In many respects Montevideo, although its scale of expenses is rising rapidly, still remains a place of cheaper existence than Buenos Aires. But not in the matter of its cabs and public vehicles. The hooded victoria of the Argentine capital is frequently replaced here by the landau, and on a provocation that may not have exceeded half a mile the piratical driver will endeavour to extract a dollar--the equivalent of four shillings and twopence--from his victimised passenger. The reason for this ambitious scale of charges no doubt lies in the fact that the Montevidean is very little addicted to driving in cabs, of which vehicles, indeed, the very excellent tramway service of the city renders him more or less independent. Thus, as the solvent person is said to bear the burden of the tailor's bad debts, the economies of those who ride in Montevidean tramcars are visited upon the pockets of those others who patronise the cabs. CHAPTER XIII Montevideo--_continued_ The surroundings of the capital--Pleasant resorts--The Prado--A well-endowed park--Colón--Aspects of the suburbs--Some charming quintas--A wealth of flowers and vegetation--European and tropical blossoms side by side--Orchards and their fruits--The cottages of the peasants--An itinerant merchant--School-children--Methods of education in Uruguay--The choice of a career--Equestrian pupils--The tramway route--Aspect of the village of Colón--Imposing eucalyptus avenues--A country of blue gum--Some characteristics of the place--Flowers and trees--Country houses--The Tea Garden Restaurant--Meals amidst pleasant surrounding--An enterprising establishment--Lunch and its reward--Poçitos and Ramirez--Bathing-places of the Atlantic--Blue waters compared with yellow--Sand and rock--Villa del Cerro--The steam ferry across the bay--A town of mixed buildings--Dwelling-places and their materials--The ubiquitous football--Aspects of the Cerro--Turf and rock--A picturesque fort--Panorama from the summit of the hill--The guardian of the river mouth--The last and the first of the mountains. The Uruguayan's appreciation of pleasant Nature is made abundantly clear in the surroundings of the capital. The city, as a matter of fact, is set about with quite an exceptional number of pleasant resorts both inland and upon the shore. Of the former the Prado park and the pleasure suburb of Colón are the best known. The Prado is reached within half an hour from the centre of the city by means of tramway-car. Situated on the outskirts of the town, the park is very large and genuinely beautiful. Groves of trees shading grassy slopes, beds of flowers glowing by the sides of ponds and small lakes, walks, drives, and sheltered seats--the place possesses all these commendable attributes, and many beyond.