98 RIONEGRO. 



curing his patients, and with the latter the remuneration that was due 

 him. He had therefore, to use his own term, " retired from business," 

 and lived several miles from the town, husbanding his estate, which 

 consisted of an estancia, as above described, and his demands upon 

 the government and soldiers. 



Under his escort they arrived at the pueblo, consisting of a few 

 rows of mud and brick huts, scattered without any regularity over a 

 sandy declivity by the side of the river. 



On the opposite slope was the fort, an enclosure of some extent, in 

 which were seen the house of the governor and the barracks. A 

 presentation to the Governor-General, Juan Jose Hernandez, now took 

 place. He, on being informed of our character, and the object of our 

 visit, received our officers in a most courteous and friendly manner. 

 He is a native of Buenos Ayres, of dignified manners, polite and 

 courteous, and invested with great authority. The officers were invited 

 to dine with him, and received his hospitality. 



The doctor now undertook to show them the " lions" of the place, 

 and carried them to the part of the town nearest the river, in which 

 were the only two houses built of red brick. There they were 

 introduced to an old Portuguese, who kept the only mercantile 

 establishment in the place. It was a small store, said to have a very 

 promiscuous assortment of goods, though the stock had become some- 

 what reduced ; as an evidence of which, a few of the inhabitants 

 applied to be furnished with pairs of pantaloons from on board ship, 

 for their own were worn out, and the only articles of dry-goods at 

 present in the store, were three or four yards of calico. 



An American by the name of Adams, who was absent at the time 

 of our visit, has engrossed all the trade and business of this place, and 

 no other vessels but those in which he is interested had traded with it 

 for the last two years, with the exception of two whale-ships, in 1837 

 and 1838; on them a duty of twelve and a half cents per ton was 

 levied, although their sole object was to obtain fresh provisions. This, 

 together with the difficult and changing bar, will always prevent their 

 resorting to this port. 



The inducements for a merchant vessel to visit this port are few ; 

 for it would be difficult to dispose of even the most necessary articles, 

 in consequence of the poverty of the place ; and there is no possibility 

 of obtaining any thing in return, except salt. Of this there are several 

 cargoes in stack along the banks of the river, which it is said could 

 be delivered on board for twenty cents per bushel. It is obtained 

 from the salt lakes, or salinas, on the Campos, and is transported to 



