The revenue of the republic, consisting of customs, excise, and direct tax, is estimated at about 3,000,000 dollars a year; and there is a debt of 4,500,000 dollars. The provinces, since the breaking up of the congress in 1819, have remained in a state of separation; though they have assisted Buenos Ayres in her war with Brazil. In Paraguay, Dr. Francia continues to exercise a most absolute and tyrannical sway over the ignorant natives, for the reports of his death seem to be premature. The Banda Oriental has formed a separate republic.

The agricultural produce consists almost entirely in the vast herds of horses and horned cattle which cover those boundless plains, clothed with rich herbage, which constitute the Pampas. The gaucho, or farmer, has no care in rearing or feeding; he has only to throw over them the lasso, or long leathern noose, to kill or drive them into Buenos Ayres, and in the case of horses, to break them, and put a mark on them by which they may be known. Beef can scarcely be said to bear any price, since a cow may be had for twenty shillings, and the hide is worth more than half that sum. Wheat and barley, for which the soil is perfectly adapted, are cultivated in a slovenly way immediately round Buenos Ayres, the grain being threshed by making cattle gallop over it. Notwithstanding the encouragement given to agriculture by the government, there was still a necessity, in 1823, to import 70,000 barrels of American flour. The milk is not made into cheese or butter; and garden vegetables are no object of culture, the gaucho considering them as food fit only for beasts. In this naked and exposed country there is a great want of timber for fuel; the peach tree has been found to grow, and answer the purpose of fuel better than any other. Paraguay produces its herb, or maté, of which the infusion, like that of tea, is prized over all the most southern countries of America. Quantities of this commodity have been sent down the river to the value of 1,000,000 dollars in the year; but Dr. Francia, of Paraguay, prohibited its exportation.

There is scarcely any manufacture, except that of ponchos, or riding cloaks, which are universally worn, and from habit are made better than those hitherto supplied by the Manchester manufacturers, who are exerting themselves, however, to improve the fabric of this article. The indolence, which the South Americans inherit from the Spaniards, will, probably, long prevent them from becoming a manufacturing people.

The commerce of Buenos Ayres is large, compared with the population and general wealth of the state. The country is dependent on foreign supplies for almost every article, both of manufactured goods and colonial produce, and even for a little grain; in return for which it gives the refuse of its cattle, hides, horns, hair, and tallow. The value of the commercial transactions of the United States with the Argentine Republic is about 2,500,000 dollars. The trade with Great Britain has increased considerably. A very considerable inland trade is also carried on by enormous wagons, which are driven across the Pampas to Mendoza, and other towns at the foot of the Cordillera. They carry some inanufactures and colonial goods, and bring back wine, brandy, and mineral produce. The intercourse with the countries up the river is, at present, obstructed by political causes.

The population of the territory of Buenos Ayres bears, undoubtedly, a very small proportion to its vast extent. It is by no means well ascertained, but is generally supposed not to exceed 700,000.

Society, over all Spanish America, wears a very uniform aspect. The creoles, now everywhere the ruling class, are acute, polite, courteous, indolent, unenterprising, passionately fond of diversion, especially in the forms of dancing and gaming. Every lady holds her tertulia, or evening party, to which even the passing stranger will sometimes be invited. They are less charged with intrigue, however, than in some other great cities of South America; the conduct of the young ladies is very strictly watched, and they are married at thirteen or fourteen. The lower ranks pass through the streets in a very orderly manner; but they are too much addicted to frequenting pulperias, or drinking-houses, where gaming sometimes gives rise to deadly quarrels. Horses being easily procured at Buenos Ayres, it is an object of pride to keep a number of fine quality, on the

equipment of which the inhabitants often bestow more care than on the due clothing of their own persons. Every one has a horse; even the beggar begs on horseback.

