siderably dented in at the sides, and only half provided with brim, so that the attempt to conceal a black eye, by perching it on one side, proved wholly ineffectual, and tended rather to point out that disfigurement, which, however, was only in keeping with the rest of its owner's grimy unshaven face. With this individual the Limb seemed to be on tolerably familiar terms, as he accosted him in a free-and-easy way, as follows: Well, Smouch, old boy, how are you?"

"Pretty tidy," answered Mr. Smouch, in a very husky voice, as if beer, spirits, and London fog were contending in his throat for the mastery. "Same with you, I hopes, Master Tommy!"

"Yes, I'm pretty bobbish," returned the Limb.

"That's all right, then," said Mr. Smouch, as if nothing more than a favourable report of the Limb's health were in his opinion necessary for conducting the affairs of Europe.

"Have you got it, Smouch?" was the Limb's next inquiry.

"I've had a deal of trouble for to," replied Mr. Smouch," and a precious sight of money the article cost me!"

"None of your gammon with me," said the Limb. "You've not got rid of half what I gave you to buy it with, I'll be bound."

"Haven't I?" retorted Mr. Smouch. "That remark of yourn only shows how little you knows of the prices of things when they're out of fashion."

"Things out of fashion," said the Limb, sententiously, "are always cheap."

"That may be," replied Mr. Smouch, "in the matter of ladies' bonnets and gownds, and them there sorts of fancy articles, but when you comes to a summot that is, as I may say, onlawful and perhibitive, which you have, moreover, to hunt for up and down till you find it, you'll find it quite t'other, take my word as a honest man. If I've been to one marine store I've been to fifty, neglectin' of all my own legitimary pursoots to commodate your whim, Master Tommy

"Your pursuits!" said the Limb, scornfully; "why, you're nothing but a dirty old Tinker."

"I am a tinker by trade," said Mr. Smouch, gravely, "and not ashamed of my calling;-as for dirty, it's that as makes me so. We can't be scrubbing of ourselves all day with soap like gentlefolks, when our hands and faces is never out of the grime of our purfession."

"Oh, bother!" exclaimed the Limb. "You're well enough off for soap, as gran' says. That has nothing to do with the gun. is it ?""

Where

"Safe enuff. Here!" answered the Tinker, tapping the breast of his

coat.

"Hand it out, then," said the Limb, in a peremptory tone. "Wot are you goin' to hand out?" asked Mr. Smouch.

"The price I agreed to pay for it. Three-and-twenty shillings. I gave you half a sov. in hand."

"Which, s'help me, Master Tommy, was spent, every mag, in my expenses, to say nothing of my loss in shoe-leather."

"Those boots of yours," said the precocious boy, "have never been worth sixpence since you had them. I dare say you picked them out of a dust-heap."

"Wot a hidear for a young gentleman!" exclaimed the Tinker, lifting up his hands and eyes in astonishment.

"Three-and-twenty shillings," repeated the Limb, "and I won't give a farthing more! There's ten you've had-and so I owe you thirteen. Thirteen and ten make twenty-three!"

"Wot a Chancellor of the Hexcheker you would make if you was wanted," cried the Tinker; "you'd beat Mister Gladsun, Master Tommy, you would!"

Hereupon, not to dally with business too long, Mr. Smouch unbuttoned his coat, and produced a bulky object wrapped in brown paper, which the Limb straightway seized. Delighted with his acquisition, he dived into his trousers-pocket and pulled out a handful of silver.

"There's the money," he said; "now come in and help me to set it." To this invitation Mr. Smouch did not immediately respond, but began counting the coin, and even when satisfied with the tale still paused. "What are you waiting for?" cried the Limb.

"You've forgot the wire," said Mr. Smouch. "You can't do nothin' without that, any more than you can without the ammynition."

"Ah, give me them!" cried the Limb, "and come along."

"Master Tommy," said the Tinker, "I likes to be straight forrard and above board, all fair and honnerable. When we agreed about this here gun, which you was to give me three-and-twenty shilling for it as I don't mean to go for to deny being a man of my word and thereby respected, we didn't say nothin' concerning of the cost of the wire and the powder and shot, all of which has come out of my pocket, and accounts for the expenses as I was a namin' of. If you please, Master, Tommy, them there hitums must be lickerdated afore we closes this here little transaction."

This announcement took the Limb greatly aback. Knowing as he thought himself, the Tinker had proved too much for him.

"Oh, that was all included," he said.

