VISIT TO THE TIGRE AND BANDA ORIENTAL.
The steamer in which I expected to embark for Rosario, on the Paraná
River, would not sail from Buenos Ayres for ten days or a fortnight,
and I began to look around me for some occupation, by means of which
I might become more acquainted with the localities about the city. I
was eager to visit the gaucho in his home upon the pampas; and when a
young man, who had just arrived from New York, invited me to accompany
him across the Plata to the Republic of Uruguay, I did not wait for a
second invitation, but accepted his offer upon the spot.
I knew nothing more of this young man than that he had come to Buenos
Ayres recommended to the first merchant of the place; but that his
purpose for the visit was a secret one, I did not at the time suspect.
He prepared himself for the journey by simply providing himself with a
large blanket, a revolver pistol, and a _sounding-rod_. The first two
articles seemed rational enough; but the rod, which he carried as a
cane, required an explanation.
We received from a countryman a letter of introduction to Edward
Hopkins, Esq., who was about to sail in the “Asuncion” for the north
side of the river. This gentleman was at the River Tigre, twenty-one
miles from Buenos Ayres, and acted as agent for the United States and
Paraguay Navigation Company. As there was no other way for crossing the
Plata to the particular part of the coast where my friend wished to
land, he decided to visit the Tigre, and embark in the Asuncion.
Having bargained for seats with the driver of the diligence that ran
between Buenos Ayres and the village of San Fernando, near the Tigre,
we set out one fine morning, accompanied by a native gentleman, who
spoke English imperfectly.
Our _cochero_ was a conceited fellow, and felt the dignity of office to
an unnecessary degree. We had no little amusement during our journey
with him in watching the phases of his character: once, when the cart
of a milkman became entangled in the harness of our horses, he became
so laughable in his wounded pride and impotent rage, that we had
difficulty in restraining our faces to a decently sober appearance. As
we became disentangled, and drove on, he, in the midst of a volley of
_carrambas_, denounced all cartmen who had the impudence to cross the
track of the mail-coach. And such, in fact, his vehicle was; but, as we
noticed that the contents of the mail, instead of being confined in a
mail-bag, or other suitable receptacle, were scattered here and there
in various corners of the coach, some tucked beneath the cushions, and
others lying under our feet, the opinion that we formed of the native
postal arrangements was not of the highest.
For nearly a league we passed over a Macadamized road, shaded here and
there by willows that ran along the river. We soon passed the deserted
_quinta_ of General Rosas. The house was built upon arches, the
materials being brick and plaster. Around it were artificial groves,
and little lakes and canals of water.
To the right of the house, on the side nearest the city, were numerous
little brick buildings, where the tyrant quartered his troops. The
situation was very beautiful, and the surroundings altogether were
interesting.
Farther on were _casas_ (houses) of country gentlemen, with orchards of
peach, olive, and quince, which, with the foliage of many varieties of
shrubs, made the prospect on all sides most beautiful.
If a well-regulated estate particularly attracted our attention, we
universally found, on inquiry, that its owner was a foreigner, whom
the _cochero_ dignified by the low word _gringo_, which is equivalent
to “paddy” in our own language; and in this estimation, I afterwards
found, our countrymen and all strangers are held by the indolent and
treacherous country people.
Wheat, potatoes, onions, beans, tomatoes, &c., thrive wonderfully upon
the farms; and, if the whole agricultural department were in foreign
hands, the country, with its fine climate, and rich and easily-worked
lands, could produce almost every kind of vegetable. With the exception
of a few English and Scotch, the French from the Basque provinces are
the most energetic and thrifty farmers. In a few instances the Yankee
plough has been used with great success, in place of the miserable
wooden one of the natives.
We met large covered wagons carrying produce to the city, and troops
of mules and donkeys freighted with thistles, in bundles, to heat the
ovens of the bakers; also others with peach and willow trees, which had
been raised for firewood, an article bringing a good price, on account
of its scarcity.
As we approached the Tigre and Las Conchas, we found that the country
is undulating; but beyond the line of the latter, it stretches out into
the pampas as far as the vision can reach.
