29th December to 4th December 1833

Montevideo
During these few days I resided on shore; the cause of the ships delay being the charts not being completed. — During the last six months I have had a some opportunity of seeing a little of the character of the inhabitants of these provinces. — The Gauchos or country men are very superior to those who reside in the towns. — The gaucho is invariably most obliging, polite & hospitable. I have not met one instance of rudeness or inhospitality. He is modest both respecting himself & country, at the same time being a spirited bold fellow. — On the other hand there is much blood shed, & many robberies committed. — The constant presence of the knife is the chief cause of the former: it is lamentable to hear how many lives are lost in trifling quarrels; in fighting each party tries to mark the face of his adversary by slashing his nose or eye; deep & horrid looking scars often attest that one has been successful. — Robberies are a natural consequence of universal gambling, much drinking & extreme indolence. — At Mercedes I asked two men why they did not work:-one said that the days were too long; the other that he was too poor. The number of horses & profusion of food is the destruction of all industry. — Moreover there are so many feast days; then again nothing can succeed without it is begun when the moon is on the increase; —and from these two causes half the month must be lost. — Police & justice are quite inefficient, if a man commits a murder & should be taken, perhaps he may be imprisoned or even shot; but if he is rich & has friends he may rely on it nothing will happen. — It is curious that the most respectable people in the country will invariably assist a murderer to escape. — They seem to think that the individual sins against the government & not against the state. — A traveller has no other protection than his own arms; & the constant habit of carrying them chiefly prevents a more common occurrence of robberies. — The character of the higher & more educated classes who reside in the towns, is stained by many other crimes. — partaking in a lesser degree in the good parts of the Gaucho character; he is a profligate sensualist who laughs at all religion; he is open to the grossest corruption; his want of principle is entire. — An opportunity occurring not to cheat his friend would be an act of weakness; to tell the truth where a lie might be more serviceable, would be the simplicity of a child. — The term honor is not understood; neither it, nor any generous feeling, the remains of chivalry, have survived the long passage of the Atlantic. — If I had read these opinions a year ago, I should have accused myself of much illiberality: now I do not. — Every one, who has good opportunities of judging, thinks the same. In the Sala of B. Ayres I do not believe there are six men to whose honesty or principles you could trust. Every public officer is to be bribed; the head of the post office sells forged government francs: — the Governor and prime minister openly plunder the state. — Justice, where gold is in the case, is hardly expected. — I know a man (he had good cause) who went to the chief Justice & said "here are 200 dollars (sixpences) if you will arrest such a person illegally; my lawyer recommended me to take this step". The Chief Justice smiled acquisition [changed in margin to: acquiescence] & thanked him; before night the man was in prison. — With this utter want of principle in the leading men; with the country full of ill-paid, turbulent officers; they yet hope that a Democratic form of government will last. In my opinion before many years, they will be trembling under the iron hand of some Dictator. — I wish the country well enough to hope the period is not far distant. On first seeing the common society of the people, two or three things strike one as remarkable: the excellent taste of all the women in dress: the general good manners in all grades of life: —but chiefly the remarkable equality of all ranks.

28th November 1833

Mercedes to Montevideo
… in the middle of the next day we arrived at M: Video. The distance, paid by the Post, being about 70 leagues from Mercedes to the Capital.

Captain Fitzroy’s Journal:
The month of November was passed at Monte Video: laying down chart-work, computing observations, and writing; procuring and stowing provisions; painting the vessels outside and blacking their rigging; and occasionally giving the crews leave to go ashore. Mr. Darwin returned at the end of the month.

27th November 1833

Mercedes to Montevideo
In the morning had a long gallop: arrived at San Jose, from which point the road is the same by which I started. San Jose, Canelones, St Lucia are all rather nice little rectangular towns, & all just alike. Slept one post beyond San Jose...

26th November 1833

Mercedes on the River Negro
Began my return in a direct line to M. Video; went by an Estancia where there was a part, very perfect, of the head of a Megatherium. I purchased it for a few shillings. We had long gallop through a more rocky & hilly country than the coast road, to the R. Perdido, where we slept. One of the Post-houses was kept by a man, apparently of pure Indian blood; he was half intoxicated. My peon declares that he in my presence said I was a Gallego; an expression synonimous with saying he is worth murdering. His companions laughed oddly: & I believe what my Peon said was true; when I remonstrated with him on the absurdity, he only said, "you do not [know] the people of this country". The motive must have been to sound my Peon, who perhaps luckily for me was a trustworthy man. Your entire safety in this country depends upon your companion.

