It is true, that preceding works have thrown much light on these countries, and the subjects I have here handled have been treated by abler pens than mine; but, besides the expensiveness of those works, which renders them inaccessible to a great class of readers, the subject is so new, and embraces such a wide field of research, that an abundant harvest still remains for fresh labourers. Having confined myself to one portion of this vast territory, I have been able to enter into a minuter detail of many things that have been cursorily passed over by preceding writers; and, finally, having resided in the country which is the subject of these Remarks during the last five years, my means of observation have been neither few nor limited.
[CONTENTS.]
| PAGE | |
| The Port—Custom-House Regulations | [1] |
| Visit of the Health Boat | [2] |
| Outer and Inner Roads | [3] |
| Pilots | [4] |
| Port of Ensenada | — |
| Barraccas | — |
| Navigation of the River Plate | — |
| Balandras, or lighters, for lading and unlading vessels | — |
| Carts used for embarking and disembarking | — |
| Packets between Buenos Ayres and Monte Video | [5] |
| Climate | [6] |
| Diseases | [9] |
| Environs of the City | — |
| Alameda, or Public Walk | [10] |
| The Beach, crowded with Sailors | — |
| Coffee-Houses and Hotels | [11] |
| Public Buildings: The Fort—Consulado—Cabildo—Bank—Houseof Representatives—Custom-House—PublicLibrary—Botanical Museum—Retiro—Residencia | [14 to 16] |
| Squares and Streets | [16] |
| Houses | [17] |
| Churches | [18] |
| Theatre | [22] |
| Circus | [33] |
| FOREIGN RESIDENTS. | |
|---|---|
| British: Merchants, Shopkeepers, Medical Men, &c. | [33 to 35] |
| British Commercial Subscription-Room | [37] |
| Establishment of Packets from Falmouth | [39] |
| Dispute between Captain Willis and the Government | [41[!--original: 40--] |
| Treaty with England | [43] |
| English Females at Buenos Ayres | [44] |
| Many Englishmen have married Buenos-Ayrean Wives | [45] |
| Death of Mr. Dallas, and of Mr. Rowcroft | [47[!--original: 46--] |
| Death of Jack Hall | — |
| Irish Yankies | [48] |
| North-American Residents | [49] |
| Death of Mr. Rodney | [51] |
| Frenchmen | [52] |
| Portuguese | [53] |
| Germans, Italians, Prussians, &c. | [54] |
| NATIVE (OR CREOLE) AND SPANISH INHABITANTS. | |
| Persons, Dispositions, and Manners | [55] |
| Compliments of Salutation | [57[!--original: 59--] |
| Practice of giving Flowers to Visitors | — |
| Smoking Segars | — |
| Politeness | [58] |
| Yerba, or Tea of Paraguay | [59[!--original: 58--] |
| Time of Meals | — |
| Siesta, or Afternoon Nap | — |
| Tertulias, or Public Dances | [60] |
| Sweetmeats much eaten | [61] |
| Etiquette, when walking in public, and in the ball-room | — |
| Dancing | [62] |
| Music | — |
| Consulado Musical School-Room | [63] |
| Philharmonics, a Musical Subscription Society | [64] |
| Mothers watch their Daughters with great strictness | — |
| Marriages take place early | [65] |
| Washerwomen on the Beach | [66] |
| Treatment of Slaves | [67] |
| Superstition of the Negroes | [68] |
| Orderly conduct of the lower orders | — |
| Beggars very annoying | [69] |
| Savings Bank | — |
| Propensity to Gaming | [70] |
| Bathing practised by all Classes | — |
| Dress | [71] |
| Females make their own Clothes | [74] |
| Travelling | — |
| Value and description of the Horses | [75] |
| Arrival of some English Horses in the Rhoda | — |
| Country Waggons | [77] |
| Sports and Amusements:—Horse-racing—Sailing—Cock-fighting—Hunting—Shooting—Fishing | [78] |
| Throwing the Lasso | — |
| Annual Fair near the Recolator | [79] |
| Provisions: Beef—Mutton—Poultry—Wines—Beer | [81 to 85] |
| Vegetables | — |
| Fruit | [86] |
| Other Animal and Vegetable Productions | — |
| Population | [89] |
| Trade and Manufactures | — |
| Exports | [89] |
| Imports—List of Vessels that arrived in 1821, 2, 3, 4 | [90] |
| Shops in Buenos Ayres very numerous | [92] |
| English Manufactures very cheap | [93] |
| Currency, &c.—Notes engraved in England | [95] |
| Average of Exchange | [96] |
| Bank of Buenos Ayres—Funds | — |
| Education and Literature | [97] |
| College School—Academy in the Merced Church | — |
| Mrs. Hyne’s Seminary | — |
| Many Buenos Ayreans speak and write English | [98] |
| College of Stonyhurst, near Liverpool | [99] |
| Education of Females | — |
| Variedades et Mensagero de Londres | [100] |
| Newspapers published in Buenos Ayres | [101] |
| Printing Offices | — |
| Religion | [102] |
| Contrast of the Catholic and Protestant faith | — |
| Reception of an Archbishop, who arrived in 1824 | — |
| Times of Public Worship | [103] |
| Oration-Time | [104] |
| Music of the Masses | — |
| Confession | [105] |
| Figures of the Virgin Mary kept in glass cases | [106] |
| Priesthood not illiberal | — |
| Friars | [107] |
| Suppression of the Monasteries | — |
| Convents for Nuns | [111] |
| Religious Processions: St. Rosario, and St. Nicholas | [113] |
| Feast of Corpus Christi | [113] |
| Observances during Lent—Passion Week—Holy Thursday—GoodFriday—Burning of Judas | [113 to 114] |
| [Procession] of the Holy Ghost | [117] |
| Funeral Ceremonies | [119] |
| Masses for the repose of the Soul | — |
| Protestant Burying-Ground | [120] |
| Police, &c. | [121] |
| Assassination very frequent among the lower orders | [122] |
| Thieves ingenious | [123] |
| Boys about the Theatre-door great thieves | [124] |