The diligence entered San Fernando about noon; we found it a little
town, surrounded with fruit trees left to the care of nature, the
people being satisfied with her products without wasting time in
laboring to improve them.
Two miles distant was the River Tigre, which empties its waters into
the wide Plata; towards the river we directed our steps, and we arrived
in time to dine with Edward Hopkins, Esq., the gentleman whom we had
come to visit.
Mr. Hopkins, who has acted as our consul in Paraguay, and as agent for
the United States and Paraguay Navigation Company, invited us aboard
the little steamer Asuncion, which had been put together at this place
a short time before.
This company had been formed in the United States for the purpose of
opening commercial intercourse with Paraguay, a country that had,
under the dictator Francia, excluded foreigners. Lopez, its present
ruler, had been on very intimate terms with our countryman, Mr. H.;
and, taking advantage of this intimacy, and the president’s friendly
feeling towards the United States, the above company was formed; and it
soon sent out from Providence, R. I., a clipper schooner of beautiful
mould, containing, in pieces, a small steamer and “hoop boat,” with
their appropriate crews, carpenters, millwrights, &c.
The schooner was damaged in the Tigre; but her cargo was landed,
and the Asuncion put together, and sent up the Paraná to Paraguay.
A cigar manufactory, employing three hundred native girls, was set
on foot, a colony formed, and the steamer was to run between that
country and Buenos Ayres, when an event occurred that blasted the
prospects of the North Americans. A brother of Mr. Hopkins was stopped
in the street for some trivial cause (probably galloping his horse)
by a _vigilante_, whose language was insulting, whereupon difficulty
ensued. As representative of his government, Mr. Hopkins interfered;
and then followed the expulsion of our countrymen from the unexplored
and little-known Paraguay. The United States steamer Water Witch,
then lying in the Plata, ascended the river, and was fired upon from
a fortification; several balls lodged in her hull, and one man was
killed. The Water Witch destroyed the structure, and retired down the
river to Montevideo, while the company’s men settled at the Tigre until
matters could be adjusted. The Asuncion was then engaged in carrying
sheep across to the Banda Oriental, the country on the north shores of
the Plata, which is known on some maps as Uruguay.
San Fernando, in conjunction with the Tigre, is the watering-place of
the _ton_ of Buenos Ayres, many of whom pass the summer in the village.
The next day after our arrival was passed in pleasant conversation with
our countryman, and during the evening a large party of ladies and
gentlemen sailed down the river to two islands covered with groves of
peach trees, where they took _maté_ (tea), and danced La Samba Cueca,
to the music of the guitar. I did not accompany them; for, having met
a young man whose desire for travel had caused him to leave home,
we passed the night wandering among the willows on the banks of the
stream, and at an early hour on the following morning retired to rest
as the piano frog was chanting his reveillé.
This was a spot where the naturalist would love to dwell. Above our
heads sang many curious birds, and around us were still more curious
insects.
On the neighboring church of Las Conchas, the _carpentero_ built its
oven-like nest, and parrots filled the air with their cries, while the
mocking-bird rattled out his medley as in our own country.
As strangers, we were cordially received by the natives who occupied
the houses close at hand, and many were the _matés_ (cups of Paraguay
tea) we took, because the pretty señoritas informed us that their
language and _maté_ were inseparable, and not until the foreigner
became addicted to its use could he ride a horse, throw the lasso,
learn the language, or win a fair maid.
I have already alluded to the _yerba_, sometimes called _yerba maté_,
from which the Paraguay tea is made.
It is to South America what the tea of China is to Europe and the
United States; nor are its qualities very greatly different from those
of the Asiatic herb.
The _yerba_ trees grow in forests, called _yerbales_, on the rivers of
Paraguay, and attain a considerable size.
At the time of gathering, a party of peons are sent into the forest,
who collect the branches, sprigs, and leaves in vast piles, which are
afterwards thoroughly scorched. This being accomplished, the leaves
and twigs are packed in a raw hide, which contracts as it dries,
compressing the _yerba_ into an almost solid mass. In this condition it
is sent to market.
