that I can call to mind, I will relate two important and interesting episodes. On the 17th September, 1865, the Comandante of Patagones, accompanied by several Argentine officials and a military guard, performed the ceremony of formally giving us possession of the territory and naming our first town the 'The Rawson,' in honor of Dr. William Rawson, the Minister of the Interior, who has manifested a true and deep interest in the establishment of the colony. In March 1866, a sealer entered New Bay, and two of the settlers availed themselves of the opportunity to migrate to the Falkland Islands. This desertion suggested to others of a similar class the idea of sending a memorial to the Falkland Islands praying to be removed from the Welsh settlement. The memorial misrepresented the state of affairs, and was dispatched without the knowledge of the general body of the settlers. In consequence of that memorial Her Britannic Majesty's ship Triton visited the colony in June last, to remove the people in a body, if necessary. This offer caused the greatest astonishment in the settlement, and enquiries were made to ascertain who among them had been guilty of sending the memorial. The commander of the Triton produced the document for inspection, when it was found that very few names had been appended, and the greater part of those individuals denied their complicity when taxed with it. We at once declined to leave the colony, and the Triton, having assisted us to repair our little schooner and presented us with a cask of lime-juice, left us where we chose to remain.>>

In 1868 a sad misfortune befell the colony in the loss of the little schooner and six of the colonists, viz. :-Robert F. Nagle, captain, from Liverpool; George Jones, from Liverpool; James Jones, from Caermarthenshire, having a wife and family in the colony; Thomas D. Evans, Manchester, also having a wife and family in the colony; David Davies, from Aberdare, having his parents in the colony; and Thomas Cadivor Woods, Secretary of the Welsh Colonising Company at home, who had recently arrived in the Colony to report upon it, and had taken a trip to see Patagones before returning home.

The colony sustained another loss in the departure of ten settlers, who have joined the Californian colony in the Gran Chaco. Latest advices are, however, more cheering:-«The Colony is marching steadily onward. The provisions, clothes, and wheat, barley, and cattle were all safely landed, and caused universal joy and activity. Active Indian trade has been done, and was doing when I left.»>

The success of the Welsh Colony may be said to rest on the future support it will meet with in regard to an augmentation in its number. It is almost superfluous to remark that any new batch of emigrants would not

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encounter the same misfortunes that befell the original settlers. Too great stress, however, cannot be laid on the following points as a guide to emigrants who may contemplate joining their countrymen :

1. That they should come out with some capital.

2. That they should bring with them ploughs, hand-mills, seeds, and lumber, for the construction of huts, as there are few trees in the country.

3. That they should sail from England in the month of March, in order to arrive at the Chupat in time to prepare the ground they will be called upon to cultivate, before the season for sowing, which in this country is in the months of May and June.

FREE LAND-GRANTS AT BAHIA BLANCA.

It will interest many Englishmen who come to this country with the intention of settling, to know that camp can be taken out direct from the Argentine Government in «propiedad,» at Bahia Blanca to the extent of one «suerte» (6,700 acres) in one name, on condition that a house or <«<rancho» is built upon the land, and a flock of sheep placed upon it, within one year after allotment. The cost of solicitation, and surveying, &c., say £40. By a flock of sheep is meant 1,000 head.

After allotment of camp a deposit is required of $10,000 mpc. or £80, to be made with the Provincial Bank, which is returned when the above conditions have been complied with, but is forfeited should the depositor fail to comply. The Provincial Bank allows six per cent. per annum on this deposit. At the end of two years, when the Justice of the Peace of the district has certified that all conditions have been duly carried out, the title deeds are forthcoming. It must be distinctly understood that the land must be occupied during the whole of the term of two years. Land can still be obtained within twelve or fourteen leagues of the town and port of Bahia Blanca, and all the banks of the numerous rivers in the neighbourhood have not been taken up, though with the increasing number of new settlers going down this will not long be the case.

It is stated that vessels of any tonnage can enter the bay, and there seems no doubt that a good landing place might easily be found. The present settlement is composed chiefly of Englishmen, who would welcome any new settlers, and give them all the assistance in their power. The close proximity of the Indians is the chief drawback; but so long as cattle is not reared, there is little to tempt them within range of the Snider rifles. Indians cannot carry corn on horseback, neither do sheep travel on foot fast enough for their purpose, so this is no very great impediment after all. The frontier is to be moved to within thirty leagues of Bahia Blanca,

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at the close of this unhappy war, which will give greatly increased protection.

The land and climate are both admirably suited for agriculture, and the natives grow a great deal of corn there already. It may be mentioned, that scarcely three years ago land could be obtained at Azul on the same terms as at Bahia Blanca, and it now fetches $100,000 or about £800 per «<suerte.>> The latter place has the great advantage of a seaboard, while all the produce of the former has to be conveyed to market in bullockcarts at no small cost.

Sheep-Picked flocks can be bought at $20 m/c, or 3s. 4d. per head, and fatten wonderfully on these camps. There seems no reason why sheepfarmers should not boil down their own sheep, and thus net the profit of the saladero, and save the great loss of grease, which travelling any number of. leagues must always entail. This could the more easily be done here,. as the transit is comparatively easy.

