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
They have no regular exchange for the merchants to meet in, at Buenos
Ayres. A new general Commercial Room is about to be established, to
which persons of all nations will be allowed to subscribe. Some late
regulations of the British Room have given offence; the committee of
which, in derision, have been named "the Holy Alliance," and have had
several anonymous letters addressed to them, upon their aristocratical
notions in a foreign country. The refusal to allow any but British
subjects to subscribe to the Commercial Room, has been much commented
upon; some years back it might have been advisable, but at this period
a more liberal system would perhaps be better.
The Creoles of the country now engage in mercantile pursuits with great
avidity; and commerce has spread into so many hands, that money does not
roll in quite so fast as formerly.
The competition amongst the store-keepers materially diminishes their
profits, and reduces the concern upon a level with English chandlers'
shops.
The number of shops in Buenos Ayres is very great; they abound in the
streets leading from the Plaza. Every shop and house has a proportion of
taxes levied upon it: and there is also a species of property tax upon
the English plan. The taxes now imposed considerably diminish the
profits they used to make.
The linen-drapers have a choice assortment from all countries, neatly
arranged. Their shops are well lighted; and although they fall very
short of the splendour of the London ones, yet they are equal to some
of those of our best country towns: they are open till nine and ten at
night. They call the Buenos Ayreans a lazy people: the shopkeepers, at
least, do not merit this epithet.
The shopmen are mostly young men, who appear to have all the persuasive
arts of their brethren in London, prevailing upon their fair customers
to get rid of their money, and subjecting them to a good scolding from
husbands and mammas, for extravagance, leading to pouting and sulks for
a week. Those gentlemen of the shop have a great deal to answer for.
Every article of apparel, both for male and female, can be purchased at
the retail shops, of which there are many: they have coats, waistcoats,
trowsers, &c. hanging in front, in the mode of Monmouth Street. Mr.
Niblett was the first Englishman that opened a shop of this description.
A great many Englishmen have their clothes sent from England: but the
duty and incidental expences make them come as dear as if made here.
Buenos Ayres contains several English tailors, whose work is tolerably
well, considering they have not English workmen; although not with that
exquisite finish which is to be seen in London. A coat will cost thirty
dollars, trowsers twelve; the rest in proportion. The town swarms with
Creolian and other tailors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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