an affluent of this river is called El Pantanoso. The Langueyú on the east, and the Gualichu, Azul, and Arroyo de los Huesos on the west, are also considerable water-courses. There are sundry small lagoons, such as the Barrancosa, Posada, Cerones, Chilcas, Nanyu, Colorado, Bueyes, and Espadaña. The partido comprises the following estancias: Name. Vela, family, Udaquiola, Casal, .... R. Basualdo,... The Vela territory lies between the Langueyú and the Chapaleofú, comprising twenty square leagues, besides twelve square leagues on the other side of the Langueyu, already mentioned in the partido of Arenales. Southward and also on the banks of the Chapaleofu is the Diaz Velez estate, one half of which is in like mauner in the next partido, the whole forming thirty-five square leagues of land. The Udaquiola property is called Estancia de la Compañia (perhaps it belonged once to the Jesuits): it is near the Laguna Colorado, and the Chiclana estancia adjoins. Santa Rosa is another large estate, formerly belonging to Messrs. Lannusse Bros. and Don Juan B. Peña, and now the property of Don Calixto Moujan: it is westward of the Chapaleofu, lying between that river and the Arroyo de los Huesos. Southward and between the same rivers are the lands of Alzaga and Rodriguez., Monte Gualichu is on the arroyo of that name, and in this neighborhood are the estancias cf Rojas, Ortiz, Basualdo, Echeverria, and the public lands. In the centre of the partido we find Casal, Martinez, and Serpa; on the borders of Pila are the Silva, Casalins, and Letamendi estancias. There are no statistical returns; a portion of this partido was formerly included in Azul, and the rest belonged to Pila. There is neither church, school, nor town in the district the centre of the partido is distant 14 leagues N. of Tandil; 15 E. of Azul; 38 W. of Cape San Antonio; and 20 S. of Terrero's bridge on Rio Salado. Justice of Peace, Don Francisco M. Letamendi. Azul. Situate fifty-five leagues S.W. of Buenos Ayres, has an area of nearly 400 square leagues, and comprises the following estancias:-- Besides the above there is a number of smaller holdings called «Los, Suertes del Azul,» each comprising three-quarters of a square league of land; they are 252 in number, viz.: Alvarez, Alicate, Aramo, Aguilar, Almada, Avalos, Acosta, Aguirre, Berdun, Baigorrea, Balcarce (2), Bardas (2), Baldovino (2), Ballesteros, Belgrano, Barragan, Balvidares, Burgos (3), Bustos, Coronel (2), Cabrera (2), Calandria, Chaves, Castellanos, Carabajal, Castro, Cejas, Carmona, Dhers (2), Diaz, Espinosa (2), Echagüe, Figueroa, Fillon (2), Ferreyra, Fernandez, Guzman, Gonsalez (2), Guerrico, Guedes, Genova (3), Garro, Galvan, Grigera, Giles, Hornos (3), Herrera, Huertas, Izeta, Ibañez, Lopez (3), Lujan, Lara, Leiva, Leal, Lencina, Lasota, Merlo, Medina (3), Maldonado (2), Maya, Moron, Montenegro (2), Martinez (2), Mendez, Morua, Marquez, Matas, Navas (4), Ocampos, Olivera, Preciado, Prado, Pullisa, Ponce, Perez, Peralta, Pozo, Riovó, Rodriguez (8), Rinun, Rojas, Romero, Roldan (3), Sequeira, Salas (2), Sayago (2), Silva (1), Ramirez (6), Solano, Tenor, Bustamante, Ulloa, Urbina, Urquijo, Uran, Vega, Villalba, Villarnel, Zavala, Zurita, Carriso, Celaya, Luna, and 104 others, covering altogether an area of 189 square leagues; These suertes surround the town of Azul, and are bounded on the E. by the Arroyo Cortaderas, and on the W. by the Talaquen river: they extend in a straight fine from the borders of Las Flores, in a S.W. direction to the desert, for a distance of twenty-two leagues. The Azul river flows through the midst of them, and in the south there is a barrier of hill-ranges separating them from the Indian pampas: these hills are designated Sierra Redondo, Pereguino, Sotuno, and Baya, and three leagues further out stands Fort Perdido, in a cañada of the same name The estancias of Llavallol, Viton, Vidal and Dominguez are situate between the Arroyos Cortaderos and Los Huesos, on the borders of Tandil. Further south in the billy country we find Cox, Acosta, and Anchorena, the last-named in the vicinity of Cerro Colorado. The frontier line runs S.E. along these bills, from Sierra Quillalanquen (in the adjoining partido of Fapalquen) to Sierra la Tinta near the head-waters of the Quequen Grande, ahout twenty-four leagues from the ocean. The distance from Quillalanquen to the Sierra Tinta is twenty-six leagues: about seven leagues E. of Quillalanquen is Fort Perdido, and four leagues further E. we meet Fort Miñana, built on the estancia of the Miñana family, near Lake Nutria four leagues S. is Fort Otamendi, beyond the frontier line, and there are numerous estancias for some leagues even beyond this fort, which is near a lagoon called La Barrancosa. These estancias are Martinez, Roldan, Aguirre, Gutierrez, Barda, Peñalva, &c.; and between Fort Otamendi and the frontier we find the settlements of Don Felipe Botet and Señor Iturralde, in the vicinity of Cerro La Plata and Cerro