wards heard that he had abandoned his charge and coolly retired to terra firma, probably disgusted with the whole affair. The sequel of this naval campaign remains to be told. Some weeks after our visit the Urquizista party appear to have felt that their chance was gone, and their squadron went up to the town of Paranà to disarm. The Buenos Ayrean squadron, which had never ventured to give them battle, waited their opportunity; and when Urquiza's ships were nearly disarmed and partially deprived of their crews, they went through the farce of capturing them, which was magnified by the Buenos Ayrean commander into a great naval victory, and made the subject of a grandiloquent despatch. Such were, in the year of grace 1861, the squadrons of the two contending factions in a South American civil war! We were lying off Diamante, formerly called Punto Gorda, near which a great change takes place in the appearance of the country. The high land and steep barrancas, which extend the whole distance from Buenos Ayres on the eastern or the right bank of the river, now cease; and without any important deviation in the general course of the stream, the high land appears on the other side. At Diamante there is a fine headland, and thenceforward to Paranà the coast of Entre Rios appeared to be from about a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet in height, breaking off suddenly in precipitous barrancas at the water's edge. The Federal ships were lying in a very pretty situation, near the Entre Rios side, under shelter of the lofty headland and wooded banks of Diamante, just at the point which Urquiza selected for crossing the Paranà with his troops. About five o'clock in the morning we started again, and three hours later all care and attention were required to get the Ardent' through a difficult and tortuous channel where there was scarcely water enough for her to float. All the difficulties, however, were safely passed. Before long the shining white buildings of Paranà appeared above the heights, and at ten o'clock we anchored opposite the landing-place, or Bajada. CHAPTER XV. PARANÀ AND SANTA FÉ. PARANA THE HOTEL DE PARIS-THE SIESTA-BEDS OF FOSSIL SCARLET PONCHOS-AFFAIR OF THE CARCARAÑA-THE POST- HE city of Paranà is about four hundred miles THE higher up the river than Buenos Ayres; and, though by no means entitled to be considered an important place in itself, yet it was selected by the provincial majority of the Congress as the official capital and seat of government of the Argentine Confederation. Here sate the Congress which had proved so obnoxious to the real capital, the head-quarters of the wealth and intelligence of the country, that the wrathful Buenos Ayreans had taken up arms for its destruction. The course of the last few weeks had been marked by the flight of Derqui, its president, and the downfall of his party. It was certain that one main result of the war would be the change of the capital; but the foreign Ministers had not yet removed from Paranà. I had been fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of the English Minister, Mr. Thornton, when I was at Buenos Ayres some months earlier; and, on hearing that I had come up the river in the Ardent,' he kindly offered me a room in his house during my stay. I therefore sent my goods on shore, and prepared to follow them. My friend, Mr. Boyd, landed at the same time, and for the first time we touched the soil of Entre Rios. The bank of the river was dry and shingly, with a considerable mixture of loose sand, which was disagreeably hot in the middle of the day. The barrancas are of a very considerable height, apparently nearly 200 feet; and, where not covered with grass or bushes, are white, like chalk cliffs, from the vast quantities of shells, which are being worked for lime. road from the port to the town is carried in zig-zags up the most practicable part of the cliffs; and finding there were no horses on the spot, we agreed, in consideration of the heat, and partly for the fun of the thing, to enter Paranà in a bullock-cart, which was hanging about in charge of a young negro. We climbed into this vehicle, and amused ourselves by conversing with our charioteer while the bullocks crawled up the hill with their accustomed solemnity. He was very much puzzled about the 'Ardent,' and AN INN AT PARANÀ. 337 very anxious to know which side we had come to fight for. Poor fellow! he was disgusted with the war, and groaned over the idea that in a few days he would be compelled to join the Federal army. Near the port are a few scattered houses, and on the highest part of the barranca, to the north, is situated a colourable imitation of a fort. Its position is admirable, and if well manned and well armed it could entirely bar the passage of the river; but, unfortunately, it is neither the one nor the other. After arriving on the high ground, we were carried about a mile farther over a very white and dusty road into the heart of the capital, where my companion took up his residence at a fonda, or inn, which was dignified by the name of Hôtel de Paris. The proprietor and his family were only partially dressed, and did not seem in a very accommodating or lively humour, which was probably caused by our having disturbed them before their siesta was quite finished. The building consisted only of a tolerable courtyard, with a few dirty rooms on each side of it: the brick floor of that which was destined for my friend was partly taken up, and things looked in general confusion; but we were assured that all would be muy bien, or quite right, before the evening. Every day since leaving Buenos Ayres, the heat had been gradually increasing as we approached nearer to the tropic; and while I was at Paranà the thermometer was generally from 86° to 90° in the shade. A few |