ON THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ILEX, ETC. 71 



pared from different species of Ilex. The Guarani general term, Cad, 

 signifies a leaf or branch ; and in the Missions, the names of Cad-riri 

 and Cad-Una or Caima are given to the different kinds of Ilex. The 

 prepared leaves have always borne the name of Yerba among the 

 Spaniards, its infusion being made in a peculiar kind of cup called a 

 MatS. In the Portugese Missions the Yerba is called Caima, and in 

 most of the Brazilian provinces it is known by the name of Congonlia, 

 pronounced Congonia. 



Under the Spanish government, the principal harvests of Yerba 

 were made in the valleys bordering upon the river Ypane, a tributary of 

 the Eio Paraguay, — the produce there collected being conveyed to the 

 town of Villareal, at its mouthy in lat. 23° 30' S., and thence trans- 

 ported down the Eiver Paraguay, in large pontoons, to the metropolitan 

 town Assuncion. Although the largest harvests were obtained in Para- 

 guay, considerable quantities in addition were raised in the various set- 

 tlements of Indians founded by the Jesuits beyond its limits. These 

 were called Missions, and were thirty in number, twenty-three being 

 situated between the rivers Parana and Uruguay, and seven on the left 

 bank of the latter river, in the province of Entrerios. These, as well as 

 all the extensive settlements in Paraguay proper, were at their greatest 

 prosperity at the period of the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768 ; but, 

 owing to the defective management of the Indians under the subsequent 

 rule of the Spanish authorities, the commerce in Yerba languished 

 considerably. In 1810 the quantity raised was supposed to amount to 

 five millions of pounds ; but Mr. Robertson states that in 1812 (two 

 years after Paraguay became independent) the exports of Yerba still 

 amounted to eight millions of pounds, or 3,750 tons, from the port of 

 Assuncion alone, at which period, too, its cultivation in the Missions had 

 become almost annihilated. In all these Missions, during the devastat- 

 ing wars then raging throughout the Argentine provinces, the Indian 

 settlers were robbed of all their cattle and horses, their farms were 

 destroyed, the men forced to become soldiers, and otherwise were so op- 

 pressed, that the greater number sought a refuge in Paraguay. 

 * * * * 



At this period, Paraguay was governed by the renowned Dictator, 

 Doctor Francia. 



Under the Spanish rule, the Paraguayans had cultivated besides the 

 Yerba, little beyond a fine kind of tobacco (considered equal to that of 

 Havana, and much appreciated in Chile and Peru), and also some sugar 

 and yucca (yams). They were soon induced by Francia to extend their 

 agricultural pursuits, 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 pro- 

 cured from Corrientes, was now cultivated to some extent ; more atten- 

 tion was paid to the rearing of cattle and horses, instead of importing 

 them from Entrerios, so that in a few years they were able to export a 



