injurious to the water supply taken from the River Plate a few perches lower down. These works have been recently put up by Mr. Coghlan, C.E., for the Provincial Government, at a cost of £50,000, and can distribute 1,300,000 gallons of filtered water daily through the city.

Passing the Recoleta we find a series of charming quintas along the «barranca» all the way into town. Whitfield's is one of the finest; it was built in 1823 by Mr. Wilson alias Whitfield, who had been a soldier at St. Helena and, coming to Buenos Ayres, established the first English apothecary's shop in this city. The Klappenbach quintas are occupied by English families: the grounds have been recently sold out in building lots.. The Povero Diavolo is a well-known tavern, with bowling-alleys, &c. Just below the fine quinta of Señor Estrada is Chassaing's new steam-laundry, a first-class establishment, provided with the most improved American machinery it is quite a boon to the city, which formerly depended solely on black washerwomen.

We have now reached the terminus of the Northern Railway, in the Paseo Guardia Nacional, as the adjacent thicket of willow-trees is called. The battery «a fleur d'eau» has six guns for firing salutes.

FLORES.

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San José de Flores is nearly two leagues from town by the Western Railway, and situated on a gently rising ground, with a fine view of the camps westward. The village takes its name from the founder, Don Juan Diego Flores, who ceded the ground for the purpose, and commenced a small chapel thereon. In 1808 Bishop Lue formed it into a parish out of the territory of San Isidro, the first curates being. Don Simon Bustamante and Don Miguel Garcia. The place began to attain some importance under Don Antonio Millan, who marked out the building lots and projected the building of the church. On the 11th December 1831, the church was consecrated by Bishop Medrano; it consists of three naves, and measures 120 feet long by 50 feet wide. Amongst the principal benefactors were Messrs. Terrero and Boneo. In this church was signed the treaty of 1859 between General Urquiza and the city of Buenos Ayres. Half a century ago Flores was the favorite suburb, but it suffered severely during the civil wars up to 1859. Since that time it has revived a little, and there are now many pretty quintas along the line of railway. The high road has been allowed to fall into such decay as to become almost intransitable. The partido is small, comprising only six square leagues of land, now exclusively occupied in gardens, meadows, or grain farms. So late as the

year 1855 there were «rodeos» of cattle in this partido. The town is a straggling place; on the south side of the Plaza is the church with its two belfries; on the east side the public school, a fine building with Grecian front and portico. There are 979 houses, of which 593 have azotea roofs, four are dry-goods stores, and eighty-three grocery and general ware stores. There are 422 chacras, covering about 9,000 acres; the farming stock comprises 2,472 horned cattle, 4,232 horses, 5,320 sheep, including 500 Saxony do., and 1,332 swine. At Caballito the traveller will admire the fine edifice occupied by Mr. Negrotto's school. On the road we remark the quintas of many wealthy city residents. Before reaching Flores a pretty cottage with gothic gables arrests our attention; it belonged for many years to the amiable and accomplished Manuelita Rosas, who fled to England on the downfall of her father, but still keeps the place in the utmost neatness and style. The prettiest quintas are those near the railway. Mr. Boyd's, called «Rose-hill,» is a delightful place, formerly the country-house of Mr. Parody; the gardens cover about six acres: on the opposite side of the railway is Dorrego's quinta, where General Urquiza had his head-quarters in 1859. Between the Caballito and Flores stations are the quintas of the eminent financier, Señor Riestra, of Dr. Pardo, Señor Terrero, and many others. That of Marcó del Pont, at the Flores station, presents a beautiful spectacle in Spring, being, surrounded and festooned with roses. About 500 yards westward is the delightful residence of Mr. David Methven, who bought the place in 1867 from Señor Coquet: the latter gentleman had expended a great deal of money, during sixteen years, to render this quinta what it now is; the grounds are interspersed with shady bowers, fountains, flower-knots, vineries, hot-houses, statuary, &c. and the view of fields and meadows on all sides brings vivid recollections of English farm scenery. South of the railway there are also two fine quintas, belonging to Mr. John Hughes and Mr. Stegman; the latter is occupied by Mr. H. A. Green. Nearer to the village are the cottages of Mr. Neild, Mr. Forrester, the late Dr. Leslie, and other foreign residents. Flores was once very famous for its cock-pit, and crowds would assemble on Sundays to witness the sport; but, of late years, cockfighting has gone out of fashion, much to the regret of the «pulperos.>> There is a respectable Club of young men here in the summer months, when balls are often given on Sunday evenings. It is not easy to find houses to rent for the summer months, but building-lots may be had very cheap, and many families reside here all the year round. The population of the district is set down as follows: Argentines 2,841, Italians 1,641, French 355, Spaniards 330, English 169, Germans 40, Indians 2, various 87-Total

