RUENOS AYRES. A Sketch of the Capital of the Argentine Republic.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 376, 12 June 1889, Page 4

RUENOS AYRES. A Sketch of the Capital of the Argentine Republic.

A special correspondent of the " Melbourne Age," who is writing* a series of descripfcure letters from the "Argentine I? ©public,'' gives the following sketch of Buenos Ayres, the capital :•— " Bui I am now on shoro at Buenos Ayrcs, and it certainly presents a bright and lively scene. The city shares with Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney the honour of being the four capitals of the Southern Hemisphere. In some respects Buenos Ayree ranks far ahead of any of her rivals. Her population is certainly larger, j In 1887 it was 434,600, and from the large I immigration which iias taken place within tho last two years the numbers have now probably increased to 475,000: and as nearly all the houses are but oi a singlo storey both in fche city and suburbs, it is probable that Buenos Ayres and the surrounding villages cover more actual space of occupied ground than any othe>* southern city. And as Buenos Ayres in virtually the only port for the whole Argentine Republic, which had a commerce, imports anJ exports, in 3887 of C 43,906,680, compared with A*30, 326,822 in Victoria, it is pretty ceitain that the commerce of Buenos Ayres is greater than that of any other southern city. But here her superiority ceases. The streets ate all at right angles, something like those of Melbourne Draper. They aie about toe same width as Finders-lane or Little 'Jollins-street The pavements are fo narrow that it is impossible for more than two persons to walk abreast or to avoid stepping iijto the roadway whenevor one meets with two ladies, or even a lady and gentleman walking together. There is no building stone within hunch eds of miles of Buenos Ayres, so that buck covered with stucco is the universal mode of building. "When, in I addition to these drawbacks, I state that I the roadway is badly paved with huge uneven blocks of stone, that vast pools of stagnant water lie in the hollows between ont mound and the other, that the drainage is execrable, and that the feu buildings which po«sess any architect uial beauty are completely concealed from view by the narrowness of the streets, \ our readers will probably I'ealise that, notwithstanding its si/c and bustle, Buenos Ayres is a meanlooking city. But there is no mistake about the noise and bustle. The \ cry narrow ness ot the streets makes them lively and gives them the appearance of being ciowded. The cit.y is gridironed with ti am a ays, and the cars,drawnby the most disreputable-looking hor-es imaginable, driven by men blowing large and inharmonious horns to announce their approach, dash by in every dhection. It a lady look into a shop window she causes a pet feet block in the tiaffic, for : every foor uan&enger who parses by her has Ito step aside into the gutter. A coachman going from one narrow stieet into another j has in all probability to wait a minute !or two in older to allow the tram car, which i^ being diiven along the street over which he has to cio»s to pass by. In fact, the scene pre-ented by the streets of Buenos Ayies is rather lively than agreeable. The ttath'c is contiolled by a whole army of p ilicemen— che force for Buenos Ayies alone consists of 24 comrnissaires and 2,400 officers and men, divided into 24 divisions of 100 men each, i The policemen aie for the most part natives of the countiy, and many of them have a strong dash of Indian blood. But they are smait, dapper little fellows, dressed in daik clothes, with a kepi as head coveiing. and armed with a short sword. The city is very oiderly, and its motley population seems to be thoroughly undei the control of the authorities. ' The shops are not architecturally show y, but their concents aie \eiy attractive. Never did 1 see in so small a compass so many e&tablishmento devoted to article-* dt luxe, millinery, silks, fins, china, bric-a-brac, print*, engra\ ing~, plate, jewelleiy, stationary and curios. Xot is the number oi booksellers' shops at all small, and judging from the display in the windows the tastes of the peopie of Buenos A\ res mu>t be very Catholic. There is a good display of Fiench, Spanish and Italian literature, translations into the Spanish language of all the popular French and English novels, printed in New York so as to avoid paying tor copyright, and a fair number of woiks published in Buenos Ayres, and from the pens of native authois. Shopping, as a hixuiy, is only indulged in after dark, at which hour the senoras and senoritas, carefully dressed in the European style, but each carrying the inevitable fans parade the streets, either in carriages or on foot, and go Irom shop to shop to obtain the articles which make them beautitul or keep them neat. The jame>^c doree of Bueno.-. Ayres, the labour of che day concluded, dies-ed in the latest fashion, stand with their backs close up to the wall in older to allow the ladies to pa?^ them and to have a good opportunity of admit ing their beauty. The women of this city are quite different from those of any countiy in Europe, and they are not the lea^t like Australian or American girls. They walk well and graceful. They are generally somewhat tall and inclined to embonpoint, their complexions are either pale or sallow, their eyes and hair are dark, they are not as a rule given to tight lacing, and very few women of the town and lower middle class wear any head dress at all. Their hair and a fan are considered quite sufficient protection trom the sun, and they rarely go out when it rain?. When I add that the higher classes diess with good taste, and that the poorer delight in bright colours, I think I have exhausted my description of the fair sex.