| Modes of Punishment: Shooting—Public Whipping—Imprisonment—Workingin the Streets, ironed | [126] |
| A great increase of crime in 1824 | — |
| First execution for forgery | [126] |
| Committals before Trial | [127] |
| Law proceedings expensive and tardy | — |
| Passports required to leave Buenos Ayres | [128] |
| Army—Punishment of flogging resorted to | [130] |
| Bands of Music | — |
| Custom to fire the Fort Guns on the 4th of July, theAnniversary of Whitelock’s Defeat | [131] |
| Government, and Public Events | [133] |
| Governor and Public Officers—Junta, or Senate | [134] |
| Æra of the Independence of Buenos Ayres—Celebrationof its Anniversary—Sports of the day | [135] |
| Frequent Political Revolutions in 1820—Rodriguez appointed Governor | [138] |
| Administration of Rivadavia | [139] |
| Two persons shot for state offences, in October, 1820 | [141] |
| Attempt at another Revolution—Execution of Garcia | — |
| Execution of Colonel Peralto and Urien | [142] |
| Carrera shot at Mendoza | [143] |
| San Martin embarked for England | [144] |
| A day set apart for the Funereal Rites of Gen. Belgrano | — |
| Visit of a New-Zealand Chief | [145] |
| Dinner on St. Andrew’s Day | [146] |
| Camden Packet took home the treaty with England | [146[!--original: 147--] |
| Rejoicings for the Victory of Ayacucho | — |
| Arrival of a Brazilian Frigate | [148] |
| Opinion of Foreigners with regard to his Majesty George IV. of England | [148] |
| Mr. Canning popular in Buenos Ayres | [149] |
| A Triumphal Car paraded through the streets | [152] |
| Concluding Remarks | — |
| Great want of population, and consequent insecurity of the country | — |
| Ravages of the Indians—Four officers detained and murderedby them, in 1822—Description of the Indians | [154] |
| Very little employment for Clerks in Buenos Ayres | — |
| Mechanics and Labourers sure of employment | [155] |
| Farming not a profitable concern | — |
| Grazing farms more beneficial | — |
| Emigrants will not find the same comfort as at home | [156] |
| French faction at Buenos Ayres | — |
| Contrast between Frenchmen and Englishmen | — |
| Inducements to Emigration | [158] |
| Colonia del Sacramento | [159] |
| Appendix.—Rules of the Port | [167] |
| Anchorage Dues | [168] |
| Police of the Port | — |
| Penalties to which those are subject who destroy theline of Buoys established by Government | [169] |
| Instructions for sailing from Buenos Ayres to Monte Video | [170[!--original: 168--] |
| ———— from Monte Video to Buenos Ayres | [172[!--original: 171--] |
| Variation of Depth of Water between the Banks Ortiz and Chico | [174] |
| Positions of the Ten Buoys in the River Plate | [175] |
[REMARKS
DURING
A FIVE YEARS’ RESIDENCE
IN
BUENOS AYRES.]
THE city of Buenos Ayres, when viewed from the outer roads at a distance of about eight miles, has an imposing appearance. The domes of the numerous churches, the public buildings, &c. give it an air of grandeur, which a nearer approach diminishes. On landing, the dilapidated mole (destroyed by the storm of the 21st August, 1820) and the mean streets near the beach, do not augur well for the beauty of the town: it requires an inspection rightly to appreciate it, for there are edifices worthy of attention. When I landed, in October, 1820, two cannons, forty-two-pounders, in very good condition, were mounted on the mole: they had the Spanish royal arms engraven on them, and inscriptions, purporting, that one was cast at Seville, and the other at Lima, some sixty years since.
A passenger is not exposed to any particular custom-house obstructions when he comes on shore. Should he bring his trunks with him, he is simply requested to open them, and a slight examination takes place. Several obnoxious customs have lately been abolished. Formerly, a sentinel was posted, to prevent any one passing to the water-side at the mole without first asking permission at the guard-house on the beach. The system of vessels being obliged to wait, upon their arrival, in the outer roads, for the visit of the health boat from shore, has also undergone reform. Masters may now leave their vessels immediately. It is necessary to go on board the gun-brig, which is now stationed in the inner roads, and there await the visit of the health boat, which comes off by a signal from this brig, and very little delay occurs. Upon the old plan, vessels often remained, through bad weather or neglect, four or five days before they were visited; during which time no communication was allowed with the shore. A manifest of the cargo, the ship’s papers,[1] letters, &c. are given to the visiting officer, provided no consul or agent of the nation whose flag the vessel bears resides in Buenos Ayres.
The removal of the brig of war from the outer roads has taken away the occasion of much offence. Disputes were continually occurring, from her firing at vessels and boats to bring them to. The boat of the Countess of Chichester, the first packet that arrived from Falmouth, had two shots fired at her, when going on shore with Mr. Pousset, the vice-consul. Captain Little, who was on board the packet at the time, not knowing what to make of this firing, ordered the guns to be double-shotted, and the crew to get under arms. A representation was made, and an apology promptly given. Serious misunderstandings, however, I am persuaded, must, some time or other, have occurred, had the brig continued outside, and pursued the same system.