44 To the River Plate and Back 



and office-buildings, in which various commercial 

 firms have their headquarters. Towering above the 

 lower city along the whole front of the harbor is a steep 

 escarpment several hundred feet in height. On the 

 upper plateau, separated by this high bluff from the 

 lower town, is the residential section. Here are the 

 homes of the affluent, and also of many of the poor. 

 Here is the cathedral, and here are many churches, 

 numerous convents, a great theater, the mint, the 

 palace of the Governor, the medical college, and 

 beautifully arranged parks. Here, too, are located 

 many of the better shops, where goods are sold at retail. 

 Access to the upper city is gained by circuitous routes 

 leading around the great wall of rock which faces the 

 harbor, or through a couple of deep depressions which 

 interrupt its face. These longer routes, which must be 

 employed for vehicular traffic, have been supplemented 

 by inclined planes and a great double elevator, or " lift, ' 

 which runs both by day and by night. 



We went ashore in small boats. A shower of rain 

 swept over the bay as we left the ship, but was instantly 

 succeeded by bright sunshine. The oarsmen hoisted 

 a rude sail and we were not long in reaching the land. 

 As we approached the dock we were impressed with the 

 scenic charm of the place. The great cliffs over- 

 hanging the red roofs of the lower city w r ere draped 

 with the richest tropical verdure. The architecture of 

 the houses recalls that of Lisbon and other cities of 

 southern Europe. The buildings are tall and narrow, 

 five, six, and even seven stories high, roofed with tiles. 

 Across the water came the sound of church-bells, for it 

 was a day of festival. 



After landing, my first errand was at the bank, for as 

 yet I had none of the money of the country in my pos- 



