Handbook of the River Plate

ARRIVAL IN THE RIVER PLATE.

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the navigation is here very dangerous, owing to the bad arrangement of lights. A profitable seal fishery is carried on at Lobos Island. The coast of the Banda Oriental is low and uninteresting till we sight the «mount>> which has given its name to Montevideo.

Montevideo is the capital of the Republic of Uruguay, with a population of 70,000 souls. The city, as seen from the bay, looks to advantage, the towers of the Matriz Church, and the Custom-house and Caridad Hospital being conspicuous. The best hotels are the Oriental and Americano, charge. 9s. per day. Strangers are admitted to the Club: they will find the Daily Standard at the agency, Mr. G. Behrens, 103 Calle Zavala. Fully three-fourths of the inhabitants are foreigners, including a number of English and German merchants. There are numerous fine buildings, especially the Bolsa, where the merchants meet at two P.M., every day. The River Plate Telegraph Co.'s office is in the same building. There are drives to the Paso Molina, Buschenthal's quinta, and a trámway to Union. The Rev. Mr. Adams reads Divine service at eleven o'clock on Sundays, at the English Church. The British Hospital is a small building near the fort. The Government-house is in Calle Rincon. Major Munro is British ViceConsul. Mail-packet agent, Mr. Charles, 50 Calle Castellanos; Tait's line, Mr. Schwartz, 103 Calle Misiones; Liverpool steamers, Mr. Charles Horne, 213 Calle Cerrito.

The steamers leave Montevideo in the evening and arrive at the outer roads of Buenos Ayres by daybreak. The minarets, church towers, and cupolas give a light and fantastic appearance to the city, which, seated some eighty feet above the western shore of the La Plata, extends about two miles along the water's edge and forms an irregular quadrangle of 500 cuadras, or 2,000 acres, area. On near approach, the various public buildings can be clearly discerned, rising from the crowd of minor edifices. In the centre of the picture is the Custom-house, with a wharf stretching some 600 yards into the river. On the right are seen-the belfry of La Merced, the Capitania del Puerto with a flagstaff, the fine edifices of Don Felipe Llavallol and Don Juan Anchorena, and at the extremity of the line of beach the gas-house, close to which are the terminus of the Northern Railway and a battery of four guns, á fleur d'eau, used for salutes. In the back ground of the centre we see the clock-tower of the Cabildo, the roof of Colon Theatre, and the porcelain cupola of the Cathedral; while further to the left rise the towers of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and on a slight eminence stands San Telmo. The view is bounded by a low strip of coast edged with luxuriant vegetation, in the midst of which the Riachuelo stream debouches into the Plata.

NEW YORK TO BUENOS AYRES.

The mail steamer leaves New York on the -th of each month for the Brazils, calling at St. Thomas. From New York to St. Thomas is about 1,600 miles English, and the voyage usually takes six days.

St. Thomas is one of the Virgin Islands, recently sold by Denmark to the United States, and situate thirty-eight miles east of Porto Rico. Area, 24 square miles; population, 12,560. The surface is elevated and rough, highest in the centre. It was formerly well wooded; but the cutting of the timber has subjected it to frequent and severe droughts. The soil is sandy and not very fertile: about 2,500 acres are under cultivation, the principal crops being cotton and sugar. St. Thomas is open to the commerce of all nations: it is a depot of goods for the adjacent islands, and is becoming an important packet station. It is visited by 3,000 vessels annually. Capital, Charlotte Amelie.

From St. Thomas's to Pará (Brazil) the distance is nearly 1800 miles. The town of Pará, or Belem, is situated on the river Guama, which flows into the estuary of Pará, about 70 miles from the Atlantic, in lat. 1.34 S., and long. 48.50 W. population 28,000, including 4,000 slaves. The climate is hot, being almost under the equator, but not unhealthy. The streets are well laid out and paved. The houses are not generally high, but they are substantially and often elegantly built. The town boasts a handsome cathedral and several churches, a governor's palace, a college, schools, hospitals, a botanic garden, a theatre, and a law-court. The anchorage is safe and roomy, and with the exception of two shoals at the entrance of the river, is easy of access. The approach to the town is commanded by a small fort. The principal exports consist of cocoa, india-rubber, rice, nuts, and hides. In 1856, 5,000,000 of India-rubber were exported. The total value of exports during the year 1858-59, was $1,950,048, of which no less that 42 per cent. was shipped to the United States. The imports from the United States for the same year were valued at $542,379, and consisted of manufactured articles, lumber, flour, &c.