The _maté_ is a small gourd, which forms the general drinking-cup in
all the regions which I visited. An infusion of the _yerba_ having been
made, with accessories, as in our own country, it is sucked from the
_maté_ through a tin or silver tube, called the _bombilla_, which is
provided at its lower extremity with a strainer, which prevents the
fine particles of the _yerba_ from rising to the mouth. The name of the
gourd or cup is not unfrequently coupled with that of the tea itself in
mentioning the article.
At last everything was ready for our departure; and at eleven o’clock
one starlight night we sailed slowly along the little Tigre, and,
passing the peach islands at its mouth, in an hour after, were fairly
on our passage across the Plata, which at this point is nearly thirty
miles wide. Upon arriving off the San Juan River, early the next
morning, the tide was out, and the bar at the mouth of the stream
impassable, which obliged us to remain stationary until afternoon,
when the rising tide permitted us to wind up the stream, and through
luxuriant foliage, the home of the tiger-cat, and once the lair of the
fierce jaguar, which is now, however, rarely met with, having been
driven from his ancient hunting-grounds by parties of natives who
had been exasperated by his continual depredations. Now the little
tiger-cat and wild dogs are their tormentors and annually a tiger hunt
comes off at the mouth of the river.
We arrived at our destination in due time, and the cargo of sheep was
safely landed. Preparations for the night had hardly been completed,
when from a certain quarter were heard loud and prolonged sounds, so
wild and fearful that our attention was directed towards it.
“It is the voices of wild animals scenting the sheep-fold,” said one
of our party. The shepherd dogs on the borders of the stream pricked
up their ears, and the hair stood up stiffly upon their backs as they
walked around the sleeping flock, growling savagely.
While we listened, the sounds grew more and more distinct, and shortly
we were upon our feet to repel an attack from a pack of wild dogs.
Perceiving that we were too strong to be molested with impunity, they
withdrew, snapping and growling, for a short distance, where they
continued their music for two or three hours, and then drew off to
another _estancia_.
These animals hunt in packs, and though of a cowardly nature, will,
when fierce with hunger, attack man. The following incident, which
occurred a few days prior to our arrival, proves this often-contested
fact.
A _capataz_ (foreman) of an _estancia_ (farm), while returning from a
distant village to his home, met a pack of these dogs. The instinct of
the brutes told them that the tired horse could not outstrip them in
the long run. They gave chase, and soon brought the horse and rider to
the ground. The _capataz_ had no other weapon than his knife, which
proved ineffectual for his defence, and both man and horse were torn to
pieces and devoured.
On the day after our arrival we saw at the _estancia_ house three of
these dogs, which had been taken from caves near the River San Juan.
The largest was about a year old; although he associated with the house
dogs, he would not suffer any person to approach him, and exhibited
all the traits of his wild brethren that serenaded him almost every
night. The two others were only a few weeks old, and were as playful as
kittens.
These wild dogs are of a slight frame, and are generally of a brown and
yellow color; the mouths are of a dusky-brown, or black. Without doubt
they descended from the domestic dogs brought into the country by the
Spanish or Portuguese Jesuits during the period of the early settlement
of the La Plata provinces.
Early upon the following morning, the gauchos pointed out the path
that led to the _estancia_ house, and my friend Ned and myself set out
to visit it. Larks, partridges, and many other birds started from the
grass as we pursued our way on foot. All these birds were exceedingly
tame; and had we been in possession of a gun, we should have arrived at
the house with a bag of game.
The farm was owned by a German, who gave us a cordial welcome, and
insisted upon our remaining to breakfast.
The estate was a small one for that country, embracing but ten or
twelve square miles. The owner purchased it of the last tenant, who
sold for a fair price, but, when he received the money, declared
that the German must pay him extra for the buildings. The new owner,
having, as he supposed, paid for “top and bottom,” refused to give an
additional sum; but the native was inexorable, and the buyer, knowing
that a foreigner receives no justice from South American tribunals,
wisely settled the affair, after much loss of time and money, by paying
the full demand. Almost every bargain that is consummated between a
foreigner and a native results largely in favor of the latter party. By
bribery, falsehood, or perjury,--he cares but little which,--the native
will outwit the “gringo,” and then, in a most barefaced manner, tell
him that it is by superior wit and talent that the end is thus brought
in favor of a _Christian_; for so all true Catholics of both republics,
the Banda Oriental and Argentine, are called, or call themselves, with
no little egotism.