Canete. The large estate of the late Prudencio Rosas lies east of the town of Azul extending as far as Arroyo Corina. The properties cf Ulloa, Cordoba, and Islas are on the banks of the Arroyo Los Huesos. This part of the country until recently suffered much from Indian. incursions, but is now comparatively unmolested. Numbers of young Englishmen are settling down here, as land is abundant and cheap: some have sheep-farms on rented lands, others occupy themselves in fattening cattle for the city market, and in this way young men of limited capital and active habits find a better start than in any other part of the River Plate territories. Azul, however, is not without its drawbacks, in the lawless state of society at present existing. One-third of the inhabitants are what is termed «tame Indians,» but a worse feature is the number of escaped vagabonds prowling about the frontier. The land is suitable both for sheep and cattle. The official valuation is $120,000, and some English farmers have bought from Government at $160,000 per square league; but sales between private parties generally go as high as $250,000; total valuation $57,000,000, against $34,000,000 in 1861; Contribucion tax $228,000. Population-3,562 Argentines, 2,760 Indians, 914 French, 503 Spaniards, 230 Italians, 58 Germans, 56 English, 165 various; total 10,219. There are 387 houses and 1,988 ranchos. Stock returns-822,700 cows, 77,99 í horses, 20,627 fine sheep, 812,023 mestiza sheep, 427,680 creole sheep, and 1,472 swine; being an average of 2,000 cows, 200 horses, and 3,000 sheep per square league. There are 9 alcaldes, 29 tenientes, 14 police, and 350 National Guards. There is a considerable amount of land under cultivation, comprised in 147 chacras, with an aggregate of nearly 100,000 acres. The town of Azul has long been a place of trade and importance on the Indian frontier, and the head-quarters of the Government forces in the south. Before the Paraguayan war the garrison comprised 100 cavalry and 550 infantry of the Line, besides National Guards auxiliaries. In former years the place suffered much in the Indian wars, and it was besieged by the savage tribes only twelve years ago. It is now a rising town of 5,000 inhabitants, situated on the Azul river and surrounded by chacras. There are a church, schools, 162 shops and houses, a barrack, two mills, several brick-kilns, and some well-planted quintas. The best houses are those of Aguerribem, Brid, Bolondo, Chayé, Corneille, Mallet; Medrano, Aniran, Bastos, Belagoni, Cedrun, Ibarra, Ireverria, Lasalle, Leguisamon, Pereda, Payro!, Perez, Meabe, Rodriguez, and Vichy, valued from $70,000 upwards. The mills are those of Dhers and Riviere. The -state-schools are attended by 75 boys and 73 girls. The municipality intend to build new school-houses, town-hall, and prison, for which purpose they have $200,000 lodged in bank. The Provincial branch-bank of Azal was established in 1867, with a capital of $3,000,000 me, for the districts of Azul, Rauch, Tapalquen, Tandil, and Necochea. The principal trade of the town is with the Indians, who sell stolen hides, rugs of their own manufacture, skins of beasts, &c.; the store-keepers pay them partly in liquor, but the authorities wisely take their arms from them before getting intoxicated. Governor Alsina in 1867 tried to prevail on the Indians to move further out, but their «tolderias» are pitched close to the town on the very estancias sacked by them in 1855. The foreign residents very often do police-duty, and they have recently asked the Government for a supply of 400 muskets. The town has a municipality of four members; municipal revenue $140,000. Azul may be reached in 21 days from town, via Southern Railway to Altamirano station, whence the diligence starts on arrival of the morning train; the distance from Altamirano to Azul is about forty-two leagues. Azul is situate 12 leagues E. of the Sierra Quillalanquen, 16 N.W. of Tandil, 52 from the sea-board, 38 W.S. W. of Dolores, 21 S.W. of Las Flores, and 91 S.S.B. of the town of Tapalquen. Justice of Peace, Don José M. Medrano; Curate, Rev. Eduardo Martini; Postmaster, Don Manuel G. Bonorino. Tandil. Situate 60 leagues S.S.W. of Buenos Ayres, has an area of 165 square leagues. The partido is bounded on the N.E. by Arenales and Ranch, on the N.W. by Azul, on the S.W. and S. by Necochea and Loberia, and on the E. by Balcarce. About eight leagues beyond the Tandil is the Sierra Tinta, where some excellent marble has been found; Dr. Burmeister classifies it as «Argentine agate marble.» Señor Borjes made explorations in 1864, and found the marble lying from twelve to twenty feet below the surface, and assuming different colors according to its depth: the veins extend for a great distance and are very accessible for waggons. The owner of the land (Señor Vela) advanced Borjes £100 for the enterprise, but the latter failed to get up a company, and the idea has not since been taken up. Before the MM |