Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 9240981 1 8288 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY HANDBOOK KIYEK PLATE EEPUBLICS. COMPEISING BUENOS AYRES AND THE PROVINCES OF THE ARGENTIJfE EBP0BLIC - AND THE EEPUBLICS OF UEU&UAY AND PAEA6UAY. BY M. G. AND E. T. MULHALL, PROPRIETORS AND EDITORS OP THE BUENOS ATBES ' STANDARD.' LONDON: EDWARD STANFORD, 6, 7, & 8, CHARING CROSS. BUENOS AYEES: M. G. & E. t. MULHALL, 118, SAN MAETIN. 1875. f I Sir TABLE OF OON' PAOE Intboduotion 1 CHAPTEE I. BrvBB Plate Kepcblics .. .. II Argentine Eepublio 11 Bepublio of Uruguay 12 Republic of Paraguay 13 CHAPTEE II. Argbntimj Republic jg CHAPTEE ni. Rio DE LA Plata AND Tbibdtaeibs 24 Buenos Ayres to Matto Grosso 25 River Paraguay 32 TJp the Uruguay .. 36 I and Vermejo 42 CHAPTEE IV. Colonies OT THE Argentine Republic 45" Esperanza 47 San Geronimo 48 Las Tunas j. 4g Frank 48 San Augnstin . ; 48 San Carlos 49 TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Corondina 49 Orond .. ' 50 Guadalupe .'. 50 Cavour 50 50 Humboldt , GruetU 51 Emilia 51 San-Justo 52 Oonde 52 Helvetia / 53 Bstaucia Grande 54 Prancesa 54 New Califomia 54 Welsh 55 Bloisa 56 Alexandra 56 Bemstadt 57 58 Oaroarani > OaBada Gomez 58 Tortugas 59 Hansa -. .. 59 Germania . , 59 Nueva Italia . /. 60 Jesus-Maria 60 Candelaria .. .. 61 Villa Urquiza 61 ' San Jose.. .. 62 Hugues 62 Baradero 62 Concordia 63 Chuput 63 Chivilooy 63 CHAPTER V. BaILWATS AND PUBUO WOBKS 64 Argentine KepubUc 64 Republic of Uruguay 69 Eepublio of Pajaguay .. .. , 69 Telegraphs .. 70 Public Works 70 Tramways .. 71 TABLB OF CONTENTS. V CHAPTEE VI. PAGE The CrrY OF Buenos Aybes , 73 Theatres 76 '. Banks .. ' 76 Plazas ' 78 MarMs, Public Buildings, &o. 89 to 96 Suburbs 97 CHAPTEE- VII. Province OF Buenos Aybes 101 Riverine Partidos 113 , Northern Partidos 116 North and West Frontiers 118 Western Partidos 122 South-Westeru Districts .. .. .. 128 Southern Districts 132 South Coast 135 The Far South 139 CHAPTEE VIII. PEOvmoE OF Santa Fe 154 CHAPTEE IX. Pbovinoe of Cobboba 169 CHAPTEE X. Peovinoe op San Luh ' 186 CHAPTEE XI. Pbovinoe of Mendoza 195 CHAPTEE XII. PEOvmoB of San Juan 207 VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XIII. PAGE PaOVINOE OF BlOJA 215 CHAPTEE XIV. PjBOviNOE OF Oatamaboa 221 CHAPTEE XV. Pbovinoe of Jcjjuy 239 CHAPTEE XVI. Pbovince OP Salta 245 CHAPTEE XVII. Pbovinoe of Tucuman 257 CHAPTEE XVIII. Pbovinoe of Santiago .. .. 266 CHAPTEE XIX. Pbovinoe of Coseibntes 273 CHAPTEE XX. Pbovinoe op Entee Rios 293 CHAPTEE XXI. Tberitoeies of Ohaco, Misiones, Pampas, and Patagonia .. .. 305 CHAPTEE XXII. Eepublic of Ubuguat 310 ., TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XXIII. PAGE CiTT AND Department op Montevideo 333 CHAPTEE XXIV. BcEAL Depaetments 350 Oanelones 350 San Jose 352 Florida .. 353 Durazno 355 Minas Maldonado Cerro Largo . Taouarembo . Salto TABLE OP CONTENTS. PAGE , weights, measures, and distances 412 Comparative Table of Time 416 Land law at Buenos Ayres 416 Tariffs at Buenos Ayres 417 Argentine agents abroad 418 Foreign Ministers at Buenos Ayres 418 Argentine Customs duties 418 Englisb clergy in the jRiver Plate 418 Salaries of Argentine officials 419 Buenos Ayres tramways 420 Municipality of Buenos Ayres 420 Central prisons, Buenos Ayres . 421 Table of wages, Buenos Ayres 421 Immigration 422 Cordoba Exhibition of 1871 .. 423 Carolina Mine 425 Buenos Ayres new gas works : 426 Statistics of the Kepublic of Uruguay 427 The New World 432 — HANDBOOK OP THE RIVER PLATE. INTEODUCTION. The Eiver Plate offers a fine field for immigrants, as is proved by the thousands of Europeans here who have gained fortune and position during the last twenty years. It is, however, absolutely necessary to bear in mind the classes of emigrants most needed in a new country : 1st. I'arm servants ; unmarried men, of strong constitutions, accustomed to country life, will find immediate employment at 801. per annum, being found in house, provisions, horses, &o. After two or three years, they usually get a flock of sheep with third profits, and ultimately become independent farmers. 2nd. Cooks and housemaids ; unmarried women at once get situations in native or foreign families, at 351. to 551. per annum. They often get married to the above class of sheep-farmers. 