The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-10
LIFE IN THE ARGENTINE REPUSLIC.

The character of the country has Its usual
effect on the inhabitants. Colonel sarmiento
''When the solitary caravan of wagons, as 1t
pluqpishly travrIses the pampas halts for n
short period of rest, the men in charge OF 1t,
grouped around their scauty fire, turn their
eyes mechanically towards the south upon the
faintest whisper OF the wind among the dry
grass, and gaze into the deep darkness Of the
night IN search of the sinister visages of the
savage horde, which, at any moment approach
Ing UnperceiVed, may surprise them. Ii no sound
reaches their ears, u their sight tsils TO pierce
the gloomy veil which covers the silent wilder
nesE, they direct their eyes, before entirely dis
missing their appIehensions, to the cars OF any
horse standing within the hrelight, to see II
they are pricked up, or turned carelessly
'Then they resume their interrupted couver-
sation, or put into Their mouths the half
subsist. When not fearful OF the approach Of
the savage, the plainsman has equal cause to
dread the keen eyes of the tiger or the viper
beneath his teet This constant insecurity OF
lite outside the towns, in my opinion, stamps
upon the Argentine character a certain stoic4l
resignation to death by violence, which is
regarded as one OF the inevitable probabilities
of existence. Perhaps this Is the reason why
they inhict death or submit to it with so much
indifference, and why such events make no deep
or lasting Impressions upon the survivors,"
GREAT RIVERS UNUSED.
The great rivers which drain the pampas are
REGARDED rather as hindrauces than as helps by
the gauchos.
'lnuS" (ShyS Ine autnOT) 'Jne FOUNTAIN OF
tional growth, the origin of the early celebrity
of Egypt, the cause of Hollands greatness, and
OF the rapid development OF North America, the
navigation of rivers, or the use of canals, re-
mans latent po yer, unapprecae1 by the in-
habtants OF the banks ot the Bernejo, Pilco-
mayo, Parana and Paraguay. A few small YES
sels, manned by Italians and adventure sail
up stream from the Plata, but after ascending
few leagues even this avigaton entirely ceases.
The instinct of the sailor, which the Saxon colo
nists OF the North possess in so high degree,
~ haaf bod flNn aeI
spirit is needed to stir these arteries in which
nations life-blood now lies staguant. or all
these rivers, which should bear civilization,
power and wealth to the most hidden recesses
of the continent, and make of Santa Fe, Entire
Rios, Corrieutes, Cordova, Saltas Tucuman and
Jujui, rich and populous States, the Plata alone,
which at last unItes them all bestows its bene-
fits upon the inhabitants of its banks"
THE LIFE OF THE PLAINS.
The life of the plains is thus described
Moreover, these Oulstretched plaIus impart
to the lie OF the interior a certain AsIatic color
ing, which we may even call very decided. /
have often mechanically saluted the moon, as
1t rose calmly and brightly, with these words of
folney in his description OF the Rutns:-'La-
plein elune P0rient Bielevait sur un fond beu-
atre aux PLANES rives de rEuphrate.' There is
something In the wlds OF the Argentine terri
tory whlcn brings to mind the wllds of Asia;
the imagination discovers q likeness between
the pampa aud the plains lying bet Reen the
Euphrates and the Tlgis: some affinity bet Ween
the lonely line of wagons which crosses our
WASTES. arriving at buenOS AyreS atler
journey lasting for months, and the caravan
OF camels which takes 1t way towards
Bagdad or Smyrna. The wagons whIcu
make such Journeys among us, constitute, so to
speak, squaGroDs of little barks, the crews of
which have peculiar dress, dialect and set of
customs, which distinguish them from their
llowcountrYmen' Just as the sailor differs
military leader, ike the chief of Asiatic
caravan; tins position can be filled only by a
man of iron Will and daring to the verge of
raslnpss. that check a. IL
dscity and turbulence of the land pirates who
are to be directed and ruled by himself
alone, for no help can be summoned in the
desert. On the least symptom OF insubordi-
nation, the captain raises his iron chjoote,
and delivers upon the mu.iueer blows
which make contusions and wounds; If
to lis pistols, the help OF which he generally
scorns, he leaps from his horse, grasos his tor
mldable knife, and, quickly re'establishes his
authority by his superior skill in handling 1T. If
any one loses his life under such discipline the
leader is not ans werable for the assassination,
which is regarded as an exercise of legitimat
authority.
"From these characteristics arises in the life
of the Argentine people the reign of brute force,
the supremacy OF the strongest, the absolute
and irresponsible authority OF rulers, the admin
istration of justice without formalities or dis
cussion."
THE LIFE OF THE CITIES.
The life OF the cities affords great cen
1.-THE Argentine cities, like almost all the
cities OF South America, have an appearance of
regularity Their streets are laid out at ri ght
angles, and their population scattered over a
wide surface except in COrdova, which occu.
pies narrow and confined position, aud presents
all the appearance of a European city, the re.
semblance beng increased by the multitude of
towers and domes attached to its numerous aud
magnificent churches, All civilization, whether
native, Spanish or European, centres in the
cities where are to be found the manufactures,
the shops, the schools and colleges, and other
characteristics of civilized nations. Elegance
of style, articles o. luxury, dress coats, and
1rock coats, with other European garments,
occupy their appropriate place in these owns.
mention these small matters deslgnedly, 1t IS
sometimes the case that the only city OF pasto
raj province Is its capital, and occasionally the
land Is uncultIVated mp to its very streets. The
encirclIng desert besets such cities at greater
or less distance, and bears heavily upon the IN,
and they thus small oases of civilization
surrounded by an untitled plain, hundreds o
square miles in extent, the surface of which il
but rarely interrupted by any settlement o
consequence"
SOCIETY OF THE PLAINS.
There are no nomad tribes on the Argentine
plains. Says the author:-
@'Ihe stock raiser is proprietor, living upoI
his own land; but this condition renders asso
citation impossible and tends TO scatter separate
families over an immense extent OF surface
Imagine an eXpanse of two thousand square
leagues, inhabited throughout, but where tht
dwellings are usually four or even eight league
apart, and two leagues, at least, separate thu
nearest neighbors. The production OF movable
property is not impossible, the enjoyments o
luxury are not wholly incompatible with thi
Isolation; wealth can raise superb edihCe II
the desert. But the incentive is wanting; NJ
example is near; the lnducem snts for making
great display which exist in q city are no
known in that isolation aud solitude. Inevitable