164 To the River Plate and Back 



and clamor of the street were less obtrusive and less 

 disturbing. The policing of the streets is admirable, 

 and though the traffic is heavy, the mounted policemen, 

 who appear to be mainly Indians or half-breeds, seem 

 to understand their business thoroughly and keep the 

 currents of vehicles flowing as they should. Street- 

 blockades are infrequent. Traffic holds to the left, as 

 in England, and not to the right as in the United States. 

 Cabs and automobiles for hire are almost all supplied 

 with meters, recording the fare. The tariff is very 

 nearly the same as in European cities, and less than 

 in the United States ; in fact a taxicab in Buenos Aires 

 will render service for about half of what is charged for 

 the same service in New York or Chicago. 



The tendency to imitate the customs of Europe is in 

 nothing more evident than in the uniforms of the police, 

 the soldiery, and the employees of the railways. In the 

 United States, even in our large cities, the military 

 are little in evidence. It is not so in Argentina. 

 Though the standing army is small, and in fact there is 

 little need for an army, in every city of considerable 

 size the military are to be seen. The bugle is heard, 

 and the regiments march from their barracks to the 

 parade-grounds just as they do in Paris or Berlin. 

 The uniforms are showy. This is especially true in 

 the case of one of the crack regiments of lancers, which 

 still wears the garb in use at the beginning of the Nine- 

 teenth Century, at the time of the War of Independ- 

 ence. The infantry are uniformed more or less after 

 the fashion of Germany, and so also are the mounted 

 police. There is a decidedly "old world' look about 

 these things, which does not fail to attract the attention 

 of a visitor from the United States. 



The semi-seclusion of the fair sex, which holds good 



