Montevideo and the River Plate 91 



lived on the banks of the river, and which they had 

 obtained in barter from the distant tribes of the Andean 

 region, caused the first visitors to the country to give to 

 the stream the name by which it has since been known. 

 In this connection it may be worthy of note that there is 

 a widely spread belief that the name "Buenos Aires' 

 was bestowed by the first settlers because they were 

 pleased with the climate. But this is an historical 

 error. The first settlers on their outward voyage had 

 set up in the cabin of their ship a shrine to "Our Lady 

 of the Favoring Breezes,' and, borne by prospering 

 gales to the spot, their leader, Mendoza, gave it the 

 name Puerto Santa Maria de Buenos Aires. The airs 

 of the Argentine capital are at times something like 

 those of Chicago. Buenos Aires at certain seasons is 

 a very windy city, and the pamperos which come from 

 the southwest with almost cyclonic force are anything 

 but agreeable. 



We gathered at the rail and strained our eyes to 

 catch a first glimpse of the land toward which we were 

 heading. The first thing to appear above the horizon 

 was the tall lighthouse on Lobos Island. Then on the 

 starboard we made out the low coast of Uruguay. A 

 little before noon we descried the eminence which 

 dominates the site of the capital, and could say, as did 

 the first explorer, ''I see a mountain' -Montem video. 

 At the foot of the hill, or Cerro, which is only 486 feet 

 above sea-level, there presently appeared, rising like 

 a mirage from the water, the roofs and towers, the 

 houses and gardens of the metropolis of Uruguay. 



The natural advantages of the port are not great. 

 They are as small as those of Buenos Aires. But, just 

 as the art of man has atoned for the failures of nature 

 at Buenos Aires, so at Montevideo steps have been 



