THE PORT OF BUENOS AYRES.

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In the early part of 1869, Mr. Bell of Glasgow arrived out for the purpose of surveying the port, in company with Mr. Miller of the same place. After a minute study and survey, the plans were drawn up, and proposals sent into Government for the purpose of constructing docks and building warehouses. The plans have not been made public; but, in the month of March, 18C9, all questions being definitely settled, the Government concluded the contract. A company for the purpose of carrying out the same is being formed, having for its representatives Mr. John Proudfoot in England and Mr. Edward Madero in Buenos Ayres. The enterprise is one of the most importaut for the maritime commerce of the Port of Buenos Ayres, and being in such good hands will doubtless prove a reality. Jn Vol. II. of this Handbook a copy of the concession, with a full description of the scheme, will be given.

Meantime, attention is turned to the adjacent rivulets and available advantageous points as adjuncts for relieving the port; hence comes the importance of the Riachuelo, the Capitania of San Fernando and the Tigre, and even Ensenada, which is eight leagues off. Thus the Port of Buenos Ayres may be considered as extending from Ensenada to the Tigre. Aud the nautical observations and directions in this chapter must prove useful to those engaged in the trade of the River Plate.

The Outer Roads.

Consist of a channel half a mile wide and three to four long, stretching N.W. to S.E. by E., between the City Bank and that of Las Palmas. The water here is from nineteen to twenty-four feet deep, with a muddy bottom, but at the eastern entrance there is a bar preventing the ingress of large vessels of war; on the bar there is only a depth of seventeen feet of water, so large vessels are obliged to remain outside. A good point for a large vessel to anchor in nineteen feet of water and muddy bottom is four miles distant from the mole of Buenos Ayres, with the tower of the Residencia bearing W.S.W. It is the nearest point of the outer roads where a large vessel can lie. A little further north the depth increases one or two feet; this is also a good station, keeping in a direct line with the belfreys of Santa Catalina and San Nicolas, or marking them from the south 81 degrees west. The tower on the Residencia is the most conspicuous object on shore, and is situated in the southern part of the city. This point is called the Amarradero, because in former times all European vessels auchored here.

Palmas Bank.

Is also called Playa Honda, is very wide, and is formed by the sand driven down by the Uruguay and Paraná. On this bank the water does

'not shoal rapidly; nevertheless, great care must be taken in sounding, and . not to pass seventeen feet with a vessel drawing fifteen or sixteen feet.

The City Bank.

The bottom on this bank is hard, and the water shoals more rapidly than on Las Palmas, and greater precautions must be taken to avoid grounding. The bar once passed the depth increases gradually, and the bottom becomes softer. When a depth of eighteen feet is reached, in order to lic as near land as possible, the anchor should be let go, when the bearings are as follows:

The best ground is in a depth of twenty-three feet at low tide. It is a kind of channel, outside of which the water is shallower. This anchorage is situated exactly in the centre of a line three miles long from N.W. to S.E.; this is where all the vessels in the Outer Roads anchor, from the Guard Ship outwards. The Guard Ship is anchored to the N. 72 deg. E., from the Custom-house, distant 3′ 7′′ miles. The channel alluded to is 3' 5" miles from the mole.

The Pozo Anchorage.

Vessels having only fourteen feet draught will here find fifteen feet of water, oozy bottom, the Rocoleta Church bearing S. W. and the mole-head due south. To reach this anchorage it is better to take a pilot, although it is not difficult to get to it if the following directions be observed:--Sailing towards it from the Outer Roads, the course to be steered is north GO west, for a little more than two miles, and then edging away S.W. by S. as marked on the chart, until the spot already referred to be reached.

Inner Roads.

They are also called Las Valizas, and extend over a short distance a mile and a-half long by three cables' lengths wide, running parallel to the coast from S.S.E. to N.N.W. aud formed by the City Bank, and the river side; near the latter is a reef of rocks. To get in, vessels must not draw more than thirteen feet of water, and a pilot is necessary. The holding is bad, as the bottom is rocky, covered with ooze, and anchors drag easily; the waves rise very high when the winds come from the S.E., and a storm from

THE PORT OF BUENOS AYRES.

this point generally drives some vessels on shore. Good cables art absolutely necessary for anchorage in these roads in a storm from the S.E. as no help can be expected from the shore should they prove faulty. h such a case the river is greatly swollen, and the vessels drive on to the banks near the city, to the imminent risk of the lives of their crews. Some river trading vessels often set sail and run for Las Conchas to the W.d San Isidro point, which is sheltered from the S.E. wind. It must here be repeated that no vessel of tonnage should attempt to reach either the Pow or Inner Roads without a pilot, as in order to reach them the channels ner the City and Camarones Banks have to be gone through, which can onlybe done through landmarks combined and laid down, of the existence of which a foreigner is generally ignorant. Besides, the marks laid down for the guidance of pilots in the beginning of this century are of no use to those of the present day, in consequence of the change of position of many of the banks and channels, a change sufficiently apparent if the charts of the Buenos Ayres roads, drawn out by the Spaniards in the last century, be compared with those of Mons. Barral in 1831, and Mr. Sidney in 1856. To the west of the Pozo anchorage, and a little nearer to the city, there is a channel through which vessels drawing less than ten feet eight inches of water can pass. It is a shelving of the City Bank, called Santa Catalina Canal, with less water than the Pozo, and is much frequented by steamboats, saving them about two miles distance; but the greatest experience is required to pass safely through it.