The Gauchos, who inhabit the wide surface of the Pampas, and appropriate the numberless herds that roam over them, are a very singular race. The gaucho is at once the most active and the most indolent of mortals. He will scour the country whole days at full gallop, breaking wild horses, or chasing the jaguar or the ostrich; but once alighted and seated on the skeleton of a horse's head, nothing can induce him to move. He considers it a degradation to set his foot to the ground; so that, notwithstanding a general vigour almost preternatural, the lower limbs are weak and bent, and he is incapable of walking to any distance. His dwelling is a mud cottage, with one apartment, and so swarming with insects, that in summer the whole family, wrapped in skins, sleep in the open air. All round is a desert, with the exception of the corral or circular spot, enclosed by stakes, into which the cattle are driven. Neither grain nor vegetables are cultivated, nor is the cow made to yield milk. Beef is the only food; and it is roasted, or rather twisted, on large spits stuck in the floor, in a slanting direction, so as to overhang the fire, a twist being from time to time given, to expose all sides of the meat in succession, and slices are cut by the surrounding family: the juices, of course, fall into the fire, and are lost. A certain proportion become robbers, for which vocation these desolate plains afford scope.

The Indians of the Pampas, a savage and terrible race, driven before the Gauchos, have in no degree coalesced with them, but continue in a state of deadly and raging hostility. Whoever encounters them in these wilds must expect death in its most terrible forms for his immediate lot; and the travellers, meeting each other, ask with trembling voice, if any Indians have been seen on the route. They appear of the genuine Arauco breed; are nobly mounted, having each two or three horses, so that, when one is exhausted, the rider leaps on another. They delight in midnight expedition and surprise. On reaching the hut of an unfortunate Gaucho, these marauders set fire to the roof, when the family, who, at the same time, hear the wild cry which announces their doom, must rush to the door, and are instantly killed, without any distinction, except of the young girls, who are placed on horseback, and carried off to serve as wives, in which capacity they are well treated. A large body were lately in a state of regular war with the colonists, but they have been defeated, and driven beyond the Colorado.

The Catholic religion prevails exclusively in these States, as over all South America; but the splendour of the churches, and the endowments of the clergy, appear to be greater here, compared at least with the means of supporting them, than in any other province. There prevails, also, a particular laxity in the conduct of the clergy. A late traveller, one Sunday evening, in passing the arena for cock-fighting, saw a number of clergymen, each with a fighting-cock under his arm. The government at Buenos Ayres has shown a considerable activity in reforming the abuses of the church, having suppressed a number of convents, and at one time prohibited any accession to the number of monks and nuns; but the influence of these communities is still very strong in the interior provinces, to which this conduct of Buenos Ayres has rather served as a ground of disunion.

Knowledge, as in the other new States, is encouraged by the government, without having yet made any very deep impression on the body of the people. Several large schools have been established on the plan of mutual instruction, and an university has even been founded, without permission from the pope; but it is little more than a classical school.

The city of Buenos Ayres is situated on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata, about 200 miles above its mouth; and, being raised about twenty feet above the river, and presenting the spires of numerous churches and convents, it makes rather a fine appearance. The houses are new, built of brick, white-washed, and with flat roofs, over which may be taken a pleasant and even extensive walk. The windows are protected by iron bars, causing each mansion to resemble a lock-up house, and to form, indeed, a complete fortification. The town, on the whole, is rather handsome, especially the houses surrounding the great square. The environs on the land side have a very monotonous aspect, being animated neither by varied vegetation, nor by the chirping of birds. The population is estimated at 70,000. Large vessels cannot approach nearer than two or three leagues.

The province of Entre Rios, which is situated higher up, between the Uruguay and the Plata, derives from these two rivers some of the most extensive and rich alluvial plains on the surface of the globe. Even the swampy and inundated tracts might easily be converted into the most luxuriant meadows. The herb of Paraguay is found there, and it is supposed might be produced of equally good quality as in the upper quarter, where only it has been hitherto reared in perfection. Corrientes, at the junction of the Paraguay and the Paraná, must, from this happy situation, rise in time much above its present moderate importance. Lower down, on the opposite side of the river, is Santa Fé, distant eighty leagues from Buenos Ayres, which has risen to considerable importance by becoming a depôt for the goods on the river. This city, with its district, has formed itself at present into an independent State, strongly repelling all union with Buenos Ayres. The population of the town is not supposed to exceed 4000.

