It had occurred to me, that a pawnbroker would be a good business in Buenos Ayres; but I find every shopkeeper, or monied person acts in that capacity, and that respectable persons do not hesitate to send silver spoons, matté-pots, and other valuables, to pledge from day to day--at what interest (or if any) I know not, though I am apprehensive some of them are guilty of what we should call usury. Poverty is a crime in England; here they dread not exposure: but such is my delicacy in money affairs, I should prefer being under an obligation to the gentlemen with three balls, and to slide in at one of their secret doors, to the publicity practised here. An Englishman has lately undertaken a speculation which has cost him a considerable sum, to have the exclusive privilege of taking cattle in the Falkland islands--in fact, to be sole proprietor for a term of years. He has forwarded to his new sovereignty a small colony of settlers, servants, &c.; the chances of his success are very doubtful. Buenos Ayres claims the jurisdiction of these islands, and those claims will not cause such a dispute as in the year 1770. The voyage to them from Buenos Ayres is made in about fourteen days. * * * * * CURRENCY, &c.--In the year 1822 silver became so scarce, that, it was impossible to get change of a doubloon without allowing a consideration for it. Foreigners, of course, bore the blame of draining the country of the money. To remedy the evil, small notes were issued; and, shortly after, a large supply of copper coin arrived, that had been contracted for in England. This currency of paper and copper was something so new, that not a few sneers and forebodings took place. The facility that paper money affords to business, however, soon began to be experienced in Buenos Ayres. Previous to its issue, if a person had to receive a hundred dollars, it was necessary to hire a porter to carry it, and for larger quantities a cart; besides the endless trouble of counting thousands of dollars, often in reals and madios, and the detection of bad money: hours and days of valuable time were consumed by it. The collecting clerks are no longer tormented with counting piles of silver, before they take it from the house. Saturdays are the days appropriated for money collecting. Notes, engraved in England, are now issued on a grand scale, from 5 to 1000 dollars, upon the security of the government and bank; the people are reconciled to it, and begin to find that a currency of gold and silver is not at all times a proof of the credit or riches of a nation.[26] [26] Englishmen, on their first visit to France, soon after the peace of 1814, were eager to receive French gold; but they soon tired of it, and asked for paper. I was at Peregaux and Lafitte's banking-house at Paris, when an application of that nature was made: the clerk replied, that France must first get credit, before she could venture upon bank-notes.