had suffered from at sea had done
immense mischief in the river. Vessels had been blown
from their anchors, and many accidents had taken
place, the chief of which was the driving on shore of
the monster American steamer, ' Mississippi.'
There had been no more fighting of any consequence,
but it could by no means be said that peace was yet
established. The storm of war had rolled away from the
neighbourhood of the city, but the clouds in the horizon
were black. The Buenos Ayrean army, under the com
mand of General Mitre, was still in the field at Rosario,
ready either to meet the possibility of Urquiza renewing
the struggle, or to march westward for the subjection of
the refractory provincials. The so-called squadrons were
watching one another near a point up the river called
Diamante, and had been doing so for a considerable
time, without either of them hazarding an attack.
Meanwhile, the depreciation of the paper dollar was
continually increasing, and trade was in every way
greatly interfered with. fc
The progress of nature, however, had been much
faster and more satisfactory than that of the politicians.
The garden was in summer beauty, though we had not
yet passed through November. Roses and geraniums
were in full perfection : the peaches were swelling apace,
and the figs were fast ripening above beds of exquisite
violets that lay at their feet. The long-tailed brownish

312 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
magpies of the country hunted for insects in the upper
branches of the ombu, which was now covered with
dense foliage and tails of blossom like those of our syca
more. The oven-birds had not built their nests without
reason, and the exquisite little humming-birds flashed
gaily among the roses.
Instead of passing our evenings in the house, often
not disdaining the comfort of a fire, the fashion now
was to arrange ourselves after dinner in cool cane chairs
under the long verandah, and let the fragrance of the
havannah mix with the sweet breezes of the River
Plate. I hoped, by going up the river, to obtain some better
information about the actual condition of the country,
and the chances of crossing to Mendoza and Chili, the
passage of the Andes being still my cherished scheme.
A couple of days were spent among my good friends at
Buenos Ayres, and on the 17th we went on board the
' Ardent,' accompanied also by Mr. Boyd. Next morning
at 4 o'clock we were in motion, and went on steadily
till it became necessary to buoy the channel to Martin
Garcia, the old buoys having been, as it was alleged,
lost in the late gales. The operation was slow, for the
channel is very difficult to find and dangerous to miss :
the ship drew 13J feet of water, and at one time there
were only 6 inches to spare under her bottom. Heavy
masses of cloud were discharging thunder and lightning
around us; and we saw several waterspouts, one of

A WATERSPOUT. 313
which was very large. It burst, as far as I could guess,
about two miles from us, and might have been a very
awkward visitor to a ship underneath it. Before the
boat's crew had finished the work of buoying the
channel and picking up the buoys again, they were
thoroughly drenched by one of the heaviest thunder-
showers that I have ever seen, after which the weather
soon settled into ' very dry.' The clouds rolled away,
and I hardly saw another in the course of the next
month. We passed the island of Martin Garcia, and entered
the Parana Guazii, the Parana de las Palmas not being
deep enough for any but small vessels. The naviga
tion of these rivers is so difficult, the multiplicity of
branches and channels so great, and the general appear
ance of the banks and islands so similar, that it is a
marvel to me how the pilots can learn them as they do :
that the old Spaniards should ever, in spite of such
dangers and difficulties, have succeeded in exploring
the intricacies of the Rio de la Plata and its mighty
affluents, is only to be accounted for by the fact that
they were supported by an imaginary magnet of gold.
' Auri sacra fames' is invincible; and no sufferings were
able to damp the energies of men who firmly believed
that the Parana was the highway to El Dorado.
When we had left the river Uruguay on our right, and
fairly entered the Parana Guazii, we found ourselves at
last in a river which was narrow enough to permit of

314 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
our seeing both banks at once. The land on both sides
was low and marshy, for the most part covered with
jungle and a great variety of trees, the haunts of
jaguars, capybaras, and snakes. The most conspicuous
and abundant of the trees was the seibo, which I now
saw for the first time in bloom, covering the banks with
sheets of brilliant crimson. Some of them were very
large ; but the wood is pithy, and as useless as that of
the ombu : the flower is papilionaceous, about twice the
size of the garden pea ; and few objects in the vegetable
world can be more splendid than their crimson bunches
of laburnum-like tails hanging among leaves of the
brightest green. For many leagues together they were
the constant ornaments of the scenery.
Buoying the channel had delayed us some time ; and
when, rather late in the afternoon, the ship was
anchored for the night, we had not gone so far as had
been expected. However, it would have been too great a
risk to navigate the ship after dark, in a river teeming
with shoals dangerous to all but small craft ; and,
besides this, the pilot had to be considered. He never
left the paddle-box or bridge while we were in motion,
and human endurance has its limits, even with the
strongest of men. Next morning, at 4 o'clock, the
' Ardent ' got under weigh again, and in due time passed
San Pedro, where we found the firm land of the pro
vince of Buenos Ayres on the right bank of the river,
rising in precipitous barrancas or cliffs to a height of

MOSQUITO-CURTAINS. 315
apparently about 100 feet. The low ground of Entre
Rios formed the left bank, scarcely rising above the
water, and affording shelter to myriads of aquatic birds.
At Obligado, eleven miles beyond San Pedro, the
river narrows for a time to less than half a mile in
width; and here, when Rosas wanted to close the
navigation in 1845, he constructed a battery and threw
a chain across the stream. The combined force of
French and English, with a convoy of merchantmen,
determined to force the passage ; after a gallant fight,
with considerable loss, they succeeded in cutting the
chain and silencing the battery, and then proceeded up
the river with their convoy.
All day long the sun blazed upon us like a furnace,
but the motion of the ship created a light breeze, which
added not a little to our comfort. The smart crew of
blue-jackets looked smarter than ever, in their summer
costume of white trousers and white caps. The huge
river shone all day like a sheet of glass under the fiery
sun, and the many strange birds which we passed
floating on the stream seemed too lazy even to turn
their heads and look at us, the ' masters of the deep.'
Preparations were made for rigging up mosquito-curtains
in the cabin, as the mosquitoes of the Parana have the
character of being most truculent gallinipers ; and I was
told that they were certain to make a feast of me, as a
new comer. However, I have always had the good
fortune of being disliked by insects, and in many

316 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
continental experiences have come off better than my
fellows. On the night of my first landing at Buenos
Ayres some months before, I was ornamented by the
mosquitoes with about a dozen red knobs on the face ;
perhaps they reported unfavourably of me, but certain
it is, that during the rest of my stay in South America
I was very rarely bitten again.
League after league of monotonous barrancas ; island
after island, gorgeous with the blood-red blossoms of a
thousand seibos ; green masses of willows, among which
tall cranes and herons fished quietly in the shade ; and
channel after channel of marvellous intricacy, were
passed ; and then, just before the sun sank below the
boundless Pampas of the west, we anchored a few miles
south of San Nicolas. Down came the pilot, half
scorched, from the paddle-box ; there was to be no more
heaving of the lead : ' Oh ! rest ye, brother mariners,'
for the evening !
And those evenings on the Parana were indeed never
to be forgotten. The moon shone brilliantly over our
heads as the ' Ardent ' lay quietly at anchor, bathed as
it were in light : not a ripple disturbed the glassy surface
of the river ; not a sound broke the silence of the sur
rounding scene, as we clustered round a 32-pouuder in
the enjoyment of tranquillity. Then came the Muses. A
word to the Quarter-master summoned the band, and
for an hour we listened to many a well-known air, and
heard the famous chants of Old England performed

EVENING ON DECK. 317'
with all the enthusiasm of the British tar. Terpsichore
followed; and the white-trousered sons of Neptune,
jumping to their feet from various corners of the fore
castle, danced as if their sweethearts were present in the
flesh, till the band retired, and nothing but the cus
tomary fiddle remained to lead the ever-glorious horn
pipe. Ah ! how I pitied my London friends, who were
then in the middle of their November fogs ! How
devoutly I wished I could suddenly transport a few
of them across 'the vasty deep' to inhale the pure
atmosphere of that delicious climate !
At 5 o'clock in the morning of the 20th I came on
deck to see San Nicolas, which we were just passing,
about 200 miles from Buenos Ayres. It appeared
to be a small place, with a snug port, containing a
considerable number of country vessels. Soon after
wards we passed the confluence of the Arroyo del Medio,
the boundary of the provinces of Buenos Ayres and
Santa Fe; and a little later we came to that of the
Arroyo del Pavon, the scene of the late battle in
September. About 1 o'clock we anchored at Rosario,
where there are fifteen fathoms of water nearly close to
the edge of the river. Here we were to land, and, if
possible, to pay a visit to the Buenos Ayrean army,
which was known to be encamped in the neighbourhood.
I went ashore with the captain and Mr. Boyd to call
upon an American merchant, who was also performing
the duties of consular agent to the United States. We

318 SOUTH. AMERICAN SKETCHES.
found him at home, and, after a little conversation with'
fiis son, he kindly made arrangements to send us out
to the camp. A pair of horses were put into one of
the queerest vehicles I ever saw, though I must say-
it was light and very well adapted for the purpose of
getting about a country without regular roads, in our
tense of the word. It was open at the sides, and had a
jat roof supported on stanchions, so that, while sheltered-
from the sun, we had the full benefit of the lively
breeze. In a short time we started, the young gentleman
evidently disposed to make the most of our time by
driving furiously, and occasionally encouraging thei
horses with ' Now, then, get along, old hoss, you have
not got father behind you to-day!' The suburbs of
Rosario are rather pretty, and the proximity of the camp
had given an unusual appearance of bustle and activity
to the whole place. Soldiers and civilians were riding
backwards and forwards ; strings of heavy bullock-carts
sometimes nearly blocked up the road, which was deep
in dust, except at some half-dry ditch, or muddy ford!
of a stream, which no genuine son of the soil would
think of improving by a bridge. We had some very;
rough jolting in these places, and once I fully expected"
that we should follow the example of a bullock-cart,
which had stuck hard and fast, and was being dug out
by a large party of natives. Our charioteer proved
himself quite equal to the occasion, and charged up.

VISIT TO THE ARMY. 319
and down all obstacles with a skill and gallantry which
deserved the highest praise.
A drive of about six miles took us to the camp, and
we went through the middle of it without being chal
lenged or asked any questions. It was a strange sight.
The heroes of the Pavon were encamped in a fine
situation on the high grassy plains, commanding an
extensive view of Rosario and the river below, with the
long barrancas running out like a promontory towards
a group of islands nearly opposite to the town. There
was, however, nothing fine about it excepting the situa
tion. The tents, if they could be called tents, were
pitched irregularly, and were of all sorts and sizes;
the greater part of them being mere pieces of sacking
supported on a few muskets or sticks, so low above
and so open at the bottom as to combine the minimum
of protection with the maximum of discomfort. From
underneath most of them a row of swarthy, gipsy-
looking heads protruded, stolidly staring at us, and
resting on their chins, while the outstretched bodies of
the owners were concealed under the canvas. A large
proportion of them were smoking the inevitable cigaros
de papel, or cigarettes, and some were chatting to one
another in an under-tone. They are a singularly un
demonstrative race, except under the influence of extra
ordinary excitement ; and the army was now at rest.
As far as I could see, sentries were considered perfectly
unnecessary, and we had the greatest difficulty in finding

320 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the quarters of the Colonel commanding one of the
regiments, who was an acquaintance of our American
friend. At last the Colonel was discovered, and we dis
mounted in front of his tent, where he received us very
politely. An officer of the same rank in Europe would
be mightily surprised if he were invited to lodge under
a strip of canvas just large enough to cover a small
truckle-bed and a box by the side with his saddle on it.
The Colonel, however, took all his discomforts in a
most good-natured and gentlemanly way ; he smiled
apologetically as he asked his visitors to sit down on
the end of the bed, and sent for mate, the universal
favourite and chief consoler of the native Buenos
Ayrean. We all tasted this beverage in turn, and
conversation lasted for about half an hour, during
which we were patiently stared at by a dark-featured
gaueho, in charge of the Colonel's beautiful Chilian
horse. We left the carriage here, and walked up the centre
of the camp to the point at which we were told to
look for General Mitre's tent. We picked our way
among a seeming chaos of wretched tents, full of re
cumbent and motionless figures : rows of dark faces
watched us silently, and the expression of many was
unpleasant in the extreme. Not a word of greeting
or of challenge came to us, and at last we found our
selves close to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief,

THE GENERAL AT HOME, 321
We hesitated to advance, thinking it might be an in
trusion to invade the privacy of the great man ; and
as a man, apparently an officer, was passing by, we
asked him if General Mitre was at home. He neither
asked us what we wanted, nor did he offer to introduce
us ; but passed on his way, remarking only, with per
fect unconcern, ' Si, senor.' As no one appeared to
bar our way, we walked boldly up to the door of the
tent, where we found the General, in plain clothes,
smoking and talking with the war minister, Colonel
Gelly y Obes. He was already acquainted with Captain
Parish, and received us very politely into his spacious
tent, where a pretty fair show of really good furniture
afforded a remarkable contrast to everything else we
had seen in the camp. He is a handsome man, with
the decided stamp of intellect upon his forehead, though
it is somewhat disfigured by the scar of an old wound.
The last time I had seen him was in a brilliant ball
room at Buenos Ayres, where every one remarked his
eminently quiet and elegant manners ; and I could
not help thinking how much he must have endured
in the course of the last six months, condemned to the
command of an undisciplined army and the banish
ment of a camp on the Pampas. In spite of his
successes in September, he had an anxious, melancholy
manner ; the army was to march that night or the next
morning, and perhaps he felt heavily the responsibility
of its future movements. Y

322 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
After a short conversation we withdrew, and found
our way back to the quarters of our friend the colonel.
I observed a great want of cleanliness in the camp:
bones and offal were frequently to be seen lying about
in the blazing sun, but the extreme dryness of the
climate prevents such things from being so noxious as
they would be in Europe. After a very short period of
corruption, the drying process follows ; and even the
dead horses and cattle, which are found in numbers
upon the plains, and skinned by the finder, after pre
senting the ghastly object of a blood-red carcase to the
passer-by, soon become comparatively inoffensive under
the scorching influence of the sun, aided, no doubt, by
the greedy efforts of predatory birds. The number of
men in the camp was, as we were informed, between
eight and ten thousand, only about half the force of the
original army of the Pavon: probably, however, the
greater part of those who ' skedaddled ' on that occasion
had never been induced to return, and many more must
have died from wounds and sickness. The process of
victualling the army was very simple, beef and mate
being the only food. Large droves of cattle are sent
into the camp, and there slaughtered after the fashion
of the country. Each beast supplies about forty men for
the day, so that rather more than two hundred fell
daily for the consumption of the army. They are quite
independent of kitchens and cumbrous establishments,
for every man in the country has been accustomed from

FEEDING THE ARMY. 323
his boyhood to cook his own beef in his own fashion.
Bread and vegetables, and many other things which we
consider necessaries, being entirely unknown to the
common people, many difficulties are removed from the
commissariat; and the trouble of transport is reduced
to a minimum where the staple commodity of bullocks
is marched to the scene of consumption upon its own
legs. I saw a few fish which somebody had brought up
from the river ; but that was quite an exceptional case.
The irregular arrangement of the camp, with its
various kinds of shabby tents spread about the plain,
the artillery, bullock-carts, and ammunition-waggons
drawn up on the higher ground behind, and the wild
looks of the gipsy-like, undisciplined gauchos, gave a
very picturesque appearance to the whole scene, and I
was extremely glad to have had such a good opportunity
of seeing a South American army in the field. The
weather was, to my mind, delightful ; the burning sun
shone all day without a cloud, but a fine westerly breeze
blew across the heated earth, laden with the pure
essences of a thousand miles of Pampas. In the neigh
bourhood of the roads cut up for the service of the
army, the dust was certainly very trying, and I had
many opportunities of seeing fine specimens of whirl
winds, loaded as it were with dust, careering over the
plain in immense dark pillars of from 50 to 200 feet in
height, and apparently large enough in bulk to over
whelm any one who could not get out of their way.
Y 2

