The political feature is absent here, for
where men have always arms in their hands
to establish a new "Constitution" or destroy
an old one, they look elsewhere than to a
newspaper advertisement for the arena wherein
to exhibit their valour or patriotism. Their
"London Tavern," their "Town Hall," their
"Copenhagen Fields," or "Bull-ring," are to
be found on their wide-spreading Pampas, or
in the fastnesses of their Sierras, with the
lasso at the saddle-bow, the sharp spur on the
heel, the trabrigo (carbine) in the holster, and
the lance or 'sabre in the grasp. These
politicians have no time for reading or writing
advertisements, nor would it answer any
very useful purpose if they did. The only
attempt that is ever made to catch the
patriotic eye, is where a formal notice is
issued by the authorities, touching taxes, or a
muster of militia for some peaceful end; on
these occasions, "Viva la Federacion!"
(Long live the Confederation!) appears at the
head of the advertisement announcing the
fact; and when it has a quasi-military character
attached to it, the portrait of an infantry
soldier under arms, in white tights, Hessian
boots, cross-belts, stiff stock, and ponderous
chako (none of them very pleasant things to
think of in latitude thirty-four degrees south,
with the thermometer ninety-six in the shade),
is invariably added. But the confederation is
not appealed to merely because the nature of
the advertisement may seem to require it;
we find the same heart-stirring refresher
associated with ass's-milk, live turtle,
runaway slaves—with everything, indeed, that
has an interest for the community, portable
or edible, necessary to its comfort, or serviceable
to its desires.

But if liberty has very little claim on the
advertising columns of a newspaper in Buenos
Ayres, there is a large set-off in favour of
slavery. The papers teem with notices
concerning that portion of the people who have
the misfortune not to belong to themselves.
And here it may be desirable to advert to a
feature which is essential to the success of
an advertisement in South America; it must
be pictorial. Our own country newspapers,
and most of the continental ones,—those of
our Parisian friends in particular,—show us
what can be done in this way; but they do
not elaborate their subject after the manner
of the Buenos-Ayreans. With them the
advertisement must have a double chance:
they who can read may enjoy the advantages
of a liberal education in plain type;—they
who have not been introduced to the
schoolmaster may gather the meaning of the
"noticia" from the greater or less striking
resemblance of the object advertised to the
woodcut which illustrates it. It is true, a
difficulty may sometimes arise in the latter
case, owing to an economical employment of
the same block to represent a great variety
of actions: the same slave is always in the
attitude of a fugitive, whether he be described
as running away with all his might, or quietly
standing still to be sold; the same horse is
always in a high trotting condition, whether
he be supposed to career across the plain, or
hold up a foot to be shod; the same bull has
always his head bent down, with the same
mischievous poke of the horns, whether he be
advertised for slaughter or recommended for
sport.

The first of the slave advertisements that
greets us has the appropriate heading about
the Confederation, followed by the words "Se
Vende," ("To be sold.") A small and very
considerably used-up woodcut then figures
as a side-head, representing a bare-footed
negro, in jacket and trousers, with a broad-
leafed straw-hat on his head, and a stick, with
a bundle hanging from it, over his shoulder,
and apparently making off for el campo (the
country), as fast as he can. This is not very
encouraging to the invited purchaser; but
a man who has a sufficient number of dollars
to be able to turn them to the laudable
purpose of buying another man, ought—in
civilised life, at least, to know how to read,—
and thus run the terms of sale:—

"An excellent young negro of all-work
(de todo servicio), fit for the country,
understands lime and brick-making, and knows
how to cook. His price is nine hundred
dollars."

A cook who might make a pudding with
quick-lime instead of flour, and instead of a
bath-brick send in a real one, would not
accord with the notions of an English
housewife.

Female slaves who are to be sold, are
represented as like to Atalanta, as the males are
to Hippomenes. They, too, attired in a long
night-gown, which has very much the look of
impeding their flight, are always bolting with
a bundle, which probably contains the bonnet
they never appear in, or the shoes they are
not supposed to wear. In like manner, if you
wish to buy (se desea comprar) a slave, of
either sex, you do so with your eyes open; for
the great probability that the new purchase
will vanish on the first favourable opportunity,
is vividly set forth in the woodcut that speaks
for all. The prices are tolerably high,—a
boy, as we have seen, fetches nine hundred
dollars; a woman-servant, (una criada,) fifteen
hundred; and a man in the prime of his age,
—for manual labour,—eighteen hundred, or
two thousand. What a fortune Louis
Napoleon might make, if he could establish a
market-value for those whom he proscribes!
M. Thiers would then be worth four hundred
pounds!

But the pictures of runaways have sometimes,—
indeed, we may say, very often,—a
real significance. The Confederation is not
exalted in this instance, but advice is given to
the watchful (à los vigilantes,) to be on the
look-out, as follows:—"An Indian and a
negro, each about fourteen years of age, (both
slaves,) have run away from a farm. The