A VOYAGE TO 



blished a government, set up a press, opened colleges 

 and schools, the town was evacuated by the troops of 

 Buenos Ayres, who had employment enough in the 

 upper provinces.* The place soon after fell under 

 the sway of this barbarian, who continued from that 

 time in open hostility to Buenos Ayres, contrary to the 

 wishes of the intelligent and respectable part of the 

 community, which he is enabled to disregard, in con- 

 sequence of his having at his command, the singular 

 kind of force, composed of the wild herdsmen, who 

 are so much attached to him as their leader. The 

 Portuguese taking advantage of the defection of Arti- 

 gas, took possession of Monte Video under the pre- 

 text, that their own safety required it. They allege 

 that Artigas had committed hostilities on the adjoining 

 provinces of Brazil, and that the state of anarchy 

 w^hich he had occasioned, held out a dangerous exam- 

 ple to the herdsmen of their provinces, whose habits 

 and propensities were similar to those of the herdsmen 

 of the Banda Oriental. The marching of their divi- 

 sions, amounting in the whole to ten thousand men, 

 has proved destructive to the settlements or villages of 

 the country; and the occupation of this city by gene- 

 ral Lecor, with the principal division, consisting of 

 five thousand men, which has since been reinforc- 

 ed, may be considered as giving it the finishing 

 blow. Within eight years, the population has been 

 reduced at least two4hirds; many of the principal in- 

 habitants have removed; property to an immense 



* Mr. Poinsett thinks it was a capital error on the part of the go- 

 vernment of Buenos Ayres, not to have destroyed the fortifica- 

 tions of Monte Video, so as to prevent an enemy from taking ad- 

 vantage of them. 