324 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
At last we said farewell to the colonel, and, hoping
he would get successfully through the disagreeables of
breaking up the camp and moving his men towards
Cordova, we were driven back to Rosario as fast as the
lively steeds and active whip could do it. Just as we
left the camp, I met my old friend and fellow-passenger
from England, the soldier-like Garibaldian colonel.
He had been induced by his fighting instinct to join the
Buenos Ayrean army, and was a distinguished member
of the Italian brigade which captured Urquiza's artillery
at the battle of the Pavon. He had since been very ill,
and bore traces of suffering, though his eagle eye and
erect figure made him look every inch a soldier as he
rode leisurely into the camp. The chief novelty that I
observed among the wild flowers was the abundance of
a lilac verbena, instead of the scarlet species that was
among the chief ornaments of the more southern plains.
We returned to Rosario by a different road, and I
had a better opportunity of seeing the town. It is one
of the most thriving and progressive places in the
Argentine Confederation, being the chief point at which
the produce of the upper provinces is shipped for
Buenos Ayres, Montevideo, and so to other parts of the
world. The- population has increased very rapidly to
about 16,000, half of whom are foreigners, and new
buildings in all directions testify to fresh enter
prises. The great thing, however, for Rosario will be
the railway to Cordova and the interior, by which

RAILWAY PROSPECTS. 325
the resources and wealth of the provinces will be im
mensely increased and developed. Rosario will be the
terminus at which their productions will be shipped,
and there will be nothing to prevent those productions
from being almost infinite as soon as a good communi
cation is made for their transport. At present every
article of commerce from Cordova, Mendoza, San Juan,
Santiago, Salta, Tucuman, &c, must be brought for
many hundreds of miles in lumbering bullock-carts,
placed on high wheels, like those of bathing-machines,
to help them through rivers and ditches ; and made so
heavy, to secure the requisite strength, that their pace
is reduced to the slowest crawl that is consistent with
motion. To travel for 800 miles with a train of these
conveyances must be a severe trial of patience to those
in charge of them ; but, fortunately, that is one of the
virtues of a country where no one is in a hurry.
In the province of Mendoza, among the first ap
proaches to the Cordillera of the Andes, and also in
the province of La Rioja, excellent wine is made ;
but with such means of transport as bullock -waggons
for more than 700 miles to Rosario, who can wonder
if it is little known? It can be made, however, in
enormous quantities, and even now is sent over from
Mendoza into Chili ; though, to get there, it must be
carried on muleback over a pass of about 13,000 feet
above the sea-
Cotton can be produced in any quantity in the

326 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
provinces on both sides of the Parana; and I have
even been told that the first stock of cotton planted in
North America came from the neighbourhood of the
Argentine city of Cordova. It is hoped that this will
be an important article of trade with the River Plate,
and a considerable quantity is already being grown;
but at present more labour and improved communica
tions are required. The territory of the Confederation
extends through eighteen degrees of latitude, and
there is, consequently, a great variety of climate in
different parts of it : and, as there are also great dif
ferences of elevation between the level of the Pampas
and the slopes of the Andes, nearly all the necessaries
of life are produced between its boundaries. The one
great want is railway communication, and the Govern
ment are now in a fair way to supply the deficiency.
The country is probably the easiest in the world for
carrying out such undertakings. For hundreds of
miles there is hardly anything to do but to lay down
rails upon the plains. Two smaller lines are already
opened out of Buenos Ayres, one to the north and the
other to the west ; and a third, which will extend from
the capital to Chascomus on the south, is now, I
believe, in course of construction. But the grand work
will be the line from Rosario to Cordova, which has
long been talked of, and now seems pretty certain of
accomplishment. It will naturally extend itself to all
the important cities of the interior, and a proposal has

PROVINCIAL PRODUCE. 327
even been made to carry it over the Andes, and bring
it into cooperation with the railways of Chili.
When the minerals of the Cordillera, the fruits and
wines, the cotton and the tobacco, the hides and fleeces
of the interior can have a safe and easy transit to the
Parana, the world will see how important a country
has remained thus long in comparative obscurity. The
benefits will be manifold. One of the greatest will
probably be that many of the cleverest men in the
country will find new and profitable fields for their
energy. It may fairly be hoped that many will aban
don the unfortunate practice of damaging the best
interests of their country by petty intrigues and
trumpery politics, and by prattling about their holy
mission for the establishment of universal liberty,
while they lose the substance of it. True liberty was
never established by mere theorists; but it is the
natural reward of honest, hard work.
Before leaving Rosario, our American friend shewed
me over his establishment, which consisted of a large
courtyard, nearly surrounded by storehouses, or gal-
pones, as they are called. Here were piled up heaps of
hides, bags of raisins and dried peaches from Mendoza,
tierces of yerba, and sacks of alfalfa seed. Ponderous
bullock-wagons were coming and going, and lazy groups
of peons were loitering about the gates in gawdy
ponchos, and staring at us with their customary expres
sion of utter indifference to all things human and divine.

328 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Some of them were evil-looking knaves, and my host
told me that it was often very hard work to manage
them ; but perhaps one ought not to expect much from
men who pass their existence in goading bullocks across
boundless plains at the rate of about two miles an
hour. The good people of Rosario had suffered a great
panic two months before our visit. When Urquiza
fled in hot haste from the battle of Pavon, and arrived
at Rosario, the inhabitants not unnaturally feared that
the rest of the defeated army might fall back upon
their town in a frame of mind which might induce
them to commit every kind of plunder and outrage in
revenge for being disappointed in their expectation of
sacking Buenos Ayres, which had been their only
inducement to serve willingly in the war. Many
ladies and children were received by Captain Paget,
on board H.M.S. Oberon, and the greatest excitement
prevailed. Fortunately, no harm was done, and the
victorious army of Buenos Ayres was pushed forward to
Rosario as quickly as possible.
We had another delightful evening on board, and
soon after four o'clock next morning started once more
up the river. Two or three hours later we passed San
Lorenzo, conspicuous by its fine old church and con
vent, and amused ourselves by taking long shots at a
freshwater seal when he came to the surface.
In the afternoon we came up with the Buenos

THE SQUADRONS. 329
Ayrean squadron, whose persistent inactivity had been
frequently the object of invidious remarks from the
Federal party in the city. This fleet consisted of six
steamers and a sailing brig, the steamers being ordinary
passenger-vessels, seized by the Government, and armed
with such guns as they could muster. The average
size appeared to be about that of a Margate boat, and
the whole could have been destroyed in less than half
an hour, by the most moderate fire of a small battery
on shore, if there had been one. We stopped for a
short time to let them send off a boat for some letters
and papers which we had brought up for them. The
boat came alongside, and the letters were handed down
to the officer, who was greatly obliged. We were rather
struck with the smart appearance of two or three of the
crew, who looked very like Englishmen, and the sus
picion was soon confirmed. The officer gave them the
word in Spanish, and one of them at once remarked to
the man next him, ' Shove off, Bill. All right ! ' No
doubt they had been victims to some of the Buenos
Ayrean crimps, who liked nothing better than inducing
English and American seamen to run from their ships.
If they liked idleness better than anything else, they
were probably satisfied, as they had not weighed anchor
for many weeks. If they expected to get a pleasanter
set of messmates by the change of service, they must
have been lamentably disappointed.
The vessels were anchored in line, and just as we

330 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
came alongside of the headmost, a broad reach of the
river enabled us to see the hostile squadron of the
Federals over the low ground of the next corner,
scarcely more than a league distant. This magnificent
armament consisted of nine steamers, of which, however,
at least one or two were not larger than a Thames tug
boat. To any one accustomed to see the powerful fleets
of Europe, there was something ridiculous in the idea
of these two squadrons being ecstatically puffed by their
respective partisans, and assuming the pretensions of
naval forces ; but, say what one may, all things are great
and small by comparison, and these collections of cock
boats were, at all events, sufficient to frighten one an
other; they had remained for weeks together without
either party venturing an attack.
Being perfectly neutral, we stopped for a short time
near this squadron of Urquiza's as we had just before
done by that of Buenos Ayres ; and on looking at the
crews, I could not help thinking that, in the event of a
fight, the latter ought to have had much the best of it.
The decks of the captain-general seemed to be chiefly
occupied by gangs of that gaueho cavalry whose scarlet
ponchos and chiripds inspire terror in the minds of the
southern soldiery, but who would of all men be the most
useless on board a ship. A boat came off, but returned
when it was announced that we were going to anchor
for the night just above them, and we were led to expect
a visit from the admiral.

THE ADMIRAL. 331
Soon after four in the afternoon, the 'Ardent' anchored
about two miles ahead of the Federal fleet. A strong
breeze was blowing down the river, and we soon saw
that a boat was pulling hard against wind and stream
towards us. It was curious to watch the faces of our
noble blue-jackets standing ready to receive the admiral,
as soon as the gipsy-looking, mongrel crew could put
him alongside. At last he stood upon our deck. Sure
such an admiral was never seen ! The poor old man
was an Italian, and a brave one too, who had fought at
Montevideo in the same cause with Garibaldi, when the
hero of the red shirt was a lesser man. In one of the
fights at that time he had lost an arm at the shoulder,
and he now looked lean and haggard. His long, iron-
grey hair had a wild and greasy appearance, as it hung
over his shoulders from under a dirty cap, and his
clothes were shabby in the extreme. Still he looked a
gentleman, and bowed politely in answer to the atten
tion with which he was received by the English officers.
He was accompanied by the commander of one of his
smallest ships, the son of a distinguished officer in the
United States navy, who had some years previously
done good service by his explorations of the Paraguay
and Parana. Round the cap of the commander was a
ribbon which had once been red, inscribed in dirty-white
letters with the Urquizista motto, ' Defendemos la ley
federal jurada, son traidores los que la combaten ; '
meaning, ' We defend the sworn federal law, and those

332 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
who resist it are traitors.' Considering the deeds which
have been done in South America to this tune, one is
sorely tempted to compare the conduct of the Mexican
brigands who, before the French occupation, assumed
the character of ' defenders of the church,' and in that
capacity robbed the Vera Cruz diligence whenever they
could find an opportunity.
The chief engineer of the squadron — as usual, a very
sensible and intelligent Scotchman — also came on board
the ' Ardent,' and from the united testimony of these
officers we discovered that the defenders of the Federal
law had a most miserable life of it. Not a man or
officer, from the poor old admiral downwards, had
received a farthing of pay for six months, with the
solitary exception of the engineers, who, under the
guidance of their able chief, had secured the payment of
their dues by clearly explaining to the captain -general
of the forces that, unless their assistance was properly
paid for, the fleet could not and should not move under
any possible circumstances.
A comfortable meal and a little rational conversation
on board a British man-of-war seemed to do them all
good, and the party returned to their ships apparently
highly gratified. The chief engineer, however, remained
on board, for it was agreed that he should be allowed
a passage to Parana on leave, as we were now not many
leagues from that place, I do not know by what precise
feelings the admiral was influenced, but we soon after-

DIAMANTE. 333
wards heard that he had abandoned his charge and
coolly retired to terra firma, probably disgusted with
the whole affair.
The sequel of this naval campaign remains to be told.
Some weeks after our visit the Urquizista party appear
to have felt that their chance was gone, and their
squadron went up to the town of Parana to disarm.
The Buenos Ayrean squadron, which had never ventured
to give them battle, waited their opportunity ; and when
Urquiza's ships were nearly disarmed and partially
deprived of their crews, they went through the farce of
capturing them, which was magnified by the Buenos
Ayrean commander into a great naval victory, and
made the subject of a grandiloquent despatch. Such
were, in the year of grace 1861, the squadrons of the
two contending factions in a South American civil war !
We were lying off Diamante, formerly called Punto
Gorda, near which a great change takes place in the
appearance of the country. The high land and steep
barrancas, which extend the whole distance from Buenos
Ayres on the eastern or the right bank of the river, now
cease ; and without any important deviation in the
general course of the stream, the high land appears on
. the other side. At Diamante there is a fine headland,
and thenceforward to Parana the coast of Entre Rios
appeared to be from about a hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet in height, breaking off suddenly in
precipitous barrancas at the water's edge. The Federal

334 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
ships were lying in a very pretty situation, near the
Entre Rios side, under shelter of the lofty headland and
wooded banks of Diamante, just at the point which
Urquiza selected for crossing the Parana with his troops.
About five o'clock in the morning we started again,
and three hours later all care and attention were
required to get the ' Ardent ' through a difficult and
tortuous channel where there was scarcely water enough
for her to float. All the difficulties, however, were safely
passed. Before long the shining white buildings of
Parana appeared above the heights, and at ten o'clock
we anchored opposite the landing-place, or Bajada.

335

CHAPTER XV.
PARANA AND SANTA F&.
PARANA — THE HOTEL DE PARI8 — THE SIESTA — BEDS OF FOSSIL
OYSTERS — PRETTY ENVIRONS — THE NOGOYA DILIGENCE — EX
CURSION TO SANTA FE — ALLIGATORS ON THE BANK OF THE
SALADO — ORIGIN OF SANTA FE —ROUGH-LOOKING SOLDIERS-
BREAKFAST AT THE FONDA — VISIT TO THE CHURCH — VIEW
FROM THE TOWEE — DUST AND DECAY — THE OLD FORT — THE
SCARLET PONCHOS — AFFAIR OF THE CARC AEANA'— THE POST
MASTER OF SANTA PE — A CIRCUS — ' SIC VOS NON VOBIS ' —
AGREEMENT TO START FOR NOGOYA.
rpHE city of Parana is about four hundred miles
-*- higher up the .river than Buenos Ayres; and,
though by no means entitled to be considered an
important place in itself, yet it was selected by the
provincial majority of the Congress as the official
capital and seat of government of the Argentine Con
federation. Here sate the Congress which had proved
so obnoxious to the real capital, the head-quarters of
the wealth and intelligence of the country, that the
wrathful Buenos Ayreans had taken up arms for its
destruction. The course of the last few weeks had been
marked by the flight of Derqui, its president, and the
downfall of his party. It was certain that one main

336 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
result of the war would be the change of the capital ;
but the foreign Ministers had not yet removed from
Parana. I had been fortunate enough to make the acquaint
ance of the English Minister, Mr. Thornton, when I
was at Buenos Ayres some months earlier; and, on
hearing that I had come up the river in the ' Ardent,'
he kindly offered me a room in his house during my
stay. I therefore sent my goods on shore, and prepared
to follow them. My friend, Mr. Boyd, landed at the
same time, and for the first time we touched the soil of
Entre Rios. The bank of the river was dry and shingly,
with a considerable mixture of loose sand, which was
disagreeably hot in the middle of the day. The
barrancas are of a very considerable height, apparently
nearly 200 feet; and, where not covered with grass or
bushes, are white, like chalk cliffs, from the vast quan
tities of shells, which are being worked for lime. A
road from the port to the town is carried in zig-zags
up the most practicable part of the cliffs ; and finding
there were no horses on the spot, we agreed, in con
sideration of the heat, and partly for the fun of the
thing, to enter Parana in a bullock-cart, which was
hanging about in charge of a young negro.
We climbed into this vehicle, and amused ourselves
by conversing with our charioteer while the bullocks
crawled up the hill with their accustomed solemnity.
He was very much puzzled about the 'Ardent,' and