At night there were torrents of rain; as the Rancho made but little pretensions to keep out water or wind, we were soon wet through.

25th November 1833

Mercedes on the River Negro
We heard of some giants bones, which as usual turned out to be those of the Megatherium. With much trouble extracted a few broken fragments. In the evening a domidor or horse-breaker came to the house & I saw the operation of mounting a perfectly wild horse. They were too fat to fight much: and there was little to see in the operation; the horse is thrown down & the bridle is tied to the under jaw: tying the hind legs together he is allowed to rise & is then saddled.

During these operations the horse throws himself down so repeatedly & is so beaten, that when his legs are loosed and the man mounts him, he is so terrified as hardly to be able to breathe, & is trickling down with sweat. Generally however, a horse fights for a few minutes desperately, then starts away at a gallop, which is continued till the animal is quite exhausted. This is a very severe but short way of breaking in a colt.

24th November 1833

Mercedes on the River Negro
Went with my host to the Sierra del Pedro flaco about 20 miles up the R. Negro: the greater part of the ride was through long grass up to the horses belly. There are few Estancias & leagues of camp without a head of cattle. The country left to nature as it now is would easily produce 5 or 6 times the number of cattle. Yet the annual exportation of hides from M. Video is 300 thousand; & the home consumption is something considerable. The view of the R. Negro from the Sierra is decidedly the most picturesque one I have seen in this country. The river is rapid & tortuous; it is about twice as large as the Severn (when banks full) at Shrewsbury; the cliffs are precipitous and rocky; & there is a belt of wood following the course of the river; beyond which an horizon of grass plain fills up the view. The Peons horse was quite tired; so we rode to a Rancho; the master was not at home, but as a matter of course entered the house, made a fire to cook some beef, & were quite at home in a strangers house. We rode on but did not reach home till early in the night.

23rd November 1833

Mercedes on the River Negro
Rode to the Capella Nueva; a straggling village: & saw the R. Negro; it is a fine river blue water & running stream; it is nearly as large as its namesake to the South.

22nd November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Arrived at the Estancia of the Berquelo, near Mercedes, & found the owner not at home. — he returned in the evening & I spent the day in geologising the neighbouring country.

21st November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Started at sun rise, & rode slowly during the whole day. The geological nature of the country is here different from the rest of the province, & closely resembles that of the Pampas. From this cause we here have immense beds of the thistle, as well as the cardoon: the whole country indeed may be called one great bed. The two sorts grow separate, each plant in company with its own kind. The cardoon is as high as a horses back, but the Pampas thistle often higher than the crown of the head of the rider. To leave the road for a yard is out of the question, & the road itself is partly, & in some cases entirely, closed. Pasture of course there is none; if cattle or horses once enter the bed they are for the time, completely lost. For this reason, it is very hazardous to attempt to drive cattle at this season of the year, for when jaded enough to face the prickles, they rush amongst the thistles & are seen no more. From the same cause there are but few Estancias, & these near damp vallies where the thistle will not grow. As night came on before we could arrive at the house of an Englishman for whom I had a letter of introduction we slept at a Rancho.

Syms Covington’s Journal:
I had many excursions in the camp. Here I collected many birds etc. AS there is no wood WE WERE OBLIGED TO burn dried thistles. THESE THISTLES grow high, even to the height of a man on horse back.

20th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
In the morning went out riding to Punta Gorda; on the road tried to find a Jaguar; saw very fresh tracks & the trees against which they are said to sharpen their claws: the bark was cut up & grooved by scratches a yard long: we did not succeed in disturbing one. The low, thick woods on the coast of the Uruguay afford an excellent harbour for such animals. At Punta Gorda, the R. Uruguay presented a noble body of water; its appearance is superior to that of the Parana from the clearness of the water & rapidity of the stream: on the opposite coast there are several branches, which enter from the Parana, when the sun shines, the two colours of the water may be seen quite distinct. The house & lime-kiln were for this country unusually old, being built 108 years since. I was told a curious circumstance respecting the Limekiln. At the instant of the revolution it was full of fresh burnt lime; from the state of [the] country it was left 18 years untouched: on the surface young trees were growing, whilst in the middle the lime was quick. When they dug down to the place where the half-burnt wood is left, in a few minutes it kindled & burst out into flames. This caused uncommon superstitious fears amongst the workmen; but the owner tells me this is always the case in a lime-kiln opened after a few months interval.

