Chapter V: Part 5

Before closing my notice of the railway, I may add that I had an opportunity, through the kindness of Mr. Woods, the company's engineer, of inspecting the plans of the new railway station, and of going over the ground, which will be enclosed to the extent of 3,200 feet in length, with a fine river frontage on the Parana, where there is a depth of 18 to 20 feet of water close alongside. This will be a great facility in dealing with the river traffic. As regards the materials for the use of the line, they have all been landed on their own wharf and drawn up an incline, as the bank on which the station stands is at a considerable elevation above the river. Eventually, I believe, it is the intention of the company to facilitate both their passenger and goods traffic by means of landing wharves, which would be a great saving of expense and time. One thing is very certain, that the Rosario station will be the finest and most complete in South America.

THE WESTERN RAILWAY OF BUENOS AYRES.

I had a very pleasant excursion over the Western Railway as far as Mercedes, in company with some friends. Mr. Emilio Castro, Government Superintendent of the railways in the province of Buenos Ayres, to the Government of which this line belongs, accompanied us, and he kindly provided a very luxurious saloon carriage for the occasion. We left the Parque station at 8 a.m., going over some curves of a formidable nature, and along streets until we came to the company's goods station and workshops. The latter are on a very extensive scale. After this we got fairly on the main line, which is single, except at certain stations where the trains cross each other. How any engineer could have been bold enough to construct such curves, or the Government could allow locomotives to run through the streets, it is difficult to conceive, as there must always be much risk both to the train and to passengers. There are also some heavy gradients before the goods station is reached, which increases the danger, but people seem to have become familiarised with it.

For the first twelve miles to Flores station the country presents a succession of quintas, or country houses, many large and picturesque, and Flores itself is quite a large and extensive town, though merely a suburb of Buenos Ayres. The town is called San Jose de Flores, and near it is a large Anglo-Argentine school, where the train stops. Flores station is a very good one, capable of being doubled, with a peculiar pattern of light ornamental roofing inside. In the summer season the traffic to and from Flores is very considerable, and there is also a large resident population. After leaving Flores, we got more into the open campo, with plenty of cattle, sheep, and horses about, and numerous farm buildings, until we reached Floreste station, close to which is a large fanciful looking building, originally intended, I believe, for a hotel, but it does not appear to have been successful as a speculation. San Martin is an important station, diligences and carriages being in attendance to convey people to the neighbouring villages of San Custo, Santa Lucia, and San Martin, one of which was called Rozas' Saladero, from the number of victims he is said to have sacrificed there at a prison established for his political enemies. Near this station are some fine, handsome quintas, belonging to the Madero family, the country being well wooded, with many farms, and the same features are observable as far as the Moron station, near which the battle of Caceres was fought, which decided the fate of Rozas. There is a theatre close to this station, and Moron is quite a large town, having grown up under the influence of the railway. A public road runs in proximity to the line for a distance of some fifteen miles, which is very objectionable, and the rails might just as well have been laid a few squares apart from it. After passing Moron we got more into the open campo, with large flocks of sheep, droves of cattle, and horses feeding all around, until we reached the ancient Spanish town of Merlo, which has a church, with a little steeple very like that of a village church at home. There is a nice looking two-storied house there, built by Mr. Boyd, planted with trees, showing they will grow well enough if people will take the trouble to plant them, and I understand Mr. Boyd was the first to introduce the gum tree, which now flourishes in many gardens in the neighbourhood. A branch line is shortly to be constructed from this place to Lobos, some forty miles south-west, through, I am told, a very rich part of the province, and from which district a large traffic is expected. A river, called Las Conchas, runs near Merlo, crossed by an iron bridge, the first I have seen on the line, there being only open culverts where the line crosses streams or watercourses. The next station we came to was Moreno, a new town built since the opening of the line. Midway between Moreno and Lujan is a small station called General Rodriguez. Lujan is one of the oldest towns in the province, a river of that name running past it to the Parana, joining the little stream of Tigre, the terminus of the Northern Railway, whence passenger steamers go up to Rosario. There is a large station and warehouse at Lujan, where a quantity of wheat was being loaded into carts, to be ground in a mill called the “Mill of the Virgins,” a name which I conclude arises from an anecdote recorded as to the formation of the town. A travelling expedition, it would seem, while conveying an image of the Virgin, came to a standstill here, nor could the animals be made to proceed until the image was left on the spot. So it remained, and to this day it is a place of great religious festivities; and express trains are run from Buenos Ayres on these occasions. Whatever may be the real facts of the case, the Lujan Mills grind good flour. The wheat is grown in Chivilcoy, the present terminus of the Western line. It is small but hard. It was to Lujan that General Beresford sent a detachment in 1807, when the first attack was made on Buenos Ayres, arising out of the war with Spain, and which was subsequently renewed under such disastrous circumstances by General Whitelock. I merely make this allusion to show that at that time it was a town of some importance. The little station of Oliveres comes next, but is yet only in course of erection, in the midst of an immense open campo, with large flocks of sheep and plenty of cattle to be seen in all directions. A fine stream of water crosses this part of the campo. The thistles, about which we hear so much, abound in most parts of the campo, but the dry season has kept them down, and they do not rise much above the surface, nor do they appear to prevent the growth of grass suitable for sheep and cattle. No donkeys are seen in this country to luxuriate on the abundance of thistles, and very few mules, horses being generally used and very badly treated. Their dead carcasses are frequently encountered, as when “used-up,” they are turned adrift to die in the campo. A few miles further brought us to Mercedes, a town of some 12,000 inhabitants, the terminus of the railway before it was lately opened to Chivilcoy, an extension of forty miles, making a total distance of 100 miles now open, and the number of stations denotes the amount of traffic carried on by this railway, for which it has a stock of 420 wagons and 20 locomotives, besides passenger cars, chiefly the large American description.