AN INN AT PARANA. 337
very anxious to know which side we had come to fight
for. Poor fellow ! he was disgusted with the war, and
groaned over the idea that in a few days he would be
compelled to join the Federal army. Near the port are
a few scattered houses, and on the highest part of the
barranca, to the north, is situated a colourable imitation
of a fort. Its position is admirable, and if well manned
and well armed it could entirely bar the passage of the
river ; but, unfortunately, it is neither the one nor the
other. After arriving on the high ground, we were
carried about a mile farther over a very white and
dusty road into the heart of the capital, where my
companion took up his residence at a fonda, or inn,
which was dignified by the name of Hotel de Paris.
The proprietor and his family were only partially
dressed, and did not seem in a very accommodating or
lively humour, which was probably caused by our
having disturbed them before their siesta was quite
finished. The building consisted only of a tolerable
courtyard, with a few dirty rooms on each side of it : the
brick floor of that which was destined for my friend was
partly taken up, and things looked in general confusion ;
but we were assured that all would, be muy bien, or
quite right, before the evening.
Every day since leaving Buenos Ayres, the heat had
been gradually increasing as we approached nearer to
the tropic ; and while I was at Parana the thermometer
was generally from 86° to 90° in the shade. A few
z

338 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
weeks later, however, this temperature was considerably
increased ; and Mr. Thornton, who kept a careful account
of observations during his whole residence there, in
forms me that in February it rose to 102°. The
inhabitants of all classes and ages consider the midday
heat quite incompatible with exertion, and generally
shut up their doors or windows for a quiet sleep of
several hours. In Santa Fe, Parana, and the other
towns which I visited in Entre Rios, the streets during
the whole middle of the day were almost entirely
deserted, like those of some city of the dead. I believe
I was considered half mad for disregarding this insti
tution ; but I must confess that I dearly love sunshine,
and I never hesitated to take my fill of it. This was,
perhaps, partly because one has very few opportunities
of ever seeing real sunshine in many parts of Europe,
and its glory is, therefore, more completely appreciated ;
but it is also true that, as a general rule, those who are
spending their first season in a hot climate can bear it
much better than those who have been there for several
years. They carry out from their more temperate
regions a stock of vigour which lasts some time before
it is exhausted or appreciably diminished. One man
may hold out longer than another ; but in the long run
very few resist the influences which draw them into
adopting the customs of the country. In the meantime,
I thoroughly enjoyed day after day of blazing sunshine
and deep blue skies which were seldom sullied by a

FOSSIL OYSTERS. 339
single cloud. There was almost always a light air
which was very agreeable, but occasionally a heavy wind
driving dense clouds of dust made it difficult to breathe
or see. The dust of a soil where there is no stone
becomes fine as flour, penetrating into every corner,
and sadly destructive of clothes. This is probably the
chief drawback of Parana.
Under these circumstances the dinner-hour was four
o'clock, and the evenings were devoted to riding or
exposing ourselves to the probable contempt of the
inhabitants by condescending to walk. The town is
not large and only contains a few thousand inhabitants.
There is the customary plaza, or square, in the centre,
containing the public buildings and sundry insignificant
shops ; a few churches, of which the exterior is the most
imposing part ; and the regular chess-board system of
Streets at right angles. The houses look remarkably
white, but not even an enthusiast could find much to
admire in the place itself. The immediate environs,
however, are remarkably agreeable, and a few minutes
are sufficient to reach the open country and pure
breezes of the Pampas. The people seemed very quiet
and peaceable, and there were many picturesque out
lying cottages rejoicing in the shade of the ombu, and
ornamented with the brilliant clusters of the seibo.
The most curious feature that I observed was the enor
mous quantity of fossil oyster-beds. In many places
the soil had been furrowed by torrents, the steep banks
z 2

340 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
of which presented the appearance of walls composed
entirely of these shells ; and sometimes the earth was
split open by chasms exactly like large crevasses in a
glacier. Their depth appeared to vary from 10 to about
30 or 40 feet, and their perpendicular sides were com
posed almost entirely of gigantic oysters. The small
Rio de las Conchitas in the neighbourhood, takes its
name from similar shells which form the principal
characteristic of its banks.
One of my principal objects in coming to Parana, was
to cross the interior of Entre Rios with my friend
Mr. Boyd, and, if possible, reach the estancia of his
father-in-law, which we knew was not far from the
town of Gualeguay. The question was how to get
there. The estanciero generally travels with his own
peons and tropilla of horses ; when one horse is tired
he changes his saddle and mounts another; the tired
one is compelled to keep up the gallop with the rest of
the tropilla, and in this manner very great distances
are accomplished in a single day. We could not, how
ever, arrange anything of this kind at Parana, and as
we were not expected at the estancia, no preparations
could be made for meeting us. On making enquiries,
however, we were informed that a diligencia, or omni
bus-like conveyance, made the journey to Nogoya at
certain periods, one of which was near at hand ; in fact,
if all went well, the coach would start in two or three
days. We were referred to an address where we could

LA DILIGENCIA. 341
make further enquiries and take our places if we so
wished. With some little difficulty we found the place indi
cated, and entered a huge yard, covered with rubbish
and confusion, the chaotic premises of a South American
coach-builder. On one side was the battered frame of
a galera ; on another side a loose heap of old wood and
iron, apparently intended for the repairs of a small
vehicle, which I should have thought was past all re
covery ; remains of bullock-carts and broken wheels
strewed the ground in all directions, and there did not
seem to be anything worth half-a-crown in the place.
I thought of Dickens's delightful story of the decayed
mail-coaches, as I looked about in wonder for the object
of our search. At last a fat and grimy man emerged
from a shed : my companion asked him where the
diligencia for Nogoya was to be found.
' Aqui, Senor ' (here, sir), said the man, pointing out
to us one of the most dilapidated wrecks in his es
tablishment. ' That the diligencia ! ' we both exclaimed.
' Si, Senor.'
' Well ; but we thought it was to start to-morrow or
the day after, and it is all in pieces.'
' It will be ready, Senor.'
c But half one side is gone, and half the bottom ; it
has no seats, no windows, no coach-box ; the lining is
torn to atoms, and it has only one spring ! '

342 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
' All will be ready, Senor, rnanana.'
We knew that manana, though literally meaning
to-morrow, is practically a very indefinite word in the
mouth of a Spanish American ; so we resolved to pay
no money for places till we saw matters in a little more
advanced stage, and proposed to call again. Next day
an iron support was added to the weakest side of the
wreck, but there were no other signs of progress, and we
resolved to make an excursion to Santa Fe, a little way
up the Salado river.
Very early in the morning a country carriage was
ready to take us down to the port, but we found our
selves obliged, as a preliminary step before leaving the
province, to procure passports from the local police.
This was of course a mere excuse, perhaps excusable,
for extracting a few dollars in return for an extra
ordinary document surrounded by mysterious emblems
of commerce ; our names, hurriedly taken down from our
own viva, voce statement, were distorted by the
authorities more outrageously than I could have thought
possible : I figured as Senor Xequel, and my companions
fared scarcely better. At eight o'clock we went on
board one of the smallest steamers ever seen, charged
with the task of towing a clumsy government horse-
raft, which was intended for the conveyance of Federal
cavalry. The Salado debouches into the Parana through
a channel of very considerable width, up which we made
pretty fair progress. The high lands and white barrancas

ALLIGATORS. 343
of Entre Rios were soon left behind as we steamed
between the low and marshy banks of the ever-
narrowing Salado. Marshes and lagunas, lagunas and
marshes, were the chief features of the scenery; and
many a quaint ungainly bird soared lazily from the
reeds, as our paddles disturbed the water where they
were reposing. Even if there were no other evidence
to support the belief, a sportsman would immediately
see from the appearance of the surrounding country
that, by paddling about those retired lagunas which
communicate with the river, he would have an immense
variety of wild-fowl shooting.
A few alligators showed themselves on the banks,
and the steam-boat captain, a very pleasant Italian,
amused himself by suddenly clutching a musket and
firing at them. We could not see any material effects,
but perhaps he may have tickled one of the scaly
monsters, for they rushed incontinently into the water.
There was a very amusing and intelligent man on board
in the person of the captain's uncle and money-taker.
He was a Genoese skipper, who had for many years
navigated a vessel of his own in the Mediterranean, till
an unlucky gale wrecked him on the coast of Spain and
stripped him of all his little fortune. He was a very
pleasant old fellow, who had seen the ' cities and customs
of many men,' had learned something of their languages,
and gained in a very high degree the invaluable art of
not yielding to adversities.

344 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
About half-past ten o'clock a small grove of masts
appearing over a corner of the land showed that we
were near our destination ; another turn was made, and
presently we came to anchor among a crowd of small
schooners waiting for cargoes of produce from the
interior. A boat of the Norwegian pattern took us on
shore, and we landed at the highly interesting town of
Santa Fe.
The early Spanish adventurers in the Rio de la Plata
suffered greatly from the want of friendly ports, of
which there had been an entire deficiency from the
mouths of the river to Assumption in Paraguay, since the
abandonment of the settlement of Buenos Ayres in the
year 1535. Under these circumstances De Garay in
1573, selecting a neighbourhood where the Indians were
more friendly than those of the southern part of the
country, commenced the foundations of Santa Fe de la
Vera Cruz on the right bank of the river, and about the
latitude of 31° south. In 1651, the inhabitants moved
a little farther south, and established themselves in the
present city at the mouth of the Rio Salado. Santa Fe
has thus been for a considerable period of high interest
and importance as a half-way station between the
mouths of the Parana and the capital of Paraguay.
We were quietly stared at on landing by a few idlers,
but no one troubled us with questions ; so we wandered
past the few houses near the water-side with the hope of
reaching the principal part of the city, and discovering

ROUGH-LOOKING SOLDIERS. 345
some establishment where we might get the breakfast of
which we began to be in need. The place looked poor
and thinly built over, but with the usual system of long
streets intersecting one another at right angles we had
no difficulty in finding our way to the Plaza, which we
knew must be pretty near the centre. It was scarcely
eleven o'clock yet, but many of the people had composed
themselves for the siesta, and many sleepy faces looked
at us languidly through half-open doors, wondering
apparently what new kind of madmen we could be.
At last we saw some chance of refreshments, and
turned into a very small and dirty establishment, which
called itself the Hotel de la Republica. Some rather
savage-looking soldiers were hanging about the place,
lazily leaning against the walls of the court, and
smoking in rather a sulky fashion. Their many-
coloured pouches and wild appearance were exceedingly
picturesque, but they had a dangerous look, and did not
seem at all in the humour to be trifled with. We
walked past them into what I suppose must be called
the coffee-room, where we ascertained that one of the
Federal generals had made his head-quarters in the house.
A remarkably dirty waiter in due time brought us
some tolerable imitations of filets de bceuf, which,
though rather redolent of garlic, were by no means
despicable, with some fried potatoes and Carlon — a red
Spanish wine generally drunk in the country. We
thought we had breakfasted well, and soon afterwards

346 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
we walked out to see what we could of the town. By
this time everybody in the place seemed to have gone
to sleep; and, though we were anxious to make the
best use of our eyes, we certainly had very few oppor
tunities of observing the inhabitants. We came to the
Plaza, which was merely a burnt-up lawn intersected
by a few paths, but we saw no living creatures except
a couple of dogs sleeping against the wall of a house.
The heat of the sun was certainly very great, but it
appeared to me that the action of a light breeze made
it much more endurable than the conduct of the inhabi
tants would have led me to suppose.
The tower of the church attracted us towards it, and
we strolled ^through thick dust to the entrance. The
principal gate was closed, but we found a little door at
the side, leading into a cloistered enclosure full of peach
and orange trees. We walked in, but there was no one
to be seen : Santa Fe was like a city of the dead.
Through a window opening into the cloisters, I saw a
tolerable large collection of very old books, some very
bulky and black with age ; and I have no doubt that
many of them would be found of great value as choice
works brought out by the early Jesuits. We peeped
into all kinds of holes and corners, and presently found
that at one corner of the cloister there seemed to be a
way to climb the tower of the church. We were pre
paring for the ascent, when a boy appeared with a can,
in which he seemed to have been carrying refreshments

VIEW FROM THE STEEPLE. 347
for some sleeping saint. Thinking that perhaps he
belonged to the place, we asked him if we might go up
and explore for ourselves. ' Si, senor,' he replied, and
vanished. It was too hot for hurrying, and we climbed leisurely
by an old and battered staircase. After some time this
ceased, and the remainder of the ascent was completed
by means of steps and ladders among the ancient tim
bers of the tower. From the summit we had a complete
view of the whole town, with lagunas and immense plains
stretching out into the distance. The Salado river
glittered in the sun, twisting and turning in its course
to the Parana ; and beyond it rose the distant hills of
Entre Rios. On one side was the expanse of the Pampas,
with the road to Cordova and the provinces of the west ;
on the other was the great river, the noble Parana,
waiting to carry their undeveloped treasures to all parts
of the earth ; and here at our feet was nothing but a
slumbering city ! Looking from that lofty tower over
the surrounding country, I could not help thinking of
the gallant old Spaniards who built it long ago. What
eager ambition must have nerved the arms of those
who, not contenting themselves with the slow course of
a colonisation which penetrates by gradually advancing
its settlements, pushed at once boldly into the heart of
a new continent, and established their cities in the teeth
of hostile Indians ! What faith must have possessed
those pious men, who determined, in the face of all

348 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
obstacles and difficulties, to carry the religion and civili
sation of their fathers into these distant regions ! What
high hopes and aspirations must have animated the
founders of Santa Fe, and how greatly would they be
disappointed if they could revisit the scene of their
labours ! Faith is dead, and El Dorado was a fable.
My thoughts, however, soon travelled from the past
to the future ; and it was not difficult to foresee that the
rapid multiplication of mankind with their ever-increas
ing necessities, the spirit of progress and railways, and
the improvement of government with the advance of
common sense, must soon combine to bring into those
wonderful regions a much larger proportion of the
human race than has hitherto been enabled to enjoy
them. More immigrants are wanted to labour them
selves, and to arouse the energies of the natives. Other
things will follow in due course. Railway communica
tion especially must have a good centralising effect in a
country whose greatest misfortune has been the estab
lishment of a Federation. The Federal system is, as
Mr. Markham correctly observes in his 'Travels in Peru,'
'entirely unsuited to a thinly-peopled region, without
roads, and unprovided with a sufficient number of
capable educated men in the distant provinces to
undertake the local government. Power necessarily
falls into the hands of any cunning adventurer; every
little state becomes a focus of revolution, and an endless
succession of civil wars is the result.' Let us, however,

ANTIQUE DUST. 349
hope that Santa Fe and other places will awake and
prosper. The appearance of the city, as seen from our
eminence, was extremely curious. The long streets,
now entirely silent and deserted by the sleepy inhabit
ants, stretched away to the surrounding plains — the
houses gradually declining in size and style from toler
ably good and substantial white buildings in the central
districts to mere huts on the outskirts; but a very large
number of them, whether great or small, were orna
mented with gardens or enclosures full of peach and
orange trees, the bright verdure of which contrasted
charmingly with white walls and red roofs in every
direction. After a long enjoyment of our airy perch and the
pure breeze that blew around it, we prepared for the
descent, in the course of which we discovered an old
door that led into the organ-loft. I saw no organ,
however, but there were several old-fashioned instru
ments of music. A few high-backed chairs, elaborately
carved, and a few old books lying about in disorder,
must have come from Spain, and had to all appearance
been there ever since the church was built. The dust
and dirt of antiquity lay thick in every corner, and
the whole place gave me the impression of having
never been touched or entered since the palmy days
of the Jesuits in America. We could not get into the
body of the building, nor could we find anyone to