After partaking of a nourishing meal,--farina, soup, and meat,--Ned
strapped his bundle to his back, carefully loaded his revolver, and,
after several studied inquiries as to certain locations along the coast
of the Plata, bade me to prepare to follow him. Our new friends offered
us horses, saddles, &c.; but Ned had a particular reason for travelling
on foot, and so, bidding our German friends adieu, we posted off in
a westerly direction. Our landmark was the mud hut of an _estancia_,
about seven miles distant, situated on a swell of the prairie. About
the _estancia_ we were leaving were several high hills, which sloped
off into the rolling plain. A portion of these hills were barren, and
broken rocks cropped out at their bases; but the plains or rolling
ground about them, upon which the cattle fed, was covered with fine
grass, occasionally intermixed with flowers. Just beyond the house, at
the base of one of the hills, we descried a shepherd sitting upon the
rocks, apparently watching his flock, that fed upon the plain; but a
closer scrutiny proved that he was fast in the delights of a _siesta_.
Puffs of wind that came around the hills flaunted his _chiropá_ and
_poncho_ in a wild manner, which, together with his long beard, gave
him the appearance of an old gypsy.
“Now we are clear of all eaves-droppers,” said my friend, “and as we go
along, I will tell you what strange circumstances brought me here, and
why I left a good home and profitable business to wander mysteriously
on this side of the Plata. I am sometimes visionary. My friends say
so, and I believe it to be so; but the cause that tempted me to leave
a wife and child was not so visionary as some of my friends have
declared, and I mean to prove to them their error by returning to New
York, in one year’s time, a rich man. I can prove by history that a
small vessel, sailed by Spanish pirates, went ashore upon this coast,
not twenty, or at the most fifty, miles from the spot that we are now
upon. She had a large amount of money on board, which was taken ashore,
and buried not far from the wreck: two or three trees mark the spot;
they are old now, but are probably still standing. If they are not
standing, I have still another landmark to tell me where the treasure
lies.
“The first fact which I stated is supported by history; that portion
regarding the treasure is known only to me. The man who imparted the
secret was an invalid for many years past, and, therefore, unable to
come for the treasure himself. He confided it to me upon his death-bed,
in New York city, about a year since. We had been intimate for years,
and could rely on each other. Why he kept the secret from me for such
a length of time, I cannot surmise, unless it was because he hoped to
recover, and come for it himself. He died poor, and his words to me
were of this import: ‘Go to the Plata, and after coming into possession
of this hidden wealth, return with it to New York, give to my widow
three quarters, and keep the other fourth for yourself.’
“I have now only to seek out certain localities; when these are found
I shall know just where to sink my rod, and I am certain of success.
The reason that I have imparted a portion of this secret to you is,
that I must have some person to assist me in taking the treasure to
some vessel in the outer roads of Buenos Ayres. As soon as we have
ascertained that all is right, I shall despatch you to the Tigre to
purchase a boat, and as you have been long enough on board ship to
‘know the ropes,’ you will not deem it too great a risk to watch for a
fair wind, and navigate the craft across the river. We will then load
up, and steer some fine night, with the tide in our favor, for the
Mary II., that lies off the city. The captain will not be there; but
the mate is a confidential friend, and we will get our things on board
without any trouble from the Custom House officers.
“When I tell you that I have sold out a profitable business, and expect
to spend at least fifteen hundred dollars in this enterprise, you will
credit me with sanguine hopes, and conclude that I must have strong and
good reasons for risking myself and the support of my family in such a
romantic undertaking.”
I had before this heard of the Rio Plata gold hunters; but what could
I do? Advise my friend to go home to his wife, of whom he often spoke
in terms of strong affection, or assist him in his labors, and follow
after the _ignis fatuus_ that had lured him from friends and domestic
pleasures? I answered him after this wise. “Ned,” said I, “I shall
offer no opinion regarding this gold hunt, nor discourage you from an
undertaking for the success of which you confess you have embarrassed
yourself and purse; but I also have a mission to perform. I came to
this country with the intention of crossing the pampas to Mendoza, from
which town I mean to cross the Andes to Valparaiso, Chili. From the
latest and best authority I have learned that the mountains will be
impassable after the first week in May, and as it is now late in the
season to insure a safe journey to Valparaiso, it will be necessary for
me to leave Buenos Ayres in the next steamer, which will be ready to
sail in a few days. Until the sailing day I will devote my time to your
plans, but no longer.”