The Western Railway was originally a small passenger line to San Jose de Flores, but was afterwards continued and opened by sections, the point for goods traffic only commencing at the great open square called the 11th of September, where the goods traffic in bullock carts has always been carried on. A large number of bullock carts still find their way to that market.

We remained at Mercedes to enjoy an excellent lunch provided for us by the station master, who resides there with his family, as going on to Chivilcoy would have entailed the loss of another day, and having to sleep there with probably limited accommodation. The station at Mercedes is a very fine one, with iron pillars and a corrugated roof, brought from England; also a large roadside shed for the locomotives, workshops, &c. The large area of ground occupied by the station must be with a view to future requirements. Omnibuses and a diligence were waiting to convey passengers to the town, which is near the station, and to distant places. We did not go into the town, as it looked rather dusty and our time was limited, having to return by a special train at 1.30.

We rode some distance back on the engine, making twenty-one miles in thirty-five minutes over part of the campo, and reached the Parque station at Buenos Ayres about five o'clock, or three and half hours for a distance of about sixty miles; but we had to wait at two stations for the up train to cross, besides calling at most of the other stations, all of which involved a good deal of delay. The engines have to water frequently, and there was a scarcity of coal, so they were obliged to burn slack, mixed with cinders, causing some difficulty in keeping up steam. It must be admitted that the Government have shown real energy and determination in prosecuting this railway, which is of great benefit to the Province, and I believe well managed, yielding a good return for the capital invested. The rails used on this line are the Barlow, and they are in very excellent condition after being down several years. The line from Mercedes to Chivilcoy is laid with Griffin's rails, which I understand are not so rigid as the Barlow. There is no wood suitable for sleepers in this part of the country.

It is intended to carry on the line to the north end of Buenos Ayres, and to build a wharf out to the river, thus enabling the company to land and ship goods without passing through the city, which will be a great convenience and save expense, besides the advantage of opening up communications with the other railways by such a branch line. Eventually there is to be a Central Station on the beach for all the railways, so that goods and passengers can be conveyed from one to the other. As already observed, a branch is to be made from the Merlo station to the town of Lobos, and no doubt it will be carried further in that direction, so as to develop the resources of the country. All this will require time, and a large outlay of money, for which the Government is not prepared now, but it is sure to be accomplished later on, with many more urgent improvements required in this large and growing city.

We had a very fine day for our excursion, and enjoyed it much, thanks to the kindness of Mr. Emilio Castro, who made ample provision for creature comforts, and was exceedingly attentive. Mr. Allen, the engineer for the line, was also of the party, and gave us much valuable information. He has been many years out here, and with his brother, has worked his way to an important and responsible position.

In the Appendix will be found a very interesting description of the workshops of the Western Railway, which we extract from the columns of the Buenos Ayres _Standard_, an influential paper extensively circulated in the River Plate.

BUENOS AYRES.—SECOND NOTICE.

The more I look over this great city the more I am struck with its increase, as well as the luxury by which it has been attended, evinced in the style of building and in the large private establishments, some of which are really on a princely scale.

Speaking of public buildings, I do not much admire the opera house, called the Colon—it is badly formed and the decorations are too heavy. The gas-lights are ugly, being plain jets instead of small gas chandeliers. They give a very common-place look to the whole. The tiers of boxes look too much like _boxes_, and ought to be light and open, suited to the country. The entrances and corridors are also very rough and nearly as bad as the unfinished theatre at San Paulo, though the design of the latter is infinitely superior. On the other hand, the secondary theatres are cheerful little places, and the new Music Hall, built by private subscription, is a model for lightness and elegance. I attended an amateur concert there, and was much pleased; some fifty ladies and gentlemen forming the vocal strength, aided by a large instrumental orchestra. It was a sight not often seen at home, where _la mauvaise honte_ would prevent so agreeable a gathering. The large hall was quite filled and the programme gone through most systematically. In alluding to this building, I may remark that it is precisely of the same dimensions as the new River Plate Bank, being by the same architect. This Bank occupies a large corner area of one of the most central streets in the city, and can vie in architectural effect with many of the new buildings in Lombard-street, with the advantage of being much better seen.