350 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
interrogate on the subject; but, as far as, we could
see from above, the whole appeared to be in an equal
state of neglect and shabbiness.
We sallied forth into the streets again, and happened
to find an Italian who had come with us from Parana
¦
in the morning, and was now going to look after a
small piece of property which he had purchased. He
asked if we would like to walk with him, and, not
being at all particular as to our direction, we were glad
of his company and information. After inspecting his
garden and house, both of which were terribly out of
repair, we all strolled together towards the outskirts
of the town, where the Italian said he would show us
a relic of the olden times, the ancient fortress which
was built to protect the early settlers from the attacks
of Indians.
Getting clear of the streets we soon found ourselves
upon the turf amongst a few huts ornamented with
the crimson blossoms of the seibo. Ten minutes or a
quarter of an hour more brought us very near the fort,
which was a huge pile built of red adobes, the sun-
dried bricks of the country, and was connected with
a large walled enclosure, intended, I suppose, to protect
the cattle and possessions of the people in case of need.
We had hoped to explore this curious old edifice, but
on coming up to it we were surprised to find a con
siderable number of soldiers hanging about in the
much-dreaded red ponchos of Urquiza, Some of them

AFFAIR OF THE CARCARANA. 351
were lying at full length asleep on the ground, some
were smoking paper cigars under a species of verandah,
and others were lounging sulkily with their backs
against the wall, staring at us silently. The Santa-
fecinos are considered the finest of the natives, and
certainly these were the most formidable-looking men
I have ever seen, with the exception, perhaps, of the
Life Guards. Many of them must have been several
inches over six feet, and there was an appearance of
dangerous ferocity about them which was anything
but pleasant. I saw that our Italian friend, who knew
the country well, was not only surprised but greatly
alarmed at finding himself in such company about a
mile from the town : he whispered hurriedly that we
must pass without taking notice of them, and turn as
soon as we could. We passed many fierce faces, but no
one said a word to us : we walked on, looking indiffe
rent to their presence, and, contenting ourselves with
only seeing the outside of the fort, we turned to the left
as soon as we could do so without seeming to avoid
these desperate-looking characters, and walked back to
the town by another route.
It turned out afterwards that, in the night before, a
part of the Buenos Ayrean army had attacked a body
of Federals in the neighbourhood of the Carcarana,
not very far from Santa Fe. It was said that treachery
had enabled them to surprise the position while the
men were asleep, and that several hundreds of them

352 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
were killed on the ground. It was very difficult to
get at the truth in such a matter, but all accounts
stated that a large number had been thus slain ; and
if, as was supposed, the party which we fell in with
had only just escaped from the horrible fate of their
comrades, there would be no ground for surprise at
their looking dangerous and out of temper. We had
no arms, but even if we had, they would have been
useless against numbers ; and I daresay the Italian had
good reason for his panic. In fact we were all glad to
find ourselves safely in Santa Fe.
After a good deal of trouble we succeeded in finding
the house of the Post-office manager, who had been
known to one of our party when at Parana. He had
concluded his siesta, and received us very politely,
though still in deshabille. His room was a model of
neatness, and was ornamented, to my great surprise,
with sundry shells and cannon-balls, carefully mounted,
and painted with certain dates and names of places. I
found he was a sailor by profession, and had been for
some tinie an officer of the Argentine navy. He spoke
English, and told us that the missiles in question were
trophies of various engagements in which he had been
concerned, but Obligado was the only one of the
inscriptions which I now remember. He did not seem
at all satisfied with the administration of the govern
ment, and naturally remarked, that it was, to say the
least, passing strange that the authorities at Parana

A TRAVELLING CIRCUS. 353
should fill their ships with cavalry soldiers, and put
him, a sailor, in command of the post-office! He
evidently thought he was not the right man in the
right place. After visiting his garden, which was full
of oranges and figs, and ornamented with Cape jas
mines just coming into flower, we concluded an agree
able visit, and returned to the port.
The little steamer which brought us from Parana
was to return about four o'clock, and whilst waiting for
that time, we refreshed ourselves in a small and dirty
cafe near the water-side. It was kept by an Italian,
with a handsome French wife, who did the honours of
the house with all the animation of her race. She had
the assistance of a very pretty sister, who had been
married only two days before ; and as the little world
of Santa Fe had at last finished its siesta, several
visitors came in to have a glass of wine and amuse
themselves by joking with the bride, who certainly
evinced not the slightest symptoms of shyness. The
dresses of these young ladies were somewhat peculiar ;
they were made of very gaudy muslin, fitting quite
tight to below the hips, whence they were suddenly
distended by enormous crinolines. In due time we
went on board our vessel, and had a pleasant run
down the river, arriving at Parana in time to have a
very welcome dinner with the officers of the ' Ardent.'
About nine o'clock in the evening I went on shore
with Mr. Boyd, and we wound up the day by going to a
A A

354 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
travelling circus, which was astonishing the good
people of the town. A small payment admitted us to
the performances, and we found ourselves in a place
which could scarcely be surpassed in simplicity of
arrangement. A pole had been planted in the middle
of a square enclosure, which was surrounded by a wall,
but not favoured with a roof. A hoop supporting
about twenty common candles was suspended from the
pole, and the stars above assisted the illumination.
The performances were few and far between, and very
much the worst that I have ever seen. The company
stood round a rude ring, and the performers mixed
with them very affably, till after a long effort of an
abominable band, they mounted their horses and re
volved in the circus. Many a gaueho would have
beaten them in horsemanship, but the people seemed
highly amused with the spangled dresses and the rough
jests of a Spanish clown.
In the course of the next few days we made several
visits to see after the state of the diligencia for Nogoya.
The progress was very slow and eminently unsatisfac
tory; but we were always told that everything would
soon be ready, that we should have very good places,
and that there would be only one passenger beside
ourselves. One day, however, I heard that a native
family wishing to cross the province had engaged six
places, and I knew this would leave no room for us.
Here was an end of all our care and watching. We

'SIC V0S NON VOBIS.' 355
had worried the coach-mender, and looked after the
details of his work; but others were to reap the benefit.
' Sic vos non vobis nidificatis, aves ! '
Highly indignant, I went to find my friend, that we
might join in a grand remonstrance, but oh the way I
met our former companion, the Scotch engineer of
Urquiza, who told me that he knew a certain Don
Martin, who was going to Nogoya with a Paraguayan
gentleman in a private carriage, and would probably
take us also for a moderate consideration. He showed
the way to the premises of Don Martin, who turned out
to be a very pleasant little man, and was the owner of
sundry shabby vehicles of different descriptions. He
took us across a yard, full of lumber and rubbish, and
pointed out the carriage in which he proposed to carry
.the Paraguayan and his fortunes. It was a small and
dirty affair, but he declared he could take us all. The
matter of luggage was the most serious question; for
the Paraguayan had an enormous box, which would
monopolise the stern of the carriage,, and leave no room
for our portmanteaus. Finally, it was agreed that for
thirty Bolivian dollars (about five guineas) we should
have another vehicle for ourselves, all travelling in
company as far as Nogoya, which was said to be about
thirty leagues distant.
I had spent a very pleasant week, and was exceedingly
reluctant to leave behind me the kind hospitality of
Mr. and Mrs. Thornton ; but part of our plan was to go
A A 2

356 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
through Entre Rios, and my companion's time was more
limited than my own. Many doubts were suggested of
the prudence and safety of our expedition ; and it was
even hinted that if we fell in with any of Urquiza's
soldiery, the least evil that might befall us would be the
seizure of our horses, and our consequent abandonment
in the midst of uninhabited plains ! We took the best
precautions that we could: Mr. Thornton gave us a
good recommendation in Spanish, which would help us
if we came in the way of any of the authorities, and
we had pistols at band to spoil the sport of more ordi
nary ruffians.
As the weather was exceedingly hot, it was arranged
that we should start at four o'clock in the morning ; and,
therefore, after another delightful evening ramble
among the pretty environs of Parana, we bade farewell
to our kind friends, and spent the night together at the
fonda, in order to be ready for an early move. We had
a good many little arrangements to make ; and we found
packing and sorting such hot work, even at night, and
in our shirt-sleeves, that we advanced very slowly, and
it was past midnight when the trunks were locked. We
then sate down at an open window to cool our bodies with
the night air, and to compose our minds with the
assistance of a cigar. Both these objects were attained
in the course of an hour, after which we stretched our
selves on our beds for a short repose.

357

CHAPTER XVI.
TRAVELLING IN ENTRE RIOS.
START FEOM PARANA — WANT OF WATER — MUDDY PONDS — AR
RIVAL AT NOGOY&— COUNTRY-QUARTERS— CHRISTIAN NAMES —
THE GUALEGUAY DILIGENCIA — A ROUGH JOLTING — LETTERS
FORGOTTEN — CHANGING THE TEAM — ROUGH DRIVERS — A DAN
GEROUS PLACE TO CROSS — DOWN THEY GO — THE COACH IS
UPSET — MENDING A BROKEN LEG — A FRESH START — ARRIVAL
AT THE ESTANCIA — 'OLD BOB' — BRICK MAKING AND HOUSE
BUILDING—CHOICE SHEEP — INCREASING VALUE OF LAND — A
GARDEN— FERNS GROWING IN THE WELLS — GENEEAL APPEAR
ANCE OF THE LAND.
SOON after three o'clock in the morning, we were
ready for Don Martin, who was rather behind time
in coming for us. At last he came. Our trunks were
firmly tied on a board behind the carriage ; and, taking
with us a bottle of wine and a piece of cold meat, we
started through the silent streets, a little before five
o'clock. Don Martin drove the first carriage, with the Para
guayan and his goods ; the latter consisting of an
enormous box and a grey parrot. The driver of our
carriao-e turned out to be a Swiss, from the Canton of
Berne, with whom, in the course of the day, I had a

358 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
long talk about the beauties of his native country.
Each vehicle had two horses, and a third was attached
by a slack rope to the side, so that he could run free
without doing any work, but would be ready to take the
place of either of the others in case of their knocking
up. This was considered quite sufficient for a journey
of nearly a hundred miles, which was to be performed
in one day, and without the chance of .seeing even a
village till the end of it.
As we drew out of the town we met a few country
people riding in from the outlying houses with supplies
for marketing; but in a very short time we saw the
last of them, and did not meet another human being for
about fifty or sixty miles. The road is merely a track,
consisting of two light ruts -upon the turf, which are
made by the occasional passage of a bullock-cart or
other vehicle, and were sometimes so faint as to be
hardly visible. The dry weather had made the grass
very brown ; and the sun, rising in our faces like a ball
of fire in a cloudless sky, promised another intensely hot
day. On we went for hour after hour, at a steady pace
of about nine miles an hour, over an almost com
pletely level country; a sea of dry grass was around
us, and for many leagues together not a tree or bush
was to be seen. There was not a drop of water, not
even a ditch of any description, and both ourselves and
our animals were beginning to look out rather eagerly
for it, when suddenly, about half-past nine, the quick

AN OASIS. 359
eye of Don Martin detected a green spot near the road.
We drove up to it, and called a halt by the side.
A kind of crack or crevice in the ground, about two
feet wide, and extending for a few yards, contained a
little clean water, tolerably cool withal, from its surface
being about a foot below the level of the earth. Its
effects were visible for some little distance on both
sides, where green grass and a few fresh flowers made a
very welcome oasis. Having done justice to the re
freshing water, we unharnessed the horses and brought
them down for their share of the treat. Whilst they
ate and drank at their leisure, we threw ourselves upon
the grass and produced our provisions. Don Martin
had an uncommonly good roll of stuffed beef; and with
the help of our own supplies, and a cup of wine and
water, we thought that we had fared sumptuously.
About a quarter of an hour after our arrival at this
spot, the faithless diligencia overtook and passed us at
a quick pace ; but, as we reclined at our ease on the
turf, we congratulated ourselves upon not being jammed
in with the native family.
The Paraguayan gentleman made himself very com
panionable, though he seemed rather a victim to the
dreamy, lotus-eating manner of his country. He spoke
Spanish in a very subdued tone, and with the soft
pronunciation of the Guarani; but he seemed to be
enjoying himself in his own quiet way.
At last, after about an hour's halt, little Don Martin

360 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
rose to his feet, and said that we must march. The
horses were harnessed as before, the spare ones being
not yet thought necessary, and away we went again over
the hot plains. Groups of deer and ostriches were
startled every few minutes by our approach, but it did
not appear to me that the partridges were so plentiful
as in the Banda Oriental. The deer were very much
like our English fallow deer, both in size and colour,
and it was delightful to see them bound away to the
side and then turn to look at us with astonishment.
The South American ostriches are, as is well known,
quite different from the African species. They are
smaller, and their plumage is grey, without the beautiful
side-feathers which are the glory of the African. They
have, however, an exceedingly graceful way of expand
ing their long drooping feathers, which, when they are
picking their way through long grass, makes them look
at a little distance something like a mixture of lace
and crinoline.
After pushing on for three or four hours longer, we
approached a series of small ponds, and turned off the
road in hopes of finding refreshment for man and beast.
It was no small disappointment when we discovered
that the water was scarcely better than hot mud, of
about the same consistence as mock-turtle soup. It
was scarcely a foot deep, and had been poached up by
horses and cattle into such a state that no one could
have swallowed it, except in the most direful emer-

LUNCH ON THE PAMPAS. 361
gency. We went on from one to the other without any
better result, and turned back in despair towards the
road. We took out the horses, who soon showed that
they had no overpowering objection to the water ; and,
putting the two vehicles near together, we extemporised
something of a tent, by stretching a couple of ponchos
across from one to the other. Not far from us was the
'first tenement which we had seen since leaving Parana,
some fifty miles before. It was a mere hut, entirely
alone upon the plains, but I saw some milch cows near
it, which suggested the idea of sending the Swiss with
an empty bottle for some milk. His mission was suc
cessful, and we rejoiced over a good substitute for the
filthy water of the pond. Don Martin gave the horses
a large feed of maize, and we returned to the attack
upon our cold beef. As the blazing heat of the sun was
kept off by the roof which we had contrived, and a
sweet fresh breeze played freely under it, our pic-nic
on the Pampas was a very enjoyable affair.
I thought we stayed here rather too long, but little
Martin thought it would answer better, in the long run,
to rest the horses well. At last we started ; and went
steadily on till nearly six o'clock, when we reached the
estancia house of Don Manuel Leibe, who was a friend
of Don Martin, and received us very politely. One of
the horses was here changed for one of Don Manuel's,
but the delay in bringing up the tropilla to choose
from made us seriously late. We had still six leagues

362 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
to travel before reaching Nogoya, during three of which
we were told that the road ran through woods, and it
was seven o'clock when we left the house.
Night came on apace, and though the stars were
bright, there was no moon. Every now and then we
lost the road, and many times I thought we must
certainly be upset in the rough hollows of dried-up
water-courses. At last we came to the wood region, •
where, of course, it was more difficult than ever to see
the track over the grass. The air was very chilly after
our roasting through the day, and we were glad to
wrap ourselves up in ponchos instead of sitting with our
coats off. The horses were frequently pulled up by
running into trees, "but at last we came to a dead stop
by the side of a large arroyo, evidently too deep to be
forded. Martin had heard the dogs barking at a rancho,
or hut, a little while before, so as we had evidently lost
the road, he resolved to go back and ask the way, if he
could find anybody. The furious barking of the dogs
served as a guide, but just as we were close to the
rancho, our horses charged into a stack of wood, and
altogether we were in a mess that would have been
highly ludicrous if it were not so annoying. The noise
brought out a man, who explained the way to a bridge ;
soon afterwards, somewhat tired, but very hungry, we
reached Nogoya, and drove up to a small inn called the
Hotel de l'Union, at a quarter past eleven o'clock.
Our arrival created a complete sensation. The public

