SANTA FE gives name to a province north-west from that of Buenos Ayres. This city is the F-st on the road from Buenos Ayres to Paraguay, at a distance of 300 miles above the capital, and at S. lat. 31° 32'. It stands on the Salado, at its entrance into the Parana. The pro vince of Sta. Fe is bounded by Buenos Ayres south, Cordova north, and the barbarian frontiers south-west. The population is very scanty, and the number of its inhabitants unknown; supposed to he from 15,000 to 20,000. \Vith all the advantages of position and soil, agriculture is neglected. The inhabitants are devoted to rearing horses and vicunnas. Its productions are conveyed to Buenos Ayres by land, a-. well as by water.
CotroovA is the capital of the province of that name, and the first city to which the traveller comes after leav ing Buenos Ayres, in following the western road, which is commonly called the road of Peru. It was founded in July 1573, and is situated at S. hit. 31' 15', about 400 miles N. NV. from Buenos Ayres. Its situation is pic turesque, amid mountains. The city alone contains a population of from 12 to 16,000 souls, and that of the whole province may amount to from 70 to 80,000. The territory of Cordova remains but vaguely defined, but is usually considered about 330 miles square ; which would give nearly one hundred and nine thousand square miles; but such estimates without adequate data arc of little value. Many circumstances of interest respecting this province arc, however, known. The city contains a university tolerably well endowed. In the territory there are many towns and places of whites and Indians; such as Concepcion, Carlota, Tutumba, San Xavier, Rio Seco, Frayle 1luesto, Soto, Pichano, Quilino, Yschitin, La Toma, San Marcos, Cruz Alta, and several others, with a very scanty population in each. The greater part of the inhabitants being spread about the country, on the Haciendas or Estanias, establishments for grazing.
Agriculture is neglected, though wheat and other grains succeed well; but the people are pastoral, mild, and hap py. If the pursuits of the people of Cordova did not as
similate to those of the banks of the Parana, we might ascribe the pastoral character of the former to the na ture of their rivers : no navigable stream flows from Cor dova. But on the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and even at Buenos Ayres, the people are pastoral. This general similarity in the habits of society in places so very remote, and in places so physically distinct, must have for causes something which writers have not sufficiently explained. The effects every traveller must observe. Most of the rivers of Cordova are lost in the intermedi ate plains before reaching the Parana. One is an excep tion, which reaches the Parana at Rosario, but it is un navigable. In 1804, and 1810, attempts were made to remove the obstructions to the navigation of this river, but proved abortive. In fact, to complete such works de mands a more dense and enterprising population than exists on Cordova.
ST. Lours, or San Luis de la Puntz, still more remote from Buenos Ayres than is Cordova, and still more de prived also of the benefits of navigable rivers. This city lies on the road to Mendoza, at S. lat. 33° 22' about 500 miles a Ittle north of west from Buenos Ayres, and 300 miles east from Santiago de Chile. Though founded as early as 1565, it yet contains only 1500 inhabitants. The province is about 300 miles by 180, and contains on an area of 54,000 square miles a population of 25,000 souls. The temperature of the air is good ; and yet, the lack of population in the towns, and culture in the country, great ly diminish its importance. It is well calculated for breeding cattle, and the rearing of horses and vicunnas, the chief employment of the people. Occupying a point on the great road from Buenos Ayres to Mendoza, San tiago de Chile, and other places, San Louis, may with a more numerous and more industrious population, become a city of great importance.