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5,435. The State schools are attended by 91 boys and 126 girls, shewing an increase of one-third over the returns for 1863. Flores has a Justice of Peace, a municipality composed of six members, 463 National Guards, and fifty-eight Alcaldes and policemen. There is no hotel in the place, and the shops are of an inferior order. Dr. Fitzsimons had an Irish college here in 1865, but he has since removed to the province of Entre-Rios. General Gelly-Obes has a quinta near Caballito, and Dr. Velez Sarsfield's is near Almagro. The Italian «chacreros» raise beautiful fields of lucerne, which give splendid hay-crops: they also make much money by fruit and vegetables. The district of Flores is a succession of gardens, orchards, country-houses, &c. from the moment we leave the Plaza Once de Setiembre till we reach Floresta.

DARRA CAS.

Barracas is just one league south from the Plaza Victoria, and was at the beginning of the present century a charming outlet much frequented by English families. Thus from Horn's hill, where Mr. Mackinlay resided,, we pass a number of quintas, en route southwards, most of which were built by Englishmen. The Yellow House, at the turn of the road to the Boca, was built by Mr. N., who made a fortune in Paraguay, and from whose heirs it has passed into the hands of Mr. Ackerley: it was, originally three stories high, but has now only two. Hard by was a brick factory, belonging to Mr. Billinghurst and others, which was given up in 1866: strange to say, this was the spot where the early Spaniards made their first bricks, whence the hill was called Barranca de Hornos (ovens): the name Horn's Hill is not derived from the coincidence that Mr. Horn resided here, having been so called from the earliest times. Waterloo quinta, below the British Hospital, was built by Mr. Brittain, and is now the residence of Messrs. Krabbe and Williamson. A few hundred yards westward we reach a fine old English mansion: it was built by the late distinguished hero, Admiral Brown, and two old cannons, probably taken from the Brazilians, are seen at the entrance; the quinta was purchased from the Admiral's widow in 1861, by Mr. Nowell, whose family still resides here.

On the barranca of Calle Buen Orden is the Balcarce quinta: here Admiral Coe lived for a time, and it is at present tenanted by Mr. Banfield. In 1865 the quinta was cut up for building, and the splendid Instituto Sanitario is built on this ground. The adjoining quinta belongs to Señor Gonsalez Moreno, who has rented it to Mr. Zimmermann. At the foot of Calle Buen Orden is the Suarez quinta, for some time an English grammar school, kept by the late Mr. Pongerard: it at present belongs to Mr.

Holterhoff. Opposite to the Balcarce quinta is that of Señor Cambacéres, which is bounded by Langdon's fields, and is famous for delicious fruit. Further west, beyond the Southern Railway, is the Convalecencia, formerly the residence of Mr. Barton; and close to this is the Saenz-Valiente quinta, built by an Englishman in the last century, with very pretty garden and grounds. There are some cannon balls in the roof and chimney, a souvenir of the siege of Buenos Ayres in 1853.

