154 BAND A ORIENTAL chap. 



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 over- 

 turn 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. 



I Zth, — 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 supplying fuel to Buenos 

 Ayres. I was curious to know the value of so complete an 

 estancia. Of cattle there were 3000, 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 ;^2000, and 

 he only wanted ;f 500 additional, and probably would sell it 

 for less. The chief trouble with an estancia is driving the 

 cattle twice a week to a central spot, in order to make them 

 tame, and to count them. This latter operation would be 

 thought difficult, where there are ten or fifteen thousand head 

 together. It is managed on the principle that the cattle 

 invariably divide themselves into little troops of from forty to 

 one hundred. Each, troop is recognised by a few peculiarly 



