A VOYAGE TO 



come within the p/ile of civilization. The Charuas, and 

 some of the smaller tribes leagued with them, are the 

 most formidable. Their combined numbers probably, 

 is less than a thousand, exclusive of the Guaranys, 

 from the Parana to the Portuguese frontier. North 

 of the Entre Rios, comes the celebrated province of 

 Paraguay, containing nearly the same number of square 

 miles as the Banda Oriental. It is bounded on the 

 north by Brazil, and on the other sides by the rivers 

 Paraguay and Parana. 



It has been mentioned that the warlike character of 

 the Indians, north of the Parana, especially in the 

 Banda Oriental, opposed great obstacles to the settle- 

 ment of the country. The city of Monte Video was 

 not founded until the year 17^4, and it was even many 

 years afterwards, that the Charuas were so far kept in 

 check as to enable the Spaniards to establish estan- 

 cias. Instead of directing their attention to raising 

 grain, for which the country is well adapted, vast 

 tracts of land were granted for grazing estates, where 

 cattle were permitted to multiply to such a degree, 

 that they could no longer be kept in a domesticated 

 state; but when the trade was opened in 1798, so ma- 

 ny were slaughtered on account of their hides, and 

 they diminished so rapidly, that fears began to be en- 

 tertained lest they should be exterminated. Measures 

 were taken to prevent the decrease^ by restricting the 

 number to be killed. Before the revolution, the num- 

 ber of estancias was estimated at one hundred and 

 twenty, and the cattle at about half a million, which 

 was a great diminution. To every five thousand head, 

 six or seven peons, and a hundred horses, at least, were 

 necessary, to take care of them, to drive them into in- 



