two State-schools, attended by 65 boys and 52 girls. The population in 1864 was estimated at 7,000, including 794 French, 659 Spaniards, 622 Italians, 47 Germans, 37 English, and the rest Basques or Argentines. There are 207 azotea houses, 11 dry goods' stores, 74 grocery and liquor shops, and 392 thatched houses. The chacras are 214 in number, covering about 4,000 acres of tilled ground: the partido comprises four square leagues, and the stock consists of 2787 horned cattle, 1958 horses, 3,952 sheep (including 168 fine do.) and 2,023 swine. The railway to Ensenada will follow the line of the high-road towards Quilmes: the fields on either side produce abundant crops of hay. The coast-line is low and marshy, and there is an island called Isla de Pescadores, where fugitives from justice sometimes hide themselves. The high-road to the Lomas de Zamorra branches off at the Juzgado, not far from the Barracas bridge. The municipality of South Barracas comprises the Justice of Peace and six members there are 50 alcaldes and police, and the district furuishes 372 National Guards. The traveller should pay a visit to the Artesian Well in Cambacéres' saladero, the bore of which is eighty-nine yards deep; the water is brackish, but said to possess saline qualities, on which account baths are now established here (see page 107 of Section A). The works were begun in 1859 and concluded in March 1862, the following being the layers penetrated in boring-1st. Sand for 15 feet, the base being corrupted with filtrations from the saladeros. 2nd. Tough compact sand for 24 feet. 3rd. Very close sand, with veins of «asperon,» for 2 feet. 4th. Liquid slimy soil for 3 feet. 5th. Dark-blue ochre, easily dissolved, for 9 feet. 6th. Tosca with calcareous spots, for 8 feet. 7th. Very yellow fluid sand for 5 feet. 8th. Fluid grey sand, with small bits of quartz, and a spring of water, 33 feet. 9th. Fluid sand for 56 feet. 10th. Consistent foam, marine shells, calcareous fragments and crusts of asperon for 56 feet. 11th. Argillaceous sand for 8 feet. 12th. Very hard calcareous layer for 12 feet, after which the water rushed up through the tube to a height of 15 feet above the ground, and this was the completion. of the works, after boring 234 feet. The failure of the well to absorb the blood of the saladeros was said to be fluid lands.

owing to the thin texture of the

It is proposed to remove the saladeros to Ensenada, ten leagues further south, where a good port can be made at little trouble or expense, and Mr. Wheelwright's railway will connect the place with Buenos Ayres.

THE prettiest scenery around Buenos Ayres is found in this route: the distance is about twenty-four miles. The line was begun in 1862 by Messrs. Croskey and Murray, of London, the Government giving a guarantee of 7 per cent. on an outlay of £150,000. It was opened to San Fernando in February 1864 (see page 106 of Section A). The official returns for 1866 and 1867 are as follows:

This line has not resulted favorably, owing to its inferior construction, which has called for constant repairs, making the working expenses exceed 80 per cent. of the gross receipts. It will be seen, nevertheless, that the deficit to be made good by Government was much less in 1867 than in the previous year.

U2

There is a tramway from the Custom-house to the Retiro terminus, a mile in length, the cars running along the Paseo Julio, past the Gas-house, The Retiro terminus is at the foot of the hill on which the city barrack stands. The first section of the line is much exposed to inundations, although partly protected from the river by a plantation of willows, among which you will see numbers of black women washing clothes. On the left we have a pleasant view of the quintas built along the «barranca.»> Mme. Frebourg has a French boarding-school, after which comes Riglos's quinta, where General Whitelocke signed the capitulation of his army, in 1807; it is now the property of Señor Estrada, whose splendid two-story mansion is the next object. Below the quinta of Dr. Lorenzo Torres is the new Steam-laundry, close to which is the tavern of Povero Diavolo. Klappenbach's quinta is now cut up, and yonder was the former residence of Consul Parish, commanding a delightful view of the river. So does Whitfield's quinta, by turns the residence of the British or French Minister, and nearer to the Recoleta is Mr. Armstrong's country-house. The line here passes through the dismantled fortifications of one of the outworks thrown up in 1861 to defend the city from General Urquiza's threatened siege. This is a very exposed point, and the railway works have been repeatedly damaged by inundations. The water-supply for the city is taken from here; the works and embankments just completed are on the left of the line. The Recoleta cemetery and Poor Asylum crown the <<barranca.» The quintas of Mr. Samuel B. Hale, an old American merchant of high standing, and of ex-Governor Saavedra, ccme next. In south-easterly gales it is common to see vessels driven ashore here. The Rifleros is a tavern near Palermo Chico, and there are some farm-yards here for rearing poultry for the principal city hotels. We now enter the ruined park of Palermo, the palace of Rosas lying to the left. The station is situate in what was once the grand avenue, and on our right is visible the stand-house of the English cricket-club: the cricket-ground is about four acres, rented from the municipality of Belgrano, and here the Athletic Sports also take place. Passing the new Powder-mill we cross the Arroyo Maldonado: about half a mile on the left we see the handsome Maldonado quinta, near which Rosas commenced a great bridge over the arroyo, but it has been left unfinished. The line now crosses a tract of swampy land, till approaching the «barrancas» of Belgrano. A number of pretty quintas run along the hill, ending with a very ancient tile-roof house belonging to Dr. Corvalan.