ARRIVAL AT NOGOYA. 363
room of the house seemed to be frequented by the
tradesmen and clerks of the place ; who, after the heat
of the day, came to enjoy the pleasures of a sociable
supper and conversation. The unwonted sound of
wheels drew them all from their tables ; they seemed to
look upon us as visitors from some distant planet, but
when they found that we were English travellers, they
volunteered every civility and attention in their power.
To my great surprise, one young man had learnt Eng
lish in some house of business on the river, and came
forward to give us all the information he possessed
about our intended route ; not without displaying some
natural curiosity about our movements. The people of
the house, in spite of the lateness of the hour, exerted
themselves for our oomfort ; and while a very satisfac
tory supper was being prepared, they produced sundry
bedsteads of the country, and roughly fitted up a room
at the back of the establishment for our reception.
They produced some good English beer and Carlon
wine, and about one o'clock in the morning we retired
to our quarters, well disposed to sleep after a very long
day's work.
The room was large, with a bare brick floor, and in
three corners of it were the catres to be occupied by the
Paraguayan, my companion, and myself respectively.
The wall on one side did not reach the roof, and on
the other side of it, as we. rightly guessed by their
snoring, the family which had arrived in the diligencia

364 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
were peacefully reposing. We slept delightfully in
these simple quarters, and were only aroused by the
departure of the Paraguayan, with Don Martin, on their
way to Gualeguaychu.
We had ascertained that a diligencia would leave
in two days for Gualeguay, and we found, to our great
satisfaction, that it passed the Estancia de las Cabezas,
the very place which we wanted to reach. Under these
circumstances, we had an idle day before us, and were
quite content to breakfast leisurely at ten o'clock, the
usual hour in the establishment. We then strolled
out to see what we could of this small provincial town,
which is nevertheless one of the chief places in Entre Rios.
My companion being perfectly acquainted with the lan
guage and customs of the country, we heard of all that
was going on by calling in at various shops and stores
upon sundry pretences. There was not much to see in
the way of regular sights; but I was pleased and sur
prised to find at Nogoya, as well as in other remote
towns of the Republic, an amount of intelligence and
good manners on the part of the shopkeepers which,
considering the difficulties entailed by their isolated
situation, was really remarkable. I sincerely regretted
that the scarcity of population cut them off from the
much better position which they seemed worthy of.
We listened incredulously to various reports that
Urquiza was going to make a last effort in a few days,
and once more to call out his troops, the greater part of

LEAVE FOR GUALEGUAY. 365
whom had already returned to their homes. The
result justified us in supposing that the Captain-General
had had quite enough fighting for the present, and was
glad to return to his acres and his beeves. The only
attempt at military display which we saw was a small
collection of National Guards in the Plaza, neatly
dressed in blue uniforms and white trousers, listening
to the music of a very tolerable band. We were in the
heart of Urquiza's peculiar province, where I had ex
pected to find everything and everybody rough and
unmannerly; on the contrary, everything appeared to
be peaceful and orderly in the extreme.
The siesta was maintained as rigorously as at Parana ;
blinds were drawn and doors were shut for several
hours, and in the hottest part of a very hot day we two
were almost the only people to be seen in the streets of
Nogoya. In the evening the world emerged again, and
we had an interview with Don Juan, the proprietor of
the diligencia. He said he should start in the morn
ing, about four o'clock, on the strength of which repre
sentation we went to bed rather late. He was an
Italian, and a very good fellow. What his surname
may have been I have no notion ; everybody in that
part of the world is known only by his Christian name.
Whether you are Jew, Turk, infidel or heretic, you are
to all intents and purposes Don Tomas or Don Antonio,
Don Jorge or Don Diego. It is the same with the
peons. I have stayed at an estancia where there were

366 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
three Pedros ; but they were not distinguished by their
surnames, if they ever had any. They were Pedro el
Grande and Pedro el Chico, or Peter the Great and
Peter the Little, and the third was Peter the Basque.
I was aroused from my peaceful slumbers by the
entrance of our stout friend Don Juan, bearing a lan
tern, with which he lighted a candle. I looked at my
watch, and found it was scarcely past two o'clock. We
both started rather crossly, and asked what on earth he
wanted at that hour. He simply said that the day
would be very hot, and he meant to march imme
diately. Remonstrance was useless, so we dressed as
fast as we could, while the team was being harnessed.
We paid a very moderate bill and climbed into a
clumsy kind of a yellow omnibus, taking care to keep
the two seats nearest the door. There were a few
other passengers, including a Spanish woman with her
baby, and as it was still quite dark, a candle in a
common brass dish-candlestick was very considerately
put in a vacant place on one of the seats. Baggage
of various kinds was packed on the top, and with a
smart whip-cracking to enliven the horses, we were off.
We galloped over the ground, and were soon out
upon the open plains. Everything went on smoothly
enough for a time ; but presently we came to a stand
still, and were requested by Don Juan to get out. It
appeared that we were going to cross over the river of
Nogoya by a high bridge, which was not thought strong

HEAVY JOLTING. 367
enough for a heavy load. All passed over safely ; we
returned to our seats, and again galloped on. Presently
came a tremendous jolt; we charged down one side of
a dried-up stream and rushed up the other side. I
clutched the candlestick by my side to preserve it from
the shock, but my intention was frustrated by circum
stances : the baby was shot out from its mother's arms
and precipitated upon the lighted candle, which it
flattened and extinguished. The want of artificial light
induced us to look to nature, and I never, not even in
nights among the high Alps, saw so beautiful an appear
ance of the moon. It was in the thinnest possible
crescent, but the reflected light upon the remainder of
its surface was almost as bright as the full illumination
presented in less transparent skies.
After travelling very fast for nearly an hour, we were
conscious of somebody galloping after us at a still
quicker pace. The rider reached us nearly breathless,
holding in his hand the letter-bag, which Don Juan, in
his hurry, had forgotten. At the end of four leagues
% we arrived at the first post, just as dawn was beginning
to make things visible. The post-house was nothing
but a very small and dirty hut, under the shade of an
ombu-tree, from which emerged an old gaueho at the
sound of Don Juan's horn. Jumping upon his horse in
a moment, he rode off like the wind to bring up fresh
animals for us, and returned in about a quarter of an
hour, driving before him the tropilla of about thirty

368 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
horses, which he had found feeding somewhere in the
neighbourhood. These were forced, galloping, into the
corral, where six of them were captured, one by one,
with the lazo. The team consisted of four wheelers
abreast, driven by a man on the front seat, and two
leaders, fastened by chains to the end of the pole, and
ridden by picturesque Murillo-like urchins, who laughed
and shouted as they galloped along.
The horses were generally very wild at starting, which
is not to be wondered at when we consider the way in
which they had just been caught and bandied ; but
neither driver nor boys seemed to care a farthing for
kicking and plunging. The more a horse kicked, the
harder they flogged him ; if he refused to move, they
whipped the others forward till the refractory beast was
dragged on by the powerful majority of five to one.
The old gaueho rode behind us or at our side, looking
the beau ideal of his race — a perfect horseman : at the
end of the stage it was his duty to take our horses back
again to their own tropilla.
Such was the order of the day for several posts in
succession. A fresh set of horses was driven into the
corral, caught with the lazo, and harnessed amidst a
wild accompaniment of kicking and shouting. The
same ragged boys rode all the day; the farther they
went the merrier they seemed to be, and, though the
torn shirt of one of them was rapidly disappearing, he
evidently enjoyed himself to the utmost.

THE COACH UPSET. 369
With the exception of some tremendous joltings, we
had no particular adventures for some time : at last,
however, the coach stopped suddenly, and Don Juan
said we must all dismount, as the load was too heavy
to cross the dangerous place in front of us. Dangerous,
indeed ! So much so, that I could hardly believe they
seriously intended to make the attempt. We were on
the edge of the hollow formed by a river since dried up,
about 30 yards wide and 25 or 30 feet deep ; the sides
were excessively steep and irregular ; and the ground
at the bottom was rough, from cattle having trodden in
the clay. Don Juan intended to charge down one side
of this with his whole team, trusting to the impetus for
carrying him up the opposite bank. The worst part of
the business was that the nature of the ground com
pelled him to turn sharp to the right on reaching the
bottom, and so describe a difficult angle in his course.
We walked across and took up a favourable position
for seeing the upset, which we considered quite in
evitable. The driver gathered up his reins ; Don Juan
maintained his seat by his side, for the purpose of
working a species of drag ; and the boys, at a signal,
moved their horses slowly forward. As the front wheels
reached the edge of the declivity, and the ponderous
machine seemed going to fall upon the horses, the whole
team was whipped furiously forward, boys and driver
shouting like maniacs, and the tremendous plunge was
made. At the bottom they contrived to turn, and were
B B

370 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
actually half way up the other side, when, after two or
three heavy lurches, the coach capsized with a crash,
and the horses and boys were all rolling in a dense
cloud of dust. Rushing to their assistance, we found
the boys had extricated themselves instantly without
injury : they slipped off the chain-traces, and the horses
also jumped safely on their legs. The driver, who had
been shot out in front, came towards me in sorry plight,
covered with dirt and bleeding in the face. Poor Don
Juan, however, was hors de combat, and could not
move : a heavy box had fallen across his leg, and he lay
groaning on his back. We cleared away the wreck from
around him, propped him up with a portmanteau, and
found his leg was broken in two places.
This was awkward. We were about forty miles from
Gualeguay, the nearest place where a doctor could be
found, so we determined to mend him on the spot,
though we knew nothing of surgery. The luggage
being scattered all about the place, we soon found a
broken deal box, which seemed admirably adapted for
splints ; and our patient sat very quietly on the grass
whilst we cut them as well as we could. The mother
of the baby who had fallen into the candlestick sup
plied some linen and a bottle of Eau de Cologne, which
refreshed him greatly. Mr. Boyd was chief sur
geon, and the leg was set with the best splints and
bandages we could make. To our great satisfaction,
when we saw Don Juan a fortnight later in bed at

AMATEUR SURGERY. 371
Gualeguay, he told us, with most abundant thanks, that
we had set the limb so well that, though he had a
rough journey before reaching- town, the doctor had
only applied rather finer splints.
The next thing was to set the coach upright : this also
was accomplished after several failures by the united
strength of men and horses ; it was not seriously
damaged, and with a lively hurrah ! we landed it safely
on the level ground. We carried the patient in our
arms and deposited him on the floor of the vehicle,
sitting up with his back to the horses. All hands
helped in bringing up the luggage, except some things
which were so smashed as to be not worth carrying off
the field of battle ; the boys jumped on their horses as
if nothing had happened, and away we went again at
full gallop. Early in the afternoon we arrived at our
destination without further accidents, and exceedingly
surprised the good folks of Las Cabezas by our unex
pected appearance.
Don Juan's misfortune elicited great sympathy from
the peons of the establishment, who crowded around us ;
and some little time passed before I got my portman
teau down from the roof. I observed the countenances
of these wild-looking men, and was especially struck
with one, who was rather stout and elderly. He was
very greasy, and seemed to have just come from some
slaughtering business : his long grizzled hair and beard
hung about his sun-burnt face, which was characterised
B B 2

372 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
by a devil-may-care kind of expression. I was just
thinking that the old fellow with his greasy skin and
long knife must be a good specimen of the rougher
class of natives, when he caught my eye, and, to my utter
astonishment, pointing to my portmanteau in the dust, he
said, in the genuine language of Cockaigne, 'Well, I don't
know who you are, but I suppose, if you're coming here,
you want that thing taken up to the house : so look here,
you take hold of one end of it and I'll take the t 'other ;
that's all fair.' As there was a very humorous twinkle
in his eye, I took rather a fancy to him, and laughingly
fell in with his suggestion. We carried 'the thing'
between us, and I could not help expressing my sur
prise at his being an Englishman. ' I was brought up
in Smithfield, though you mightn't think so, perhaps,'
he replied.
I afterwards came to hear and see a great deal of
this ' Old Bob,' as he was universally called, and he
was a very singular character. According to his own
admission, he had been a great scamp in his young
days in London, and by chance went out to Buenos
Ayres about thirty years ago. His Smithfield tastes
soon enabled him to get on with the gauchos, and in
due time he entered the service of Mr. Black, the pro
prietor of the estancia, where I found him ; there he
worked for many years in the camp, till his drinking
habits induced his master to get rid of him. It
seemed, however, that about two years previously he

'OLD BOB.' 373
had come back for a nominal fortnight's visit, and there
he was still, a privileged character entrusted with the
charge of the grease-house. Though the old fellow had
lived for those thirty years entirely at home among the
gauchos, riding, dressing, and living like the rest of them,
and quite content to do so till death, yet I found that
nothing gave him so much pleasure as talking about
his old haunts in London : he would take me aside now
and then and cross-examine me about all his favourite
streets. He had an astonishing memory, and had for
gotten nothing; he was sufficiently educated to enjoy
reading anything he could find, and had a great deal of
every sense, except that common sense which would
have kept him out of his many scrapes. He was
always ready with a 'jesting answer, and, if fate had
destined him for the House of Commons, he would have
proved a master in the art of repartee.
Meanwhile, poor Don Juan had been refreshed by a
glass of cold brandy and water : we shook hands with
him as he lay, and he declared, with the greatest grati
tude, that he never should forget the kindness of the
Englishmen. Fresh horses were supplied from the
corral, and they galloped away with the diligencia,
which had seven leagues more to accomplish before
reaching Gualeguay.
Mr. Black was Dot at the estancia, but we were wel
comed by one of his sons and two young Englishmen,
who were there learning the business of a sheep-farmer.

