New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-17
FROM srArr CONFECTIONERY OF THE 1nIBryE.l
YANKEE ENERGY

Bucnos Ayrcs, January g.
The traveller is compelled TO leave South
American city he enters it. with porter at
his heels carrying the baggage There are no
facilities for expressing a trunk from hotel 10
steamer. and it is not considered prudent to al
low ones baggage TO pass ont OF sight
Trunk has 10 he watched from hotel to steamer,
and all along the route by railway. The porter
with the trunk on his shoulder is sighted long
before he reaches the custom house wharf. an" "
mob of boatmcn surrounds the traveller 10 hi"No
vociferous offers of service for one. two or 'hrec
pesos as the charge may he. The steamer -
anchored in the bay. and passengers nave 10 "c
taken out TO il by small boat. Inc me'nuu -
the same in all South American hafpors' ihcic
arc no landing piers. and cargoes ana passengers
have to he transferred TO small po''" III "coP
water Ruenos Ayrcs has new system OF water
,ror, and docks undcr construction. by which all
Tho DELAYS and annovanccs of hghterage ana
horr;os will 10 obviatcd M0ntcvidco. with
borbor that conld easily be improved, has allowed
g., oreroetic rival across the Plate to surpass it in
on,crnrise The depth Of water in tic bay OPP
nos;,o tho Ccrro the low mountain guarding the
ontrance is five feet less than il was seventy
wears ago. and is now rcceding a few inches every
year The ocean steamers cannot enter the inner
harbor. but anchor outside i'll a roadstcad that
is often dangerous. Engineers have devised
system Of jettics by which twenty-five feet OF
water will he provided in the bay; hut although
4 company has been organized to construct the
new port. and legislative appropriations nave
been made for the work, these greatly needed
harbor improvements are deferred year after
year.
Montcvideo lacks enterprise. but it has scenic
beauty and natural advantages to which It's am
bilious and successful competitor can never
aspire The Cerro. with its crnmbllng Spanish
fort and revolving lighthouse furnishes setting
10 the handsome well-buit town. whose sub
urbs follow the curve of the bay and creep up
the PERCEPTIONS hillside. AS the steamer leaves
tfe anchorage at sunset the architectural lines
OF the more conspicuous buildings are sofened
and refined by the fading light. The Dorlc
facade of the Soils Theatre. perhaps the hand
soonest building in South America, catches and
satisfies the eye The Matrix Church in Plaza
Constitution looms up more Impressive hah
ever. The large line of the Julio. the finest
street to be seen in this part of the world IS
distinctly traced. The French Bolsa stands ont
among the handsome banks of the Ccrrito quar-
ter. The English Church with its Grecian front,
is in line with the Campo Santo. the unique
metropolis hy the waters edge. Beyond The
ci;y's compactlv and even massivcly built streets
are the ouinias Of the Paso Molino empowered
in their stately parks and lovely gardens.
Montcvidco as it fades from view is a silhouette
Of singular beauty BY no trick Of atmospheric
effect nor shifting of sunset LIGHT can plain unaf-
tractivc and prosaic Bucnos AyrcS he transiieured
10 equal comencss and beauty.
The journey from Montcvidco 10 Bucnos Ayrcs
corresponds closely 10 the familiar journey by The
Sound steamers from Ncw-Yorll TO Boston. with
the morning hour on the railway left ont. IL
occupies one night and is esteemed the most luNu-
rjous travelling of which South American civil
ization is capable. There are two steamers IN the
notilla. the Venus and the Eolo. which arr re-
carded on the Plate very much as the Puritan
and the Pilgrim are in Ncw-York and Boston.
They are much smaller and greatly inferior boats.
but for this latitude they are pre-cminenly good.
having Handsomely furnished drawing-rooms and
saloon parlors. electric lights In the cabins, and
excellent service. II was evident that my fellow
travellers considered the journey on the Venus an
event Of great imporiance-a night Of luxurious
ease long TO he remembered
The dinners. which, with the stateroom berth.
are covered by the price Of the sailing ticket,
are very elaborate affairs. Many of the passcn-
gers took their seats at the tables as early as half
past ) and kept them until dinner was served al
:, frequently consulting the carte to strengthen
their premOntions Of coming events. The native
travellers Of the river towns are Jealous Of the
reputation OF these dinners and eat them SLOWLY
and with judicial air. so as to digest them with
critical acumcr. They look upon the journey
from one capital 10 the other in the light Of a
public duty-somethinG like jury service They
must determine whether the dinners are kept M
10 the high standard which the reputation Of tho
Plate countries requires, and report the results &c
their neighbors and fclow-ctizcns There were
critical comments exchanged from side 10 side al
various stages of the progress Of the entertain
ment but at the close there was a Joyous aban
donment to the pleasures Of social intercourse be
tokening general contcntmcnt with the dinner
IT. its lavish hospitality La Patense Flotlla Lin
tied left the narrowcst possible margin for grey
nnces. II provided bunch OF flowers for cacl
passenger French dinner with fifteen changes
Of plates. wines. cordials. cOgnac and brandy. Al
hour after dinner tea was served, with whIskel
as a swcetcner for those who wanted it, and II
the morning every passenger had his pot of coffee
before leaving the boat No extra charge wa
made for this luxurious not to say riotous, living
Such magnaniInity would he rcmai kablc anywhere
but il is especially noteworthy in quarter OF th'
world where hotel proprictors consider themselves
az liberty TO make additional charges for soap
candles gas. ice, the Z o'clock coffee and many
other necessary things, and 10 run up scores
which invariably appal the innocent ana coniid
Ing traveller.
The ladies Of Monteyidco arc famous in Soutl
America for their beauty and the elegance of thci
manners There were many Of them on the stcamc
displaying expensive European costumes and grac,
of movement as well as vivaci,y in conversation
As a foil for them, there were a dozen nuns tray
Cling 10 Buenos Ayrcs in their sombre garb.
sat near them at dinner, and noticed that In,
discipline of their order was not austere since
they drank wine with freedom and convcrscc
pleasartly and with animation with men at th
table who were apparently strangers to them
Conversation was carried on in the saloon parlor
almost wholly in Spanish. From Brazil to TIN
Plate one passes suddenly from the Portuguese
IN the Spanish main. The languages however