Cape San Roque is distant a thousand miles from Pará. After doubling this cape, we have yet 200 miles before reaching Pernambuco, and from this last port the rest of the voyage is the same as the route from England to Buenos Ayres. The total distance from New York to Rio Janeyro is nearly 6,000 miles. At Río, the passengers wait for the French or English mail-steamers, to proceed to the River Plate; but, it is likely the American Company will soon establish a branch-line to Montevideo.

CUSTOMS LAW.

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CHAP. XVII.

MISCELLANEOUS.

CUSTOMS LAW FOR 1869.

Imports by Water.

ART. 1. The following are duty-free:-gold and silver coined or in bullion, books, printing-paper, plants of all kinds, fresh fruits, ice, firewood, charcoal, cattle for breeding, maize and maize flour (introduced by land), prepared tobacco for curing scab in sheep.

2. The Executive may exempt from duties the following:-seeds for agriculture, articles for Divine worship (at the order of the clerical authorities,) scientific instruments, machinery for steamboats, machinery for mining or new industries, furniture and utensils for immigrants and other things exclusively for their establishment..

3. The following shall pay 10 per cent. ad valorem :-salt, silks, unset precious stones, gold and silver wrought, either with or without precious stones, all articles mounted in gold or silver, when such mounting increases their value by one-third.

4. All articles not above excepted shall pay 18 per cent. ad valorem.

5. The leakage allowed on wines, aguardiente, liquors, beer in wood, and vinegar, shall be calculated according to the port whence the vessel brings her cargo, and only in the first Argentine port she enters, viz., 10 per cent. for vessels from beyond the Line, six per cent. for this side of the Line, and three per cent. within the Capes (at the mouth of the River Plate).

Exports by Land and Water.

6. Horse and cow hides of every kind, mule and sheep skins, and skins in general, hide-cuttings, jerked and salted meat, salt tongues, ostrich feathers, bones, bone-ash, horns and horn-tips, horse-hair, wool washed or unwashed, animal oil, grease and tallow raw or rendered, shall pay six per cent. ad valorem.

7. Every other article of produce or manufacture, as also gold and silver coined or in bullion, shall be admitted duty-free.

Calculation of Duties.

8. The duties shall be arranged by «Vistas» and calculated in imported articles on their value in deposit, and in exports on their market value at date of shipment; always excepting such articles as may be previously classified and valued in the Valuation Tariff, based on the same principle. The valuation on washed wool shall be no greater than what the tariff stipulates for unwashed.

9. The Executive shall fix the valuation of the articles to be included in said Tariff.

10. Export duties shall be paid at the first port of shipment, being articles cleared direct for foreign parts; and cannot be transported by water from one point to another of the Republic without having first paid the duties or given the usual security. For such duties, approved bills, to the satisfaction of the Customs' authorities, shall be given on stamped paper, at four months.

General Regulations.

11. Duties may be paid, at any of the Custom-houses of the Republic, in any of the moneys declared legal tender by law of Oct. 26th 1863, or in the paper-money of Buenos Ayres, or in Bolivian silver at its current value, or in Provincial Bank certificates for specie deposits. The copper currency shall only be received in the proportion of 3 per cent. on the amount payable; and no vouchers or documents shall be received in payment of duties.

12. Goods that have paid import duties in any Custom-house of the Republic may pass free throughout its territory; but land-transit is forbidden to those that have not paid duties, except in the case of goods passing from Concordia, through Federacion and Restauracion, to the Brazilian ports on the Uruguay, or vice versa; also excepting goods in transit from Paraguay, passing through Federacion or Restauracion, for Brazil or the Republic of Uruguay.

STAMP LAW.

13. This law shall hold from January 1st 1869 to December 31st of same year.

Given at Congress, in Buenos Ayres, this 22nd day of September, 1868.. ANGEL ELIAS, MARIANO ACOSTA.

Let the above be fulfilled and registered.

MITRE.

CRISTOBAL AGUIRRE.

Ed. Note. We understand that salt for the saladeros has been recently declared duty-free.

NATIONAL STAMPED PAPER (1869).

1st. The stamped paper to be used in all public departments and tribunals of the nation shall be as follows:

Amount.

For 90 Days.

Over 90 Days.