374 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
One of them was very ingenious, and spent all his
spare time in constructing various machines, which
only brought upon him the laughter of the gauchos^
who detest every kind of change and improvement upon
their old ways : some one mockingly suggested that he
should invent a machine by means of which a well-
fleeced sheep should go in at one end and come out
clean shorn at the other.
The house and other buildings, the cooking depart
ment, and the peons' quarters, were ranged round a
large square enclosed with fences, and surrounded with
paradise trees, near which was a large galpon, or store
house for wool. The estancia contained about seven
square leagues, or rather more than 40,000English acres.
There were 12,000 head of cattle and about 40,000
sheep, besides large numbers of horses. The corrals
were on a large scale, and everything in first-rate order.
The sheep were, as usual, divided into flocks of 2,000
or 3,000, each of which was under the charge of a shep
herd or puestero, who lived with his flock in their own
part of the camp. In the course of our visit, we went
to all these puestos in turn, and found most of them
very comfortable. Their construction is greatly facili
tated by the nature of the soil : when a new flock is
formed, and consequently a new puesto is required, the
native brickmaker is sent for ; he gallops over with a
spade upon his knee, and dismounts occasionally to
examine the ground. He soon finds a suitable place for

SHEEP AND WOOL. 375
the situation, where nothing more is required than to
dig up the earth and let the sun dry it into bricks : the
hole makes a well for the establishment, and the bricks
are quickly arranged into a house ; a small piece of
ground is enclosed for a garden, and planted with maize,
onions, and peach trees ; a rough rancho is perhaps
added, for hanging up dried skins or saddlery, and the
puesto is complete. Each puestero is supplied with
beef and mate ; and, besides living rent-free, he gets, by
way of capitation grant, a small sum for every lamb
added to the flock, if it lives long enough to take care
of itself.
There were altogether fifteen of these puestos on Mr.
Black's estancia, and the aggregate of the sheep had
doubled in less than three years. The stock was also
being carefully improved in quality, and a number of
beautiful Negretti rams, imported from Germany at a
cost of 501. each, had very soon raised a first-class flock.
The value of the sheep depends, of course, very much
upon the nature of the breed ; but, judging from what
I heard in various parts of the country, I should say
that a man wishing to buy a flock of good average
quality would give about 8s. or 10s. for each of them.
The estancieros on both sides of the La Plata are
making great efforts in improving their stock, and while
I was in the country one of my friends gave 200Z. for a
choice ram from Europe.
The value of land in Buenos Ayres, Entre Rios, and

376 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
the Banda Oriental, varies greatly, according to circum
stances and situation; but it has all been so rapidly
rising of late that it would be difficult to say anything
about it with precision. Good land, with river com
munication, was sold two or three years ago at about
2,000£. a league, containing about 6,000 English acres ;
but what I have lately heard leads me to suppose that
it would now fetch nearly half as much again, and land
which is conveniently near the city of Buenos Ayres is
of course considerably more. As a general rule, it may
be assumed that a young man fond of healthy life and
climate, possessed of a few thousand pounds, and dis
posed to work, may with a good conscience try sheep-
farming in the neighbourhood of the Rio de la Plata.
He may buy land and flocks with every probability that
his land will increase continually in value, and his
capital in sheep double itself before long, the wool in
the meantime paying him very handsome interest, if he
has ordinary luck. I am of course presuming that he
devotes a little previous time to learning his business,
and that he works hard for himself: if he trusts to an
agent he must be very sure of his man, and must of
course lose a portion of the profits. There are various
ways of managing these things ; very commonly one
man buys the land, and another stocks it, dividing in
specified proportions the profits of the wool and the
increase of the flock. Having never been in Australia,
I cannot compare the two countries from personal

FERNS IN THE WELL. 377
experience ; but it so happened that in South America
I made the acquaintance of several men who had seen
life in both, and they all expressed a decided preference
for that of the River Plate.
My kind host at Las Cabezas was one of those clear
sighted men who always had an eye to improvements,
and endeavoured to show that both the profitableness
and enjoyment of the country might be greatly in
creased by constant energy, instead of lazily falling into
the ways of the gauchos. One of the first proofs that I
saw of this was a large garden which he had made in
the open land, about 300 yards from the house. It
was enclosed with a good fence, and full of fruit,
vegetables, herbs and maize. An Italian gardener lived
in a cottage at the corner, and kept it in perfect order
with the aid of a good well: the ants had been
destroyed ; and every now and then, in the stillness of
the evening, a sudden bang told us that Antonio was
preventing the intrusions of a biscacho. The gauchos
care for nothing but beef and mate: is it, however,
reasonable, that ' because they are virtuous, there shall
be no more cakes and ale ? ' The more wholesome and
agreeable the country life is made by the proprietors,
the more will other people take to it, and in the long-run
the profit will be greater to all.
The mention of a well reminds me of what appears
to me an interesting fact. Here in the middle of the
plains of Entre Rios, and probably hundreds of miles

378 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
from any likely habitat for a fern, I found three species
of these plants on the damp sides of the wells. Two of
them I had met with in the neighbourhood of Buenos
Ayres, but the third I had never seen except among the
mountains of Brazil.
The greater part of the estancia consisted of very
good land, and it had the great advantage of the river
Cle for one of its boundaries, thus securing water for
the cattle and a certain quantity of fresh herbage even
in dry seasons. The undulations of the land were very
slight, and very little wood was to be seen, except in the
immediate neighbourhood of the river, the course of
which was marked by large and handsome willow-trees.
The dry weather and constant heat had injured the
grass in some places ; but there were few thistles, and
in some directions the ground for miles together was
covered with long waving grass.
The house stood upon a slight eminence, so that,
with its surrounding groves of ombu and paradise trees,
it was conspicuous for a considerable distance across the
camp. Large corrals for sheep, cattle, and horses were
close at hand, and from the open door of the room
assigned to the visitors we could overlook the proceed
ings of some of the peons. Old Bob fulfilled the duties
of chambermaid to the best of his awkward ability, and
generally came in to rouse us very early in the morning.
Our room faced the east, and day after day we saw the
huge ball of the sun rising in unclouded skies, and
flashing its first rays across the level of the plains.

379

CHAPTER XVII.
LIFE AT LAS CABEZAS.
TEOPILLAS OF HORSES — A PICTURESQUE BOY — VISITING THE
PUESTOS — JOHN THE GERMAN — ROUGH FURNITURE — FAMILY
OF THE GENEEAL— CATTLE ON THE RODEO — A PINE BIGHT —
FISHING EXTRAORDINARY — A TAJAMAR — HUGE SPUES — RIDING
TO BREAKFAST— GAUCHO HEAD-DRESS— HOOF-PARINGS — THISTLES
OF THE PAMPAS— ANT-HILLS— KILLING A FOX— FRESH ARRIVALS
— THE BARRANCOSA — A FEAT OF HORSEMANSHIP — CAENE CON
CUEEO — DELIGHTFUL EVENING AL FRESCO — A SICK GAUCHO —
— A STRANGE FUNERAL — CROSSING THE RIVER CLE — LOST
AMONG THE THISTLES — PREPARE TO LEAVE THE ESTANCIA.
nTHE morning after our arrival we were dressed
-*- early, and ready for our first gallop over the estate.
Just as we walked round to the other side of the house,
we found the peons driving into a corral the tropilla of
horses from which we were to make our selection. The
son of our host was reasonably proud of this part of
the establishment, and was very particular about the
tropillas, in some of which all the horses were of the
same colour. It does not, at first, seem an easy thing
to bring in horses which are at large upon these bound
less plains ; but the system adopted in the country does
not leave any formidable difficulty.

380 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
After the first violent and cruel treatment of the
domador, or horse-breaker, the animals are arranged
in tropillas of any size that may be required by the
establishment. Each of them is accompanied by a
madrina or mare, whom they learn to follow under all
circumstances. The peons know pretty well in what
part of the camp to look for her, and when found she
is driven to the corral, the others accompanying her as
a matter of course. When they have all got into the
corral the bar is dropped, and those who want horses
walk in amongst them on foot, and either by coaxing or
with the aid of the lazo, capture as many as they require.
The bar is then removed, and the rest of the tropilla
with a thundering rush start forth again over their
native plains.
We had a tropilla of about forty or fifty roans to select
from, three of which we led round to the house and
saddled at the door directly after breakfast; but when
on the point of starting, we were interrupted by the visit
of a native gentleman who had ridden over about eight
leagues for a morning call. He had an estancia in that
neighbourhood, and was a very agreeable and well-in
formed man; but a boy whom he brought with him
by way of a groom, I suppose, was one of the most
picturesque little savages I have ever seen. His dark
piercing eyes, with his sun-burnt face and bare legs,
would have made a good subject for Murillo ; and,
though he could not have been more than twelve years

SINGULAR STIRRUPS. 381
old, he had all the bold and defiant bearing of a guerilla
chief. His somewhat scanty clothes were shabby in the
extreme, and for a saddle he had little more than a
piece of old rug ; but the stirrups were real curiosities.
They consisted of nothing more than the heels cut off
an old pair of boots, with holes bored through the
middle to admit the strings by which they were- fastened
to the saddle. When he mounted, the string was held
between the great toe and its neighbour, and he seemed
perfectly satisfied with the contrivance.
Our visitor remained for an early dinner, and it was
not till late in the afternoon that we could start for a
ride. At last, we had a delightful gallop to some of the
distant puestos, where we looked at the sheep and took
mate with the shepherds, returning home with the last
of the light. In the course of the next few days we
paid similar visits to many of the other puestos, and
I was much amused by the variety of character and of
race exhibited by their occupants. Most of them were
natives, grave, serious-looking men, and much given to
taciturnity, though not ill-disposed. One was a merry
Irishman, burnt to a colour which would astonish his
friends in Tipperary, and cherishing a swarthy help-mate
who would astonish them still more. We found him
sitting under the doorway of the hut, quietly cooling
himself after a hot day's work, and playing with a
coffee-coloured baby, while the Senora prepared the
beef for supper. About a couple of leagues distant

382 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
another flock was tended by John the German. We
jumped off our horses at his door, and found him at
home with his German wife and a group of genuine
fair-haired, blue-eyed, German children. John was a
most worthy fellow, and set a good example of prudence
and industry to his neighbours in the camp. He filled
up all his spare time by working as a shoemaker, and
in a place where everybody was twenty miles from the
nearest village he naturally found plenty of occupation.
By this means he had been enabled to save all his pay
as a puestero, and was beginning to get a small flock
of sheep for himself; so that, considering the rapid
multiplication of these animals, honest John has
a fair chance of making his fortune and dying an
estanciero. I was very much pleased with this family, and it was
a great treat to see how all their faces brightened up
when they found that I could talk to them a little in
their own language, which they had probably not heard
for many a long day, and could tell them something
of what I had seen in their own country. The next
puesto after this was occupied by a remarkably fine,
handsome young Englishman; his whole appearance
and manners were such that I could not help wonder
ing what freak of Fortune could have reduced him to
the position of a common shepherd. He was smoking
a short pipe in utter solitude ; but, though he had no
furniture whatever but a truckle-bed and a couple of

BRINGING UP CATTLE. 383
bullocks' skulls instead of chairs, he seemed perfectly
resigned to his fate.
A day or two after our arrival, our host arrived from
Gualeguay, and I saw a grand sight in the afternoon.
A certain piece of the camp is called the rodeo, to which
the cattle are driven on certain occasions, and where
they are accustomed to stand quite quietly, however
wild they may be elsewhere. There is no fence or
enclosure ; nothing but a large patch of ground trodden
bare by frequent use. The peons had been at work for
several hours driving in the cattle from wherever they
could find them, and towards evening we mounted
our horses and rode over to see the result. About six
thousand cattle were already assembled on the rodeo,
and the cry was, ' still they come ! ' Little smoke-like
puffs of dust in the far distance grew in size as they
approached nearer, and presently I could distinguish the
gaily-dressed peons turning and wheeling as they gal
loped, and driving fresh herds thundering towards us
over the plain. The new arrivals are quiet when they
reach the rodeo, and the peons ride slowly round, for
getting the recent excitement of the chase in the
soothing pleasures of a cigarette.
When all the vast troop was collected, the business
of the day began, the object being to see if any strange
cattle had strayed among them from the neighbouring
proprietors, who were there with their own peons. We
all rode at a slow walking pace in and out among the

384 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
thousands of beasts, and when any one was found with
the wrong brand, he was instantly driven out of the
charmed circle and taken charge of by his master's
peons. The contrast between the perfect quietness of
the animals on the rodeo and the excitement of the
various chases going on in all directions, to prevent the
stragglers from returning, was very curious and in
teresting. Presently I found myself near the edge of
the herd, watching the movements of two or three peons,
who were walking their horses very slowly by my side.
One of them pointed with his finger to a fine young
bullock, the others said ' Si ! ' and in a moment they
were transformed from dignified statues into excited
maniacs. They drove out the luckless beast with wild
shouts, and charged furiously after him as he rushed
over the plain. Whizz went the lazo of the foremost man,
and caught him by the horns : up came the others to
drive him in the required direction ; and as fast as legs
could go, he was urged towards the house to provide the
establishment with supper. It was a signal that all was
over for the day : the stragglers were carried off by their
owners ; the party broke up, and we galloped homewards,
well pleased with such a spectacle.
Next day we had a very unexpected change of diet.
Mr. Hinde, one of the young Englishmen staying in
the house, was returning from a ride towards the river,
when he made a remarkable discovery. In former
wet weather the river had overflowed its banks, but the

CATCH YOUR SUPPER. 385
water had retired long ago, with the exception of just
enough to leave a piece of swamp. In passing through
this place he saw something move, and, on dismounting,
he found some fine fish, living half in mud and half in
water which was not deep enough for them to swim in.
After marking the place, he rode back for a basket and
returned to the fish. He stuck his long knife into the
first, which immediately began to kick and flounder
furiously, splashing him all over with black mud. He
was not disposed to give in for the sake of appearances,
and succeeded in capturing nine handsome carp-like fish,
in spite of all their struggling. After this specimen of
fishing extraordinary he remounted and rode home with
his prize, which was very highly appreciated, as a great
treat for all the party. In another day or two they would
have died a lingering death by the drying up of the mud,
and would have been altogether lost to society.
Another of our excursions was to see some new works
at an outlying part of the estancia. Tajamares, or
dams, had been made across the bed of an arroyo, by
means of which considerable ponds were formed in wet
weather to supply the sheep with water during the
droughts. A similar process would facilitate washing
the sheep, which would be a great advantage, as dirt is
now the principal drawback to the fleeces from the
River Plate.
One day, on returning from a ride, we found that two
visitors had arrived — Mr. Robson, an Englishman, and
c c

386 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
his native friend. They were dressed in the gala cos
tume of the country, with such enormous silver spurs that
they were obliged to take them off to make walking
practicable. We had a very pleasant day, and before
they left in the evening it was arranged that we should
get up early next morning and ride over to breakfast
at Mr. Robson's, about seven leagues to the northward.
Soon after four o'clock in the morning of December
the 6th, we turned out to catch and saddle the horses,
and about an hour later we started, four in company,
with every prospect of a pleasant day. The heat was
now always so great about the middle of the day,
that all expeditions were arranged, if possible, for the
morning or evening, and all residents in the country
sacrificed about a couple of hours to the siesta in a
darkened room. Several times, however, I rode through
all the middle of some of the hottest days without
feeling any inconvenience, after arranging my head
gear in the gaueho fashion. This consists merely of
folding a pocket-handkerchief diagonally, and tying it
very loosely under the chin, the remaining corners
hanging over the back of the neck. The hat or cap is
then put on, and a pleasant breeze is made by the
flapping of the handkerchief. The substitution of a
thin poncho for a coat and waistcoat is another great
improvement, which I enjoyed very much in the heats
of December.
The morning air was marvellously delicious, and we

THISTLES OF THE PAMPAS. 387
rode away at a lively pace. One of the horses, how
ever, stumbled several times, and it was suggested that
his hoofs were too long. Turning aside to one of the
puestos, a hammer and chisel were found ; the horse
was made to stand on a hard piece of ground, by way
of a chopping-block, and he behaved very well during
the performance of this rough operation. Shoes are
utterly unknown to all the country horses, but the hoof,
of course, wants occasional paring.
We passed the scene of our disaster with the dili
gencia, and pieces of the wreck were still lying about
on the grass ; soon after which we struck right across
the country, passing amongst myriads of thistles. The
thistles of the Pampas are among the most striking
features of the country. There are two principal kinds,
but, as far as my experience goes, they are not often
found in company. The one is a very handsome plant,
closely resembling our garden artichoke, with beautifully
divided grey leaves, and throwing up very large hand
some purple flowers to a height of about three or four
feet ; the other has a green leaf, and is double the
height of the first, but the flower is much more insig
nificant, and the stalks thinner. Both are furnished
with terrible spines, and men and horses are equally
afraid of them.
On the morning in question we passed over several
leagues covered with large quantities of the shorter but
handsomer kind, and their purple flowers had a beautiful
c c 2

