a furnished room, for twelve dollars per month, in the house of a decent elderly widow; it was situated in the patio, a beautiful aromatic shrub on one side of the door, and a jessamine on the other, and the neatness and cleanliness which prevailed every where, could not be surpassed. I found my situation so comfortable, that I was unwilling to change it, even after the commissioners had been fixed in their new establishment. Donna Marcella was, besides, an acquaintance of some importance; she knew every one in the city, was shrewd and intelligent, and far from being inclined to hide her light under a bushel. Her house was much frequented by the middle class of people, and even occasionally by those of the higher ranks, if there can properly be said to be any distinction; for the equality prevailing in this respect, is much greater than in the United States; the transition is very sudden, from the respectable part of the community to the lowest grades; the difference can scarcely be considered as founded on the difference of occupations, and not always on purity of character, and correctness of deportment.

After the formalities and ceremonies of our reception by the authorities of the state and city, we had next to go through the duty of receiving and returning visits, which was attended with no small consumption of time. The proportion of the military and clergy among our visitors, led us to form rather an unfavorable opinion of their influence in society. In our cities, on occasions like the present, the most prominent persons, after those in public life, would be of the professions, the clergymen, lawyers and physicians, gentlemen in easy circumstances, and merchants of standing.

But some allowance was to be made, for the warlike attitude this city has so long maintained, and the tendency of arms to arrogate all public attention and importance. I afterwards found, also, that many of the military figurantes, were something like Dr. Ollapod, of the corps of the Galen's head, not soldiers by profession, but probably not wanting in courage to face an invading enemy. In the short and superficial conversations which usually took place, much information could not be gleaned; they generally turned upon the political events of the country. They uniformly spoke with great humility of their political transactions, but dwelt with satisfaction on their efforts in war, and expressed no doubt or apprehension of their ultimate success. They lamented the want of general information, and in speaking of the Spanish misgovernment, the neglect of education and morals, was always the most prominent theme. The frequent changes and revolutions amongst them; the dissentions between different provinces, when a concentration of all their strength was necessary, and the instability of the government hitherto, were spoken of with evident regret. They contrasted these evils with the Elysian fields, which their imaginations represented to them in the United States; the country where factions and dissentions are unknown; where unity of sentiment and brotherly love every where prevail. This language could only be considered complimentary, for some of them, I found, were not ignorant of our "faults on both sides," although they had never read Mr. Carey's Olive Branch.* We could do no less than

*I presented a copy of this excellent work to a member of the Congress, Mr. Villegas, an eminent lawyer.

compliment them in turn, and speak in high terms of the proofs they had given of national spirit.

Among our most distinguished visitors, were Alvarez and Rondeau, the former a young man of twentyeight or thirty, of fine appearance and elegant manners. He appeared to be extremely desirous of cultivating our acquaintance: his conversation was interesting and intelligent. He had been in the army from his youth; he is a native of Arequipa in Peru, and has several brothers at this time in the Spanish servicesuch is the nature of civil war. He is married to a niece of general Belgrano, a very superior woman, both in point of personal beauty and accomplishments; he possesses an elevation and manliness of character, that would do honor to any country. Rondeau, is a small man, but of a firm and manly carriage, apparently about fifty years of age. He was one of the prisoners taken by the British on their first invasion of this country, and carried to England, whence he found his way to Spain, and served some time in the war of the Peninsula, but returned to Buenos Ayres, like other Americans, when his country required his services. He has taken a distinguished part in the revolution, was several times entrusted with the siege of Monte Video, and had brought it nearly to a close, when superseded by Alvear. He gained two victories over the Spaniards in Peru, but lost the battle of Sipe-sipe in November, 1815, though not through deficiency of skill and prudence; which was admitted by his opponent, the Spanish general, Pezuela, He was, however, recalled from the command, and his popularity was for a time obscured. He has an amiable family, but like most of the distinguished officers in

this service, his circumstances are rather narrow. Another officer of distinction is general Soler, a remarkably fine figure, six feet two or three inches in height, and of a very soldierly appearance. In private life, however, he is said to be dissipated, and some anecdotes are related of him which give a somewhat unfavorable cast to the state of manners. His wife is a very beautiful but high spirited woman. Soler commanded the vanguard which crossed the Andes, and for his conduct at the battle of Chacabuco, was presented with a sword on the field by San Martin. This gave rise to a series of publications; his enemies not conceiving him entitled to the reward: those who are inclined to take the middle course, say, that it was an act of generosity on the part of San Martin, that the act for which he rewarded Soler, was in reality, performed by himself, but that Soler had rendered important services as a disciplinarian, and in crossing the mountains. Thus it will be perceived, that the same jealousy of their military fame prevails in this country as in others. A collection of the different publications of this description that have issued from the press of Buenos Ayres, will furnish some valuable materials for history. We were sometimes visited by Sarratea, who has once been a conspicuous member of the government, and afterwards an agent of the court of London. He is a man of considerable talents and general information; but from all I could learn, does not stand high in the government, and still lower with the people.

We were frequently visited by a venerable old man, Funes, dean of Cordova, and the author of the Civil History of Buenos Ayres. Few have taken a more

active part in the political events of the country. He received the rudiments of his education from the Jesuits, and afterwards completed it in Spain. He is an excellent belles lettres scholar, and his writings bear evidence of his extensive reading, and classic taste. In the year 1810, at a council convened by Leniers and Concha, he was the only one who voted in favor of acknowledging the junta of Buenos Ayres; when the troops of that place marched against Cordova, he and his brother interceded for the life of Leniers, and the bishop Orillana; but as respects the first, without success. He was afterwards a member of the junta of observation, and took an active part in the politics of the day. In the revolutionary convulsions which ensued, he experienced his share of mortifications. He does not seem to have foreseen the troubled and distracted state necessarily produced by such events, and, in consequence, to be somewhat under the influence of chagrin and disappointment. His interests and feelings attaching him to Cordova, his native place, he is inclined towards what is called here the federative system; which is essentially dif ferent from ours; but he also thinks that until their independence can be accomplished, it is absolutely necessary to waive all pretensions of this kind, for the sake of a concentration of their strength. I cultivated his acquaintance with assiduity, and through him became acquainted with a number of others, who frequented his house. The native priests, in general, though enthusiastic in the cause, and fond of indulging in eloquent declamations, are rather timid politicians. They want nerve for action, and they have a kind of time serving suppleness, acquired by the