Cordova, Tucuman, and Salta form together an extensive region, which has been often comprehended under the general appellation of Tucuman. They fill up part of the interval between the Paraguay and the Andes, which does not consist of dead level plains, like those in the south, but is crossed by branches of the Andes, and even by parallel chains. Between these mountains are found valleys and extended plains of great fertility, in which every species of tropical produce is raised; but the prevailing stock consists in cattle, sheep, and, above all, mules, which, being indispensable for conveyance across the Andes, are reared with great care, and exported in great numbers to Peru. The people bear the reputation of being more industrious, religious, and orderly, than those of the other provinces.

Of the capitals of these provinces, Cordova is a neat small town, well paved, with a handsome cathedral and market-place. It possesses the only university in the interior provinces, which has recently produced some men of considerable eminence. It carries on a manufacture of cloth, and a trade in mules. Salta is a considerable place of 400 houses, situated in the beautiful valley of Lerma, on the high road from Buenos Ayres to Potosi. It is the capital of a bishopric. About 60,000 mules are reared in the neighbourhood. An annual fair is held in February and March for mules and horses. The people, and those of other towns in the district, have a hard struggle to maintain with the tribes of unsubdued Indians, who hem them in on all sides. Tucuman and Santiago del Estero are also old towns, situated in fertile plains, and deriving some importance from their position on the main route from Buenos Ayres to Peru. Near Tucuman are some silvermines, not yet worked.

Mendoza, a province separated from that of Cordova, consists of some beautiful, fine, and well-watered valleys, overshadowed by the amazing rocky and snowy steeps of the Andes. Its staples are the same as at Cordova, mules, wool, cloth. A considerable number of mines of gold, silver, and copper occur both here and

farther north. The importance of Mendoza rests on its fertile soil, and on its being the sole route of communication between Buenos Ayres and Chili; which, though rugged, leading over the loftiest steeps of the Andes, is a continual thoroughfare. A product, almost unique in America, is that of wines and brandies, which are very tolerable, and are sent to the neighbouring provinces. Mendoza is a neat town, well built of brick, the streets refreshed by streams from the river, and the interior of the houses well fitted up. The population is generally reckoned from 8000 to 10,000. They are described as a quiet, respectable, well-disposed people, though they give themselves up without reserve to the indolence generated by the climate, enjoying an unbroken siesta, or sleep, from twelve to five in the afternoon, when they rise to walk on the alameda, which commands a noble view of the plain and the Andes: but this is the usual train of life in these interior cities. San Luis, to the east of Mendoza, on a frequented though circuitous route from Buenos Ayres, is a much smaller place, consisting of a number of mud huts, scattered over a large space of ground, but in a situation highly picturesque, being enclosed by a lofty branch of the chain of Cordova. San Juan de la Frontera, to the north of Mendoza, has another but much less frequented route through the Andes. The town is said to contain 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants.

PARAGUAY.

PARAGUAY is situated between the Paraná and Paraguay rivers. It is a fine district, and is probably 500 miles in length, and upwards of 200 in breadth. The soil is extremely fertile and abounds in various vegetable productions, and vast herds of cattle and horses feed on its rich plains. The population is supposed to be about 150,000, of whom 7000 or 8000 are probably whites, and the remainder mestizos and Indians.

This State declared its independence in the year 1813, and established a government of several members. In about three years this government was dissolved, when it fell under the absolute dominion of a person of the name of Francia. Having taken a degree at the university of Cordova, he applied his knowledge in astronomy and physics, and the instruments connected with those sciences, to impress this simple race with a belief in his supernatural powers. By these and other arts, he rules them with absolute sway, under the title of dictator of Paraguay; and his first maxim is to allow no person or thing to come into or go out of Paraguay. Of things, the most valuable is the herb of Paraguay, which the neighbouring countries, were they permitted, would take off to the value of 1,000,000 dollars; and of persons, Bonpland, the illustrious botanist and companion of Humboldt, was long detained in prison, though recently liberated.