388 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
effect against the grey leaves. They were not close
enough to prevent our riding among them pretty easily,
and the perpetual starting aside of the horses to avoid
them as we galloped past, afforded capital practice in
horsemanship. In the latter part of our ride we passed
through a region of ant-hills of about the size of many
ancient barrows that I have seen in England ; many of
them appeared to be twelve or fourteen feet in diameter,
and six or seven in height. Presently a fox was started,.
and away we went after him at full gallop ; he was run
to earth in a small hollow, and one of the party- — tell it
not in Leicestershire — dismounted, and shot him with
a revolver! The slayer skinned him in a couple of
minutes, tied the skin on his saddle to dry in the sun, and
we were off again. I thought it not only a treasonable but
also a cruel proceeding; he justified it, however, by say
ing he had probably saved the life of some of his lambs.
Soon afterwards, we crossed the bed of a small river,
which was now nearly dry, but had eaten its way so
deeply through the stoneless soil that we had some
difficulty in finding a place where we could descend the
bank and ascend on the other side. A large ombu tree
came presently in sight, which was declared to mark
our destination, and soon after seven o'clock we had
dismounted at Mr. Robson's. Here we had a hearty
welcome, and found two other Englishmen, who had
ridden over to meet us. A famous breakfast was soon
ready ; and, after the siesta, we passed the afternoon in

CARNE CON CUERO. 389
looking over the property. Nothing could exceed the
kindness of our host in his exertions to accommodate so
large a party, and the evening was passed delightfully
al fresco on the grass, the sweet breeze playing across
the camp, and the southern constellations brightly x
beaming over all.
Next morning, after breakfast, we rode away towards
the north, a party of seven Englishmen, bound for
another estancia, four or five leagues distant, which was
also managed by Mr. Robson. The style of country
was the same as that of the day before — sunny plains
and tall thistles, with ostriches and deer. We were not
long in reaching the house, the only particular feature
in the ride being the Barrancosa river, running between
very steep banks, which were ornamented with an un
usual profusion of brilliant scarlet verbenas. A bold
rider of the party, hearing me admire them, stooped
from his saddle as he galloped along, picked a handfull
and gave them to me, without stopping !
' The great event of the day was to be a feast of came
¦con cuero, the chief delicacy of the country, for which
purpose a choice bullock was killed. This dish consists
¦ of a large piece from the animal's ribs, roasted with the
hide on, which preserves all the juice and essence of
the meat in the highest perfection. The hide is, of
course, spoiled, and, as this is by far the most valuable
part of a bullock in the River Plate, it is only on
especial occasions that such a luxury is indulged in.

390 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
The peons were busily roasting it over a wood fire, the
smoke of which nearly stifled me on looking into their
rough kitchen, and at length the feast was brought in.
No dish was applicable or necessary, as the beef was
about a yard square, and stood on its own hide upon a
rough table. There was something Homeric in the
entertainment ; the heroes of the Iliad and the Odyssey
must have eaten their beef as we did in Entre Rios,
and I am not surprised at their thriving upon it. I
had several opportunities, during my journey, of testing
the admirable qualities of came con cuero, and can
safely say that the preservation of the whole goodness
of the meat makes it the most satisfactory way of roast
ing that I am acquainted with.
Our dinner was very early; and, after the ensuing
siesta, we mounted our horses, to see the cattle brought
up to the rodeo. They were a remarkably fine breed,
nearly all black and white, and had a very pretty effect
when massed in large numbers, as we saw them. In
the evening, we all had a very merry gallop back to
Mr. Robson's : after tea, a guitar was produced, and as
two of the party sang well, and all the rest were in
high spirits, we did not go to bed till a very late hour.
On the following day we. were up early, and rode home
in company to Las Cabezas before the great heat of the
day had begun, astonishing ' Old Bob ' by charging up to
his boiling-house as if we had been a party of Urquiza's
cavalry.

SICK GAUCHO. 391
The beef diet must have a wonderful effect in harden
ing and strengthening the gauchos : they scarcely ever
have anything the matter with them, and get over
accidents with remarkable ease. One evening, however,
just as we' finished our day's riding, and hung up our
saddles on the fence, one of the peons came up to Mr.
Black, and told the ' patron' that he was ill. It appeared
that he had some time since been badly thrown from
his horse by the charge of a bull, and had never quite
recovered : he now asked for some physic, and his
master gave him a strong dose of castor-oil, with which
he expressed himself much gratified. Next day, at the
same hour, I again saw him come up and ask for some
more. Mr. Black satisfied his request; and on the
third day, to our astonishment, he declared that he
must have another dose, as the two others had done
him so much good.
Being a good deal struck with this specimen of a
sick gaueho, I asked my host if he had' ever seen a
dead one. He said that one of two brothers working
as peons upon the estancia was brought to him nearly
dead from the effects of a similar fall. Having taken
care to obtain the full consent of the man's brother, he
attempted to bleed him, but no blood flowed, and in
the evening he died. The surviving brother asked for
leave of absence to bury him at La Victoria, many
leagues away to the westward. His master gave the
permission, and got up early to satisfy his curiosity as

392 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
to the intended method of proceeding. The dead man
was dressed and placed by his comrades in the usual
position on his horse ; his legs were made fast to the
saddle, a forked stick was adjusted so as to support his
chin ; with the help of various bandages, all was made
firm, and he sat exactly as in life. The brother then
leaped into his own saddle ; the horses were accustomed
to travel together, and the living man rode all day
across the plains with his dead brother, till he reached
La Victoria, and piously buried him. There seemed to
me something romantically wild and terrible in the
idea, and I could not help picturing to myself the
feelings of any one who might have encountered that
strange pair in their ride — the contrast between the
excited appearance of the galloping horse, and the
pale face of the dead rider, must have been awful.
We spent a few more days in riding over all the
surrounding country within our reach, and at last a
party of four of us started for an excursion to the
farther side of the river Cle. Not knowing where to
cross the stream in the required direction, we called at
the distant puesto of Patricio, and induced Patricio
himself to act as our guide to the ford. A great part
of the way was through tall thistles scattered here and
there, but at last we came to bhe steep bank of the
river. Patricio led the way down, and rode his horse
successfully through the water, which was up to his
saddle. Two of the party followed him across, but

RETURN HOME. 393
nothing would induce the two remaining horses to make
the experiment. Another place, however, was found,
and, in a short time, we had all passed over the
dangerously muddy bottom and reached the opposite
side in safety.
Patricio here left us, and we rode over gently rising
ground towards the estancia of an Englishman. A
considerable part of the land was completely covered
with a species of blue borage, which I had frequently
observed throughout the province of Entre Rios : it was
in full blossom, and gave a beautiful colour to the plains.
Some hours were spent in visiting the establishment,
where there were some very fine sheep, and I was also
struck with a kind of garden, where apples and pears,
peaches, apricots, and figs were flourishing in good
order, even though the trees appeared rather ne
glected. A few miles of farther riding, on the same side of the
river, took us to the estancia of a native, where we spent
half an hour in conversation, accompanied with mate ;
and then, as the evening was approaching fast, we started
homewards. One of the party declaring he knew a safe
ford across the river, we were induced to ride straight
towards the house, instead of returning as we came
in the morning. In due time we saw the willow-trees
which marked the course of the river ; but, on approach
ing, we found that we were cut off from them by a belt
of enormous thistles, which was apparently about half

394 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
a mile wide, and stretched along the, bank as far as we
could see.
We forced the horses through a part where the
thistles seemed rather thinner than elsewhere, and tried
to get to the side of the river ; but it was hard work,
and my companions, not being armed with such good
boots as myself, suffered considerably from the thorny
spines. The thistles were so tall that I was obliged to
use one arm to guard my face as I rode, though my
horse was by no means short, and at a distance of a few
yards we could only just see each other's hats. Finding
after a while that we could not get through, we resolved
to retreat and try for another place. He who had
undertaken to act as guide was somewhat ahead, so we
shouted to him as we turned our horses. We got out
into the open ground and galloped along the edge of
the belt for about half a mile, till we found a passage
which had been forced by cattle going down to drink.
Following this, we arrived at the river, and were looking
for a likely place to ford it, when we discovered that
our leader was missing. We shouted, but could hear
nothing, and looked around, but saw nothing of him,
and concluded that his horse must have thrown him in
the tall thistles, in which case there was no chance of
seeing either of them, and even if he were not seriously
hurt, he would in all probability lose himself. We rode
back as fast as we could, and followed our old track
among the thistles, but could find no trace of him.

LOST IN THE THISTLES. 395
Then we thought that perhaps he had reached the
river at a wrong place and been lost in the dangerous
mud ; so we again retraced our steps to the bank, and
followed it for a long distance in both directions to look
for him.
Still nothing was to be seen or heard : darkness was
fast approaching; and, seriously alarmed, for our friend,
we agreed to ride to the house for further assistance.
We succeeded in crossing the river at a tolerably good
place, and galloped off to the house, where we found he
had not been heard of. With the agreement that a gun
should be fired if he returned by some other route, we
returned to the search, and tormented ourselves among
the thistles till it was perfectly dark. At last I declared
I saw the distant flash of a gun, and we rode hard for
the house. ' All's well that ends well.' There was the
missing man, safe and sound. He had contrived to
cross the river at another ford, and there was no harm
done : it will be a long time, however, before I lose the
lively remembrance of looking for a man among the
gigantic thistles of Entre Rios.
We had now spent a fortnight in constant enjoyment
and excitement among those magnificent plains, and I
was getting so accustomed to the ways of the country
that I contemplated with sincere regret the prospect of
returning to the life of towns. Not only was our own
party a very happy one, but we had made several
agreeable acquaintances within a circle of a few leagues ;

396 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
and it was to me exceedingly interesting to see this
nucleus of Englishmen, full of health and energy,
working at and improving this distant corner of the
world ; making fortunes for themselves, and opening up
the country for others to follow in their steps. The
splendid climate, the pure air, and the independent style
of life, were exceedingly attractive to a stranger, and
appeared to have a remarkably healthy and invigorating
effect upon all whom I became acquainted with during
my visit. The hand of friendship and hospitality was
always ready; and, though we were in what some
people call a state of banishment, which means being
separated by a certain number of leagues from theatres
and shops, yet I can remember very few merrier
parties than some of those among the estancias in that
part of Entre Rios. The work of civilisation is ad
vancing rapidly, and increased facilities of communica
tion will probably, before long, have most important
effects. The rough life and the extreme difficulty of travelling
for a long time prevented ladies from going to live in
the camp, and thus produced one of the greatest draw
backs to the country. Now that the main rivers are
traversed by steam-boats, one great difficulty has been
removed; the same advantage must be extended to
some of their branches. Already it is not at all un
common to find whole families comfortably settled down
in the middle of their flocks and herds, and ladies from

BUENOS AYRES Vii GUALEGUAY RIVER. 397
Buenos Ayres or Monte Video often make visits to the
distant estancias of their relations and friends.
The Gualeguay river is not yet favoured with a
steam-boat, and our host made arrangements for us to
go down to Buenos Ayres with him in a schooner laden
with wool. He sent forward a bullock-cart with our
goods and a stock of supplies for the voyage ; and there
was every prospect of our being amusingly initiated
into the mysteries of river navigation under difficulties.

398 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

CHAPTER XVIII.
VOYAGE DOWN THE RIVER FROM GUALEGUAY.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ESTANCIA — GUALEGUAY — VISIT TO DON
JUAN — THE PORT— OUR SCHOONER — SCANT ACCOMMODATION —
SNAKES IN THE HOUSE — GREAT HEAT IN THE EVENING —
TOWING DOWN THE RIVER— THE PAVON AND YBICUY — WANT
OF DISCIPLINE — A DANGEROUS CARGO — FORMATION OF NEW
CHANNELS AND ISLANDS — MOORED TO THE BANK — GIGANTIC
SNAILS — MUSQUITOS — THE NUEVE VUELTAS — PAMPERO AND
PANIC — EXTRAORDINARY RISE IN THE RIVER— THE BOCA DEL
CAPITAN — SAN FERNANDO — RETURN TO BUENOS AYRES — A
HOT CHRISTMAS — BAIL FOR ENGLAND.
nnHERE had been no change in the weather since we
-"- entered the province: day after day, the same
bright sunshine added another shade to our com
plexions ; and on one of the hottest afternoons in the
middle of December we said good-bye to our friends
at Las Cabezas, and, with much regret, set forward to
Gualeguay. Our host drove me over in his dog-cart, his
son and Mr. Boyd accompanying us on horseback. A
carriage of this description, built very strongly, and
with wheels wide apart, is exceedingly useful in the
camp: a friend of mine, Mr. Brittain, who was, I believe,
the first to introduce one in that part of the world, used

GUALEGUAY. 399
to travel immense distances in it, taking with him a
couple of peons and a good tropilla of horses to relieve
one another in turn.
The seven leagues were got over in little more than
two hours ; and we arrived at the town of Gualeguay in
time to enjoy dinner at a fonda kept by an obliging but
preternaturally fat landlord. It appeared, upon en
quiry, that the schooner would not be ready to sail till
the next evening; so we had the greater part of a day
for making an exploration of the town. It appeared to
be about the same size as Nogoya, with no great signs
of activity, though it is an important outlet for one part
of the province.
Our passports for permission to leave Entre Rios had
to be obtained, and with this object we entered a large
courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with the public
offices on one side, and a barrack for soldiers on the
other. The officials were very polite, and soon provided
us with the necessary documents. The offices, however,
were abominably untidy, and very little like the same
class of rooms in most parts of Europe. It was, how
ever, adorned by a huge picture of Urquiza, in full
uniform, painted in the worst possible taste and style,
which covered one of the walls, and seemed to threaten
grim vengeance upon delinquent clerks.
We then paid a visit to Don Juan, who was still
in bed with his broken leg, though he was mending
rapidly. He was delighted to see us again, and over-

400 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
flowed with gratitude for the service which we had been
enabled to render him. We walked about for some
time during the middle of the day ; but as every man,
woman, and child were sleeping the siesta, we found it
rather dull, and returned to the inn, where we followed
their example. About four o'clock we dined together,
and paid a short visit to the club, which consisted of a
tolerably large room, with billiard-tables and other
amusements, and was well filled with men who seemed
enjoying themselves to their hearts' content.
All was at length reported ready, and we started for
the port of Gualeguay, which is about three leagues
from the town. The road was chiefly carried through
a wooded region tenanted by large numbers of the
red-headed cardinal-birds, and would have been very
dangerous in the dark from the quantity of stumps
still left standing to the height of several inches above
the ground. We reached the port a little before sunset,
but, as there was no wind, the heat was very great, and
I certainly had qualms of anxiety as to what would
become of us in such weather, cooped up in the little
vessel which I now beheld. She was a neat schooner
of about a hundred tons, but with very little draught
of water, on account of the shallowness of the upper
river. Her cargo was piled on the deck, which it en
tirely occupied, with the exception of about ten feet at
each end of the ship. The wool was covered with hides,
and rose up like a haystack, completely cutting .off .all