Though Ned spoke with enthusiasm, and promised the reward of one
thousand dollars in case of success, I remained obstinate, and debate
was dropped.
As we trudged on our journey, various birds and animals were at
times seen by us. Once two small deer approached us, and acted as if
influenced by great curiosity, and again, a tall ostrich started out
of the grass, and, raising her plumed wings, ran off at the top of her
speed.
Having reached the _estancia_ house,--our landmark already referred
to,--we halted to ask for water. The little that the family had was in
an old barrel; by the side of it was a cow’s dirty horn, out of which
we drank. We continued our journey to the next stopping-place, five
miles beyond. This was a small hut surrounded by corrals, the whole
serving as an outpost to a large _estancia_. The occupants were a lazy
gaucho and his negress wife, who invited us in, and offered _maté_; but
as our object was to find some suitable shelter for the night, we did
not remain long, but pushed on towards the River Las Vacas. Darkness
coming on, we hurried to several mud huts that loomed up in the
distance. Upon arriving at them, we found a young gaucho, who led us
into a room where a powerful-built, supercilious-looking personage was
sitting. Glancing at us carelessly, he asked us several questions; but
being ignorant of the language, we could only make use of the “Spanish
Teacher” that my friend had brought with him: we could not discover
whether he understood our requests or desires. He treated us in a very
distant manner, calling a gaucho, and ordering us off to a low, mud
hut, where a woman was cooking a strip of meat by a small fire.
The interior of the hut was filthy in the extreme, the broken walls
covered with vermin, and the whole dwelling filled with blinding smoke.
Shortly after our entrance, several gauchos came in, and conversed
together in low tones.
After a few minutes they approached us, who were seated upon a log,
and addressed numerous inquiries to my companion. Ned, with the utmost
simplicity, opened his “Teacher,” and pointed out several sentences.
The fellows at first looked at the book, and turned over several
leaves with a puzzled air, then, breaking out in a loud laugh, threw
it back into his lap. Soon one dark-visaged gaucho drew his knife,
and commenced slashing it above the head of my companion, seeming
undecided, however, to strike him.
At this manifestation of mischief, our hands grasped our Colt’s
revolvers; and if the knife had touched either of our bodies, we should
have drawn our weapons and shot down our assailants. “If they strike
us, shoot all except the old hag, who can do nothing more than give the
alarm, and take to your heels,” muttered my companion.
We sat thus for half an hour, during which time the gauchos made
several attempts to strike at our legs, but did not succeed. They
were at length called away by the old woman, who offered them their
supper. We at last asked them by signs for a bed; they pointed to a
pile of dried skins that lay heaped up in one corner of the hut. At
this the indignation of my friend could hardly be kept within bounds.
Having been accustomed to all the comforts that the great metropolis
of our country could furnish, he determined no longer to suffer the
inhospitable treatment of gauchos. Telling me to follow him, he moved
towards the door of the shanty, which was nothing more than a large
hide, swinging to and fro in the entrance.
But the gauchos would not allow us to leave; and after a vain attempt
at arguing the matter, we were at last obliged to stretch ourselves
upon the hides, and lying side by side, kept watch in turn, with
pistols in hand, through the long and uncomfortable night. When I say
uncomfortable, I mean the whole strength of the word, for the hides
were alive with vermin, and their passage over our bodies and its
attendant irritation, half crazed us both. But the longest night has an
end. An hour before daylight the gauchos arose from the ground, which
had been their bed, and lassoing their horses in the corral, galloped
off to different parts of the _estancia_.
As soon as we saw that the disagreeable fellows were certainly gone,
we arose and hurried away from the hut. The woman followed, and begged
us to come back and eat meat; but we were only too willing to leave
without a breakfast. We learned, some days later, from an Englishman,
that the owner of this _estancia_, whose name was Moreno, belonged to a
family of the most villanous character.