At this Estancia many mares, mares are never ridden in this country, are killed weekly for their skins, which are worth 5 paper dollars each or about 1/2 a crown. I heard of some feats in the lassoing line. One individual will stand 12 yards from the gate of the Corral, & will bet that he will catch every horse by the legs as it rushes by him. Another will enter on foot a Corral, catch a mare, fasten its front legs, drive it out, throw it down, kill, skin & stake the hide, (a tedious job) & this whole operation he will perform on 22 mares in one day; or he will skin 50 in the same time. This is prodigious; for it is generally considered good days work, solely to skin & stake 15 or 16 animals.

In the evening started on the road to Mercèdes or Capella Neuva on the R. Negro. We passed through much Acacia wood, like that near Coronda & which invariably grows in the low bottoms near streams & rivers. At night we asked permission to sleep at an Estancia at which we happened to arrive. It was a very large estate, being ten leagues square, & the owner at Buenos Ayres is one of the greatest landowners in the country. His nephew had charge of it & with him there was a Captain of the army, who the other day ran away from Buenos Ayres. Considering their station their conversation was rather amusing. They expressed, as was usual, unbounded astonishment at the globe being round, & could scarcely credit that a hole would if deep enough come out on the other side. They had however heard of a country where there were six months light & six of darkness, & they said the inhabitants were very tall & thin. They were curious about the price & condition of horses & cattle; upon finding out we did not in England catch our animals with the Lazo, they added "Ah then, you use nothing but the bolas": The idea of an enclosed country was quite novel to them. The Captain at last said, he had one question to ask me, & he should be very much obliged if I would answer him with all truth. I trembled to think how deeply scientific it would be, it was "… whether the ladies of Buenos Ayres were not the handsomest in the world". I replied, "Charmingly so". He added, I have one other question "Do ladies in any other part of the world wear such large combs". I solemnly assured him they did not. They were absolutely delighted. The Captain exclaimed, "Look there, a man, who has seen half the world, says it is the case; we always thought so, but now we know it". My excellent judgment in beauty procured me a most hospitable reception; the Captain forced me to take his bed, & he would sleep on his Recado.

19th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Passed the town of las Vacas; it is a straggling village, built on an arm of the Uruguay, & has a good deal of trade up the river. Slept at a North Americans, who works a lime kiln on the Arroyo de las Vivoras.

18th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Rode with my host to his Estancia at the Arroyo de St Juan. In the evening we took a circuit round the estate; it contained two square leagues & a half and was situated in what is called a rincon; that is one side is fronted by the Plata, & the two others are guarded by impassable brooks. There is an excellent port for little vessels, & an abundance of small wood, which is valuable as supplying fuel to Buenos Ayres. I was curious to know the value of so complete an Estancia; at present there are 3000 cattle & it would well support three or four times the number, there are 800 mares, 150 broken horses, 600 sheep; plenty of water & limestone; a rough house, excellent corrals, & a peach orchard. For all this he has been offered 2000£ only wants 500£ additional, and probably would sell it for less. The chief trouble with an Estancia is driving all the cattle twice a week to a central spot, in order to make them tame & to count them. This latter would be thought a difficult operation, when there are ten or fifteen thousand head together; it is managed on the principle that the cattle invariably divide themselves into little troops from forty to an hundred. Each troop is recognised by a few peculiarly marked animals, & its number is known: thus one being lost out of ten thousand is perceived from the absence from one of the tropillas. During a stormy night the cattle all mingle together; but the next morning all the Tropillas separate as before.

