iim 



V Ape Indiana.. . No. XXI. 



[May 1, 



thplr very ilifferpiit habits, and Iheir 

 pertin.icious adheivucc to them, as well 

 as a striking difference in appearance, 

 are always a distinct people. In the 

 Estaneins, and even amongst the 

 Pampas Indians, are to hv. fonnd num- 

 bers of liritish wlio deserted from the 

 troops of Bei'esford and Whitelock, and 

 live in contented barbarism, eating 

 beef and horse-flesh. 



Several respectable British Iiouses 

 are established here, and there are 

 some British settlers, who, for the sake 

 of being married to a Spanish woman, 

 have become cathol ics ; some, per- 

 haps, from couviclion, and some who 

 before had no religion, now, at least, 

 profess one. The people have, in ge- 

 neral, but little res|iect for these con- 

 verts, whom they call Christianos par- 

 ados, or standing christians, because, 

 when re-baptised after the catholic 

 mode, they are too big to be held in the 

 priests' arras, and are therefore sprin- 

 kled standing. 



They are generally as stupidly jea- 

 lous 01 foreigners as the old Spaniards, 

 particularly if they seem to be getting 

 money. All that a foreigner gains, 

 they consider as their loss, and cannot 

 be convinced that a country gains by 

 tlie industry of its inhabitants, let them 

 be born in it or not. In September, 

 1815, the shopkeepers, &c. made a re- 



S»resenlation against the competition of 

 breigners, but it was little attended to 

 by the government, wiiic'i is moreen- 

 lightened than the people. 



The country, as far as it is appropri- 

 ated, contains generally three kinds of 

 property, namely, Quaifas, or market 

 gardens, chiefly near the town ; C/ia- 

 crax, or corn farms, a little further out ; 

 and Esfancias, or grazing farms, still 

 further back. On most of these the 

 buildings are wretched, being made 

 with sticks and rushes plastered with 

 mud, and roofed with rushes. One 

 large room, with a door of rushes or ox- 

 hide, contained the whole lamily, and 

 unless the cooking is carried on in a 

 separate building, a fire is lighted in 

 the middle of the house, and the smoke 

 finds its way out at the door. Near 

 these huts is sometimes planted a kind 

 of tree, an omfjn, for the shade which it 

 afi^ords, wood being useless. 



In the Quintas Sire raised all kinds of 

 fruits and vegetables ; peaches, the most 

 abundant fruit in this country, are sold 

 very cheap during their seiason, Fe- 

 bruary and March. In the country 

 they may be bought for less than a 



shilling sterling per bushel, and they 

 are retailed in the town at from 20 to 

 50 for a tnedio (3|d.) sterling, (iene- 

 rally, 15 or 20 carts, each containing 

 about 15 bushels of them, maybe seen 

 standing in the market at once. About 

 this time also, melons and water-melons 

 are abundant and cheap. Grapes, ap- 

 ples, pears, figs, nectarines, pomegra- 

 nates, quinces, and apricots make tlieir 

 appearance during tlie summer, but 

 none in such alnmdance as peaches. 

 The apple-tree does not thrive on the 

 south side of the river Plate ; the fruit 

 is poor and soon decays. The Monte; 

 Video side, which is, I believe, <iuite a 

 superior countiy, produces them in 

 abundance. Bitt(;r oranges are common 

 and cheap, as are lemons ; svveef oranges 

 are thick-skinned and of little flavour. 

 Cherries and strawberries are scarce 

 and dear. Gooseberries, currants, rasp- 

 berries, and plums are unknown. 



The common vegetables of Europe 

 are sold in the market, but not very 

 cheap, because labour is dear. Sweet 

 potatoes and tomates are much used ; 

 the soil does not suit the common pota- 

 toe, which is watery, and not much 

 larger than a walnut. Pumjtkinsare 

 used to a much greater extent than in 

 England. ^ 



\To he cnnfiriued.'] 



For the Moutlily Mas(nziiie. 



LAPS ITAIJANA. 



No. XXI. 



Dov' ape siisurr.indo 

 Nei inattutini :ilbori 

 Vola enggendo i niglodesi uinori. 



Guaritii. 

 Wliere ilie bee at early ilavvn, 

 Miirmiiriiig 5i|)s the dews of morn. 

 IMPROVVISATRICI, OR EXTRMPORE 

 FEMALE POETS OF ITAIiY. 



AMONGST the "living curiosities" 

 of Italy, it is well-known that the 

 above " by nature gifted" stand pro- 

 minent ; distinguislied by a ready ef- 

 fusion of masterlyand iinpressivetalent, 

 so rarely to be met with under other 

 climes, a spontaneous obedience to the . 

 dictates of the divine art of poetry, that 

 has polished, has civilised mankind. 

 Wherever it flourishes in most perfec- 

 tion, there nature and man may be 

 said to have assumed the softest, the 

 most pleasing aspect, and to have 

 stamped their,intercourse with the most 

 alluring impressions. 



The following Elegy to Spring is one 

 of the sudden overflowings from one of 

 our most inexhaustible torrents of mo- 

 dern " Improvvisatrici," from a name, 

 however sealed in silence, still sacred to 



all 



