140 



BUENOS AYRES. 



Sept. 1833. 



whose kindness and hospitality, during my stay in the 

 country, I was greatly indebted. 



The city of Buenos Ayres is large* ; and I should think 

 one of the most regular in the world. Every street is at 

 right angles to the one it crosses, and the parallel ones being 

 equidistant, the houses are collected into solid squares of 

 equal dimensions, which are called quadras. On the 

 other hand, the houses themselves are hollow squares ; all 

 the rooms opening into a neat little courtyard. They are 

 generally only one story high, with flat roofs, which are fitted 

 with seats, and are much frequented by the inhabitants in 

 summer. In the centre of the town is the Plaza, where the 

 public offices, fortress, cathedral, &c., stand. Here also, 

 the old viceroys, before the revolution, had their palaces. 

 The general assemblage of buildings possesses considerable 

 architectural beauty, although none individually can boast 

 of any. 



The great corral where the animals are kept for slaughter 

 to supply food to this beef-eating population, is one of the 

 spectacles best worth seeing. The strength of the horse 

 as compared to that of the bullock is quite astonishing : a 

 man on horseback having thrown his lazo round the horns 

 of a beast, can drag it any where he chooses. The animal 

 having ploughed up the ground with outstretched legs, in 

 vain efforts to resist the force, generally dashes at full speed to 

 one side ; but the horse immediately turning to receive the 

 shock, stands so firmly, that the bullock is almost thrown 

 down, and one would think, would certainly have its neck 

 dislocated. The struggle is not, however, one of fair strength ; 

 the horse's girth being matched against the bullock's ex- 

 tended neck. In a similar manner a man can hold the 

 wildest horse, if caught with the lazo, just behind the ears. 

 When the bullock has been dragged to the spot where it is 

 to be slaughtered, the matador with great caution cuts the 

 hamstrings. Then is given the death bellow ; a noise more 



* Is said to contain 60,000 inhabitants. Monte Video, the second 

 town of importance on the banks of the Plata, has 15,000. 