The chapel of Santa Lucia, in the Calle Larga, is quaint and old-fashioned; it was formerly the chapel of an estanciero whose herds of horned cattle roamed over the site now occupied by Barracas, and whose estancia house is still seen (now a butcher's shop) at the Banderita corner. The feast of Santa Lucia occurs in December, and the Calle Larga is lighted with bonfires on the occasion. Videla's quinta is worthy of notice, as also a fashionable house built in the Louis Quatorze style by M. Vignal. There is another pleasant country house belonging to the wealthy family of Llavallol. Fronting the plaza of Santa Lucia is the elegant quinta of the Senillosa family: there are fountains, statues, arbors, &c., and at the end of the garden, in the rear of the house, we find a grotto and a tea-house, from the top of which there is a fine view. The Botet quintas come next, and opposite these is that of Mrs. Carreras, overgrown with weeds and fruit trees run wild. The Banderita is an ancient pulperia, famous for its horse races on Sunday afternoons: here branches off a road that leads down to the Calle Sola. The first quinta on the left was once the property of a lady named Ba beauty in her day, who afterwards died in the public hospital: an Italian gardener now lives here. A little further, on the right, is the entrance to Saenz Valiente's quinta, where the first sod of the Southern Railway was turned, on the 8th March, 1864: the first saladero in the country was established here in the eighteenth century. Next comes Mrs. Oliver's quinta, and in front that of Dr. Casajemas, who has a beautiful nursery and some fine fruit.

Returning to the Calle Larga, we meet, on the right, the delightful cottage and gardens of Don Juan Antonio Fernandez; next, the country house of Señor Subiaurre, built in Italian style; the quinta of ex-Minister Elizalde; and opposite these the Miguens' quintas, seven in number, the first belonging to Minister Avellaneda. Passing the Segovia quinta we come to that of the Atkin's family: old Mr. Atkins was an American citizen who lent £20,000 to equip the first Argentine fleet, under Admiral Brown; he died in poverty, of a broken heart, but his family got paid in 1865. The stearine candle factory of Messrs. Holterhoff & Co. is an important establishment, provided with the most improved machinery: it was inaugurated, in

presence of the chief authorities, in 1856, and produces excellent candles; some samples were sent to the Paris Exhibition of 1867: the factory is under the immediate supervision of Mr. Holterhoff, and most of the workmen are French or Germans. Next is the handsome quinta of the Herrera family, in which ground was commenced the new church of Santa Lucia, in 1863: the design was too vast, the walls having only got 4 feet high, and it is not likely the work will ever be carried out, although a church is much needed here. The candle and soap factories of Señor Mañe and Don Julio Arditi, and the quintas of Rebol and Silvestre, intervene before reaching the castellated residence of the late Señor Escribano: this is an imitation of some feudal castle seen by Señor E. in his travels on the Rhine; he died in 1862, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter. This part of the Calle Larga is a favorite «promenade á cheval» on moonlight nights in summer. The Torres quinta is at the corner of Calle California, crossing which we come to the Fabrica del Incendio, so called because Señor Sansinena had the misfortune to be twice burned down: it is a soap and candle factory. On the left side of the Calle Larga is Alzaga's quinta, now a soap factory, and a few steps further is the Tres Esquinas Railway Station. The Barracas Club has very commodious premises, with billiardtables, reading-room, salle-a-manger, &c., but the dreadful miasma produced by the saladeros and myriads of poisoned fish, on the banks of the Riachuelo, pollutes the atmosphere in this neighborhood.

The village of North Barracas has little to recommend it, consisting of su dry «barracas» for storing produce, a few liquor shops, and a State school. The streets are often impassable in wet weather, although this is the great highway to the south. Cattle for the city markets are sometimes brought in by the Calle Sola, to the great risk of the foot passengers. At the bridge a toll is collected from passengers in coaches or on horseback: a new iron bridge is in course of erection, besides a railway bridge for Mr. Wheelwright's line to Ensenada. West of the bridge is a group of houses called San Antonio. Most of the inhabitants here, and throughout Barracas, are Basques or Italians: thirty years ago there was a large Irish population, employed in the saladeros of Brown, Dowdall, Armstrong, Cambaceres, Downes, &c., but they are now mostly estancieros in the camp.

The great industry of Barracas consists in its saladeros, of which there are sixteen, beginning at the Puente Alsina. The saladero is a place fitted up for the killing of cows and mares, salting the beef and hides, and boiling down the sheep and mares' flesh to extract the grease. In former years as many as 10,000 cows and mares have been slaughtered in a day, in the busy season, but owing to the depreciation of jerked beef, and the