to this, the only one in the La Plata. Here we were to find a pilot, who would take us up to the outer road of Buenos Ayres.

The closer we drew to the light-ship the more the wind bettered, and we had hardly got the pilot-an old grey-headed American-when we were able to brace up our yards, and run with a light but favourable breeze up-stream.

It is a nasty water this La Plata, full of banks and dangerous shoals; and we had, as the breeze freshened, to keep one man, and sometimes two, constantly in the chains, throwing the lead. A vessel has, therefore, really to feel her way through the dangers that surround her on every quarter ; for no shore is to be seen, except occasionally a low, dark strip of land, with a few scattered trees or high bushes. But the old American knew what he was about, and seemed to be a sober, quiet fellow, even refusing, when he came on board, a little glass of absynth I offered him. He told me that he hardly ever drank anything.

With the setting sun the wind rose higher and higher, and after dark we had a stiff southeasterly breeze, just strong enough to carry what sail we wanted, and to go up-stream about seven knots an hour.

Right in our wake we had a Swedish brig, which, coming over from the east to take the

western channel of the Ortis bank, could get no pilot, as we had taken the last from the light-ship, and she was now doing her best to keep us in sight. She had hard work of it, our little schooner shooting like a duck through the water.

At two o'clock in the morning-an hour sooner than the pilot had expected-we saw the anchored ships in the outer road. Being rather close upon them, we steered a couple of points higher, dropped our light canvas, clewed up the great and foresail, and five minutes later, as we discerned the distant lights of the city, we dropped our anchor.

CHAPTER IV.

BUENOS AYRES AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY.

THE roadstead of Buenos Ayres is by no means favourably situated, for only very small vessels can come within a mile, or a mile and a half of the town, while all those which draw above ten feet have to stay out about four miles on the river, which is only very little better than the open sea.

Our little schooner rolled so heavily on the high waves which rolled up from below, that we had to stretch out a stay-sail, to keep her a bit steadier; but we found even that did very little service. With such a wind, boats can hold no communication with the shore, as the breakers would dash them against the rocks at the landing, and consequently we had to stop the first day on board.

It was now Sunday, just a week since I had shot seals in the mouth of the river.

On the second day, the wind abating a little, we saw two men-of-wars' boats pass to shore; but

our pilot thought it too dangerous for us to run the risk, and endeavoured to persuade us to wait a day longer. The fact was, he had some very good reasons for staying a little longer in the neighbourhood of our cupboard. After all, he had got to like my absynth; and if it was a fact that he hardly ever tasted strong drinks, he made for once an exception in my favour. As soon as the anchor touched the ground, he remembered the liquor, and came down for a dram, and from that time he stuck to the bottle like a cork. There was yet a small drop left, and he did not wish to see that wasted. But the captain, not wanting to wait any longer, as several other vessels had come in, most of them with heavy freight, and also carrying salt, was urgent to go on shore, and determined at least to make the attempt.

The old pilot, finding that we would really stop no longer on board, took a parting dram, but a good one, and declared his readiness to accompany us. My luggage did not take long to ship. My gun I took between my knees, resolved, if we had to swim for it, to have it handy; and away we went, rocking and jumping over the rolling waves, with a stout breeze standing stiff and full in our little sail, at the rate of about seven knots an hour. But though landing with such a breeze right against a rocky and tolerable

surfy shore, was a little dangerous, we got safely on terra firma, without even a wetting.

Up to this moment the boat had demanded my entire attention, and the sail, as long as we skimmed along before the wind, shut out the whole view towards the city; but now the sail came down by the run, having nearly the same effect as if a curtain had been drawn away; and I really do not know from that moment forward what we did, or even how we got out of the boat, so entirely was I taken up with the new and strange scene by which I found myself so suddenly surrounded.

Right before me-so close that I could have thrown a small pebble through the open door of the nearest house-lay Buenos Ayres. The shore, over whose rocky cliffs the breakers drove with resistless violence, swarmed with the most fantasticlooking figures I ever had dreamt of. Dark and sun-burnt faces with strongly-marked profiles, peered at us from under black or red caps, astonished at our landing in such a surf with a longboat, and perhaps with their curiosity excited by our outlandish appearance.

Red was the fashionable colour in this country; and wherever the eye turned, a blood-red poncho, or cap, or waistcoat presented itself. Even the captain and pilot had adopted the prevailing taste, and throwing open their over-coats, displayed gor