17th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
We crossed the Rozario which was deep & rapid, & passing the village of Colla, arrived at mid-day at Colonia del Sacramiento. The distance is twenty leagues, through a fine grass country, but which is poorly stocked with cattle or inhabitants. I was invited to sleep at Colonia & to accompany on the following day a gentleman to his Estancia, where there were some rocks of recent Limestone. The town is built on a stony promontory something in the same manner as M: Video: it is strongly fortified, but both fortifications & town suffered much from the Brazilian war. It is very ancient, & from the irregularity of the streets & the surrounding groves of old Orange trees & peaches had a pretty appearance. The church is a curious ruin; it was used as a powder magazine & was struck by lightning in one of the ten thousand storms of the Rio Plata. Two thirds of the building was blown away to the very foundation, & the rest stands a shattered & curious monument of the united powers of lightning and gunpowder. In the evening I wandered about the half demolished walls of the town. It was the chief seat of the Brazilian war; a war most injurious to this country, not so much in its immediate effects, as in being the origin of a multitude of Generals, & all other grades of officers. More generals are numbered but not paid in the united provinces of La Plata than in Great Britain. These gentlemen have learned to like power & do not object to a little skirmishing. Hence arises a constant temptation to fresh revolutions, which in proportion as they are easily effected, so are they easily overturned. But I noticed here & in other places a very general interest in the ensuing election for the President; & this appears a good sign for the stability of this little country. The inhabitants do not require much education in their representatives; I heard some men discussing the merits of those for Colonia; "that although they were not men of business, they could all sign their names". With this every reasonable man was satisfied.

16th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Not being quite well, stayed the whole day at this house. In the evening the Post-man or letter carrier arrived; he was a day after his time, owing to the R. Rozario being flooded; it could not however be of much consequence, for although he passes through some of the principal towns in B. Oriental, his luggage consisted of two letters. The view from the house was pleasing, an undulating green surface with distant glimpses of the Plata. I find I look at this province with very different eyes from what I did upon first arrival. I recollect I then thought it singularly level; but now after galloping over the Pampas, my only surprise is what could have induced me ever to have called it level; the country is a series of undulations; in themselves perhaps not absolutely great, but as compared to the plains of St Fe, real mountains. From these inequalities there is an abundance of small rivulets, & the turf is green & luxuriant.

15th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
In the morning we rose early in the hopes of being able to ride a good distance; it was a vain attempt, for all the rivers were flooded; we passed R. Canelones, St Lucia, San Jose in boats, & thus lost much time: at night we slept at the Post house of Cufrè. In the course of the day, I was amused by seeing the dexterity with which some Peons crossed over the rivers. As soon as the horse is out of its depth, the man slips backwards & seizing the tail is towed across; on the other side, he pulls himself on again. A naked man on a naked horse is a very fine spectacle; I had no idea how well the two animals suited each other: as the Peons were galloping about they reminded me of the Elgin marbles.

14th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
Started in the afternoon & slept in the house of my Vaqueano in Canelones.

8th to 13th November 1833

Montevideo to the River Uruguay
I prepared for a ride to see the R. Uruguay & its tributary the R. Negro. These days were lost by true Spanish delay in giving me my passport, letters &c &c.

6th November 1833

Montevideo
Had a long gallop to the East end of the Barrancas de St Gregorio: was disappointed in the Geology, but had a pleasant gallop along the coast of the Plata. It was necessary to cross the St Lucia near its mouth; we passed in a boat, the horses were obliged to swim at least 600 yards; I was surprised to see with what ease they performed it. We did not return till so late, that I slept at a Rancho,& returned home (7th) early in the morning.

5th November 1833

Montevideo
The poop-cabin being full of workers, I took up my residence on shore, so as to make the most of this additional month.
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Syms Covington’s Journal:
The 5th went ashore to live (at Mr. Parry's).

3rd & 4th November 1833

Montevideo
After a long passage, arrived at M: Video; I went on board the Beagle: Was astonished to hear we were not to sail till the beginning of December: the cause of this great delay was the necessity of finishing all charts, the materials for which had been collected by the Schooners.

Syms Covington’s Journal:
Arrived at Monte Video the 4th went on board Beagle.

2nd November 1833

Buenos Ayres
With sufficient trouble got on board the Packet; found it crowded with men, women & children, glad to escape from so miserable a town.
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Syms Covington’s Journal:
... went on board packet (con Don Carlos) for Monte Video where our ship then lay to an anchor.