nineteen or twenty feet in the roads of Buenos Ayres. In place of following the Argentine coast, after emerging from the south channel proper, perhaps the safest course is to steer N. W. until the Ortiz Bank is approached, and then take a course for Buenos Ayrss direct. This is by far the best course if the destination be Colonia or the Hornos Isles. Beating from Montevideo to Point Indio. If it is necessary to tack after leaving Montevideo, care should be taken to avoid the dangers lying at the mouth of the river, such as the English Bank, the Archimedes, the Ortiz, and the shoals off the right shores of the river. The soundings and the nature of the bottom will indicate clearly the localities of the banks, and with such guidance there should be no fear to beat the distance to Point ludio. From Point Indio to Buenos Ayres. More difficulties present themselves, and more attention is necessary in beating from Point Indio to Buenos Ayres For a while, between these two points, unless the running is at least six knots an hour, the current should not be attempted to be stemmed, at least if it runs more than one or one and a-half knots. If the current runs strong, and the vessel does not make much way, it is better to come to anchor, and wait for a more favorable opportunity-change of wind or current. After passing the lightship the first tacks should be towards the Argentine shore, so as to clear the New Bank, at least if the draught of the vessel permits it being crossed. It is quite safe to beat here if the lightship is always kept bearing somewhat E. in the outward tacks, until a tosca bottom is felt, which shows that the N.W. point of the bank is being crossed; then the tacking may be prolonged to the Ortiz Bank up to twenty-one feet of water, returuing to a similar depth in shore. It is not so uneven or broken on the edge of the Ortiz Bank as it is on the tosca ledges lying along shore, therefore even a little less water on that bow may not be dangerous, still it is better to keep the same water, so as to avoid any outlying lumps of the bank. In this manner a vessel may beat past the New Bank to the S.E. extremity of the Chico Bank. When in the vicinity of the latter bank, six or eight trees in the neighborhood of Magdalena will appear, and while these bear S. W. quarter S. a vessel may beat without fear. It will be noted now that more water will be found on the starboard side, running along the edge of the Ortiz Bank, than when making shore on the port bow. When the ombú trees referred to bear S.S.W., it shows the position to be in the channel between the Ortiz and Chico Banks: they may be seen from the round-top of an ordinary vessel before the Chico Bank is reached, but from the edge of the Ortiz, say in twenty feet of water, they cannot be seen,-a vessel must be in mid-channel, and the weather clear, before they can be made out from the mast-head. Once between the Ortiz and Chico, a vessel may beat towards the former up to twenty feet without any fear; but should not approach the latter any nearer than twenty-five feet, as its edges are very steep. When it is calculated the vessel is in the narrowest part of the middle channel, great care should be taken, the ship put about immediately if after the lead gives twenty-nine feet the next throw be two feet less. The shoaling of this bank is rather abrupt giving twenty-three fect at first, then eighteen feet at a second cast, and the next eleven feet, with hard bottom: the rapid shoaling renders the Chico the most dangerous bank in the River Plate, and being uneven in its edges, and leaving but a narrow channel between it and the Ortiz, the working of a ship past its dangers is a difficult task. Having passed this, and tacked across the channel, the soundings will be found at thirty-nine and a-half feet, which, when shoaling to thirty-two or twenty-eight and a-half feet, shows the proximity of the Santiago and Lara Banks: still the port bow may be kept to the Argentine shore until twenty-three feet is reached, which will be nearly abreast of Quilmes: perhaps only twenty-one feet will be found, but if the bottom be soft black mud the channel is good. Once up to this point a couple more tacks will reach the outer roads of Buenos Ayres. Inside the road perhaps it will be necessary to take one or two short tacks, to bring the vessel to a good position, but not less than two feet of water should always be under the keel. ADVICE. After all, it must be remembered, that all such book instructions as have been given as to the routes to Puenos Ayres are mere indications for extreme cases, and for such unforeseen circumstances that no others are available such, for instance, as the removal of either of the lightships off Point Indio or the Chico Bank, from some cause or other; or during thick weather, when no marks are visible; or if full confidence cannot be placed in the pilot on board. Otherwise, it is not advisable for any foreign captain, unless of much experience, and well knowing the landmarks, to