The churches have often been described, and the cathedral is now a finished, handsome building, very well kept up both externally and internally, and religious observances and masses are very frequent. The Clubs of Buenos Ayres hold a conspicuous place in connection with politics, and they occasionally afford opportunities for beauty and fashion to meet at the balls held in them. The Progreso occupies the first rank, the La Plata the second, and latterly a Club called Del Parque has been established. I was up the country when the Progreso ball was held, and missed the invitation, as well as that for the Temple, but attended the ball of the La Plata, where 500 or 600 ladies and gentlemen were collected; a very gay and cheerful meeting, where all appeared to feel at home and enjoy themselves. South American society has the charm of being free from the stiffness and formality which exists in aristocratic society at home. The ladies, however, add great elegance of dress to their personal graces, which are very considerable, and they dance with great ease. With reference to the female population of Buenos Ayres, the _fêtes_ held on the anniversary of Independence (25th of May) present an excellent opportunity for seeing them to advantage out of doors. The weather was fine, and the Plaza Victoria, as well as the leading streets, was filled with well dressed ladies, particularly at night to see the fireworks. The ladies go about very freely, those who keep carriages, or can afford to hire them, generally driving a short way out of town when they are not visiting their friends. Society in Buenos Ayres is decidedly of the free and easy, friendly style, and characterised by much hospitality. The democratic element in the constitution naturally stirs up a good deal of political feeling, but I do not find this to affect the private relations of life so much as might be expected. Party spirit runs high, and the “young Republicans” especially are very bitter towards those who differ from them; but of late years political animosity has not been stained in the Argentine Confederation with crimes such as those which have prevailed at Monte Video. The continuance of the Paraguayan war and the Alliance with Brazil have lately been the great bone of contention, and shows itself on the eve of the election of a new president, on the result of which the future peace of the country may more or less depend.

I looked over the Museum, where many fine antediluvian specimens found in this country are preserved, together with a variety of curiosities in natural history, animals, birds, &c, the whole being under the superintendence of Dr. Burmeister, who is a very superior man, and I believe remains there more from his love of natural history than for the remuneration attached to the office. He has travelled much over the South American Continent.

Numerous fine hospitals exist in Buenos Ayres, both native and foreign, and the English one, which I visited in company with Mr. Boyd, chairman of the committee, and the Rev. Mr. Ford, is a very good establishment, well deserving of support by the British community and by our own Government. The hospital was formerly an old quinta, and is beautifully situated at the east end of the city, overlooking the river, the Boca, Barracas, and the country round as far as the eye can reach. It has been greatly enlarged, forming three sides of a square, the fourth comprising a neat fever ward, run up last year for cholera patients, and it proved of very great utility. The wards, on both the ground floor and upper story, are kept very clean, and Dr. Reid, the medical attendant, resides on the premises, having occupied his position for six years. The building and ground are the property of the hospital and have much increased in value, but the difficulty is in meeting the annual expenses, which can only be done by voluntary subscriptions. What is required to keep up the establishment properly is a small tonnage rate on British ships, and inasmuch as sailors derive the chief benefit from the hospital, I cannot see why this should not be done. The expenses attendant on such an institution in a foreign country are considerable, if it is to be kept in a state of efficiency. Formerly there was a tonnage rate of this kind levied on British shipping, which may have led to some abuse, and been done away with from some “ignorant impatience of taxation,” but there is no valid reason why shipping should not contribute to the support of hospitals, from which, as I have already observed, it derives the greatest amount of benefit, and without which sailors would be exposed to great hardships.

One of the disadvantages of the Spanish system of building their towns and cities in square blocks is that it creates a sameness in the streets, and narrows the approaches to them, leaving no scope for great leading thoroughfares, so that there is a constant turning of corners, and but for the names being pretty generally posted up it would be difficult for strangers to find their way. In reply to inquiries as to any particular house or locality, you are generally told that it is so many squares off, so that taking the right bearing or departure you can easily find out what you want. Then the houses are legibly numbered, which, combined with their plan of municipal taxation, ought to render a correct census easy, but there seems to be some strong objection to “numbering the people,” which I cannot account for, and to this day no one is able to tell you the population of Buenos Ayres with any certainty; some calculations only giving 100,000, others 150,000, and even as high as 200,000. I believe the last to be a great exaggeration; probably the mean of 150,000 is nearest the mark. Again, the extension of the city by squares leads to the closing up of places for which a greater space should be left. As an instance, the English burial ground was quite in the country when first made, but the city is fast encroaching upon it, and notice has lately been given to have it removed, against which a strong feeling exists, as the ground was purchased, and is the property of foreigners; so the only plan to be adopted, if any alteration is made at all, will be to close the ground to future interments, the municipality giving a piece of land a mile or two further out. This, again, has its inconveniences, as the streets leading to the present burial ground are almost unapproachable in bad weather, and beyond their limits it would be still more so. I visited the English burial ground, which is pretty well kept up, but the huge square family vaults are very unsightly, and will be rendered useless in case the burial ground is removed to another quarter.

