248 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER V. 



Arrival at Sandy Point— Difficulties as to lodging— Story of 

 the mutiny — Patagonian ladies — Agreeable society in the 

 Straits of Magellan — Winter aspect of the flora — Pata- 

 gonians and Fuegians — Habits of the South American 

 ostrich— Waiting for the steamer — Departure — Climate of 

 the Straits and of the southern hemisphere — Voyage to 

 Monte Video— Saturnalia of children — City of Monte Video 

 — Signor Bartolomeo Bossi ; his explorations — Neighbour- 

 hood of the city — Uruguayan politics — River steamer — Ex- 

 cursion to Paisandu — Voyage on the Uruguay — Use of the 

 telephone — Excursion to the camp — Aspect, of the flora- 

 Arrival at Buenos Ayres— Industrial Exhibition — Argentine 

 forests — ^The cathedral of Buenos Ayres — Excursion to La 

 Boca — ^Argentaria as a field for emigration. 



The time had come for parting with my genial 



fellow-traveller, Mr. H , with our excellent captain, 



and with the officers of the Rhamses, to all of whom I 

 felt indebted for friendly aid in my pursuits ; and on 

 entering the boat that was to take me ashore I was 

 introduced to the captain of the port, an important 

 official of German origin. Of his various excellent 

 qualities, the only one that I at first detected was a 

 remarkable gift of taciturnity, rarely interrupted by a 

 single monosyllable. I was aware that accommoda- 

 tion for strangers at Sandy Point is extremely limited, 