attempt the passage to Buenos Ayres, or outward, without the assistance of a practical pilot. It should also be borne in mind that in a great estuary like this, where the currents run in such different directions, the formation of the banks is always changing, and with them the channels; hence it becomes necessary sometimes to alter the position of the lightships, from which it will be seen that the bearings and directions given can only be approximately relied upon, as the results of the then latest surveys published. More may be confided to the soundings, and the lead should always be kept going the depth, and nature of the bottom, with careful reference to the chart, are, moreover, the best guides the pilots have. THE AFFLUENTS OF THE PLATE. The requisite knowledge for navigating the Uruguay and Paraná being only attained by practical experience, the distances on these rivers only are given here: The Uruguay. From the roads of Buenos Ayres to Point Gorda, at the Miles. 55 30 .... ༥ Rio Negro to Gualeguaychu, 23 40 Arroyo China to Paysandu, 12 Concepcion Pass to San Javier, 21 .... San Javier to Salto Grande, 4 miles below Pepiri, 121 Miles. 55 The Paraná. The distances of the various ports of call on this river from the roads of Buenos Ayres are as follows: To the Paraná Guazu,... << San Pedro, 145 .... << San Nicolas, « Rosario, << Paraná, ... .... .... 321 « Salto de Apipe, .... 780 THE territory of the province is not very clearly defined: it is supposed to include all the area bounded on the N. by Santa Fé, on the W. by Mendoza, on the South by the Magellan's' Straits, and on the E. by the La Plata and South Atlantic. Meantime the Indians are undisputed owners of immense regions in Patagonia and the Pampas, and the settled districts of Buenos Ayres hardly exceed 70,000 square miles, which is little more than the extent of England, while the Pampas and Patagonia cover a superficies of 440,000 square miles. Part of this latter territory, at present wholly useless, is claimed by the province of Mendoza, and also by the Republic of Chile. The general appearance of the country is that of a vast plain, covered with grass or thistles, and almost destitute of trees. In the north there are numerous arroyos which fall into the Paraná; these have their origin in swamps or «cañadas,» and sometimes dry up in summer time, but the rivers of Del Medio, Arrecifes, Areco, and Luxan are permanent water ᎪᎪ courses in the south we find some large rivers, viz., the Salado, which runs for 250 miles, from W. to E. and falls into the estuary of the La Plata near Cape St. Anthony; and the Colorado and Negro, which may be regarded as the Indian frontier-line southward. Among the tributaries of the Salado are the arroyos of Las Flores, Tapalquen and Azul, which give their names to the districts they irrigate. The Rio Negro has its origin in the Andes, crossing the continent from E. to W., and is navigable almost the whole course. Further south is the Chupat river, where the Welsh colony is established. Among the minor streams of the south are the Chapaleofu, Tandileofú, Aapaleofù, Vivoratá and Arroyo Grande, of sweet water, and the Pantanoso, Quequen-grande, Quequen Salado, Cristiano Muerto, Carmelo, Mulponleofú and Sauce Grande, which have a brackish taste, being impregnated with certain salts. There are numerous lagoons or lakes scattered over the various districts; like the rivers, some of them dry up in the hot season; they are mostly of sweet water, and invaluable for the use of the flocks and herds: the lakes of Chascomus, Bragado, 25 de Mayo, Encadenadas, Laguna de los Padres, and Mar Chiquita are the most important. The only lines of hills are those in the southern Indian country, viz., the Sierra Vulcan, Tandileofù, Tandil, Huesos, Tapalquen, Sierra Tinta, Chapaleofú, Azul, &c., which rise near Cape Corrientes, run 200 miles inland in a WNW. direction, and are lost in the Pampas: further south are the Curra-malal, Guanini, and Sierra Ventana, which stretch out about 100 miles. The Sierra Tinta is famous for superior marble. Among natural curiosities is worthy of mention the great rocking-stone of Tandil. The population of the province, exclusive of the city of Buenos Ayres, is returned as 319,773 souls, in the following order-Argentines 247,325, Spaniards 18,332, French 14,594, Italians 13,768, English 12,449, Germans 2,339, Indians 6,966, others 4,000. These returns are pretty correct in an official point of view, since they include all foreigners' children born int he country, under the classification of Argentines. If, however, we be permitted to count the families of foreign settlers as belonging to their nationality we shall find the estimates thus: The natives may be said to occupy themselves exclusively in the care of horned cattle and breaking-in horses. They are intelligent, obliging, and hospitable, but fond of gambling and horse-racing, and the lower classes are entirely devoid of education. Their manner of life gives them little |