The great native burial place called Recoleta, adjoining a church of that name, is full of monuments of all kinds, some on a most elaborate and costly scale,—little temples, in fact, where the dead are laid on shelves, visible through glass doors. The cholera visitation compelled further addition to be made to the ground, which is in a very rough, disordered state, where medical students would have full scope if they were at a loss for subjects.

Altogether the municipal regulations of the city are very defective. An effort is now being made to obtain an adequate supply of water, and some works are in course of erection on the shore in the front of the Recoleta, on the plan of Mr. Coghlan, an engineer, who has been long resident at Buenos Ayres. The works will supply a number of fountains in the city, but no project is yet on foot to carry the water into private houses, which are supplied from their own patios, where there is generally a well or large tank underground which collects the rain water. A number of plans are before the Government for draining the city, one of the most urgent and imperative of wants, and without which it is impossible to maintain the public health. It is no wonder the cholera has made such ravages, and every one dreads a revival of it, or the appearance of some other scourge during the next hot season. These mysterious visitations are warnings to large populations that they cannot violate sanitary laws with impunity, and force lethargic municipal bodies into action. No city could be more easily drained and sewered than Buenos Ayres, but it requires a large outlay of money, which the Government can ill afford at present; and I believe the municipal and provincial taxes are already at their maximum.

House rent is very high, and with the exception of meat, all the necessaries are dear. Luxuries are especially high priced. One is forcibly reminded of our old watchmen by the prevailing practice in South America of having what they call serenos, who go round calling the hour, some of them with most sepulchral voices, and they are about as useful as our “Charlies” were, only they are armed with a sword, and apt, I believe, at times to resort to it very improperly. In other respects the system of police appears to be pretty good, and considering the mixed and heterogenous population, with many bad characters about, there are less disturbances in Buenos Ayres than I expected, though, as a matter of course, many complaints are made as to the deficiency of police regulations. I was about the streets and suburbs of the city at various hours of the night and never met with the least molestation.

The city is well lighted with gas, only it is stated that the present works are inadequate to the supply, and another company is about to be formed. The charge for gas is extravagant; I am told about 24s. per thousand feet, and as a matter of course the shares are at a very high premium.

One of the most thriving occupations in the city appears to be the hire of carriages and horses. There are numerous large establishments of this kind as well as for the building of carriages; the latter as a rule are handsome and commodious. There are regular stands in the open squares, and cars are in attendance at the railway stations. For some time I could not make out what a great clatter of horses coming through the city about daylight meant; it sounded like a troop of cavalry, but I afterwards found it was the hired horses going to water at the river; indeed, horses are almost amphibious here in consequence of doing so much work in the river carts, and one day I saw an omnibus brought down on the shore to be washed and cleaned, rather a novel performance.

River storms are not of common occurrence, but they occasionally take place with great violence. It had been hot and oppressive before, but it came on to blow heavily on Sunday night, and next morning the river had risen some 12 feet, the waves dashing on the beach in a most alarming manner, and the whole of the low ground between the city and the Boca was under water, with part of the Boca Railway washed away, as well as a portion of the Northern line, interrupting, of course, the traffic on both. It was a curious sight to see the waves dashing through the willow trees which are planted along the shore, and for a time suspending washing operations. Many houses on the low ground were invaded, and the wooden ones built along the Boca, on piles, looked like great bathing machines. The iron seats placed on the shore beneath the willows were knocked over and covered with seaweed. The storm lasted two or three days, during which no communication could be had with vessels either in the inner or outer roads, and steamers were compelled to run for the Tigre to land their passengers; also lighters with cargo—the whole forming a scene of much excitement and putting an entire stop to business. It delayed the departure of our steamer several days. After the gale subsided we had some fine sunny days, and the river fell as rapidly as it had risen. This gale was not what is termed a pampero, being from the south-east, beating on the shore. A pampero frequently follows after it from the south-west, or off the shore, causing the river to fall again.

The changes of climate here are sudden and said to be unhealthy. During the two months I was in the river until the occurrence of the gale nothing could be more delicious than the weather—cool, with bright sunshine and any amount of exercise agreeable. The nights were occasionally frosty, with ice in the mornings in some places. Dust storms are terrible things during the summer, but happily are rare, and generally the forerunners of a pampero, accompanied by heavy rain, which refreshes the thirsty soil. Droughts are serious afflictions to the sheep and cattle, which often perish from their effects. Water is the great desideratum for the campo, and without it the prospects of the estanciero are blighted. As I have said before, the Banda Oriental is less subject to drought, being more undulated and better watered, but the pampas, or plains of Buenos Ayres, grow a more nutritive grass and rear finer sheep and cattle.