But Mr. Smouch was master of the situation-he threatened to go away, and the Limb, after trying to evade present payment, was forced to satisfy the additional claim upon him, having plenty of money for the purpose, though denying at first that he had any.

This point being settled, Tommy led the way back into the garden followed by Mr. Smouch, and the dark of evening having crept on so that they ran no risk of being discovered, a proper spot pointed out by the Limb was selected, and the Tinker loaded, primed, and carefully set THE SPRING GUN!

This done, they separated. Mr. Smouch to pass the evening in a public-house at Hendon, and the Limb to rejoin his aunts, as if nothing had happened.

MEN AND THINGS IN URUGUAY.

EARLY in the year 1857 a German clergyman of the name of Otto Woysch was called to Monte Video, for the purpose of founding a German evangelical congregation. After five years' residence in the Banda Oriental he has returned home, and has described to us his impressions of the nature and social conditions of La Plata in a work* which has appeared very opportunely, in so far as the state of La Plata is daily becoming of greater importance for European emigration, as our readers will perceive presently from our extracts. Mr. Woysch is a remarkably clever author, who knows how to command attention by his lively feeling for natural beauties, and his close observation of foreign nations and their

manners.

On July 21, 1857, Mr. Woysch reached his destination, the capital of Uruguay, Monte Video, which he describes to us in very favourable terms: " Any one who at the present day enters the cleanly and elegant city will find it externally quite different from what it was then, for excellent presidents have devoted great attention to order. Still, even now, splendid houses alternate with huts, palaces with ruins. The streets are carefully paved, and have a first-rate trottoir; but even at the present day a heavy shower forms small pools in those quarters where the gentry do not care to live." The author's opinion as to female beauty in Monte Video is not peculiarly flattering, however. According to him, the impression produced by the beauty of the ladies is often destroyed by their too liberal toilet, and the majority of them belongs most decidedly to the progressive party. If they may be compared with roses, the budding stage lasts but a very short time with them. At an early age they expand their red petals, and prematurely display the withering effects of autumn weather. Having a white complexion is considered one of the greatest beauties by the brunette señoras and señoritas, and they envy the English ladies for it. A young lady, the daughter of a surgeon, was publicly known by the name of Africa, owing to her almost black complexion. When adorned with fans and large bouquets these Spanish ladies resemble an animated flower-garden spread over the theatre, but, when inspected more closely, few interesting faces and little mental beauty can be noticed.

In winter-that is to say in July-the streets of Monte Video offer a busy scene in the morning. Numerous peasants ride in on mules, conveying the sweet milk to the houses. In addition to the rider, the animal is obliged to carry the tin vessels in which the very fiery milk is contained. Negroes in their fanciful costumes, or frequently only wrapped in a bright-hued blanket, hurry with baskets to the market, or return home carrying fish, vegetables, and meat. When a negro meets another, or an old black woman, or acquaintance, they salute each other with the utmost ceremony, stop, and the inquiries as to the welfare of all the members of the family go on for a tremendously long time. They have perfectly adopted the forms of intercourse obtaining in high society, and copy them

*Mittheilungen uber das Sociale und Kirchliche Leben in der Republik Uruguay. Berlin: Hertz.

in a most comical fashion. The mode of building the houses is the same as prevails throughout Spanish America. The dwellings form a paralellogram round a yard, and have galleries running round them, which are decorated with flowers. The roofs are flat, and provided with iron railings. Here the people walk about in the evening, when the sun is sinking into the sea, or the pleasant moon is rising in a coloured gleaming mist. At the rear of the roof frequently stand turrets, with lofty balconies, seated in which you look out a long way seaward, and down on the huge men-of-war. When the latter sink their flags at sunset, the band plays, and a gunshot announces the arrival of night. Often, too, music is heard simultaneously from the vessels and the plaza in front of the cathedral, and the evening is generally cool and fresh, even after a hot summer's day. There is in the atmosphere of these regions something unusually soothing and mild. Few ill-tempered men but are affected by the evening calm. Great misfortunes, too, are more easily endured here, for something consoling moves through this healthy atmosphere. Splendid flowers bloom here in the winter as well. An abundance of roses, heliotrope, and hyacinths, can be seen in the market, and by their side piles of oranges and bananas, peaches and quinces. Italians sell in the market sweet potatoes and large quantities of vegetables. Strawberries may be had all the year round, as well as radishes. The cauliflowers are splendid, and asparagus attains an extraordinary size. Love-apples or tomatoes, pumpkins and watermelons, are heaped up by the side of artichokes, and almost every variety of bean is represented.

