A Five Years' Residence in Buenos Ayres, During the years 1820 to 1825: Containing Remarks on the Country and Inhabitants; and a Visit to Colonia Del SacramentoLove, George Thomas
History
A Five Years' Residence in Buenos Ayres, During the years 1820 to 1825: Containing Remarks on the Country and Inhabitants; and a Visit to Colonia Del Sacramento
Love, George Thomas
Buenos Aires (Argentina) -- Description and travel; Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay) -- Description and travel
From the orderly conduct observed in the streets of Buenos Ayres,
a stranger would suppose it a most moral city; we have no drunken
disorderly females, creating abhorrence and disgust. Intrigue is common
enough, but then it is modestly managed: besides, a lady's frailty is
not considered an offence so heinous as in our scrupulous England; more
compassion exists for the lovely sinners. Here are no crim. con. actions
to amuse some amorous judge and counsel, and inflame the passions.
This country has its portion of beggars, who are, at times, very
annoying, besieging the court-yards, &c. The best way to get rid of
them is to exclaim "_Perdone por Dios!_" (pardon for God's sake). This
expression, singular as it may appear, seldom fails in its effect; but
"_Perdone por Dios!_" would have but little chance amongst the sturdy
beggars of Europe.
The operation of lousing, so common in old Spain, is followed here, in
a degree, amongst a particular class. It is a most unseemly sight, for
female fingers to perform the office of combs.
A great aversion used to exist to reside in a house in which a person
had died of a fever, until it was thoroughly cleaned.
A savings bank has been established, upon the English plan; I doubt
if it will suit the meridian of Buenos Ayres: they are too careless
of to-morrow. If beef was one real per pound, their ideas would be
different; the labourer would be more industrious, and not refuse to
work on a rainy day, which is the case now. A tolerable sum has been
collected for the savings bank.
A propensity to gaming exists with the Buenos Ayreans; I mean with the
male part. The vices of London's fashionable dames, in this respect, are
not followed by the fair that inhabit the banks of La Plata.
There are no houses publicly appropriated for gaming, the government
having discountenanced this: but what can impede the infatuated
gamester? A few nights after my arrival, I visited a gambling-house;
they were playing a game like those of our E.O. tables. The police
entered;--I thought they were going to take us all into custody, in
the London mode; but they were more considerate, and only took the
principals: several Englishmen were in the room. If I am correctly
informed, Buenos Ayres contains individuals who, in the management of
the dice-box, might cope with gentlemen in the parish of St. James,
which some South American deputies, resident in London, can vouch for.
Even the boys of Buenos Ayres have a _penchant_ for gambling; especially
the milk-boys, who often go home _minus_ the day's receipts.
Bathing in summer by all classes, particularly the ladies, is one of
the fashionable recreations of the place; and as regards the latter, a
stranger is not a little interested; for here are no Ramsgate, Margate,
or Brighton machines, to shield them from prying eyes. They use bathing
clothes, and the operations of undressing, dressing, &c. are managed
with great dexterity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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