During my stay at Buenos Ayres the Provincial Chambers met, as well as the National Chambers, and I attended a sitting of the latter, where an unusual excitement prevailed owing to a motion put on the books as to the retirement of President Mitre from office, and whether or not this would put an end to the alliance entered into for carrying on the war with Paraguay. The building is small, exactly like a theatre minus the stage, and was crowded to excess by strangers, the pit, or lower part only, being used for the business of the Senate. There was so much demonstration from the galleries as to promise a stormy meeting, but when the speeches began the speakers were patiently listened to, with occasional cheers by their respective supporters, at which the President rang his bell. Dr. Quintana and others maintained that their views were correct, and that the retirement of President Mitre would put an end to the alliance. The Government, represented by Senor Elizalde, Minister for Foreign Affairs, maintained the contrary, and defended his colleagues with considerable acumen and ability, the result being that nothing was got by the motion and things remained in _statu quo_. The custom is for members to speak sitting upon their benches, which greatly detracts from their oratory, and must be very inconvenient, as you can only hear a voice, and are puzzled sometimes to know where it comes from. On another occasion, when the Senate was in committee with explanations going on, half-a-dozen members would be addressing or interrogating the Minister at the same time, which appeared very absurd, as well as unfair, it being impossible to reply to more than one at a time, or at all events to collect the observations of half-a-dozen members speaking in the same breath. Senor Elizalde, however, defended his position with much coolness and ability, and was assisted by his colleague, Dr. Costa, Minister for Education, &c. The audience became so troublesome on another occasion that the Senators decided to meet with closed doors, having only reporters present, rather a trial to democratic forbearance, but it did not seem to produce any sensation out of doors. As in our own Parliament, a great loss of time is caused by the professional speech makers, and the business of legislation retarded accordingly, as they only sit in the day in these countries. Whether or not such an arrangement would suit in St. Stephen's is another matter. Outside, and apart from public sittings, no doubt a deal of intrigue and jobbery takes place in South American assemblies, as in other countries, but I think on the whole their legislation is fair and conducted with moderation. There is not the same value in “loaves and fishes” to operate with, nor the same amount of honour and reward to look forward to as in England; besides, the members of Government out here are very poorly paid, so they are obliged to look to their professions, mostly as lawyers, unless they happen to possess private fortunes. Republicanism is not endowed with more gratitude than Royalty, and deserving men who have faithfully and zealously served their country are too often left in the “cold shade,” and forgotten in both cases. The Provincial Assembly meet in another part of the city, where all the provincial business is carried on. It was formerly the town residence and head-quarters of Rozas, from which many a bloody mandate has been issued. The municipality occupy large premises in the Plaza, attached to the old Spanish cabildo, or prison, on which the date of 1722 is still to be seen.

PROGRESS OF STEAM NAVIGATION ON LA PLATA.

If there is one subject more than another on which I am entitled to express an opinion it is that of steam navigation on the great South American rivers, and especially as regards the fluvial waters of the La Plata. In my book, published in 1854, pages 314 to 316, occur the following remarks:—

These are sentiments, however, which the reader may naturally think
are not very pertinent to a purpose like the present, and not
exactly in keeping with an occasion expressly connected with the
commercial opening-up of those streams by the instrumentality of
English enterprise, in a form so indicative of progress as steam.
So, too, thought the writer after a moment's rumination of the “cud
of sweet and bitter fancy;” for he reflected that these magnificent
regions, first discovered by Cabot—English, born and bred, though of
Venetian parentage—had stagnated, not under the rule of that “good
olde and famuse man,” but under the rule of those in whose service
he had found out a river which might, indeed, have proved worthy of
the name the avaricious Spaniards had bestowed upon it—La Plata, the
River of Silver—had they been imbued with a particle of the spirit
which has converted “icy Labrador,” the first territory discovered
by the same glorious adventurer, into a comparatively industrial
paradise. I augured, I hope with no unjustifiable audacity, that now
the descendants of Cabot and of his companions had been brought into
direct relationship with the people of the Parana, something would
be done to render that “Mississippi of the South” not altogether
unworthy of some slight social and political comparison with the
Northern “Father of Waters” before many generations should roll by;
and I deemed it a not altogether impossible contingency that the
younger members of our crew might live to cast anchor in certain
riverine ports hereabouts, amid a forest of masts and funnels
belonging to all the maritime states in the world, not one of which
countries but may find produce of some kind or other profitably
suitable to its markets on these fertile shores.

