situate at El Ombú, about midway between Cañuelas and San Vicente, adjoining Alfaro's estancia, and comprising over two square leagues. The enterprise was broken up, and Señor Martinez de Hoz now dedicates himself to the same business, importing superior animals from England and Germany. The lands of Barreda, Lahitte and Villegas lie S. of the town, and those of Pereyra, Millan and Castro are on the borders of Matanzas. The stock of the partido counts-12,902 cows, 13,003 horses, 16,380 fine sheep, 818,158 mestiza sheep, 1,000 creole sheep, and 122 pigs; being an average of 350 cows, 350 horses, and 21,000 sheep per square league. The population returns are―4,191 Argentines, 131 Italians, 247 Spaniards, 88 French, 79 English, 19 Germans, 174 various; total, 4,933. There are 252 houses and 708 ranchos, 5 alcaldes, 20 tenientes, 12 policemen, and 650 National Guards.

The village of Cañuelas has about 2,000 inhabitants, mostly settlers from Old Spain or the Pyrenees. It is prettily situated, and has a fine new church, besides state-schools attended by 54 boys and 48 girls. There are a resident doctor and 2 apothecaries; 4 drapers' and 15 grocers' shops; 6 carpenters' shops, employing 20 men; 2 forges, employing 4 men; 3 brick-kilns, making about 2,000,000 bricks each season; 4 shoemakers, employing 30 men and women; one silversmith and assistant; 5 barracas for storing produce, which keep 30 bullock-carts constantly employed; 24 brick-layers, and 40 hodmen, who have constant work; 1 confectioner, 1 hotel, 4 inns, 1 tailor and assistant, 1 candle-manufacturer, 3 billiardtables, 6 butchers. There are 70 rateable houses, of which the best are those of Castro, Gonsalez, Arrieta, Fuentes, John Griffin, Villegas, Zelarayan, Rodriguez, Muñiz, Bletcher, Garcia, and Galicia, valued from $70,000 upwards. Justice of Peace, Don Desiderio Davel; Curate, Rev. Alfonso Raffaeli; Postmaster, Don Ventura Cano; Standard agents, Messrs. Davel & Co.; municipality, six members; Municipal revenue, $160,000. The Irish of this district are visited by the Rev. Mr. Curran, from Lobos, once a month, and the Scotch pastor, Rev. Mr. Smyth, attends once a month at Mr. McClymont's estancia. The registry books shew that of every 100 children baptized, 55 are legitimate and 45 are illegitimate: this is about the average in many of the rural districts. Cañuelas is distant five leagues from San Vicente, eight from Merlo, ten from Rio Salado, and eight from Guardia Monte.

Navarro.

Situate 17 leagues W.S.W. of Buenos Ayres, and 9 leagues W. of Cañuelas, has an area of 68 square leagues: it is bounded on the N. by

Villa Luxan, on the W. by Chivilcoy, on the S. by the Rio Salado and Lobos, and on the E. by Las Heras and Cañuelas.

The partido is watered by the Arroyo Saladas which falls into the Rio Salado, and by the Cañadas of Navarro, Garzas, Tomasa, and San Lorenzo, which feed the great lake of Navarro. The camps are well suited for sheep, and so low that they retain water even in tha driest seasons; some parts are much infested with «abrojo» burr, but most of the partido is free from this nuisance. The foreign estancieros are very wealthy, owning about one-fourth of the whole district, and the total Irish population may be set down at 1,000. The Rio Salado washes the southern camps of the partido, and the passage of this river is very dangerous, especially in

winter, when it overflows its banks for leagues around: strangers must not attempt to cross it without a «vaqueano» or guide. The lake of Navarro is also dangerous to ford: close to this lake is the estancia of Mrs. Norris, whose house is fitted up with every comfort. Hard by is another valuable property, that of Mr. Gahan of Merlo.and his brother, who resides in Ireland. Mrs. Kenny and John Maguire have their estancias in this neighbourhood, and they are intersected by the Cañada de Navarro, while Patrick Maguire is between this stream and the Arroyo La Choza. The lands of John Smith and Unzué are half way between Navarro and the Rio Salado, and the large estancia of Don Andres Costa is situate on this river. The Almeyra and Diaz properties are a couple of leagues W. of Navarro: those of Moll, Lubo, and Cerda are in the Cañada Rica, beyond Arroyo Saladas. Correa, Morales, Calderon, and Melo, are N.W. of Navarro, and the estancias of Santana, Sejas, and Miranda are E. of the town; that of Papsdorf adjoins the Norris estate, westward. The land is valued at $320,000 per square league; total valuation 19,000,000, against 13,000,000 in 1862. Contribucion tax, $76,000. Stock returns-26,639 cows, 19,662 horses, 8,000 fine sheep, 1,035,030 mestiza sheep, 61,610 creole sheep, 1,506 swine; being an average of 400 cows, 250 horses, 19,000 sheep to the square league. Population returns-8,221 Argentines, 1,053 French, 313 English, 587 Italians, 882 Spaniards, 98 Germans, 41 others; total 11,195. There are 161 houses and 1,057 ranchos, including 44 pulperias: 5 alcaldes, 20 tenientes, and 14 police. Agriculture has made great progress, and we find some large grain farms: there are 122 chacras, with an aggregate of 6,000 acres under tillage.

