104 BANDA ORIENTAL. [CHAP. vtn. 



ever to have called it level. The country is a series of undulations, in 

 themselves perhaps not absolutely great, but, as compared to the plains 

 of St. Fe, real mountains. From these inequalities there is an abun- 

 dance of small rivulets, and the turf is green and luxuriant 



November 17 'th. We crossed the Rozario, which was deep and 

 rapid, and passing the village of Colla, arrived at mid-day at Colonia 

 del Sacramiento. The distance is twenty leagues, through a country 

 covered with fine grass, but poorly stocked with cattle or inhabitants. 

 I was invited to sleep at Colonia, and to accompany on the following 

 day a gentleman to his estancia, where there were some limestone 

 rocks. The town is built on a stony promontory something in the same 

 manner as at Monte Video. It is strongly fortified, but both fortifica- 

 tions and town suffered much in the Brazilian war. It is very ancient ; 

 and the irregularity of the streets, and the surrounding groves of old 

 orange and peach trees, gave it a pretty appearance. The church is a 

 curious ruin ; it was used as a powder-magazine, and was struck by 

 lightning in one of the ten thousand thunder-storms of the Rio Plata. 

 Two-thirds of the building were blown away to the very foundation ; and 

 the rest stands a shattered and curious monument of the united powers 

 of lightning and gunpowder. In the evening I wandered about the 

 half-demolished walls of the town. It was the chief seat of the 

 Brazilian war ; a war most injurious to this country, not so much in 

 its immediate effects, as in being the origin of a multitude of generals 

 and all other grades of officers. More generals are numbered (but not 

 paid) in the United Provinces of La Plata than in the United Kingdom 

 of Great Britain. These gentlemen have learned to like power, and do 

 not object to a little skirmishing. Hence there are many always on the 

 watch to create disturbance, and to overturn a government which as yet 

 has never rested on any stable foundation. I noticed, however, both here 

 and in other places, a very general interest in the ensuing election for 

 the President ; and this appears a good sign for the prosperity of this 

 little country. The inhabitants do not require much education in their 

 representatives ; I heard some men discussing the merits of those for 

 Colonia ; and it was said that, " although they were not men of business, 

 they could all sign their names : " with this they seemed to think every 

 reasonable man ought to be satisfied. 



November i8/A. Rode with my host to his estancia, at the Arroyo de 

 San Juan. In the evening we took a ride round the estate : it contained 

 two square leagues and a half, and was situated in what is called a 

 rincon ; that is, one side was fronted by the Plata, and the two others 

 guarded by impassable brooks. There was an excellent port for little 

 vessels, and an abundance of small wood, which is valuable as supply- 

 ing fuel to Buenos Ayres. I was curious to know the value of so 

 complete an estancia. Of cattle there were 3,000, and it would well 

 support three or four times that number ; of mares 800, together with 

 150 broken-in horses, and 600 sheep. There was plenty of water and 

 limestone, a rough house, excellent corrals, and a peach orchard. For 

 all this he had been offered 2,ooo/., and he only wanted joo/. additional, 

 and probably would sell it for less. The chief trouble with an estancia 



