THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



133 



While changing horses at the Guardia several people ques- 

 tioned us much about the army, — I never saw anything like 

 the enthusiasm for Rosas, and for the success of the " most 

 just of all wars, because against barbarians." This expres- 

 sion, it must be confessed, is very natural, for till lately, 

 neither man, woman nor horse, was safe from the attacks 

 of the Indians. We had a long day's ride over the same 

 rich green plain, abounding with various flocks, and with 

 here and there a solitary estancia, and its one ombu tree. 

 In the evening it rained heavily: on arriving at a post- 

 house we were told by the owner, that if we had not a 

 regular passport we must pass on, for there were so 

 many robbers he would trust no one. When he read, how- 

 ever, my passport, which began with " El Naturalista Don 

 Carlos," his respect and civility were as unbounded as his 

 suspicions had been before. What a naturalist might be, 

 neither he nor his countrymen, I suspect, had any idea; 

 but probably my title lost nothing of its value from that 

 cause. 



September 20th. — We arrived by the middle of the day at 

 Buenos Ayres. The outskirts of the city looked quite pretty, 

 with the agave hedges, and groves of olive, peach and willow 

 trees, all just throwing out their fresh green leaves. I rode 

 to the house of Mr. Lumb, an English merchant, to whose 

 kindness and hospitality, during my stay in the country, I 

 was greatly indebted. 



The city of Buenos Ayres is large; 10 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 equi- 

 distant, 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 open- 

 ing 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, etc., stand. Here also, the old viceroys, 

 before the revolution, had their palaces. The general assem- 



t0 It is -said to contain 60,000 inhabitants. Monte Video, the second town 

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



