increased taxes and expenses, this business is now diminished. Since 1866 the rendering down of sheep has become a great business, amounting to 200,000 head monthly. For many years the Riachuelo river has been used as a sewer to carry off the offal and filth of the saladeros, and the <«<malaria» arising herefrom has been most prejudicial to public health the water of the river is often blood-red and poisons all the fish. In 1862 an Artesian well was sunk by Messrs. Sordeaux and Legout to cleanse the saladeros, but it failed in this purpose. In 1868, during the cholera, public indignation forced Government to close the saladeros for a period, but they still continue their pestilential labors, although a decree has been passed for their removal at a future date. Saladeros have afforded a staple trade from the earliest time of the Spaniards when the horned cattle were killed in millions, merely for their hides: in the present century a trade sprung up with Cuba and Brazil for jerked beef, which is exported thither in large quantities. The celerity with which the saladeros work is so great that 500 head are slain, cut up, salted, &c., in a few hours, with a comparatively small number of peons. The flesh is first hung in strips, to dry in the sun, and then put in an immense salted pile, previous to shipment. The peons earn from $40 to $200 a day, according to their skill. Between Puente Alsina and the Barracas Bridge there are six saladeros, viz.: those of Anderson, Lopez, Lezama, Cobo, Pereyra, and Medrano & Panthou. Those below the bridge are all on the south side of the Riachuelo, viz.: Llambi, Santamaria & Llambi, Cambacéres. Saavedra, Muñoa, Herrera & Baudrix, Berisso, Soler, Senillosa, and Cambaçéres. The killing season usually begins in November, and ends in May, and the «faena» sometimes amounts to 400,000 head of cattle. The returns of the total «faena» in the River Plate for 1867 were as follows:

The traveller should not omit to visit the iron girder bridge and specious workshops of the Southern railway, about 400 yards above the Barracas bridge: the bridge is one of the finest works of the kind in the continent. Hard-by is the Wool-washing factory of Mr. Isaac Rick: these works, which have been just completed, are situated about midway between the old Barracas bridge and the bridge of the Ferro-Carril del Sud on the north side of the Riachuelo. They form an entirely new industry: the wool from its usually dirty and greasy state, is converted into a material so white, clean, and free from «carretilla» and «abrojo,» and all other foreign matter, as to be scarcely recognized by those unacquainted with the process, and rendered perfectly fit for the spinners' hands on arrival in England, France, or Germany. Sorting Room-The wool in its dirty state from the shed in the yard having first been assorted here into several classes according to the length of staple and various qualities of the wool, is taken into the Scouring Room. Here it is first placed in a steeping trough containing hot-water and ingredients of a saponaceous kind, for the purpose of softening what is termed the «yolk» and loosing the dirt. Afterwards it is placed on the feeder of the scouring machine which, revolving, carries the wool into the trough of the machine holding hot-water and a scouringliquid, which is kept at a regular temperature by means of pipes bringing steam from the boiler. The wool is carried forward in this trough by means of rakes to a cylinder which lifts the wool on to a feeder, carrying it forward to rollers, which, by means of great pressure, squeeze the water from it and render it ready for the Drying Room. In this room is a machine having a very powerful fan, making 800 revolutions per minute. The wool having been spread on the open work, the fan is set in motion, and by means of the dry-air being drawn through the wool into the fan chamber, the moisture from the wool is carried thence by means of a flue, to the outside of the galpon, and the wool is in a short time rendered dry and fit for the next process. Willowing and Burring Room-In the first of these, in a machine designated in Eugland in common parlance a devil, the wool is next placed, and by means of a cylinder revolving rapidly (the teeth in which pass through the fixed teeth in the machine) any dirt which may have remained is separated from the wool and by a fan, carried through a flue to the outside of the galpon. In a short time the wool is ready for the burring machine, which is of a new and most successful kind. This machine being fed, the wool is carried through rollers revolving in different directions, whence it is taken by a cylinder on to a steel hooked roller revolving rapidly in one direction, so close to another smaller fluted roller revolving in the other direction, as to extract from the wool all

<«<carretilla,» «<abrojo,» and any other extraneous matter. Above this are revolving brushes, which take the wool from the hooked roller, at the same time brushing off every particle of dust, which is carried off by means of a powerful fan through a flue leading out of the roof of the building, leaving the wool most delicately clean and fit for manufacturing purposes it is then taken to the Packing-room and there baled for exportation. The engine, of ten-horse power, is fixed between the drying and press rooms, and by means of strong shafting and pullies running the entire length of the building, which make 200 revolutions per minute, the whole machinery and works are set in motion. The boiler and hot-water tank will be placed outside. A large tank or deposit for pumping water into from the river, has been sunk outside the building, lined with zinc, capable of holding water sufficient for nearly a week's use, so as to render the working somewhat independent of the river when low or dirty. Altogether there is an air of compactness and arrangement about the whole establishment, which must commend itself to all business men. At the Tres Esquinas, also, there is a place well worthy of notice; it is the dockyard of John Marshall, who built the first steamer in the River Plate, the Anglo Argentine, in 1863. Since then he has built the Era, the Luxan, the Estrella, and other commodious steamers for the passenger traffic of the Paraná and Uruguay; the tonnage of these steamers was as follows: Anglo-Argentino, 30 tons, 8-horse power; Era, 130 tons, 40 horse power; Estrella, 45 tons, 18-horse power; the interior fittings of these vessels were also done by Marshall, who has a carpenter's shop attached to his iron works; he gives employment to a large number of hands: he also constructed the vessels of light draught for Mr. Señorans' expedition up the Rio Vermejo. During a quarter of a century this persevering man, who came thither a poor mechanic, has toiled successfully for his adopted country and with great credit to himself, notwithstanding the oppressive duties on iron and coal, which weigh down this industry.

