A LETTER FROM THE ARGENTINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 9 July 1891, Page 29

A LETTER FROM THE ARGENTINE.

The following interesting letter was received by Mr David Laurie, of Jericho, from a friend of bis in the Argentine Eepublic, Angus A. M'Lean, dated 12th March ,1891, and written from the Estancia Flor de Mayo, Pergamino, Buenos • Ayres. After referring to private 'matters, Mr M'Lean writes : —

AH camp men here say that the past 10 or 11 months have been the driest known for very many years, and to make matters a great deal worse, the longostas (locusts) have been playing the mischief with the country for the past four months. The maize crop in nearly all places suffered more or less. In the majority of cases they have completely cleaned it off. On this Estancia there are nearly 600 acres planted with maize, and there will not be a single cob gathered, the late planted being eaten off as it showed above ground, and of the early planting there is nothing left but the bare stalks.' It is seven years since these destructive little vermin paid their last visit to this part of the Republic. We have had about 7in of rain here since the New Year, but the country requires, a good soaking to make grass for the winter, cattle and mares being low in condition yet, and the cold winds of the winter months on this flat, treeless, pampa country are very trying on stock. An Argentine drought is very different to a Queensland- one, for in Queensland, when you have 500 head of cattle on ft square league (6400 English acres) you will consider it heavily stocked, while here 3500 head would not be looked upon as anything uncommon. So it is easy to understand from that if the rainfall here was anything near as precarious as in Queensland one drought would clear off all the stook in the River Plate. You would, no doubt, have seen by the newspapers that they had a revolution in Buenos Ayres in July last. They had some pretty stiff skirmishing while it lasted. The more reliable accounts say there were from 1000 to |1500 killed. I should not be surprised if they will soon have another revolution. The financial affairs of this country are in a very unsatisfactory- state, and by the look of things they 'will be much worse before many months more. The greatest drawback to the coantry is the wretched money they have. The dollar is now worth only 26 cents gold. Property has fallen <greatly in value, and is likely to get much lower still. Trade is in a very depressed state, and very few immigrants coming into the country. You will have done with most of your warm weather for the season by this. Here it has been quite as warm of late as it was ia Jauuaiy. The summer here is not nearly as hot as in Queensland, and the winter is very cold, the wind from the south in winter being something to remember. I do not like the country, and I think I will not stay very long in it. I will go back to the colonies or to the States. This was a grand place to come to some 20 years ago, even for a man without a cent. Sheep in those days were cheap, and the very cream of camp to be rented for next to nothing. Buying land in those days was hardly thought of. The man who bought land was looked upon as a sonso (fool), although to-day he h&s hold of the right end of the stick. A great many of the most wealthy estancieros in this province are Irishmen, who came to this country from 20 to 50 years ago, men who came here without a second shirt, many of them, and could neither write their own name or distinguish a sheep from a billy goat. I am ov.erseer on this estancia. It is an outside estancia belonging to a larger place, although these estancias are small as regards extent of country compared with the Queensland scrub runs, but a square league here will run more stock than 10 square leagues of Central Queensland scrub country. I got the papers from my brother with an account of the floods yon had last year. I also see thai; the colonies have been a good deal put about by strikes. It is a great pity these Argentines haven't got a little of the strike element in them ; if they had they would not endure the rascally thieves who govern them down in Buenos Ayres.