1 54 
BANDA ORIENTAL 
CHAP. 
united powers of lightning and gunpowder. In the evening I 
wandered about the half-demolished walls of the town. It 
was the chief seat of the Brazilian war—a war most injurious 
to this country, not so much in its immediate effects, as in 
being the origin of a multitude of generals and all other grades 
of officers. More generals are numbered (but not paid) in the 
United Provinces of La Plata than in the United Kingdom of 
Great Britain. These gentlemen have learned to like power, 
and do not object to a little skirmishing. Hence there are 
many always on the watch to create disturbance and to over¬ 
turn a government which as yet has never rested on any stable 
foundation. I noticed, however, both here and in other places, 
a very general interest in the ensuing election for the President ; 
and this appears a good sign for the prosperity of this little 
country. The inhabitants do not require much education in their 
representatives ; I heard some men discussing the merits of those 
for Colonia ; and it was said that “ although they were not men 
of business, they could all sign their names : ” with this they 
seemed to think every reasonable man ought to be satisfied. 
I 8th .—Rode with my host to his estancia, at the Arroyo 
de San Juan. In the evening we took a ride round the estate : 
it contained two square leagues and a half, and was situated in 
what is called a rincon ; that is, one side was fronted by the 
Plata, and the two others guarded by impassable brooks. 
There was an excellent port for little vessels, and an abundance 
of small wood, which is valuable as supplying fuel to Buenos 
Ayres. I was curious to know the value of so complete an 
estancia. Of cattle there were 3000, and it would well support 
three or four times that number ; of mares 800, together with 
150 broken-in horses, and 600 sheep. There was plenty of 
water and limestone, a rough house, excellent corrals, and a 
peach orchard. For all this he had been offered £ 2000, and 
he only wanted A 5 00 additional, and probably would sell it 
for less. The chief trouble with an estancia is driving the 
cattle twice a week to a central spot, in order to make them 
tame, and to count them. This latter operation would be 
thought difficult, where there are ten or fifteen thousand head 
together. It is managed on the principle that the cattle 
invariably divide themselves into little troops of from forty to 
one hundred. Each troop is recognised by a few peculiarly 
