NIGHT IN THE ESTUARY. 283 



Argentaria * are each ready and willing to put down 

 the enfant terrible, but neither would tolerate the 

 annexation by its rival of such a desirable piece of 

 territory. The prospect of a long and sanguinary war 

 has hitherto withheld the Governments of Rio and 

 Buenos Ayres, and secured, for a time, immunity to 

 Uruguayan disorder, 



I had arranged to start on the 24th of June, in the 

 steamer which pHes between Monte Video and the 

 Lower Uruguay. That day being one of the many 

 festas that protect men of business in South America 

 from the risk of overwork, banks and offices were 



closed, and but for the kindness of Mr. E I should 



have found it difficult to carry out my plan. I went 

 on board in the afternoon, and found a small crowded 

 vessel, not promising much comfort to the passengers, 

 but offering the additional prospect of safe guidance 

 which every Briton finds on board a ship commanded 

 by a fellow-countryman. 



The sun set in a misty sky as we left our moorings 

 and began to advance at half speed into the wide 

 estuary of La Plata. As night fell the mist grew 

 denser, and during the night and following morning 

 we were immersed in a thick white fog. It was in 

 reality a feat of seamanship that was accomplished 

 by our captain. The great estuary of La Plata, 

 gradually narrowing from about sixty miles opposite 



* The constant inconvenience of employing such cumbrous expressions 

 as Argentine Confederation or Argentine territory for a state of such 

 vast extent and such yearly increasing importance must be felt by every 

 one who has occasion to speak or write about this region of America. 

 I trust that I shall be forgiven if in this book, as well as elsewhere, I 

 have taken the liberty of applying a single name, which has nothing 

 about it so strange as that it should not long since have come into use. 



