272 To the River Plate and Back 



At La Banda there was a short stay made. This is 

 the point where passengers bound for Santiago, the 

 capital of the Province of Santiago del Estero, change 

 cars. Here there were extensive irrigation ditches, and 

 the work of reclaiming the land in the neighborhood 

 appears to be progressing. The soil is very red, and 

 seemed to be somewhat impregnated with iron. It did 

 not appear very fertile to me, but I observed that along 

 the irrigation canals a rank growth of vegetation oc- 

 curred, so that it no doubt possesses more agricultural 

 value than at first sight it suggests. The ride during the 

 remainder of the forenoon was hot and rather dusty. 

 We were behind time, owing to some detention which 

 had taken place during the night, and we did not reach 

 Tucuman until noon. The approach was interesting. 

 We left the thorny forests behind us, and found our- 

 selves in a wide and evidently very fertile plain, given 

 over almost entirely to the cultivation of sugar-cane, 

 which was just springing up. The fields seemed to be very 

 carefully tilled and the young canes were in fine condition. 

 Ahead of us were the blue slopes of the Cordilleras, their 

 tops veiled in clouds. Just at their feet rose the towers 

 and white walls of Tucuman. The tall chimneys of the 

 sugar-factories are a striking feature of the landscape. 



I had taken pains to make inquiries of several 

 persons on the train in regard to hotel accommodations 

 in Tucuman, and found that all agreed that the best 

 hotel in the city was one which had only recently been 

 built, and which I was informed represented the last 

 word in the architecture and furnishing of such a house. 

 At the station I promptly surrendered my valise to the 

 custody of a young man, who wore a cap upon the band 

 of which the name of this hotel appeared. He did not 

 seem averse to taking charge of my luggage, but rather 