THE BOCA.

Following the sinuous course of the Riachuelo towards its mouth we pass a number of «barracas» where a bustling trade is always going on, either receiving produce from the coasting-craft, or baling wool for shipment, or embarking hides, wool and bone-ash in lighters for the vessels in the roadstead. The Llavallol and Balcarce «barracas» are notable for their great size; next come those of Temperley and Bunge. Near the last named is Mr. Younger's steam «lavadero» for washing sheepskins, the first

of the kind started in the country: this enterprising Scotchman brought his machinery from England, and began his works very successfully in 1866 since then other «lavaderos» have been established, and the Government has in a measure favoured the industry by charging no higher duties on washed wool and sheepskins than on unwashed.

We are now in the region of Italian boat builders, and the sounds of the saw and hammer are heard on all sides. This is the Boca, distant about half a league by railway from the city, and consisting of an assemblage of painted wooden houses, in the midst of a rank vegetation. The language of the place is a corrupt Genoese dialect. Numbers of coasting craft from the up river ports, the islands of the Paraná, and the Gran Chaco, bring cargoes of oranges, vegetables, charcoal, firewood, &c., for the use of the city; the master and crew are invariably Italians, and all part owners of both vessel and cargo. The Riachuelo has so many bends that the navigation is most difficult: the tides are treacherous, depending chiefly on the wind, and vessels are sometimes delayed a week or more for want of sufficient draught of water. There is a Captain of the Port, with four subordinates and fifteen sailors. The best stores are those of Casares and Roncoroni Pini. The whole village is at times inundated, the flood reaching as far as the Calle Larga of Barracas: there is also much danger of fire, the houses being of wood. The situation is low, damp, and unwholesome, and the cholera made great havoc here. There is no church for the inhabitants, who are supposed to belong to the parish of San Telmo. The ccommunication with the city is by rail and omnibus, fare $5 and $3. The inhabitants are orderly and industrious, mostly occupied in building or repairing small vessels of 20 to 100 tons, which trade with all the ports of the Paraná and Uruguay. The official returns show that there are thirty of these dockyards, employing 40 master builders, 150 carpenters, 85 caulkers, 9 blacksmiths, and 25 sawyers. In 1864 they built 11 schooners and 15 smaller craft, with an aggregate tonnage of 876 tons, the timber used being all hard woods, such as urunday, algarroba, quebracho, lapacho, &c., from Paraguay and the Gran Chaco. There are 117 lighters, manned by 465 sailors, constantly engaged between the Boca and the vessels in port. The returns of coasting trade show 37 steamers and 2,902 schooners entered during the year, with an aggregate of 71,474 tons. Mr. Hodge and Mr. Sherman have foundries on the south side of the stream, with which there is a ferry. For some time the superannuated war steamers of the Republic might be seen here, as also the «drag» brought out by Government for cleansing the port, but which was suffered to stick here uselessly in the mud. In July 1867, the American clergyman, Rev.

W. Goodfellow, started a school for both sexes in the Boca. If, before leaving this industrious neighborhood, the stranger have time to visit Younger's lavadero, he will find it well worth while. The apparatus for burring and scouring, as also the baling press, are driven by steam power. The machinery is of the best description, and the scene is very animated when all is in full play. There are twenty men constantly employed, who can turn out 300 dozen sheepskins and 300 arrobes washed wool per day. Mr. Younger obtained a prize at the Paris Exhibition, the only one given for this industry in South America: his residence is adjoining the works, which are about to be enlarged to meet the increased demand: the establishment stands on eight acres. It seems clearly ascertained that the first Spanish discoverers made their landing at the Boca. There is a Resguardo at the mouth of the Riachuelo, to prevent smuggling: the adjacent grounds, south side, are the property of Mr. Demarchi. Most of the lands on the north side belonged to the Brittain family, but were sold by auction in 1865, the purchaser being Mr. Charles Jackson. The highroad from the Boca to town has been paved as far as the Yellow House, and is now a great facility to trade. The population of the Boca will probably amount to 3,000. It is situate within the municipal boundary, and has therefore no local authorities.

SOUTH BARRACAS.

The Barracas bridge being the municipal boundary, the district of South Barracas forms a distinct «partido» of the province, but it is really a suburb of Buenos Ayres. This flourishing village, distant one league from the Plaza Victoria, would be an exceedingly pleasant place but for the smell of the saladeros: these are eleven in number, as already enumerated, and give employment to a large and industrious population. There are some very good shops, and the people have a well-to-do look. The main street, Calle Mitre, is wide and well-built, but sometimes almost impassable from «pantanos.>> The church is a fine new building, erected mostly by contributions from the Basques, and has two belfries that are visible several leagues off: there are six side altars, kept remarkably neat by the several families of Panthou, Gimenez, &c. to whose care they are entrusted. Don Enrique O'Gorman is owner of much landed property hereabout. In Calle Brown there is a «corral» for pigs, belonging to Señor Soler. Don Lorenzo Torres has some land bordering on the Arroyo Crucecita, which is crossed by travellers going southward, to the Puente Chico and Quilmes. The cemetery of South Barracas is not far from the church. There are

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