3oo To the River Plate and Back 



attempt of the English to take Buenos Aires failed a little 

 later, and the English then withdrew from Buenos Aires 

 and Montevideo, leaving behind them a lot of merchants 

 who found trade with the natives profitable. This 

 marked the beginning of English commercial relation- 

 ships with the country which have grown increasingly 

 important with the lapse of years. To tell the story of 

 the civil wars, the revolutions, and conflicts with Argen- 

 tina, Paraguay, and Brazil which took place during the 

 Nineteenth Century would require many chapters. The 

 land was not free from turmoil during nearly the whole of 

 the last century, and it is only within the last fifteen years 

 that the country has known the blessings of peace. In 

 spite of the turbulence, the restlessness, and the war- 

 like disposition of its people, the land seems to have 

 prospered and Montevideo, as we looked at it from the 

 deck of the steamer while we rode at anchor, seemed, 

 as it is indeed, a beautiful and pleasant city. 



One of those who took passage at Montevideo was 

 Senor Don Carlos Blixen, the Minister Plenipotentiary 

 of Uruguay going by way of New York and Washing- 

 ton to represent his country in Venezuela. He was 

 assigned a seat opposite to me at the Captain's table, 

 and we soon discovered that because of early training 

 and tastes we were congenial spirits. Senor Blixen, 

 on his father's side of Scandinavian descent, on his 

 mother's side Spanish and a kinsman of the ex- Empress 

 Eugenie, is a fine linguist, a devoted student of the 

 ancient classics, a lover of nature, and a man who has 

 mingled much with men, and endured hardship and 

 danger as a soldier in the service of his country. He 

 was not the only choice spirit with whom I became 

 acquainted on the voyage. The Captain, wise man, had 

 seated on either side of him two charming ladies. It 