In Monte Video the nights appear to constitute the fairer half of existence, or indeed we may say that real life wakes up there after the sun has set. In Monte Video there is a main street called the Calle Porton, or the Calle de 25 de Mayo, in which are the principal shops, booksellers, coffee-houses, furniture-stores, tailors, &c. From eight to ten P.M. a swarm of purchasing ladies and gentlemen walk up and down this street. The señoras have a fashion of looking at every novelty the milliners have to offer. Purchases are mostly made in the daytime, especially when very nice things have been seen overnight. The ladies attract the gentlemen, and hence it has grown a custom to lounge up and down this street. On summer evenings very few visitors could be seen at the Strangers' Club, for everybody was enjoying the fresh air and the sight of the loungers in the Calle del Porton and on the Plaza de la Matriz. Regimental bands played at this late hour for the amusement of the population, and their performance constituted a rich musical treat. Most of the musicians belonged to the operatic orchestra, and their military duties were very light. When the ladies came out of the Matriz church at eight P.M., so soon as the novena, or the vespera, or the oracion was at an end, the loud sound of the musical performance met their ears, and they were delighted with popular melodies from Hernani, Traviata, or Norma. Then everybody walked under the shadow of the paraisos-trees across the plaza to the Calle del Porton. If a place were to be found, they sat down on the numerous marble benches which are put up on the plaza, and groups of ladies, gentlemen, and children everywhere congregated. The black population of the city also assembled at a modest distance, and listened to the band, in which many negroes were the best performers. The company looked at each other in the gaslight, saluted

VOL. LV.

2 L

acquaintances, and forgot the cares of the day. A varied and cheerful popular life was displayed here with that noble demeanour which is so well adapted to the Spanish character. They were glorious hours, especially when the moon was at the full, and the paraisos-trees exhaled their delicate perfume. Many a merry remark was exchanged here, and many a sweet reminiscence is connected with a stroll under the fragrant trees. The stranger, who looks down from the balcony of his hotel at the splendid plaza and the broad carriage-roads round it, at the shady walks, at the dense mass of people slowly lounging about, at the numerous parties assembled on all the balconies round the plaza, at the dome and the two towers of the Matriz church, which rises majestically and solemnly over the busy scene, at the government house with its black soldiers and sentries, at the flat roofs of the white and stately houses, and listens to the sweet sound of the band as it performs the soft melodies of Italy, must exclaim, This is a highly favoured city and a truly happy people! Many a traveller has been enchanted by the pleasant scene of a night on the Plaza de la Matriz, and the inhabitants are justly proud of the effect produced by it. To this nocturnal street life we may fairly add what the author says about the tertulias and bailes. The most fashionable balls commence at midnight and end at four A.M. propriety and innate dignity displayed in the dancing can hardly be sufficiently admired. The young men, who are at other times engaged in capturing horses and hunting oxen, move as if a ball-room were their true home. The ladies are never in want of an answer, and speak about all subjects with decision and elegance. If a señorita, living in the plainest rancho, is invited to a ball in the capital by one of the fashionable families, at whose houses the most distinguished foreigners and natives assemble, she does not consider that an honour is done her by the invitation, but that she honours the inviter by making her appearance. The degree of education in town and country is much about the same, and the innate advantages vary but very slightly. Their merits may be called superficial, and a deeper force of character may be absent, but a cordiality and unrestraint are displayed which render society most agreeable in Monte Video.

The

We will now make an excursion with our author to a pleasant little watering-place. This is Santa Lucia, about thirteen miles from the capital, situated on the river of the same name, and standing under the protection of San Juan Bautista: it is an exquisite spot, where aged trees and pleasant young bushes alternate. They fringe the pleasantly-winding river, and a pure and perfumed breeze renders the morning and evening a most delicious season. The visitor at such an hour has no other wish but to stand or stroll gently along the river bank, and he inhales with the breeze a feeling of enjoyment, tranquillity, and health, such as is never felt in the capital on the most beautiful morning. It is glorious when at night the breeze sports among the orange and banana-trees, and the countless glow-worms glisten on the leaves or move through the night. The springs are curative and full of small eddies, and the sick and the weary and the nervous find relief and refreshment in these waters, which are always tepid in summer, and only offer the grateful coolness of a river bath in the vicinity of the eddies, so that the bather can proceed from warm water to cold, and vice versâ. The weeping willows and bushes,