Anchorage.

As both roads are exposed to the S.E. wind, and the high sea which it raises when blowing strong, two anchors must be let go N.E., S.W., with plenty of chain, say seventy to eighty fathoms each. It would always be well to select a spot free from ships to the S.E., so that if the wind should come from this quarter there may be no ships ahead to run foul of you, an accident very common in this port, and generally having fatal results. With the wind from other quarters the roads are safe, and even during the pamperos, the most destructive winds in the River Plate, the water is smooth. The bad weather often prevents communication between ships and the shore. The ships being anchored so far off, communication with the shore is laborious and sometimes difficult, days often passing before passengers can land. For this reason, all vessels should anchor as near shore as possible.

Precautions.

When entering the Outer Roads great care must be taken to avoid the many sunken vessels. Two hulls have already disappeared, embedded in the mud, and the others may be considered as so many hidden rocks, often without buoys. The position of all of them is perfectly known to pilots. Care should be taken in shallow water not to run on the anchors of other vessels, and when at anchor to ride with a long chain, in order not to run on your own anchors. Accidents of this nature might prove fatal in case of a fall in the river. Many captains prefer riding with a single long cable, holding themselves ready to let go another anchor if required. As so many vessels are constantly anchored in both roads, a good position should be selected clear of other ships, in order to avoid fouling, an accident that occasions many losses. The Pampero wreck in the inuer roads is still visible.

Piers.

Before such existed passengers and goods were landed in carts, that went out to meet the boats, at a distance of two or three cables' lengths from the shore, but since 1855 there are two handsome piers built of wood and iron, of from 400 to 600 metres in length. That in front of La Merced is for passengers, and that opposite the Custom-house is for goods. They are, nevertheless, not of sufficient length, for when the river is low, luggers, or even boats, have not sufficient water, and the old system of carts has to be resorted to. The depth at this part of the bank is little, in consequence of the gradual accumulation of slime. The merchandise brought by large ships, and also all that is exported, is carried in luggers destined for this purpose.

Position of Buenos Ayres.

The geographical position of this city was determined by several Spanish commissions at the end of the last century. They established an observatory in the Cabildo, and put under contribution several celestial phenomena, which aided by chronometrical comparisons with the meridian of Montevideo gave as a result 34° 36′ 38′′ S. lat., and 52° 11′ 38′′ W. long., which shows but a slight difference when compared with Mr. Barral's observations, thus proving the correctness and delicacy with which the Spanish geographers and astronomers of the last century worked. The difference they found between the meridians of Montevideo and Buenos Ayres was 2° 10' 16". (See Second Memoir of the Hydrographical Direction, published in Madrid, edition of 1809, page 7.) The variation of the needle is calculated at 10° N.E. for 1868; the annual decrease in the variation is estimated at five minutes.

THE PORT OF BUENOS AYRES.

Floating Light.

The Guard Ship stationed to the south of the Outer Roads carries every night a fixed red light, which can be seen six or seven miles off in fine weather. The Guard Ship is painted black, and has three masts; her principal duty is to watch over the safety of the port. She is anchored in sixteen feet five inches of water, at three to five miles to the north, 72° cast of the Custom-house, and forty miles north 74° west of the floating light on the Chico Bank, so that steering this course from the Chico light the Outer Roads are reached.

Port Lights

Every night on the Custom-house tower a white light is placed, which taken in conjunction with the floating light, points out an easterly course to the Outer Roads.

Tides and Currents.

The tides are of average regularity in the roads of Buenos Ayres; when the weather is fine their mean rise is about three fect six inches. The rise lasts for about five hours, and the fall seven, running at the rate of from one to two miles an hour, but when the wind is strong the tides are very irregular. Strong winds from the S.E. cause the river to rise, and from the opposite quarter, N. W., to fall, so much that the difference of level between the rise and fall is often fourteen feet three inches. On occasions of strong wind from the N.W., so low has the water often been that vessels have been left almost high and dry. In Vol. II. we will remark on this difference of level which is about ten feet five inches.

Water Provision.

The vessels anchored in the roads generally supply themselves with water from the river itself. The best point for this purpose is to the cast of the Ortiz bank, particularly during westerly winds when the water is smooth.

Provisions.

The Buenos Ayres market supplies the sailor with all kinds of provisions, both for daily and sea use. Naval stores of all kinds can also be had from Messrs. Herring, Allinson, and Eckell, and repairs can be effected in the Tigre, at Messrs. Kay & Stephens', Marshall's and others, but at great cost; any aid rendered to vessels also is charged highly for.

Pilots.

There is a corps of pilots organized under the inspection of the Captain of the Port, for the use of vessels navigating the Plate and its affluents.