ESTUARY OF LA PLATA. 277 



discern, the sea-birds that approached the ship were 

 the same species which had visited us on the Pacific 

 coast, cape pigeons being as before the most numerous 

 and persevering. 



At sunrise on the shortest day we were approach- 

 ing the city of Monte Video. Covering a hill some 

 three hundred feet in height, and spreading along the 

 shore at its base, the town presents a rather imposing 

 aspect. It looks over the opening of the vast estuary 

 of La Plata, fully sixty miles wide, into which the 

 great rivers of the southern half of the continent 

 discharge themselves. From the detritus borne down 

 by these streams the vast plains that occupy the 

 larger part of the Argentine territory have been 

 formed in recent geological times, but the alluvial 

 deposits have not yet filled up the gulf that receives 

 the two great streams of the Parana and the Uruguay. 

 It would seem, however, that that consummation is 

 rapidly approaching. Extensive banks, reaching 

 nearly to the surface at low water, occupy large 

 portions of the great estuary, and the navigable 

 channel is so shallow that large ships are forced to 

 anchor twelve or fourteen miles below Buenos Ayres, 

 and even at Monte Video cannot approach nearer 

 than two miles from the landing-place. 



A small steam-tender came off to convey passengers 

 to the city, and, with very little delay at the custom- 

 house, I proceeded to the Hotel de la Paix, a French 

 house, to which I was recommended. In spite of the 

 irregularity of the ground, the city is laid out on the 

 favourite Spanish chess-board plan, in quadras of 

 nearly equal size. The main streets run parallel to 