3rd. Young married couples ; when unencumbered with family, this class is in greater demand than any other. The husband as sheep-peon or gardener, and the wife as cook. If they hire on an estancia in Buenos Ayres their joint wages may be calculated at 50Z. to 601. per annum, but if they go to Banda Oriental, Entre Eios, or the other provinces, they will earn much more. No passport is required on landing in the Eiver Plate, but if the emigrant has no friends here, it would be well for him to bring a certificate of baptism or other document showing his name and nationality. In receiving letters at the Post Office, taking out a marriage licence, receiving money from home, &c;, B — : ' i HANDBOOK OF THE EIVEB PLATE. positive proof of identity is required, and as passage tickets are often lost, an official document is more valuable. There are fifteen, lines of steamers : 1. The Boyal Mail Company dispatch a steamer on the morning of the 9th and 24th of every month, from Southampton. Pares —1st class, 35Z. and upwards ; return tickets, available for twelve months, issued at a fare and a half ; 2nd class, 25Z., good accom- modation. Bed, bedding, plate, and utensils provided for both classes. A reduction of one-sixth is allowed for families of four or more persons travelliiig first-class. The steamer calls at Lisbon, pape Verdes, Bahia, Pernambuco, and Eio Janeiro. The voyage takes twenty-eight days to Montevideo, and twenty- nine to Buenos Ayres. For regulations about luggage, &o., apply to J. M. Lloyd, Esq., 55, Moorgate Street, London, E.G. 2. JTie Messageries Maritimes, or French mail line from Bordeaux, established in 1861, also carry a fortnightly mail, leaving Bordeaux on the 5th and 20th. Few Englishmen come by this line, but if a person wishes to visit Paris en passant he can reach Bordeaux from London in two days. The vessels call at Lisbon, Dakar, Bahia, Pernambuco, and Eio Janeiro they are similar to the Eoyal Mail steamers. ^ First cabin, including wine, 50Z, Second cabin, 20Z. Office—Messrs. Fletcher and Co., Liverpool, and Messrs. Home, 4, Moorgate Street, iondon. 3. The Liverpool and Biver Plate Mail Company dispatch a mail steamer from Liverpool on the 20th of each month, calling at Lisbon, Bahia, and Eio Janeiro, besides other steamers of this line every fifteen or twenty days. The treatment and accommoda- tion on board are excellent. The line was established in 1863, and in 1868 obtained a mail charter from the British Government. First cabin, 35Z. Second cabin, 25Z. Steerage, 16Z, The 1st and 2nd classes are found in everything; steerage passengers get rations on the emigration dietary scale. Agents—Messrs. Lamport and Holt, 21, Water Street. Eeduction for families. Eeturn ticket, for twelve months, at a fare and a half. INTEODTTCTION. O 4. The Pacific Navigation Company dispatch a fortnightly steamer from Liverpool for Valparaiso, calling at Eio Janeiro and Montevideo ; the voyage to the Eiver Plate is made in twenty-six days, the vessels being constructed for great speed. The Company was established in 1868, and has a subsidy of 12,000Z. per annum from the Chilian Government. Besides the above, there are two lines from Glasgow, two from Havre, one from Hamburgh, one from Bremen, three from Genoa and Marseilles, and one from Naples. We advise the emigrant to provide himseK with an abundant supply of light clothing, not only for the voyage, but because they cost here three times their value in England, and may be introduced duty free." They must be londfide for personal use. A gun or revolver, saddle and equipments, should not be omitted. ' Emigrants bringing money should obtain a letter of credit through, any bank in England, Ireland, or Scotland, on the Loudon and Eiver Plate, 'Mercantile, or Maua Banks of this city and Montevideo. The voyage is usually made in thirty days, the distance being about 7800 statute miles. The outset is often disa- greeable in crossing the Bay of Biscay, but the rest of the voyage is generally delightful, and rough weather is exceed- ingly rare between Lisbon and Eio Janeiro. Lisbon is reached in four days from England. The entrance to the Tagus is highly picturesque. The panorama of the city is most attractive ; a crowd of steamers, war-vessels, and shipping line the quays. We land at the Custom House, in the Terreyro do Pago, or Black-horse Square. The streets of the new town are spacious, the houses six or seven stories high, and all built of stone. The three principal streets, Eua Aurea, Eua Augusta, and Eua da Prata are on the site of the earth- quake of 1755, when most of the old town, with 40,000 inha- bitants, was destroyed. Englishmen usually stop at the Hotel Braganza, which B 2 i HANDBOOK OF THE EIVEE PLATE. surmounts one of the seven hills, and is situated close to the Opera House, in the aristocratic quarter: charge, 8s. a day. It may give some idea of Lisbon to say that it comprises 355 streets, 281 travessas or causeways, 12 plazas, 52 plazuelas, 5 public parks, 6 theatres, 200 churches, and 36 public foun- tains. It contains. over 300,000 inhabitants, and enjoys a fine climate. The traveller should visit the Cathedral, the Abbey of Belen, the Paseo da Estrella, the Aqueduct, and the Opera House.