sea, and about as many from Monte-Video, betwixt La Isla dos Lobos, and La Isla de Flores, affords a convenient situation to ships of every size, and a defence against the S. E. wind. The Governour, Pedro Ceballos, fortified this bay as well as he could with new works. Men skilled in these matters have declared it as their opinion that this post is excellently well situated, and might be made very important to the security of the province, if nature were assisted by art. On the opposite shore, towards the west, the bay Barragan, twelve leagues distant from Buenos-Ayres, affords an opportunity for repairing ships, but little security for them. For it is every where surrounded by low banks, and lies exposed to all winds. The entrance itself is not devoid of danger. The harbour is indeed of wide extent, but, being rather shallow, the larger ships remain two leagues from land. The place has no fortifications of any kind, consisting of a very few wretched huts of hides and rushes. As the river La Plata has but a few ports, and those not very safe ones, it consequently threatens navigators with an hundred dangers, on account of the sand-banks, and shoals which occur here and there. The most remarkable of these are two named El Banco Ingles, and El Banco Ortiz; both of which are many leagues both in length and in breadth. The danger is increased by some hidden rocks near La Isla dos Lobos, and La Isla de Flores, and still more by huge crags in the neighbourhood of the port of Monte-Video, called Las Carretas de Monte-Video, which are the more dangerous on account of their being less easy to be seen. If the pilot is not thoroughly acquainted with the river, or if he neglects to make frequent use of the sounding-line, a shipwreck is inevitable. The vessel will either be buried amid high heaps of sand, or will spring a leak from being dashed against the rocks. This may the more certainly be expected, if the river be so much disturbed by a strong south wind, as to render it impossible to make any use of the rudder; for during a tempest the waves rise mountains high, and the violence of them is incredible. Three or four anchors will scarce hold a ship at such times. Matteo Callao, an experienced man, captain of a war-ship named La Esmeralda, when he brought us back to Spain from Monte-Video, was often heard to exclaim in the river Plata, "Let me only get clear of this devil, and I shall think myself already at the port of Cadiz." Who would not have been terror-struck at the remembrance of so many vessels which had recently perished there? That very ship in which we sailed from Lisbon had nearly been added to the number of those unfortunate ones. I will relate the affair as briefly as possible.