SOUTH AMERICA. 



been flourishing. The streets are laid off at right 

 angles, and are much more spacious than those of Rio, 

 as well as less filthy, although little or no attention is 

 paid to them; the buildings are also in general, erect- 

 ed in much better taste. The streets are paved, but 

 the footways narrow and indifferent. Monte Video 

 may be considered, comparatively a new town; for 

 within the last century, Spain has laid the foundation 

 of much fewer colonies or cities, than during the for- 

 mer period of her dominion in America. At the same 

 time, such cities as have been built, are much more 

 elegant and convenient. The rapid growth of this 

 place, is to be attributed to the circumstance of its 

 possessing a much better harbor than Buenos Ayres, 

 if the latter place can be said to have any harbor at all. 

 The harbor of Monte Video is in fact, the only one 

 on the river, which deserves the name. This city 

 came to be the emporium of what is called the Banda, 

 Oriental; a vast tract of country, lying between the 

 Tiver Uruguay on the west, the Portuguese dominions 

 on the north, the ocean on the east, and the river La 

 Plata on the south, and containing about the same 

 number of square "miles as the state of Mississippi and 

 1 the Alabama territory. Its position on the Plata, is 

 I not unlike that of the countries just mentioned between 

 1 the Tennessee, the Mississippi, and the gulf of Mexi- 

 1 CO. The principal exports of this city and province, 

 consisted of hides, salted meat, tallow, &c. to a very 

 considerable amount. 



In July, 1806, when Buenos Ayres was taken by 

 general Beresford and sir Home Popham, Monte Vi^ 

 deo was simply blockaded; these officers having de- 

 I termined to proceed at once against the capital, under 



i 