I will leave it to my readers, acquainted with what is going on at the present time, to say whether my views were too sanguine. It may be said that the war in Paraguay has hastened the development of steam navigation up the rivers, which is true enough, but at the same time I am satisfied that without this war there would have been steady progress, particularly had the policy of the despotic ruler of Paraguay been in a pacific direction, encouraging, instead of throwing every difficulty in the way of free transit to the country lying beyond Paraguay, and into the interior of Matto Grosso. The exigences of a war of the nature carried on for the last three years, where the troops, ammunition, and supplies of all kinds had to be sent forward by steam, would naturally create active employment for steamers, and it has tended to familiarise navigators with every nook and corner, sand bank, or other impediment that may have existed unknown to any of them. The war at an end, steamers will be organised to run to the different towns and stations, in response to the requirements of traffic, as well as to facilitate postal communications, so much needed in those countries; and Rosario, being the terminus of the great Central Railway, must of necessity become the rendezvous of all river steamers ascending the Parana, the Uruguay having already a pretty good organisation in this respect. In a country so widespread, and so dependent on internal communication by rivers, steam is now a primary necessity, and therefore it may fairly be assumed that this will be one of the first objects of the Government, as well as of the Central Argentine Railway Company; the latter to facilitate traffic to and from their line, and to regulate the departure of their trains, a matter of much moment to travellers. It may in truth be said that steam navigation on the waters of La Plata and its affluents is only in its infancy, dating from the commencement of the Paraguayan war. One of the great requirements of civilised life is rapid intercourse, not only for persons, but for correspondence, and the task of arranging the latter is one that must be strongly pressed on the Government by commercial bodies, who are so much interested in the question. Brazil sets an example in this respect that other Governments ought to follow. In process of time telegraphic wires will doubtless be added to steam facilities, and probably be carried across the Andes to join the West Coast line to Panama, in connection with the great Atlantic cable to England.

When I remember the sensation created by the little “Argentina,” and her trip to Rosario in 1853, I must say the progress of events has indeed been rapid. To this day the “Argentina” is remembered at Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, and her subsequent loss was regarded as a serious calamity.

I subjoin in the Appendix some particulars showing the increase of steam tonnage in these waters, which will be interesting to those who contemplate visiting the regions of the La Plata.

In connection with the up-river steam traffic, the Northern Railway to the Tigre is a great facility, as passengers can walk on board the steamers without encountering the often disagreeable boating at Buenos Ayres, and the passage through what is called the Capitan is very pleasant, but if the railway was extended a few hundred yards further, to the bank of the River Lujan, it would be far more convenient as large sized steamers would then resort there, as also vessels with cargo for Buenos Ayres to be sent on by rail. The Tigre is so small and so shallow that a few steamers block it up, but the Lujan is wide and deep, and it might be made a valuable adjunct to the port of Buenos Ayres, at present suffering so much for want of accommodation. In my general report on the railways this subject will be again alluded to.

RAILWAYS IN THE RIVER PLATE.

There are two classes of railways in the Argentine Confederation, inaugurated by Provincial and the National Governments respectively. I will begin with the Province of Buenos Ayres, as the railroad system has there acquired the greatest development. The first line established was the Western, which has now reached the town of Chivilcoy, a distance of 100 miles from the city, and it is proposed to effect a further extension to the frontier fort of Melincue. I need not repeat here the details already given in reference to this enterprise.

Next in importance comes the Great Southern Railway, seventy-one miles in length, which was made by an English Company, under a Government guarantee of 7 per cent. on £700,000, but the capital actually raised was £750,000, the contractors taking £50,000 in unguaranteed stock on certain conditions as to their participation in dividend. The expenditure has been further increased to nearly £800,000, owing to additional disbursements for goods stations and for increased rolling stock. The line was opened throughout in Dec. 1865, and the traffic has gone on steadily augmenting with improved receipts, the result of the first year showing a net profit of nearly three per cent.; the second year a fraction over five per cent.; and the present year promises fair to reach the seven per cent. guaranteed by the Government, when it will be self-sustaining and free of all the drawbacks necessarily incidental to a condition of dependence on State aid. This enterprise has a prosperous future before it. The great question which remains to be decided has relation to an extension of the line further south, or in a south-westerly direction, so as to intercept the large amount of traffic which still comes forward by the ordinary bullock carts. One disadvantage of the Southern Railway consists in its chief station at the Plaza Constitucion being so far from the central points of the city, which are only partially reached by a tramway, but this ought to be extended, and even then it will be difficult to meet the requirements of passenger traffic. The following particulars are taken from a private letter sent home after a very pleasant trip over the line, accompanied by the Local Committee and Manager:—

