PARAGUAY. 



471 



under the power of a military Dictator, and some of the other provinces are at present in the 

 same state. 



9. Irhabitants. The inhabitants are European Spaniards, Creoles, Negroes, Indians, and 

 the mixed races. Th*; Chiquitos are a numerous and civilized nation of independent Indians. 

 There are many other tribes. The houses at Buenos Ayres are generally of but one story, 

 though well built. Almost every house has a garden. In the country the dwellings are mere 

 huts. A great part of the food is beef. The matte or Paraguay tea, is used. With such plain 

 food, diseases are rare. The traveling over the immense plains is peculiar ; the horses, nearly 

 wild, are driven at full speed, over the grassy plains, and Captain Head used to perform more 

 than 100 miles a day. There is a sameness in the character of all the South American States. 

 The strictest equality reigns among the Creoles. No white would serve any one of his nation. 

 In the cities there is much dissipation and vice. But the people are generous, lively, and fond 

 of show. The houses however are filthy. 



In the country the inhabitants are cultivators or shepherds ; the latter, or Gauchos, are the 

 most numerous, and they offer but a bad specimen of the pastoral character. They live little 

 better than the Indians ; they sit upon their heels, or the skulls of their cattle, and sleep on 

 skins. Their only food is roasted meat, eaten without salt. Pulse and vegetables they con 

 sider as fit only for horses. They wear the poncho, or cloak with a hole in the middle for the 

 head, a hat, a pair of drawers, and boots of fresh hide. The women wear merely a shirt with- 

 out sleeves, bound with a girdle round the middle. The shepherds are the best of horsemen, 

 and perform all the operations of husbandry on horseback ; they fish on horseback, and hear 

 mass on horseback, sitting in the saddle at ihe church door. The negro slaves are treated in 

 Buenos Ayres with rare kindness. Many of them, according to Azara, never hear the sound 

 of the whip, and none are deserted in old age. 



Thfi common amusements partake too much of gaming. Education is not in a flourishing 

 state. The Roman Catholic is the general religion, and the cathedrals and churches are richly 

 adorned. There are many convents and monasteries. Among the foreigners are Episcopali- 

 ans, Presbyterians, Baptists, &lc. The dead are burned, or lodged in churches, where the 

 pavement is sometimes removed, and a small excavation made, often insufficient to contain the 

 body, which is beaten down to a level. 



10. History. The Jesuits early formed settlements in these regions, and their efforts to 

 civilize and convert the Indians were attended with much success. The country continued 

 under the rule of a viceroy, appointed by the King of Spain, till the year 1808, when a revo- 

 lution was effected in the city of Buenos Ayres, and the viceroy was deposed and sent to 

 Europe. The Spaniards have since made several attempts to reduce the patriots of the coun- 

 try, but without success. In July, 1821, a great battle was fought between the parties, in 

 which the Spaniards were defeated. The tranquillity, however, of the United Provinces, has 

 been mach disturbed by disputes with the Monte Videans, Paraguay, and Brazil. They first 

 assumed the title of United States of South America, and afterwards of the Argentine Re- 

 public or United Provinces of the Plata. But the union has been broken hy mu'ual jealousies, 

 and the country has not yet secured internal order and a settled government. 



CHAPTER LXtV. PARAGUAY. 



This country is bounded N. by Brazil, E. and S. by the river Parana, and W. by Buenc* 

 Ayres and Bolivia, and has an area of 90,000 square miles. The principal rivers are tb 

 Paraguay, the Parana, the Porrudos, and the Tibiquari. The country is flat, and abound 

 in plains, swamps, and lakes. The soil is extremely fertile, and abounds in rich vegetable pro 

 ductions. The plains are fed ^v immense herds of horses, mules, cattle, and sheep. Th«- 

 forests abound in birds, remarkame for their rich plumage. Among the remarkable birds, i? 

 the great cassoway or American ostrich. The principal exports are hides, tallow, wax, horses, 

 Paraguay tea, and tobacco. The population is 250,000, of whom 20,000 are whites, and the 

 rest mestizoes and Indians. This province declared itself independent in the year 1813, and 

 established a government consisting of several members. In about 3 years this government 

 was abolished, and all the powers of government fell iiito the hands of Doctor Francia, who 

 still exercises them under the title of Dictator. He administers the government with great 

 vigor and severity, and maintains the most rigid police in every part of his territories. He has 

 s'/'ictly prohibited all intercourse with foreicri) countries. He l.'.s puLU'hpd a decree which has 