The cabildo, or municipal government of the several towns, is chosen annually by the people. Indians, as well as creoles and mixed breeds, are eligible to these offices. There is, as is stated, perfect security for person and property: each district is made responsible for every theft committed within it. All the inhabitants are instructed in the first rudiments of education. Public schools are established everywhere. Every person is required to be employed at some business or other, and mendicity is unknown; and notwithstanding the strictness and rigour of the dictator's government, the people appear to be contented and happy. Assumpcion, the metropolis, is a considerable place, with about 7000 inhabitants, but with little regularity and beauty. It is built on a bank above the river, which is daily washing away part of the ground beneath it. This place, with the smaller ones of Curuguatty and Villa Rica, were the staples for the herb of Paraguay. Neembuco, Concepcion, and Itapua, are also small towns, with a population of 2000 or 3000 each.

The herb or tea which derives its name from this region, is an evergreen plant or small tree, of the holly family. It grows wild in the woods fringing the rivers and streams which fall into the Uruguay, Paraná and Paraguay. The use of this herb is general in Buenos Ayres, and also in Chili, Peru, and some parts of Co

lombia. The custom has been derived from the aborigines, and it is so universally diffused that it is estimated 50,000 quintals were used in 1800. To drink this infusion, it is customary to put a pinch of the leaves into a cup, or small calabash called maté (from which the name of the plant, yerva maté, is derived), full of hot water, and to drink off the fluid immediately, by imbibing it through a little tube or sucker, pierced with holes in the lower part, which only allow the passage of the water, and keep back the leaves that float on the surface. Sugar and a little lemon-peel are added to improve the flavour. It is usually sipped the first thing in the morning, and several times in the course of the day. It was the common practice to pass the same tube from mouth to mouth, but the custom is becoming unfashionable. Novices frequently burn their lips or scald the tongue. The Jesuits planted many of these trees round their towns and missions, for the convenience of preparing and exporting the leaf; but their example has not been followed, and the plants are mostly found in wild and secluded spots.

The South Americans ascribe many virtues to this plant, which is certainly aperient and diuretic. Like opium, it produces some singular and contrary effects, giving sleep to the restless and spirit to the torpid. Those who have once contracted the habit of taking it, do not find it easy to leave it off, or even to use it in moderation; though when taken to excess, it brings on similar disorders to those produced by the immoderate use of strong liquors.

URUGUAY.

(ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF THE URUGUAY.)

THE tract of country which lies on the north of the Rio de la Plata and on the east of the Uruguay, formerly made a part of the Spanish viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres, under the name of the Banda Oriental. After having been nine years in the hands of the ferocious Artigas, it was incorporated with Brazil under the title of Provincia Cisplatina. The contending claims of the two powers led to a war, which was finally terminated by the establishment of an independent republic, which has an area of about 92,000 square miles, and a population of 75,000. Its official title is Oriental Republic of the Uruguay.

Monte Video, capital of the republic, stands on the northern bank of the Plata, and has the best harbour upon that river, which, however, is exposed to the violence of the pamperos or south-west winds. It has suffered severely in passing through the hands of Artigas, and subsequently by the war between Buenos Ayres and Brazil: its population is reduced to about 15,000. It is well built, with wide and regular streets, and the country around is agreeably diversified with hills and valleys; the gardens abound with the finest fruits and flowers, but there is otherwise little cultivation; though extensive cattle farms are found in the interior. It exports large quantities of hides. Below Monte Video is the small port of Maldonado, and above, the still smaller one of Colonia del Sacramento, with a good harbour.

In this State, high up on the Uruguay river, are the remains of some of the settlements and towns called the Missions, which have been the theme of eloquence, of history, and of song. The Jesuits, on these beautiful and remote plains, collected into a body nearly 300,000 of the natives, from the ignorant wandering and fierce tribes in the vicinity, who lived under their sway, and paid them a homage bordering almost on adoration. They trained them to arts and manufactures, and brought them to relish the blessings of security and order; they carried on agriculture with great success, and were also armed and disciplined after the European method. The Jesuits appear to have been enlightened and humane, and certainly there is no parallel to their success, in modern history. They were, however, suspected by the court of Spain of aiming at the establishment of an independent empire in South America, subject to them alone; and on the suppression of their order in Europe, the Jesuits were driven from their set