My first step after arrival here was to visit all the Railway
Stations, as they are generally a pretty good index of what is
behind them, and I found the Great Southern far in advance of all
the others as regards provision for the traffic it has to carry on.
The money which has been spent in shed accommodation was only an
absolute necessity, and is of that practical character which quite
meets the case. The single-roofed shed into which the wool is
discharged from the railway trucks on one side, and taken out from
the other, is most convenient, and to look at the sheds, which are
divided into compartments, and all numbered, you might fancy
yourself at one of the warehouses of the London Docks, with which
you are familiar. The booking offices, refreshment rooms, &c.,
occupy the centre of the station, with the platform in front for
passengers; the warehouses occupying the two wings. There is also a
goods receiving shed, with stabling for horses used on the tramway.
The only thing I see in the distance is that more station room will
be required. Leaving the station by a double line of rails, you soon
cross the handsome bridge over the Riachuelo and arrive at Barracas
station, situated near the centre of a large population, and
connected with the Boca, where a large portion of the business of
the port of Buenos Ayres is carried on, the place being studded with
saladeros and large warehouses, where the produce of the country is
deposited, a great drawback being the abominable stench arising from
dead carcasses and offal strewed about, and nests of piggeries which
are allowed to locate spite of all municipal regulations to the
contrary. After leaving Barracas the line strikes at once into the
campo, or open country, the first ten or fifteen miles being studded
with quintas or farms, and establishments of one kind or other, when
you reach the great plains covered with sheep, cattle, and horses,
and at this time the pastures look green and healthy, though at the
same time they could do with rain. The line is nearly a dead level
with few curves, the stations well built and commodious, and of a
very durable nature, easily added to if required; in fact, I do not
see how a railway in this country could be better adapted for its
work; the rails, permanent way, as well as the rolling stock, all
appear to be in good order. Although the line may be said to
traverse a sea of land, and does not pass close to any town of
importance until it reaches Chascomus, there were many more
estancias (farms) in the distance than I expected to find. We saw
Mr. Glew and Mr. Donsellear (after whom two stations are called) in
_propria persona_. The Somborambon bridge, crossing a river of that
name, is a fine work, and at the Chascomus station are evident signs
of considerable traffic, with machinery for hoisting the bullock
carts on to the railway trucks after their wheels are taken off, and
the cart with its contents (wheels included,) brought into Buenos
Ayres. Chascomus itself is a large straggling town, situated close
to a picturesque lake, on the banks of which Mr. Crawford (agent for
Messrs. Peto and Betts during the construction of the line) built
himself a large comfortable house, now converted into an hotel, at
which we enjoyed a very good dinner. During the career of Rozas
Chascomus was a military station, and many people from the
neighbouring districts came to spend some months of the year at the
town, but its glory in this way has departed, and it does not look
like a very go-a-head place at present. On the whole I returned much
impressed with the soundness of the undertaking and the favourable
prospect before it.

The Northern Railway, originally called the San Fernando, has been very unfortunate from its birth, arising in a great measure from its being made on a strip of land adjoining the river, where it was subject to inundations in consequence of sea storms. Had it been carried over the bank, within a few hundred yards to the left, it would have been entirely out of the reach of such casualties, an instance of which occurred a few days before I left Buenos Ayres, when a portion of the earthworks was again washed away. Soon after my arrival out I made a trip over the line, accompanied by Mr. Crabtree, the new manager, Mr. Ford, locomotive superintendent and engineer, Mr. Santa Maria, consulting local director, and Mr. Horrocks, the traffic manager. The station at the Retiro is a plain, modest building, which answers the purpose well enough, though rather open and exposed. The locomotives and carriages are in limited number, but sufficient apparently for existing wants, as the large American carriages hold many passengers. A tramway from the most central point in the city, passing along the beach, carries the passengers to and from the station in a much more convenient manner than to any of the other railways, and there can be little doubt that if the line could be rendered safe from the encroachments of the river on the occasion of great storms, fortunately “few and far between,” it would be a very prosperous enterprise, as it affords accommodation for the most populous suburb of the city. It also touches a branch of the river where a large portion of the steam traffic is likely to be concentrated. I found the rails in tolerable order, and altogether more life in the concern than I had expected, considering the drawbacks, financial and otherwise, with which it has had to contend. The first station is Palermo, the old paradise of Rozas, but which is now allowed to go to ruin and decay, the beach from the Retiro to Palermo being almost entirely monopolised by what has been termed “an army of washerwomen.” The next station is Belgrano, where Mr. Matti, the great steamboat agent, has a most fantastic quinta, glittering in green and yellow colours, but of what style of architecture it would be difficult to determine; nevertheless it is a pretty place, and evidently no expense is spared to keep it in order. It is, however, too close to the railway. Directly opposite is the hotel of Mr. Watson, where I can testify to a first rate dinner being provided for those who want a little relief from the closeness and monotony of the city. After Belgrano comes San Isidro, near which are also many handsome quintas. There are two or three other stations before arriving at San Fernando, about which there is a large, scattered population. Here a new branch is being made to the Parana, by a small company of which Mr. Hopkins is the head; the intention being to build a new wharf and some warehouses there; but I question whether the enterprise will ever arrive at maturity, as the most natural point for the construction of such works is undoubtedly the mouth of the Rio Tigre, on the Lujan River, as I have previously observed. At the latter place we found some dozen steamers, chiefly of large size, lying moored alongside the banks where there is deep water. At the Tigre station is a good restaurant, kept by a Frenchman, who provided us with a comfortable breakfast, and after two or three hours spent in a boat looking about the river, and rambling over the neighbourhood, we returned to Buenos Ayres much pleased with our trip.

