Mouth of the Rio la Plata. 

 Arrival at Rio Negro. 



RIO NEGRO. 



The pilot's house. 

 Guachos. 



distant from the mouth of the Rio la Plata, we 

 passed through the discoloured water of that river. 

 Its temperature was 4 less than that of the sur- 

 rounding sea. 



On the 25th we discovered the coast, which is a 

 line of low sand-hills, without trees, and it exhibits 

 little appearance of vegetation. In the evening 

 we anchored off the bar, in eight fathoms water, 

 just after which we experienced one of the remark- 

 able squalls of this coast, that rose from the south- 

 ward and westward: it was attended with much 

 lightning and thunder; quantities of sand and in- 

 sects were blown off from the laud; but little rain 

 fell. The barometer indicated this squall by a de- 

 pression of two-tenths of an inch. The wind soon 

 changed and brought fine weather, the thermo- 

 meter falling six degrees during the change. 



Having been led to believe we should be boarded 

 by pilots on our anchoring off the bar, I was a 

 good deal surprised to find none, and no endeavour 

 making to board us, although the sea was quite 

 smooth. The only appearance of inhabitants which 

 we could see with our telescopes were a few horse- 

 men, suspiciously reconnoitring us from the flag- 

 staff on the top of the hill. I then concluded to 

 despatch the Sea-Gull under lieutenant-command- 

 ant Riuggold into the river, for the purpose of 

 having communication with the town, directing 

 him to take the channel leading to the northward 

 and westward, as shown by the only chart we had, 

 whilst I followed in the Flying-Fish, with the 

 scientific gentlemen ; it proved to be the wrong 

 one, and on the tide falling the schooners both 

 grounded. Our situation was not the most agree- 

 able; for, in the event of the sea rising, we should 

 have been exposed to all the fury of the surf, with- 

 out any escape from the numerous sand-bars. It 

 became necessary, as the tide rose, to make the 

 river. The Sea-Gull having got off, I put the 

 scientific gentlemen on board of her, and ordered 

 lieutenant- commandant Ringgold to proceed in, 

 keeping in what the chart pointed out as the chan- 

 nel-way and deepest water. He finally succeeded 

 in getting into the river, after thumping heavily 

 over a sand-bar, with some fears on the part of 

 the passengers, but without injury to the vessel, 

 and anchored, after dark, about half a mile up the 

 river. 



During this time an amusing occurrence took 

 place in the roadstead. I had directed lieutenant- 

 commandant Ringgold, in case of accident or re- 

 quiring aid, to make signal, that I might order 

 boats at once to his assistance. When the night 

 closed in, the signal was seen; when the requisite 

 signal was made from the Flying-Fish to the dif- 

 ferent vessels to send boats to assist. The com- 

 manding officer's mind being somewhat impressed 

 with an idea of the hostility of those on shore, he 

 concluded the boats were required to repel an 

 attack, and had them fully armed; in this state 

 they were met in a short time exerting themselves 

 to their fullest strength at the oars, to be in time 

 to take part in the expected fray, and appeared 

 greatly disappointed when it proved a false alarm, 

 and that none was to take place. 



Shortly after the schooner anchored, a voice was 

 heard from the shore, ordering a boat to be sent 

 immediately, when a party lauded, but no one was 

 found to receive them. Seeing a light at a dis- 

 tance, they proceeded towards it : it proved to be 



the pilot's house, a long, low, barn-like building; 

 but no inhabitants were visible, and none made 

 their appearance until our party had taken a survey 

 of the premises. The furniture was of a rude and 

 scanty description ; a table, bench, two or three 

 bunks in one corner, and in another a number of 

 arms, consisting of cutlasses, carbines, and pikes, 

 in good order ; in the others, various accoutre- 

 ments. The two pilots, one an Englishman and 

 the other a Frenchman, with a negro, then made 

 their appearance, and unravelled the mystery, by 

 informing them that the vessels had been mistaken 

 for the French squadron, and much alarm had 

 been created by our visit; they also said that the 

 guard of about thirty Guachus were in ambush 

 near where they landed, with the intention of cut- 

 ting our party off; but hearing them speaking Eng- 

 lish, they found to their satisfaction that they were 

 not French. They also stated that all the inhabit- 

 ants living near the mouth of the river had fled to 

 the town, and that most of the women and children 

 in the town were hurrying off to the interior. 

 They were likewise employed driving off the cattle, 

 and preparing to fire the country, the usual mode 

 of warfare, and were rejoiced to identify us as 

 Americans. 



All this accounted for the reconnoitring that we 

 had observed, and our not being able to obtain a 

 pilot. What still more alarmed them was the dif- 

 ferent vessels firing whilst surveying, and our 

 making the attempt to force the passage in the 

 small vessels. 



The captain of the coast-guard now afforded all 

 facilities, and a pilot for the schooner was sent on 

 board to take her up the river, and horses and 

 guides were furnished for a party to visit the 

 town. 



The next morning a detachment of lancers ar- 

 rived from the governor, with orders not to allow 

 our vessels to proceed up, and that the pilot should 

 come on shore, which effectually put a stop to our 

 plans ; when lieu tenant- commandant Ringgold de- 

 termined to go by land. 



It caused much alarm to the pilot, who entreated 

 the officers to intercede with the governor in his 

 behalf, and for that of the captain of the coast- 

 guard, stating that their lives would be forfeited 

 for having attempted to pilot a vessel without the 

 governor's orders. After some delay, a party pro- 

 ceeded to Carmen, under the escort of Guachos, 

 to wait on the governor or commandant. On their 

 way they met with a cordial welcome from all they 

 passed, as the minds of all were now entirely re- 

 lieved from fear, and great delight was expressed 

 at seeing the North Americans. 



These Guachos are generally well made, tall, 

 and muscular, with swarthy complexions, black 

 eyes, and long hair, very large mustachios, and 

 remarkably small feet. Their costume is a red 

 striped shirt, and white drawers, large, loose, and 

 fringed at the bottom of the leg, called calzoncittas. 

 Their trousers (chilipa) consist of two yards of 

 scarlet cloth, which is sometimes ornamented at 

 the corners; to form this into any thing like a gar- 

 ment appeared strange enough; yet, when it is on 

 the wearer, it has the appearance of a pair of 

 Turkish trousers. The mode in which it is put on 

 is to confine the ends round the waist by a girdle 

 (triando), the middle of the cloth passing down 

 between the legs, while the ends fall over the 



