CHAPTER X 



LA PLATA 



"Ampie salle, ampie loggie, ampio cortile 

 E stanze ornate con gentil pitturc, 

 Trovai giungendo, e nobili sculture 

 Di marmo fatte, da scalpel non vile. 

 Nobil giardin con un perpetuo Aprile 

 Di varij fior, di frutti, e di verdure, 

 Ombre soavi, acque a temprar 1'arsure 

 E strade di belta non dissimile." 



Francesco Turina Bufalini. 



HPHE city of La Plata was called into being in the year 

 1882 as the result of political events. The com- 

 bined influence of the province and city of Buenos 

 Aires had so preponderated in the halls of national 

 legislation as to have provoked the jealousy of the 

 other provinces in the confederacy. It was there- 

 fore resolved to 'federalize' the city, separating it 

 from the province, and to give to the latter a new 

 capital. The site for this was selected on the pampa, 

 a few miles from Ensenada, which until the develop- 

 ment of the system of docks at Buenos Aires had 

 been the main port of entry for larger vessels com- 

 ing to the River Plate. The spot selected was an 

 expanse of treeless grazing land. A small arroyo, or 

 brook, discharged its sluggish waters, drained from the 

 prairie, into the inlet. This channel was forthwith 



deepened and converted into a canal, and a basin, 



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