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years, but it is yet so cheap as not to require a very large capital in the settler. Land is measured by varas-a vara being something less than a yard-and government sells it in sections of one legua and a half, (a legua being six thousand varas), and each vara costs from four to seven shillings. But the closer the land is to a town or city, the greater, of course, is its value.

Wheat, though I saw little of it raised in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, is cheap, as are all kinds of vegetables. They had just gathered, in June, the second harvest of potatoes; and there is no doubt, a poor man can commence here with a very small capital, and be pretty certain to secure, by moderate industry, a good subsistence.

On the Monday morning we returned to town, but I must not omit to mention a singular treeor rather the singular tree they have here, for I saw no other-except some little stunted acacias. It is called the ombu, and is indeed a splendid tree for shade, and in form is the most fantastic I have ever seen. This tree, when young, has a trunk like other trees, running straight up from the ground to a height of eight or ten feet, but when old it becomes withered, and loses both root and branches. This is, after all, a very wise arrangement, for the wide-spreading branches of the wet and spongy wood, could never be able to support themselves, and indeed require to be sustained by props

from the roots, which spring up to meet them, but, unlike the banana of India, do not again fall to the ground, but twine themselves round the stem, and form caves and columns, reaching out from the tree on every side. The wood is entirely useless, and will not even burn, unless it has been previously well-dried by the sun, but the leaves are a beautiful green, and the tree presents a fine appearance.

I had a very interesting interview, or rather audience, at the governor's house, with Donna Manuelita, the lovely daughter of the famous guacho chief.

It was desirable to hear, from the governor himself, how far he would interest himself in German immigration, and if he would really be willing to grant any advantages to poor, but industrious German farmers, who landed in his territories, or only leave them to themselves; but Rosas never received strangers, not even the consuls of the different states, the American consul being the only exception. Whatever they wished to say must be brought before his daughter-the prime minister of state-and to her I also had been referred. But here another difficulty arose. leaving my ship, knowing what kind of road I had to traverse, I had not encumbered myself with any superfluous wardrobe, and a grey woollen huntingshirt, with my water-boots, and broad-brimmed

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hat, was the gayest attire I could assume for the presence-chamber. Mr. Graham, with whom I conferred on this subject, only laughed, and told me that would not make the least difference. Donna Manuelita, was too sensible and discreet a lady to care much about my appearance, and he would undertake to introduce me to her himself.

One evening, therefore, to the astonishment of the sentinel at the governor's palace, he presented me to Donna Manuelita, who was attended by some grandees of the Argentine court, and some lovely young ladies, one of whom spoke English very fluently, and another even a little German. In spite of my dress, which was more suitable to the Pampas than to a court, I passed a very pleasant hour.

The interior of the governor's house—so far as I could observe it was simple, but very tastefully furnished in the European style, though the lofty and spacious rooms were suited to the warmer climate.

CHAPTER V.

THE SALADEROS.

I HEARD SO much during my residence in Buenos Ayres, of the saladeros, or butchering places of this city, that I very naturally wished to see them; and one of my countrymen, a young merchant, undertook to be my cicerone. One fine morning, before breakfast I wish we had waited till after-we took horse and galloped to a boca, or little creek, about three miles distant, where these saladeros lay.

Having followed nearly all the way the windings of the Plata river, I had contracted a faint presentiment of what we should behold, from a perfect mass of dead cattle and horses, which had been washed ashore by the stream, and lay undisturbed in the middle of the road, to be consumed by birds of prey, or by time. At one point in particular, where the high shore jutted out very steeply, and only a small road, or path, had been left, lay

three horses together, over which we had to pass. The stench was stifling, but our horses did not mind it a bit, and jumped over their fallen comrades without the least hesitation.

After a ride of about fifteen minutes, we arrived in sight of the boca. I thought at first the banks of the little watercourse looked remarkably chalky, but as we neared the place I was astonished to see that the whole bank consisted of nothing else but cattle-skulls, which were walled up, with the horns sticking regularly out like spikes. But we had no time to linger on these relics of mortality; our road lay over the little bridge—a tollbridge, by the bye-and a few minutes afterwards we found ourselves between the low buildings and sheds of the saladeros.

At the shed we first visited, they did not, as they said, kill that day, but were busy salting down the hides, to get them ready for shipment. The place was cleared up, and looked passably clean ; but galloping only a few hundred yards further, we heard the screams and yells of the drivers, and as we neared the place, saw three horsemen ride into a wide corral or enclosure, where a couple of hundred head of cattle were collected, and who tried to separate a part of them from the rest.

One of the horsemen was a most conspicuous figure an old tall bony fellow, some fifty-six or

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