A SALADERO. 401
communication, except by a difficult climb up one end,
and a similar descent at the other. The cabin was
approached by a descent like that into a Thames barge ;
but, as the ship was new, everything was fortunately
very clean. It contained four very small berths, in a
double row, upon each side, and one at the end, with a
table about three feet square in the middle, and
nothing to sit upon except the lockers at the foot of the
berths. Our own party consisted of three ; and when,
to my horror, I found we were to have two gentlemen
of Gualeguay as additional passengers in that small den,
with the thermometer at upwards of 90°, I must own
that I wished myself anywhere else, while my thoughts
reverted dismally to the Black Hole of Calcutta.
Before starting, we went over a saladero close to the
bank of the river, with the proprietor of which Mr.
Black was negotiating for the sale of three or four
thousand of his cattle. Then we had a conversation
with the captain of the port, who made himself very
agreeable, and told us several interesting stories about
the country, describing particularly the effects of cres-
cientes, or the periodical floods of the river-system. A
remarkable feature of them is the alarm and flight of
animals living on the marshy banks and islands; and
he said that, three years previously, the lower parts of
his house had been filled with snakes which had been
driven by the rising waters from their accustomed
haunts. D D

402 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
Late in the evening, we went on board the ' Maria
Luisa' in a small boat; the anchor was weighed, and
we began to float down the river, at the sluggish pace
of the stream, towed by four men in the boat. Our two
fellow-passengers also came on board, and we soon saw
that one of them was very ill. He had had a touch of
sun-stroke in his journey to the port from Gualeguay,
and suffered intensely. I was beginning to contem
plate the probability of his death, and the consequent
alternative of either burying him in the river or carry
ing his body down to Buenos Ayres, which might be an
affair of three days or as many weeks, according to the
humours of wind and weather ; but a severe fit of sick
ness relieved him greatly, and on going to bed he slept
profoundly. We made tea, and climbed into our berths
as the vessel slowly crawled down the river. I found
that to get into my bed required a feat of skill, for the
entrance was not much larger than a rabbit-hole ; but
repose was sweet, and I lay quietly for a few hours : the
heat then became intolerable, and I rushed upon deck
in my shirt, about midnight, just as a fresh breeze.
sprang up right ahead and compelled us to anchor. I
then returned to my burrow and slept till morning.
About dawn the captain started again, and began the
tedious process of beating down the river against con
trary winds. We passed a schooner which had sailed
before us, but had been unlucky enough to take the
ground, where she stuck fast till they got her off by

AN ITALIAN CREW. 403
warping ; and in the afternoon she passed us again, by
dint of better sailing to windward. At last wTe came. to
the point where the Gualeguay river joins the Pavon,
and, after many fruitless tacks, we succeeded in getting
into the latter stream, where we had more water and a
more favourable wind.
The captain and crew were, as usual in these vessels,
all Italians, and got on very well with us and with each
other till the occurrence of the slightest difficulty
revealed their want of discipline. According to their
system, all hands have a share in the venture; and,
consequently, each thinks himself socialistically entitled
to direct the motions of the ship. The cargo being
piled upon the deck, the effect of a stronger puff of
wind than usual was really dangerous to such a shallow
vessel; and when she began to heel over more than
they thought safe, the whole six men screamed, gesti
culated, and yelled at one another with contrary orders,
mixed with the profanest of language, beginning with
' Santa Maria ! ' and ending in a torrent of Spanish and
Italian oaths, such as I should not like to commit to
paper. Hard swearing cannot steer a ship ; and amidst
the horrid discord and utter want of discipline, I some
times thought that the 'Maria Luisa' would really be
capsized. As soon as the danger was past, their good
temper returned, and they seemed .to live happily at
their own end of the vessel.
Thanks to the forethought of Mr. Black, we were
D D 2

401 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
well off for provisions : he had sent on board three fat
sheep and a batch of poultry, besides a good supply of
wine and beer. One of the crew acted as cook, and
acquitted himself very creditably, considering the small-
ness of the space at his disposal. As we could not
anywhere find more than six feet of deck uncovered, all
exercise was, of course, out of the question ; and for a
great part of the day we stretched ourselves on the dry
hides at the top of the cargo, watching the scenery, and
occasionally trying the range of a revolver at some of
the huge birds which were fishing on the banks of the
river. Once we passed two or three boats full of nutria-
hunters, creeping along close to the marshy land, but
we could not get near enough to ask them what success
they had met with.
On the morning of the third day we passed the
Ybiquy, and reached the main stream of the river
Parana, which we ascended for a few leagues, instead
of descending, as I had expected. The object, however,
was to reach the Palmas channel, and so avoid the
necessity of crossing the wide open water from Martin
Garcia to Buenos Ayres, which would have been danger
ous with our light but bulky cargo. After a short time
we turned westward through a deep-water channel, at
least 300 yards wide, which was known to have been
begun about twenty years previously by a man digging
a ditch as a short cut for his canoe. This is a wonder
ful instance of the rapidity with which the face of the

GIGANTIC SNAILS. 405
country can be altered by the agency of these mighty
rivers. On the other hand, near the mouth of the
Pavon, we passed a considerable island covered with
trees, the whole of which had been formed within the
same period by the deposits of the stream.
Hitherto the weather had been perfectly fine, though
exceedingly hot, but bad symptoms appeared in the
south-east, and a squall so frightened the captain and
his men that they ran the vessel on shore, and made
her fast to the trees with a couple of hawsers. It
would be difficult to imagine anything less picturesque
than this part of the country. The land on both sides
for many leagues is so low that the greater part of it is
frequently submerged by floods, and is covered with a
jungle of huge rushes and scattered willow-trees.
With the help of a plank we went on shore, if shore it
can be called, where the mud is so soft that without the
grass and rushes it would be scarcely possible to walk
upon it. The change was considered beneficial to the
two surviving sheep, which were dragged on land, tied
to a tree, and left to eat anything they could find. The
only creatures that I saw in a very short exploration of
this dreary spot were gigantic snails, whose shells were
about three inches in diameter.
Such was the place where we were to spend the night,
with the prospect of being devoured by musquitos. A
large piece of muslin had been brought from Gualeguay,
and we employed ourselves with fitting up temporary

406 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
curtains for our defence against these enemies : we
were able by this means to keep out the great mass of
them, and the attacks of stragglers, though by no means
pleasant, were not altogether intolerable. A tremendous
storm of thunder, lightning, and rain burst upon us
in the evening, and as our cabin was not large enough
for any amusement or occupation, we preferred turning
into bed early. When the storm ceased we heard
myriads of musquitos buzzing outside the curtains ;
but towards morning they were dispersed by a colder
wind. The next day was spent in beating to windward
through a very tortuous part of the river, called Nueve
Vueltas, or Nine Bends ; the appearance of the country
was still perfectly uninteresting, and our only excite
ment consisted in speculating about the number of
tacks that would be required before we should get
round a particular corner. When these difficulties
were passed, we made good progress throughout a long
moonlight night with a favourable wind, and ran many
leagues down the Parana, the scenery of which now
began to improve very materially. We went to bed after
a most delightful evening, with the prospect of reach
ing Buenos Ayres on the following day ; but very early
in the morning we were startled by the violent motion
of the vessel, the roaring of the wind, and the execra
tions of the wrangling sailors. Jumping up on deck we
found that a furious Pampero had commenced, and the

ABUNDANCE OF PEACHES. 407
Italians, in a panic about the safety of their craft, had,
after the usual amount of conflicting opinions,
determined to let the ship run before it up the river
again till they could find the shelter of a forest-covered
part of the coast. Here we were, then, scudding back
in the wrong direction! Happily this course did not
last very long, and we were soon moored safely to a
couple of large seibo-trees, under the lee of a large
island, which was covered with forest sufficiently high
and dense to protect us from the wind that roared
among the branches.
Our situation was in some respects delightful. We
lay close to the bank, and the masts of the schooner
met the overhanging boughs and crimson blossoms of
the seibos to which we were fastened. The variety of
trees and shrubs was very great, and many flowers hung
over the water's edge. Vast quantities of peaches grow
on the banks and islands of this part of the Parana, but
unfortunately they were not yet ripe. In the season,
people lay their vessels close to the banks, as we did,
and load them with peaches and oranges, without taking
any trouble or incurring any expense except that of
going to gather them. All day long the wind blew
furiously over our heads, but the sky was clear, and as
we were in shelter, with a sheep and a half still left, we
cared but little for the detention. The most remark
able result of the gale was the rapid rising of the
river, which appeared to be here nearly two miles in

408 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
width. I had observed the stump of a tree on the
bank in the morning, and soon afterwards saw that
it was covered. I then took another mark, which in its
turn disappeared, and in the evening I found that the
level of that immense river had been raised between
three and four feet in less than twelve hours, by the
force of the wind blowing up against the downward
stream. This had nothing to do with the usual
periodical rising of the Parana, which is a very gradual
movement, caused by the heavy rains of the wettest
season near the equator, and extending over about four
months, from December to April, during which it
usually rises about twelve feet.
The captain did not venture to leave this safe hiding-
place till nearly three o'clock in the morning, and when
we came on deck the schooner was very near the
entrance to the Boca del Capitan, leading to San Fer
nando. The wind being again contrary, no one could
say how long we might be detained ; and the captain
agreed to let us take the boat, with four men, to row to
San Fernando, while he and the cook and the ship
remained tied to a tree at the entrance of the Boca.
After our usual ten o'clock breakfast, we started under
a blazing sun ; I undertook to steer, and the crew pulled
very fairly, relieving themselves now and then by setting
sail when the wind suited the course of the river. This
was really a pretty piece of river scenery, the banks
being ornamented with beautiful flowers and overhung

RETURN TO BUENOS AYRES. 409
by delicately-green weeping willows, mixed with the
splendid crimson of the seibos. After about three hours
of uncommonly hot work, we reached the Porto Nuevo
of San Fernando, and once more landed in the province
of Buenos Ayres, about twenty miles from the city.
We found an old negro with a bullock-cart, who
conveyed our goods up to the principal inn of the
town, where we found that in another hour the daily
diligencia would start for Buenos Ayres. We filled up
this time with dinner in a comfortable room, which
was doubly welcome after our close quarters for the last
five days in the schooner. Then we started, passing
through San Isidro and Belgrano, places which, though
unknown a few years ago, are now being rapidly covered
with houses and quintas ; and, after about two hours of
fast driving, we were safely deposited in Buenos Ayres,
where I had long learnt to feel entirely at home.
Many people will probably think that it must be a
very dull affair to navigate the Parana in a wool-
schooner; I can assure them, on the contrary, that
though the country passed through in that way is far
from picturesque, yet such a journey is in many respects
highly interesting. It is at all times delightful to a
lover of Nature to see her at work upon a grand scale.
No one who has not made the experiment can have any
idea of such a mighty river-system as that of the Rio
de la Plata and its tributaries : the mass of water, the
formation of new channels, the cumulation of new

410 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
islands, and the rapid increase of their vegetation, must
be seen to be properly understood and appreciated. The
fast passage of a steamer, invaluable as it is for the
developement of commercial relations, does not give
such means for understanding these matters as are
provided by the slower sailing-vessel ; and those who
may have tried almost every other variety of travelling,
would admit that they had experienced an entirely new
sensation in being moored to a forest of magnificent
seibos in one of the islands of the Parana.
Repose seemed strange after the constant movement
and ever-varying excitements of the last three months ;
but I thoroughly enjoyed repose in its turn. We kept
Christmas in Buenos Ayres right loyally, though the
ideas of skating and holly-berries were marvellously at
variance with the doings of a hot climate in its hottest
season. The English church was beautifully decorated
with wreaths and branches of olives and flowers, though
the heat was so great in the middle of the day that
walking was a severe exertion to many, whilst others
scarcely liked to expose their carriage-horses to the
blazing sun. Turkeys, however, flourish peculiarly in
that part of the world, and the whole county of Norfolk
could hardly have eclipsed that with which we cele
brated the feast. I am certain that nothing could have
surpassed the genuine enthusiasm with which we drank
the health of ' Absent friends,' the favourite toast of the
wanderer.

PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 411
But my own wanderings in those regions were coming
to an end. All my enquiries at Rosario and Parana
in November met with the discouraging reply that it was
impossible for the present to communicate with the far
west. The merchants on the River Plate could not
send their treasures across the Pampas into Chili ; the
war had drained men and horses from the various
rough post-stations between Rosario and Mendoza;
the worst characters of the country had joined with
run-away soldiers in defiance of the laws ; Indians had
taken advantage of troublous times for making further
encroachments, and no man captured by them had a
chance of his life. I could find no companion of any
kind ready and willing to undertake the journey imme
diately to Mendoza and the Cordillera of the Andes ;
and the time which I had fixed for returning to Eng
land admitted of no further delay if I intended to make
the long detour by Peru and Panama. The usual dili
gencia could not yet be depended upon, and everybody
whom I knew at Buenos Ayres earnestly dissuaded me
from making the attempt alone. I enquired about
ships likely to go round Cape Horn to Valparaiso, and
I found that, even if one were likely to start in the
next few weeks, it would have a stormy voyage, with
contrary winds, for a couple of months, which would be
too long for my other arrangements. Sorely against
inclination, I was obliged, for the present, to abandon
my plan for seeing the Andes and the Pacific, and to

412 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
confine myself to the pleasures of society at Buenos
Ayres till the departure of a homeward packet. I had
so completely enjoyed myself there, and had met with
so much genuine friendship and hospitality, that, after a
short further stay, I departed with the sincerest regret,
not without an earnest hope that I might again be
fortunate enough to visit the Rio de la Plata.
Before leaving, I called upon as many friends as I
could, and had an interesting conversation at the club
with Dr. Scrivenor, a scientific traveller among the
higher ranges of the Cordillera. He accompanied
Mr. Pentland in some of his explorations of the moun
tains of Peru and Bolivia, amongst which they ascended
the Peak of Potosi, which they ascertained by two
measurements with theodolite and barometer, to have
a height of 15,900 feet above the sea, the barometer
standing at 16 inches and the thermometer at 56°
Fahr. At last we started in the ' Mersey ' once more, and
had the most stormy of all the passages which I have
made upon the coast of Brazil. The destruction of
glass and crockery was very great, in spite of all pre
cautions, and the ship rolled so heavily before the force
of an easterly gale, that most of the swing lamps were
broken against the ceilings of the saloon. For two days
and nights no observation of any kind could be taken,
but Captain Curlewis had a fine opportunity of showing

HOMEWARD-BOUND. 413
his skill and seamanship. The patent log, which, when
thrown overboard attached by a rope, works itself by
an easily-revolving screw, with an indicator showing
the number of revolutions, proved itself invaluable ; and
when the storm-clouds lifted, on the third morning, the
first object seen was the island at the mouth of Rio
harbour, exactly over the bowsprit, showing that, in
spite of clouds and currents, the powers of calculation
had triumphed, and we were exactly in the right
course. At Rio we found the heat excessive. I was transferred
to the ' Tyne,' commanded by Captain Jellicoe, under
whose agreeable charge we commenced our voyage to
Europe. If Rio was hot, Bahia was still hotter ; and
the engineer declared that the temperature of the sea
was 80° Fahr. We took in a fine stock of oranges,
bananas, and mangoes, with sundry other fruits and
vegetables. At Pernambuco we obtained a supply of
enormous pine-apples, which, with bananas and moselle,
provided the best of luncheons for the next three weeks.
Lovely weather accompanied us to St. Vincent and
England, though there was by far the most enormous
swell that I have ever seen on the ocean, resulting
from distant north-westerly winter gales. It was upon
such an immense scale that it scarcely affected the
motion of the ship: looking at it from the deck, we
saw ourselves gradually lifted, as it were, to the summit

414 SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.
of a hill, and then slowly sinking into a valley, without
a single bubble of spray to disturb the purple serenity
of the water.
Such was my last experience of the sea — a worthy
conclusion to the pleasure of a journey among the
sunny glories of South America.

LONDON
PRIXTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO.
KEW-STREET SQUARE

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

3 9002 08600 0958