URUGUAY. 629 



am not mistaken, makes the difference still greater. The truth, is, the 

 statistics here are generally unreliable. At least I am so advised. 

 The comparison, however, even dropping one-half of the 1,500, is as- 

 tounding. 



Besides this, there is no doubt of the great excellence of the pastures 

 here, and of the succulence of the natural grasses and of their compara- 

 tive inexhaustibility, nor can there be any doubt of the cheapness of 

 beef, the tenderloin steaks selling in Montevidean markets at 6 cents per 

 pound, and still less doubt that there will always be a sulficiency of 

 transportation for all purposes. 



In this connection I will state that the merchants, shippers, and cap- 

 italists of this city (Montevideo), composed, as they are, of all of the 

 great nationalities — English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian — are 

 unusually shrewd, intelligent, and experienced, andfor any feasible plan 

 can command, either themselves or through their European acquaint- 

 ances and houses, any reasonable amount of capital. Indeed, owing to 

 the low interest paid on money in Europe, generally millious upon mil- 

 lions, as the journals here state, are seeking investment at higher rates 

 in the countries of the Plate. 



As above stated, my attention was first directed to this subject by 

 reading in the papers of the minutise of the Chicago meat trade, how 

 to. compete wiih it, &c. 



I will only add, in this regard, that there is now a petition before the 

 Buenos Ayres legislature for aid in the transportation of frozen meat. 



