Mr. J. Miers on the History of the ' Mate ' Plant. 223 



a constant state of anarchy. Paraguay, when under the Spanish 



rule, had been dependent upon those states for most of the neces- 

 saries of life, which they exchanged for its Yerba and its tobacco ; 

 and Francia^s earliest efforts were directed so as to render the 

 country independent of this foreign supply and to produce what- 

 ever was essential for its own requirements. The only persons who 

 strove to thwart his measures were the old Spaniards, who clung 

 to the hope of seeing the power of Spain restored, and also the 

 many emissaries clandestinely sent from the neighbouring states 

 to allure the people into another policy, and to restore the former 

 state of trade, on which they had depended. Against these emis- 

 saries, acting in concert with General Artigas, Governor of Entre- 

 rios, who invaded Paraguay and laid waste parts of the country, 

 the most stringent measures were employed : they were threatened 

 with the extreme penalty of the law, if caught in their intrigues ; 

 and several daring adventurers, though forewarned of the con- 

 sequences, were taken, and suffered the punishment of death as 

 examples to others. The many tales raised against Francia for 

 cruelty and murder are solely traceable to these severe measures, 

 which he considered just and necessary. Towards the natives 

 no such severity was required ; for his administration of the law 

 was simple, firm, and just : had it been otherwise, it would have 

 been impossible for him to have maintained his authority for so 

 many years without a standing army ; and we have the strongest 

 endence of this truth in the fact that, during his long admini- 

 stration, notwithstanding the efforts of many foreign emissaries, 

 no attempt was ever made among the people to revolt; no 

 Paraguayan endeavoured to control his power, or change the 

 system he adopted. "We have the evidence of Mr. Robertson 

 (one who suffered most from the suspension in the trade in 

 Yerba, and who was in consequence one of the foremost among 

 his detractors) that during his residence of two years in Para- 

 guay, under Francia's rule, no instance of the punishment of 

 death was known. 



Under the Spanish rule, the Paraguayans had cultivated, 

 besides the Yerba, little beyond a fine kind of tobacco (con- 

 sidered equal to that of Havanna, and much appreciated in 

 Chile and Peru), and also some sugar and yucca (yams). They 

 were soon induced by Francia to extend their agricultural pur- 

 suits, to cultivate rice, maize, and other vegetables, on a large 

 scale, and to raise a sufficient quantity of yucca to satisfy the 

 general consumption. Other vegetable products, hitherto scarcely 

 known in the country, soon covered the plains : cotton, formerly 

 procured from Corrientes, was now cultivated to some extent ; 

 more attention was paid to the rearing of cattle and horses, in- 

 stead of importing them from Entrerios, so that in a few years 



