308 



CONCLUSION. 



road, I should upon my arrival at San Juan have 

 been instantly thrown into prison with the Governor 

 who was already confined, and from the window of 

 my dungeon I should have seen the public execu- 

 tioner burning the Carta de Mayo, amidst the accla- 

 mations of the people. Yet I could not have com- 

 plained, for my letters of introduction and the copy 

 of the Carta de Mayo had been sent to me with 

 the best intention — and the Governor at San Juan 

 had wished to give me a polite reception ; but the 

 event was a political tempest which had not been 

 foretold. 



The failure of the Rio Plata Mining Association 

 is a serious proof of the insufficiency of the Go- 

 vernments of La Plata. This public association 

 was formed in London in virtue of a Decree, &c., 

 from the government of Buenos Aires, authorizing 

 the formation of a Company to work the mines of 

 the United Provinces, at the discretionary choice 

 of the Company ; and to promote this object. Re- 

 ports were forwarded from the Governors of the 

 Mining Provinces describing their Mines. Yet, on 

 my arrival at Buenos Aires, I found that almost 

 the whole of the mines were already sold by the 



