my blanket upon the floor, and there making my couch. I slept well and soundly; but what was my surprise, on being awakened in the morning by a rude push, to find a fellow in uniform and moustaches standing over me, and holding the point of his lance within an inch of my throat.

No sooner had I opened my eyes, than he exclaimed"Rendicion, vos maldito Unitarian Frances," (Surrender, you damned French Unitarian.)

This was the first time that I had heard the word Unitarian used in the sense which it was here intended to convey. But I very promptly answered

"No, I am no Frenchman."

"Who are you, then ?"

"An officer from the interior."

"Is that true?"

"Yes."

“Get up, then,” he continued, at the same time withdrawing his lance, and walking away.

My toilet was soon made, having nothing to put on but my coat and poncha. Freres had awoke; and as soon as we were dressed, we walked together into the road fronting the house, where we found an assemblage of something like a thousand lanceros and carbineros (lancers and carbineers) of Rosas' army. They had been temporarily dismissed, and were moving about the vicinity of the house at pleasure. From the road we walked into the coral adjoining the house, and there I was met by a boisterous fool, who drew a splendid Toledo blade, and levelling it at my breast demanded— "Who are you?"

"Me!" said I. "I am nobody," at the same time stepping back a little from the point of his weapon.

He followed me up, making feint thrusts which came too near my person to be pleasant, and again demanding— "Do you know who I am?"

“No,” said I; "but whoever you are, I would thank you

to keep your point further from me. this ?"

What do you mean by

"I mean to let you know that I am a spy of Gen. Rosas, and you are one of the damned Unitarians.”

By this time I had slowly stepped back from his blade, until I came in contact with a hide rope, that was stretched across the coral. Leaning my back against the rope, I said— 'My friend, this is not fair. I am unarmed."

66

At these words, my companion Freres ran to me, saying"Col. Quino, here is a pistol."

I took the weapon, and, levelling it at the fellow, ordered him to stand back.

But the pronouncing of my name by Don Freres seemed to have been quite sufficient. The fellow did stand back, at the same time withdrawing his blade, and as he retreated, exclaiming, "Colonel Quino!"

I immediately sought the had any orders to detain me. erty to proceed.

comandante, and asked if he He said no, that I was at lib

We proceeded accordingly, and, having arrived safely at Buenos Ayres about mid-day, took rooms at the Fonches Hotel, a superb house in the Calle de Vingt-Cinq de Maio, kept by a Mr. Jackson..

CHAPTER XIV.

Buenos Ayres besieged by Rosas-Capitulation of Gen. Lavalia-Triumphant entrance of Rosas-Tenure of the Confederation-The Unitarians and Federals-Despotic course of Rosas-Further account of the depredations of the Pampas-Return to Cordova-Indignation of Gov. Paz-Revolution of the Internal Provinces commenced.

WHEN I arrived at Buenos Ayres, I learned that, after the success of Lavalia, Rosas had retreated to the pampas, and from his hiding-place sent for and obtained the co-operation of Gov. Lopez, of Santa Fé, who has been before introduced to the reader. These men commenced a sort of guerrilla warfare, by harassing the towns, inciting the Indians, and cutting off provisions from Buenos Ayres, which, lying between the pampas and the Rio Plata, was thus made dependent upon Montevideo for its supplies of provisions; in consequence of which these soon became insufficient, and so excessively dear as to be almost beyond the reach of thousands of the citizens. Whenever any parts of the besieging armies permitted themselves to be seen, Lavalia immediately sent forces to meet them; but the guerrillas were ever active on retreat, and by dividing their parties, and moving in different directions, always eluded pursuit.

Lavalia, after holding out in this manner for a long time, and finding that the people were likely to suffer actual starvation, determined at some rate to relieve them. With this object he rode alone to the pampas, and at length finding the camp of Rosas, inquired for his deadly enemy the general. He was told that the general was absent. He then, it is said, made himself known to the officer in command, declared

his intention to await the return of Rosas, and laid himself down to sleep. When the general returned, he was told the circumstance, and exclaimed, "It is impossible-let me see the man." An interview was had between them, whereat certain stipulations were agreed upon, by which Lavalia agreed to retire from Buenos Ayres, and permit the entrance of Rosas and his army. This was the great victory said to have been achieved by the dictator.

At the time of my arrival, Lavalia, in accordance with this agreement, had just retired to Montevideo, and the adherents of Rosas were active in their preparations to receive the hero, who, in fact, had never fought a battle; and among the most loud in his praise, were a class of men, or desperadoes, the counterpart of whom are ever found engaged in what has been appropriately denominated " the dirty work” of their government, or their party, as the case may be. The character of their work under this man, was (as will be shown) such as to cause the blood of honesty and innocence to curdle in the veins.

A day had been set apart for the public entry of Rosas into the city; and when the time arrived, I went with the multitude to witness his reception in the market-square. No pains or expense had been spared in preparing the gorgeous paraphernalia for his reception. Arches were erected; banners were streaming; the bells rang a merry peal; the music of a hundred bands sent up their swelling strains to the sky; and at last, when "the observed of all observers" approached, the horses were detached from his carriage, and with long ropes made of red silk, he was drawn forward by some two hundred of the wretches before-mentioned, and from whom he afterwards formed his horrible massorca, (club.) I looked around upon the vast multitude that had assembled to do honor to such a being, and mourned in my heart, as did thousands of others, over the humiliating scene.

It becomes necessary to explain here, in as few words as

possible, the groundwork of the contending interests that were now distracting the whole country, and to define the term Unitarian, as applied to a portion of the people of the Argentine Republic.

A form of government, unfortunately too liberal in prospective, and consequently too popular, had treacherously led the whole country into a snare. The fundamental principles of that form were, in few words, the entire independence of each separate province, except so far as a unity of action might be found necessary for the transaction of business with foreign powers, or for the defence of the common territory against foreign invasion. The idea of a perfect state sovereignty was so alluring, that the best statesmen in the country were led away; and the masses at first with one voice hailed its advent as affording the ultimatum of their notions of true liberty. The plan was adopted, and the people, or a great portion of the people, after years of trial, and after becoming satisfied that the system itself, aided by ambitious and bad men, was the cause of all their internal commotion and civil wars, determined if possible to change the form, and in the true spirit of E pluribus unum, consolidate the discordant elements in one great harmonious whole, with an executive and representative head, responsible directly to the people.

As in all countries professing civilization, there consequently arose in this, two great political parties, each advocating and contending for its own separate views and measures for what they might consider the good of the whole, or, as the case might be, best calculated to accomplish their own private ends. Juan Manuel de Rosas, who seemed to be the master-spirit of the time, and who was at best but an adventurer, with unbounded ambition, aiming as he was at more than a dictatorship-aiming at a power that should transform his will into a law, and enable him to invade with impunity the sanctity of private rights-to set aside with his own word (directly or indirectly) the transactions of those who bore the