Intending settlers should secure the services of some good English laborers, as native labor is both scarce and dear. The usual wages are from $300 to $350, or say £2 10s. to £3 per month. A steamer runs once a month between Buenos Ayres and Bahia Blanca, and as there is no opposition at present, the charges are very high, but directly there is sufficient trade to make one pay, it will not be difficult to get one on the berth to make regular passages at moderate rates. There is also an Italian. schooner which makes frequent trips to Bahia Blanca, bringing up the produce of the place. Bahia Blanca being situated so far from Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, will never be troubled by the many revolutions which so often occur here, which is of itself a great thing in its favor. In the face of the bad returns that sheepfarming has given during the last few years, coming settlers ought to turn their attention in the direction of this noted corn-growing district.

An Englishman who recently made a trip to Bahia Blanca and Patagones, describes those places as well suited for new settlers; his narrative is the following -

<«<We started from Buenos Ayres in the steamer Patagones, on the 10th: ult., and after three days of beautiful weather arrived at the port of Bahia Blanca. The entrance to this place must prove a great drawback to its future advancement, as the windings of the channel remind one of trying to follow the turns of a corkscrew. From the steamer's anchorage to the shore appears to be about a mile distant, but the windings of the creek are such that the boats have to be rowed at least a league. However, having overcome these little difficulties, we reached the mole (which is constructed

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of several old bullock carts), and were kindly received by Señor Coronti, who furnished us with horses to proceed to the town, which is about two leagues from the landing-place. Having taken a walk round in the evening we saw all that is to be seen about the town, which is not much, though there are some nice chacras and quintas in the vicinity. Next morning, Señor Coronti had horses ready for us, and his son kindly accompanied us as a guide, to have a look at the camps on the Naposta, which is a small river rising in the interior, and running through the town. For two or three leagues up the stream the valley of the Naposta is under cultivation, and the wheat crop looks very promising. The camps we found much better than we had anticipated, and Señor Coronti offers very fair terms to settlers, and great praise is due to him for the way in which he has exerted all his energy for the advancement of Bahia Blanca, and for his unbounded hospitality to strangers. In the evening we were introduced to the commandant, who showed us through the fort, which, in comparison with the others we have seen on the frontier, is certainly a model of neatness and order. The following morning we embarked for Patagones, and in eighteen hours found ourselves off the mouth of the Rio Negro; the bar being in good order for crossing, we at once entered this finest of Argentine rivers, and steamed up to the town of Carmen or Patagones, lying about seven leagues from the mouth of the river. We were favorably impressed with the first appearance of the country. The banks on each side of the river (which at the town is about 150 yards wide), are beautifully laid out in chacras, quintas, &c., and the trees and range of hills beyond reminded us more of the old country than anything we have as yet seen in South America. Having effected a landing, which is much more easily accomplished here than in most Argentine ports, the steamer lying within about ten yards from the north bank, we found that Patagones was far before the sister town of Bahia Blanca in its accommodation for travellers, each family seeming to vie with the other in trying to make strangers feel at home.

<«<But, to resume our journey. The next morning, having got horses from Señor Aguirre, who offers every assistance to parties wishing to look at the camps, we started up the north side of the river, which, for a distance of six or seven leagues, until you reach the Fortin, is thickly covered with a bushy scrub, the range of hills coming down to the river's edge. But, after passing this, the country opens out into fine level camp, lying between the hills and the river, which we found covered with excellent pasture. The sheep and cattle were very fat, and the flocks remarkably clean. Towards evening we arrived at the China Muerta estancia, belonging to Señores Heusser and Clarez, where we stayed till next morning. This

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estancia is one of the finest in this part of the country; the camp is excellent, and has a large river frontage, besides permanent 'lagunas' in the back. Next morning we resumed our journey, and arrived at the Guardia in time for breakfast. This is a stirring little place, there being no less than six stores, all of which seem to do a strong trade with the Indians; several tame tribes of the latter live in the vicinity, and are constantly to be seen going about in their native costume of 'quillangos.' The same evening we arrived at the estancia of four Scotchmen, the first of our countrymen settled in this quarter, and who, with their proverbial hospitality, insisted on our making this our headquarters during our stay. We were happy to see that though but lately started they had made very fair progress, and were looking forward to good returns.

<«We crossed the Rio Negro at the Guardia, and swam our horses over, and then rode up some four leagues to the 'tolderia' of the Indian cacique Saihueque, who had just arrived from the Manzanas, with about 130 men. From Buenos Ayres accounts of these Indians we expected to meet a set of ferocious savages, and consequently felt rather doubtful what kind of reception we should get; but we were agreeably surprised to find the chief a fine looking, intelligent, and altogether superior man, who received us very kindly. We spent a couple of hours with him, squatted in front of his toldo, and before leaving we purchased a few skins, &c., from them, and returned highly delighted with our visit. To a stranger, an Indian 'tolderia,' or encampment, with its huts of guanaco skins, and its swarthy inhabitants variously engaged-some cooking, some bringing firewood, others sleeping, and the women sewing the 'quillangos' with ostrich sinews-the war lances stuck in the earth in front of the tents, and the immense number of horses feeding over the plains, is altogether an imposing and interesting sight. These Indians do not disturb the country, as in the northern provinces; but come in, quarterly, for the rations allowed to them by the Government, and therefore it is to their interest to keep themselves quiet.

<«<Returning to the north side, we rode up some eight leagues further on. Here, as lower down, the camps were in excellent condition. The 'rincons' formed by the river are very numerous, and well suited for agriculture; this is carried on to a good extent in the district, both sides of the river being under cultivation, and the wheat crops looking very promising. The next day, having said good-bye to our countrymen, we again crossed the river at the Guardia, returning to the town on the south side. Here the camp looked beautiful, and was of much larger extent than that on the north side, the hills being very far from the river.