The village of Navarro is situate on the lake of the same name, and was first established, as a frontier outpost, in 1744. Although over a century old it hardly counts yet a thousand inhabitants, and the streets have an unfinished appearance. There are 69 rateable houses, the best being those of Aguilar, Bastarrica, Bildostegui, Bosso, Costa, Sotero, Serantes, Correa, Carrizo, Cagen, Espil, Fredes, Garcia, Gorosito, Ibarra, Leonetti, Litardo, Luna, Lavega, Marinovich, Montovio, Olaso, Rios, Solar, Trejo, Varas, Viñales, and Samuel Wheeler, valued from $50,000 upwards. The branch railway from Merlo to Lobos will give increased importance to the partido of Navarro: the estancieros of this district have offered the necessary land gratis in case the line may be made to touch at Navarro, but this would be out of the straight route. Two-thirds of the population of the town are Basques or Italians. The church is small but neat, and the Curate is Rev. Sebastian Perez. The Irish congregation is visited by Rev. Mr. Curran of Lobos. There are coaches daily to Luxan (ten leagues), and the journey

to Buenos Ayres is made in seven hours. Navarro boasts an inn, a club which is maintained by the leading neighbors, and state-schools attended by 56 boys and 50 girls. There are numerous well-stocked shops to supply the wants of the estancieros, and the business of the place is improving.

The Irish Racing Club of Navarro holds meets at stated periods, the principal members being the Gahans, Caseys, and other estancieros: the last cup, value $4,000 was won by Mr. Gahan's «sebruno.»

Navarro is distant 8 leagues from Mercedes, 11 from Chivilcoy, 5 from Lobos, and 7 from the Rio Salado. Justice of Peace, Don Felipe Diz; Post-master, Don Daniel Ravelo; Municipality, six members; Municipal revenue, $150,000.

Lobos.

Situate 18 leagues S. W. of Buenos Ayres, has an area of 62 square leagues, comprising 97 estancias.

The partido is bounded on the N. by Las Heras, on the W. by Navarro, on the S. by the Rio Salado and Guardia Monte, and on the E. by Cañuelas. It is watered by the Arroyos Garzas, Tajamar, Toro, and Uncal, which fall into the lake of Lobos, two leagues S. of the town. It is one of the most flourishing and important districts in the south, and chiefly settled by Irishmen, who own about one-tenth of the land. The camps are in general good, except in some places which are low and marshy, and others much infested with «abrojo.» Many Irish estancieros of the north made their beginning in this partido, and it has always been a favorite district for sheep. The arroyos are mostly of permanent water, and besides the lake of Lobos, there is a larger one, called Cubú-cubù and covering nearly a square league, close to the Urquiola estancia. This estancia is mostly in the neighboring partido of Monte, and covers 9 square leagues, about midway between the towns of Lobos and Guardia Monte. The Cascallares territory occupies nearly all the lands from Lobos to the Rio Salado, and the estancias of Casavalle and the late Vice-President Paz are situate on the Arroyo Tajamar. The Arevalo estancia has three lagoons, callad La Rabona, Colis and Rios; and the lands of Casey and Atucha, Geoghegan, and Varela are intersected by the Arroyo de Garzas. A league north of the town was formerly a property of four leagues, belonging to Wright Bros., but this has now been marked out for chacras; and in its vicinity we meet the estancias of John Lawler, the Murphys, Livingstone, and Zelis. Salada Chica, the property of Don Mariano Acosta, and the lands of Viñales and Casavalle, are on the Rio Salado. Terence Moore, Rivas, Cepeda, and

Burgos are near the Cañada del Toro, and the Villegas estancia is on the borders of Cañuelas. The partido is greatly over-stocked, the returns shewing 28,286 cows, 27,322 horses, 18,895 fine sheep, 1,957,258 mestiza sheep, 10,709 creole sheep; being an average of 500 cows, 500 horses, and 36,000 sheep per square league. The land is valued at $200,000 to $400,000 per league. Total valuation 32,000,000, against 13,000,000 in 1862. Contribucion tax $128,000. Population-Argentines 12,812, Spaniards 1,242, English 916, Italians 926, French 320, Germans 62, various 131: total 16,409. There are 352 houses and 4,064 ranchos, including 100 pulperias: 5 alcaldes, 30 tenientes, 14 police, and 1,600 National Guards.

Agriculture is making great progress: there are no fewer than 1,241 chacras, covering altogether nearly 40 acres of tillage. The approaches to Lobos are the prettiest of any town in the province, being a succession of farms, quintas, and plantations, a league in every direction, all highly cultivated. The town is large, well-built, and thriving, with a population of 5,000 souls; it does a good trade in hides and wool, and there are some flour mills in the neighborhood. There is a fine church in the plaza, attended by Rev. José Amoretti and the Rev. Mr. Curran; the latter is the Irish pastor, and has a congregation of 2,500 in this partido, besides the Irish settlers of Guardia Monte and Las Flores, who are also under his charge. There are fifty good shops, some good inns, coffee-houses, billiardrooms, a resident doctor and an apothecary, and 206 rateable houses: of these latter the best are those of Cascallares, Noguera, Caminos, Barrera, Bastarretche, Arevalo, Varela, Villafañe, Piñero, Portuso, Casavalle, Melendez, Zavala, Olaso, Zamudio, Velarde, Salinas, Solano, Rodriguez, and Suarez, all valued over $100,000; there are also three English house-holders, Cornfoot, Wright, and Morgan; and two shops much frequented by English residents, viz., Terence Moore's, and Nandin Sons, the latter being the Standard agency. The works have been commenced of the branch.railway from Merlo (12 leagues), which will place Lobos within four hours' journey of Buenos Ayres: the cost of the line is estimated at £180,000 sterling, or £5,000 per mile. Lobos is distant six leagues from Cañuelas, seven from Guardia Monte, and five from Rio Salado. It may be considered one of the prettiest and most thriving towns in the province It was founded in 1803 by an estanciero named José Salgado, who built a chapel to our Lady of Carmel on his land, for the accommodation of his neighbours, 141 in number, and in the following year Bishop Lue made it a parish, under the care of Rev. Garcia Miranda. There was an old fort called Lobos, 14 leagues further south. The present