During the revolutions, and while the country was in the midst of
civil war, an elder brother of this Moreno became a general, and
perpetrated the most horrid deeds of cruelty. With a band of _soldiers_
he traversed that portion of the country, cutting out the tongues of
hundreds of cattle, and leaving the animals to become the prey of the
wild beasts and birds. He visited a great number of _estancias_, and
slaughtering the owners, male and female, placed in their stead his own
submissive tools.
At the close of the war, justice cried out against him, and the villain
fled the country, leaving a part of his ill-gotten possessions in the
hands of his brother.
Four or live miles beyond Moreno’s, we passed a white-washed _casa_
(house) belonging to another man equally bad with our late host.
We now entered a thinly-wooded country, with thorn trees and cacti, in
which large flocks of _palomas_--a species of turtle dove resembling
our own species--were abundant. Just before reaching the River Las
Vacas we came upon a hut of cornstalks, out of which, to our surprise,
walked an unmistakable son of Erin. He commenced at once with, “Sure,
and is it yerselves that’s afoot? Where be your hosses? Walk into the
house and be seated.”
Hurrying into the house, he commenced an onslaught upon a lot of fowls
and two or three dogs, driving them out: we entered with him. He was a
perfect specimen of the “Irish-born citizen.” He had originally come to
the country as cook to an English bark. He had much to say about the
travels and dangers that he had gone through. Speaking of the conduct
of Great Britain in meddling with the affairs of the Banda Oriental, he
expressed his dissatisfaction in the most forcible language.
“The English and Frinch intervinshun,” said he, “kilt me, as it did
all the furriners. Before it I owned two thousand head of cattle and
hosses, and had plinty of land, and was comfortable. I had a wife,
though I didn’t have time to get married to the crathur; and lucky was
I that I hadn’t, for she run off wid me money and half of me property.
I hears that the Turks are fighting the queen, and are like to succeed.
God bless them if they do. I hope she may be taken.”
We left him as soon as possible, and pushed on to the River Las Vacas,
which we soon reached, and crossed in a boat. We remained two days in
the little town on its banks, during which time Ned made many inquiries
for certain localities, but without success. Finding that nothing
could be learned here, we hired horses, and set out on our return to
the San Juan River, following along the coast of the Plata. Every few
minutes would Ned halt and repeat the three Spanish words that he had
studied for many weeks, and could now pronounce correctly. Turning to
our guide, an old lame gaucho, he would say, half inquiringly, “_Los
Tres Hermanos?_” but at each time the old man shook his head.
At last we came upon a high bluff, and the gaucho, halting, pointed
with his finger to two small islands, green with heavy foliage that
fringed their shores, and exclaimed, “_Los Dos Hermanos!_” But those
were not the islands that Ned was seeking. “_Los Dos Hermanos_,” or
“The Two Brothers,” were islands of greater size than those which my
friend sought.
“_Los Tres Hermanos_” or “The _Three_ Brothers,” had been described to
him by the dying man as “three small pointed rocks;” but Ned could not
find these. He had consulted every chart that he could procure, but not
one had the three rocks upon it. Could it be that “The Two Brothers”
had been confounded with some other islets?
But I will not dwell upon our unsuccessful search. Suffice it to say
that we both returned to the Tigre in the same steamer that had brought
us across the Plata. I left Ned busily at work upon a small boat, in
which, when finished, he intended to cross the river, and, disguised as
a roving naturalist, to skirt along the river coast in search of “_Los
Tres Hermanos_.” When I parted from him, he said, gayly, “Good by,
my friend. You have yet to travel a long road before you reach North
America. I shall be there some months before you.”
After returning to the United States, I wrote to New York, as he had
requested; but some time elapsed before an answer came, and then my
worst fears were realized. Disappointed in his search for gold, he had
accepted the first offer for employment that presented itself, and had
become the mate of the little steamer that carried us across the river
when he first embarked in his romantic speculation.
During the passage of the steamer to the upper Paraná, he fell
overboard one night, and was carried into the rapids of the river and
drowned.