The Boca Railway is a small line, made to connect the city with the important districts of the Boca and Barracas. It was laid on the beach, and is not unfrequently partially washed away by the river storms. The Boca is quite a little port on the banks of the Riachuelo, where lighters discharge and load, and where small craft are also built. Amongst other establishments there is that of the Messrs. Casares, the largest lightermen in the place, which is at all times very busy and generally crowded. A branch of the railway goes on towards Barracas, where an old wooden bridge crosses the stream, rendered exceedingly filthy by the refuse of the saladeros finding its way into the water. The effluvia arising from this cause are of a very offensive nature. Attempts, however, are being made to cleanse and deepen this valuable river, but the slow pace at which improvements are carried on here will probably postpone the event to a future generation. Most of the houses about the Boca are of wood, and are built on piles to avoid danger from floods, but there are also many large stone edifices in which produce is stored. A few days before I left a river storm laid nearly the whole locality under water, destroying a portion of the railway, and of course stopping the traffic. The replacing of the rails is not, I understand, a very formidable undertaking. The whole line, which is only three or four miles in length, including the branch to Barracas, ought to have been built on piles or led through an iron viaduct, so as to be out of the reach of the floods; and under existing circumstances, not to speak of the cost of repairing the permanent way, the traffic is interrupted at the very time it would be of the greatest utility. The original plan, and that for which the concession was obtained, was to connect the Boca and Barracas with the city, running a branch to Ensenada, where it was proposed to form a new port; but this part of the scheme is still in embryo. Where the line is really of utility and would carry a large traffic is from the Custom-house to the Boca, and across the bridge higher up to Barracas, where the Government are making a large swing iron bridge to replace the old dilapidated wooden one now in use. An iron viaduct is about being laid to connect the Boca Railway with the Custom-house. If properly constructed the Boca Railway would command the whole traffic of this district, and direct communication might be established with the Northern and Southern Railways; but a large additional capital is required before this scheme can be realised. The bulk of the Boca traffic is carried on by carts, under great disadvantages and at a heavy expense; and it is a painful sight to see the poor horses struggling through the mud, or toiling under the lash up the steep, miserably paved streets which connect the beach with the warehouses and depôts at the southern end of the city. In fact everything in the way of locomotion is carried on under great difficulties, and the detention of shipping in the outer roads is a serious matter. When the river is low, the beach is covered with carts galloping backwards and forwards, bringing cargo from the lighters or taking produce to them—the horses up to their girths in water and sometimes swimming. Many of the carts have a hollow bottom made water tight to prevent damage to the goods; and at times, when there is not water for boats to the mole, passengers have still to embark or disembark in carts, as was the case when I last visited Buenos Ayres. Both this mole and that to the Custom-house, for which the latter is exclusively used, have been built since that time; but to show the great want of accommodation which still exists to carry on the trade of the port, there are upwards of 300 custom-house depôts in different parts of the city besides the Custom-house itself, and at the north end a large market is being converted into a depôt; in fact the trade of the port has entirely outgrown the facilities for its reception, the whole, as at Monte Video, being in a great state of confusion.

On the subject of railways generally in the Argentine Confederation there cannot be a second opinion that it is through their instrumentality the future development of the country must be looked for; and it is to the credit of General Mitre that so much has been done during his presidency, especially the great work of the Central Argentine Railway, which more than any other measure must tend to link together the provinces of the Confederation and strengthen their union. So soon as the line is open to Cordova the communication with the western provinces will be speedy, and produce will find its way to that city as a central point, thence to be brought down to Rosario, Buenos Ayres, or Monte Video, comparatively at great saving of time and expense. At present the cost of transit absorbs a large part of the total value, the effect of which has been to discourage any notable increase of production beyond the necessities of local consumption. The railway will in addition afford a more easy mode of locomotion, and will greatly promote intercourse, while emigrants can be at once conveyed to distant places where their services are required. On every ground, therefore, the promotion and extension of railways is the first duty of President Mitre's successor, and it is to be hoped Senor Sarmiento will not be remiss in this respect. At all events, the way has been paved and a good example set. The only other railway to notice, and which I had not an opportunity of seeing, is a small one from Puerto Raiz, on the Parana, to Galaguay, a distance of about six miles, which was constructed by Mr. Coghlan for a sum of £20,000, or about £3,380 per mile. I believe it is very useful and returns a fair percentage on the outlay.

EMIGRATION TO BRAZIL.

Both the Government and the people of Brazil feel the necessity and the value of promoting immigration to the fullest extent. Experiments have been tried, and small colonies of Europeans founded in some of the southern provinces, all of which have been more or less successful.