25th August 1832

First Cruise
We have made an excellent run of 70 miles to day. Indeed the breeze to my taste was much too good, as it prevented us from attempting to land at Cape Corrientes, which we doubled at Noon. We sailed very close to the shore, & it was very interesting viewing the different countries as we rapidly passed on. North of Corrientes, a dead level line of cliff takes the place of the sand hillocks. The cliff is perpendicular & about 30 feet high, & with a few exceptions is continued all the way South of the Cape. From the mast-head a great extent of flat Pampas was seen without any break or elevation. To every one’s astonishment there was near the promontory of Corrientes an Estancia. Cattle were very abundant near the house, & the place looked prosperous. We have heard they have 50,000 head. Two or three men on horseback were watching us with great interest: so we hoisted our pennant & colours, & doubtless for the first time they had ever been seen in this sea. This farm must be about 200 miles from any town, & the greater part of the interval consists in desert salt plains. There cannot easily be imagined a more desolate habitation for civilized man.

Located on the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Corrientes, Mar del Plata is Argentina's premiere beach resort, offering 17 kilometers of beaches, sports fishing, colonial architecture, a university, sports, zoo, casino and lively nightlife plus a number of parks and gardens to tempt the visitor.