steps from the _trottoir_ into a very slough of despond. The universal
tramway runs down the centre of every street.

After luncheon we made a fresh start for Carcarana by a special train,
to which were attached two goods-vans, full of horses, and a carriage
truck, containing a most comfortable American carriage, in shape not
unlike a Victoria, only much lighter and with very high wheels. After
a short journey through a rich, flat, grass country, we arrived at
Roldan, the first colony of the Central Argentine Land Company. Here
we all alighted, the horses were taken out of the vans, saddled,
bridled, and harnessed, and the gentlemen rode and I drove round the
colony, along what are generally roads, but to-day were sheets of
water. We saw many colonists, of every grade, from those still
occupying the one-roomed wooden cottages, originally supplied by the
Land Company, standing in the midst of ill-cultivated fields, to those
who had built for themselves good houses in the town, or nice
cottages, with pretty gardens, surrounded by well-tilled lands.

The drive ended at the mill belonging to a retired officer of the
British army, who has settled here with his wife and two dear little
children. Here we had tea and a pleasant chat, and then returned to
the train and proceeded to Carcarana, the next station on the line.
Now, however, instead of the rich pasture lands and flourishing crops
which we had hitherto seen on all sides, our road lay through a
desolate-looking district, bearing too evident signs of the
destructive power of the locust. People travelling with us tell us
that, less than a week ago, the pasture here was as fresh and green as
could be desired, and the various crops were a foot high; but that, in
the short space of a few hours, the care and industry of the last ten
months were rendered utterly vain and useless, and the poor colonists
found their verdant fields converted into a barren waste by these
rapacious insects.

Carcarana may be called the Richmond--one might almost say the
Brighton--of Rosario. It stands on a river, the Carcaranal, to the
banks of which an omnibus runs twice a day from the railway-station,
during the season, to take people to bathe. Near the station is also
an excellent little hotel, containing a large dining-room and a few
bed-rooms, kept by two Frenchwomen; and here the Rosarians come out
by train to dine and enjoy the fresh air. It was quite dark by the
time we arrived, so that