PRODUCTS EXHIBITED AT PARIS.

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Juan was admirable. Mr Holterhof sent candles from the Barracas factory. Mr. Younger sent some sheepskins from his steam «lavadero.» M. Rouqueaud exhibited calf's foot oil, and other articles, from his establishment. Messrs. Huergo and Durand had a fine sample of native silk. The Rural Association contributed cereals grown at Chivilcoy and Mercedes.

The files of the Tribuna and Standard represented the press of Buenos Ayres. The prizes were as follows:

GOLD MEDAL.

Argentine Government, for gold, silver, and copper ores.

Mr. Lafone, copper samples.

SILVER MEDALS.

Bletscher and Co., hides tanned with quebracho.

John Hannah, wool.

Bethe and Hubler, extractum carnis.

BRONZE MEDALS.

Roquet Brothers, silver ores.

Klappenback, silver ores.

The Government, samples of timber.

Stegman Brothers, wool.

Richard Newton, wool.

Wilfrid Latham, wool.
M. Duportal, wool.

Martinez de Hoz, wool.

Macedonio Gras, Alpaca wool.

M. Rouqucaud, calf's foot oil.

The Secretary of Committee, soap.

Tucuman Provincial Company, medicinal herbs.

Thomas Oliden, dried and salted beef.

The Government, for «popular customs» (stuffed gauchos, &c.)

HONORABLE MENTION.

Tucuman Provincial Company, embroidery.

Major Rickard, silver ores.

Carranza, mineral specimens.

General Pacheco, wool and tobacco.

H. Solanet, wool.

Francis Younger, wool.

William Müller, dried beef.

Demaria and Ariza, dried beef.

Ponget, of Mendoza, white wines.
Michel Ponget, white wines.

CHAP. III.

FOREIGN POPULATION.

THE number of foreigners in this country is very great, and every day increasing. The chief centres of European immigration are Buenos Ayres, Santa Fé, Entre Rios, Corrientes, Cordoba, and San Juan.

The foreign population of the Province of Buenos Ayres is estimated at 250,000, distributed as follows:

This large number of foreigners, forming half the population of the Province of Buenos Ayres, is remarkable: and the foreigner, upou landing, is agrecably astonished to find himself in the midst of a large society of countrymen. Amongst Argentines of the respectable classes, proficiency in foreign languages is considered a necessary qualification; thus, the greater part of the merchants speak English or French.

The English, unquestionably, occupy the foremost place in Buenos Ayres, although their number is relatively so sinall. Of course, in speaking of English merchants, this is also taken to include Scotch, and, a few Irish and North Americans; this community embraces the greatest element of social and commercial importance in Buenos Ayres. A vast amount of the import and export trade passes through their hands, and the commercial interests may be said to be identified with their names. Englishmen are rarely found here in other than mercantile pursuits; they are the leading merchants, brokers, bankers, shipping agents, &c., but are seldom or never found as sheepfarmers, mechanics, or in humbler positions. They usually make handsome fortunes, live in good style, and get along pleasantly with their fellow-foreigners and townsmen. another chapter we shall make allusion to the number of British institution: in the city.

ENGLISH, GERMANS, FRENCII, ETC.

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The Germans come next after the English in importance and position, being more varied in their callings, and representing much less of the staple trade of the country. There are several first-class German houses in the city, besides a number of «barraqueros,» brewers, shopkeepers, clerks, and tradesmen. As a rule, they are all well educated, and very apt for business, usually possessing three or four languages fluently. Under the title «Germans» are generally included also Swedes, Danes, Dutch, and Belgians. In some of the country towns of the Upper Provinces we find an occasional German shopkeeper, in Cordoba there are sundry goat-breeders, in the Province of Buenos Ayres a few are estancieros, and the colonies of Baradero and Santa Fé are in part made up of Germans.

The French prefer the city to the country, and have a monopoly of fancy bazaars and such like; the only merchants are those in the wine trade with Bordeaux or Cette; there is a number of hotel-keepers, tailors, milliners, hair-dressers, and mechanics. In the little towns the French are very numerous, and they are generally industrious and cuterprising: they assimilate more with the people of the country than either Germans or English. Many of the charitable institutions are in charge of the French Sisters of Charity. Throughout the Upper Provinces there is a large sprinkling of French, usually innkeepers, mechanics, or small tradesmen.