The chapel of Belgrano has a charming effect, looking over the line of railway, the lowlands, and the river. On one side of the station is the

Italian villa of Señor Matti, the steamboat proprietor; on the other is Watson's hotel. In the summer season Belgrano is crowded with visitors but in winter it is all but deserted: the place is famous for its race-course (see page 86 of Section B). After traversing an open plain we cross the Arroyo Medrano, by an iron bridge, and enter the fine demesne of Mr. James White, a Scotch gentleman, who, coming to Buenos Ayres forty years ago, began life at the foot of the ladder, like so many other prosperous men in the country. This demesne formerly belonged to the family of the late bishop, Medrano, and is one of the oldest places in the neighborhood: the house is nicely situated, with shady corridors, large apartments, and extensive offices; there is a court-yard resembling a barrack, where the slaves were lodged; the pigeon house contains some thousands of birds. Mr. White has devoted his chief attention to the rearing of superior English-bred horses, cows, &c.: his famous racer Belgrano has carried off numberless honors, and his half-breds are much in request both as saddle and carriage horses. He has expended large sums in bringing out superior animals from England. The farmyard is admirable; the grounds are tastefully laid out. There is a gigantic ombú tree, in the trunk of which one of Mr. White's cow herds has lived for some years past. Mr. White possesses a large wheat farm at Chivilcoy. The next quinta is that of the family of the late Mr. Patrick M'Lean, and here there is a station, called Rivadavia. The line traverses a low ground, skirting the base of a series of delightful summer residences, belonging to the wealthy families of Barros Pazos, Elia, Laprida, Uriarte, and Cano: some of these are built in the best style, with ornamental terraces and gardens in front, and looking out over the broad bosom of La Plata. For fantastic effect nothing can surpass the Azcuenaga quinta, built in the form of a hexagon, with a multitude of windows: it is related of a Gaucho that, on being asked how he liked the place, he said-«It was a nice place enough for a man to sleep outside of.>> Mr. Azcuenaga is an old bachelor, and was once president of the Municipality of Buenos Ayres.

Point Olivos, the property of Mr. Wineberg, is the best situation along the river, and here the town of Belgrano should have been built. The barranca comes close to the water's edge, which offers a very suitable bathing place, and the point juts out into the river, with a fine view of Buenos Ayres southward, and San Fernando and the islands northward. Mr. Wineberg, who is a native of Poland, after making some money as a dentist in Brazil and Buenos Ayres, purchased the site, which extends back as far as the San Isidro highroad, and projected the formation of a town to be called «Pueblo Mitre,» but he asked too much for building lots, and his

house has stood here in solitude for some years, surrounded by a vineyard and flower garden. Looking from the railway carriage over the river the traveller obtains a panoramic view in which the thousand ships in the roadstead of Buenos Ayres form an interesting feature. The line now enters a slight cutting, and we are surrounded by the rich corn fields of San Isidro, interspersed with the quintas of Pellon, Uriarte, Pacheco, Martinez, and Escalada. We cross the famous Callejon d'Ybañez, a green lane leading from the highroad to the river, which was the abode of a gang of brigands thirty years ago: numberless robberies and murders were committed here, and passengers dreaded to pass the place even in the noon day. A deserted «pulperia,» where the robbers held their rendezvous, is still seen on the roadside, but has long been uninhabited. There are some handsome quintas on the barranca, right of the line, before reaching San Isidro, viz. those of Aguirre, Anchorena, and Vernet: the second was built by Mr. Patrick Brown, an old Irish resident; it had nice grounds, summer houses on the cliffs, and an excellent fruit garden. Vernet's is equally beautiful, commanding a boundless view of the river.

San Isidro is a charming summer residence, about 14 miles from the city waving fields of corn far as the eye can reach, green lanes that remind you of some midland counties in England, and lovely quintas with Grecian colonnades, Moorish corridors, and rich vegetation all around, make up a picture unrivalled on this side of the River Plate. The quintas of Alvear, Mackinlay, Elortondo, Tomkinson, and Ybañez are remarkable for their picturesque situation and luxurious style. The town looks ancient, and most of the village forefathers sleep in the churchyard at the entrance to the chapel of St. Isidore the Laborer. The legend of the foundation of San Isidro is thus told--On a summer afternoon in the month of February 1725, a Gaucho halted his horse here under the shade of an ombů, to take siesta, and, struck with the beauty of the situation, made a vow to St. Isidore, his patron saint, that if ever he came to be a rich man he would build a chapel here. He became in time a wealthy estanciero, and kept his word. The present church is, however, of a more modern date. There is a pretty good inn, kept by Señor Tiscornia. The public school is newly built, spacious, and well-ventilated. From the plaza to the river side there is a shady thicket, which is a favorite place for English pic-nics in the fine weather. New country houses are being every day built in the neighborhood, and one of the finest is that belonging to an Italian gentleman, close to the railway station. General Mitre, during his term of office, sought relief from the cares of state in a quinta on the river's side, where he passed the summer months with his family.