caped to, with the intention
of settling down there, so unbearable, that, luckily for me as regards
my future, I contrived to get away, and went as fast as I could on board
my ship for refuge, never landing again during our stay at Buenos Ayres.

Fortunately, shortly afterwards we were ordered away, and so ended my
first love affair.

I shall never forget the melancholy, woebegone faces of my captain and
brother officers on our re-assembling on board. It was really most
ludicrous. However, a sea voyage which included several sharp gales of
wind soon erased all sad memories; things gradually 'brightened,' and
ere many weeks had passed all on board H.M.S.---- resumed their usual
appearance.

CHAPTER III.

A TRAGICAL AFFAIR.

Whilst I was at Buenos Ayres I had the good luck to visit the
independent province of Paraguay, which my readers must have heard
spoken of, sometimes with admiration, sometimes with sneers, as the
hot-bed of Jesuitism. Those who sneer say that the Jesuit fathers who
left Spain under Martin Garcia formed this colony in the River Plate
entirely in accordance with the principles their egotism and love of
power dictated. It may be so; it is possible that the Jesuits were wrong
in the conclusions they came to as regards the governing or guiding of
human nature; all I can say is, that the perfect order reigning
throughout the colony they had formed, the respect for the clergy, the
cheerful obedience to laws, the industry and peaceful happiness one saw
at every step, made an impression on me I have never forgotten; and when
I compare it with the discord, the crime, and the hatred of all
authority which is now prevailing, alas! in most civilised countries, I
look back to what I saw in Paraguay with a sigh of regret that such
things are of the past. It was beautiful to see the respect paid to the
Church (the acknowledged ruler of the place), the cleanliness and
comfort of the farms and villages, the good-will and order that
prevailed amongst the natives. It was most interesting to visit the
schools, where only so much learning was introduced as was considered
necessary for the minds of the industrious population, without rendering
them troublesome to the colony or to themselves. Though the inhabitants
were mostly of the fiery and ungovernable Spanish race, who had mixed
with the wild aborigines, it is remarkable that they remained quiet and
submissive.

To prevent pernicious influences reaching