The Irish, although exercising little or no weight in public matters, may contend with any other nationality in point of usefulness. They have not, it is true, the position or advantages of their mercantile brethren, nor the versatility of the Basques in accommodating themselves to any calling or occupation; but to them is due the grand development of sheepfarming, which makes this country rival Australia in the growth of wool. The Irish farmers are estimated to possess nearly 30,000,000 sheep: they are also, as farmers, the chief landed proprietors in Buenos Ayres, and very hospitable to strangers. The districts of Lujan, Mercedes, Pilar, Arcco, Lobos, &c., are thickly settled with Irishmen, and each district has its own Irish clergyman. With one or two exceptions, the Irish settlers began life (within the last thirty years) having no other capital than a spade or shovel. There is nothing in the country more admirable. than the steady industry of these men, some of whom count their sheep by the hundred-thousand, and have landed property of thousands of acres in extent. In the city there is a large number of Irish housemaids, who are remarkable for their uniform morality, honesty, and good conduct.

་

The Basques are highly valued as immigrants: they come from either side of the Pyrinees, and may be classified into French Basques and Spanish Basques, both having almost the same language and national character. They are hardy, honest, and laborious, and are found in every occupation of the middle or humbler classes. After the Italians, they form the largest foreign population. As brick-makers, milkmen, shepherds, saladero peons, &c., they constitute a most useful class, and their good conduct is quite proverbial. Many of them have risen in the social scale, and some large fortunes and valuable enterprises are held by Basques.

The Spaniards are with difficulty distinguished from the natives. They come mostly from Andalusia, Catalonia, and Galicia. The Catalans are wine merchants and first-rate business men. The Andalusians are cigar sellers and shop-keepers. The Galicians are street porters, night watchmen, newspaper messengers, and domestic servants: they are sober and honest, but not very enterprising.

The Italians are the most numerous class of all, and may be found in every occupation of city life, and also scattered through every part of the vast territory. Finding here a similarity of language and climate to their own, the Italians make the River Plate their favored place of colonization. As masons and builders they are specially useful, and the various splendid piles of building raised within the last ten years have given them an active business. In the humbler calling of marketgardeners they also supply the city with vegetables and carn a profitable livelihood.

The monopoly of the river navigation and coasting crafts is in the hands of Genoese; the crew are generally equal sharers in the venture, and appoint a «patron» or captain to command, and trade on their own account, purchasing cheese, birds, skins, fruit, &c. in the upper markets, to bring to Buenos Ayres or Montevideo. They construct their own ships in the suburb of the Boca, where they have formed a rapidly rising town of about 5,000 inhabitants.

In the Upper Provinces the number of foreign settlers is very small; still there are a few scattered here and there, viz.:

In Salta, chiefly Bolivians; who come there for the purposes of trade, and on account of the political convulsions of their own republic: similitude of origin, climate, soil, and productions, as well as the

IMMIGRATION RETURNS.

17

proximity to their own frontiers, accounts for their preference of this province. The Colony of Esquina Grande, situated at the head waters of the Vermejo, is almost exclusively composed of natives of Bolivia.

In Mendoza and San Juan, there are not many Europeans, but a considerable number of Chilians, who are engaged principally in the mines.

In Cordoba there are about a thousand foreigners, chiefly French, Germans, Italians, and Spaniards, and a few English; their occupation is in the mines, flour mills, lime kilus, and as mechanics and goat-breeders.

In Entre Rios and Corrientes there is a large number of foreigners. Many of them are wealthy, and their occupations are so varied, that they are to be found in every branch of industry and trade. In Entre Rios there is a number of English estancieros. The Province of Santa Fé has three thriving colonies, that of Entre Rios two, and that of Buenos Ayres one.

The Committee of Immigration have agents in various parts of Europe, viz. :

Mr. Beck Bernard, Berne; for Switzerland and Germany.
Mr. John Lelong, Paris; for France.

Mr. Lloyd, of Messrs. Wright, Kelso, & Co., Liverpool.

Mr. Hadfield, and Messrs. T. M. Mackay & Son, London.
Mr. Perkins, Montreal, Canada.

The Committee have a Home for Emigrants at No. 8 Calle Corrientes, where they get food and lodging gratis till they find employment.

Free immigration is the rule: neither the Government nor the Committee assist in paying passages from Europe.

The current of emigration from Europe is rapidly increasing, as we see by the returns, as follows:

The relative proportion of the various nationalities in 1867 was—

Italians, 38 per cent.; French, 13; Spaniards, 9; English, 6; Swiss, 4; Germans, 3; other nationalities, 27 per cent.