SOUTH A 
nately they are not allowed to ripen perfectly on A account of 
the ants); the maracuja, or fruit of the popiflora, estimated 
by the Spaniards the finest of fruits, the mango, the guava, the 
tamarind, &c. Cocoa, coffee, and sugar are also plentifully 
produced. The tea tree grows, but from some unknown cir¬ 
cumstances the article is not good. Every kind of wood ne¬ 
cessary for ship-building, dyeing, or carpentry is found, and 
multitudes of the most gorgeous flowers: these, however, 
want the rich odour that attends the blossoms of more tem¬ 
perate climes. The horses in the colder parts of Brazil are 
strong, but lose so much of their strength and vivacity in 
wanner parts, that mules are chiefly used. Large oxen are 
occasionally found for draught; but the breed that is kept for 
eating, is peculiarly lean and small. A multitude of wild 
dogs infest the streets of the capital; but hydrophobia is un¬ 
known. The tapir, the sloth, the jaquar, huge bats that 
suck the blood of the cattle, many venomous serpents, enor¬ 
mous toads, scorpions and spiders; voracious ants so large 
that, when fried, they are eaten ; mosquitoes, jaggers who 
get under one’s toe nails, and ticks who burrow into one’s 
flesh, fill up the catalogue of animated nature. . Much 
honey would be raised from bees, if the ants did not de¬ 
stroy the cells. The silk-worm does not exist, but its place 
is partly supplied by another insect. Rio de Janeiro is well 
supplied with fish: sharks and small crocodiles are met with 
ii its bay. 
To the west of Brazil lies the comparatively small state 
of Paraguay. This so long and prosperously managed 
by the Portuguese Jesuits, was early revolutionized, and at 
present is under the absolute dominion of a despot. When 
first it threw off the yoke of the mother country, the king’s 
governor, Velasco, for some time joined in the administra¬ 
tion of affairs with the revolutionary chief Francia, a native 
of Paraguay ; and who, having taken a degree at Cordova, 
was better known by the name of Doctor Francia. This 
administration lasted but a short time ; Francia getting rid 
of his colleague, declaring himself dictator of Paraguay, and 
making two nephews his secretaries. 
In 1810, an expedition, under the command of Belgrano, 
left Buenos Ayres to attack Francia; and, having advanced 
for some days through the thick woods of Paraguay without 
seeing an enemy, concluded that they should reach the 
capital Asumpcion without any obstacle. But the following 
night, soon after their encampment, they discovered fires on 
all sides of them, and a trumpet arrived with a notification 
from Francia, that he had no wish to shed blood, and would 
therefore grant a free retreat to the Buenos Ay reans; but that, 
if they advanced, they must take all the consequences of such 
an indiscretion. On this, Belgrano, after some hesitation, 
seeing that his resources were cut off, and being ignorant 
of the number of the enemy, he thought it prudent to 
retire. Every night, while he remained on the territory 
of Francia, he found himself surrounded in a similar way, 
and was glad to escape from the danger with which he was 
menaced. 
From 1810, when Velasco was deposed, until 1816, the 
verba, or tea tree, came down in the usual large quantities. 
According to M. Bonpland, it is produced by a new species 
of ilex. In 1814, no less a quantity than twenty thousand 
bales reached Buenos Ayres; but since 1816, the dictator 
has scarcely permitted any to leave the country, excepting 
now and then in exchange for gunpowder, arms, and in 
one or two instances, philosophical instruments. The tea 
brought from Paraguay is said to be as superior to that manu¬ 
factured by the Brazilians as possible; a difference solely to 
be attributed to the process used in the manufacture. For 
this species of ilex, being the growth of a warmer climate, 
is more likely to vegetate well in Brazil than in Paraguay; 
in the north of which it only flourishes. Owing to the pro¬ 
hibition on the part of Francia, the Brazilians have found 
a great source of wealth in the preparation of this article. 
They supply the Buenos Ayrean states and Chili; for the 
last they furnish a stronger description of yerba, as it is sup¬ 
posed that the great cold of the Cordillera destroys the 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1577. 
M E R I C A. 377 
flavour of the common kind. The Brazilians consume little 
themselves. 
From these circumstances the price of the tea is high, 
about twelve reals, or 6s. 6d. the pound; but such is the 
predilection for it that it must be procured at any price. 
Foreigners, as well as the natives, get accustomed to the 
flavour, and as readily subscribe to its good effects. 
, The Dictator has certain political views of his own, the 
bias of which it is not so easy to discover. He carefully ab¬ 
stains from participating in the disputes of the other pro¬ 
vinces, although invited to do so, but strictly preserves an 
armed neutrality. Some maintain that he is one of the old 
Jesuits, others that he is holding the country for the king of 
Spain, but all vilify him for not allowing the tea to leave 
the country. Whether he is determined that the lives of 
none of his subjects shall be lost while collecting the leaves, 
which, from the swampy nature of the places where the 
trees. abound, is a most unhealthy pursuit, or whether he 
fears that trade will introduce foreigners and new ideas, is 
not at all certain, but he persists in his plan. 
Under such circumstances little is with certainty known 
of the interior of Paraguay. It is said, however, that the 
people are satisfied with the order of things, and that the 
population is increasing and wealthy. It is computed at 
200,000 whites, exclusive of Indians. The Dictator is per¬ 
fectly despotic, never punishes with death, but with perpetual 
prison. 
A few years ago the Dictator settled some disputes in the 
country in a novel way. He decreed that the government 
of the country should be of the most popular nature; that 
there should be a congress of a thousand members, chosen 
from all classes of the people, to arrange the affairs of the 
country, &c., and settle a new form of government. The 
members were accordingly chosen from all parts, and obliged 
to assemble at Asumpcion, where, after an address from the 
dictator, they were set to business. At the end of three days, 
passed without pay or allowances, and with the certainty of 
the ruin of their farms and families, they came in a body to 
to the Dictator, and, replacing the sovereign power in his 
hands, declared that they were perfectly satisfied with his 
plan of government, and concluded by begging permission 
to retire to their homes. His excellency, disguising his sa¬ 
tisfaction at the success of the plan, replied, that he should 
reserve to himself the power of calling them together again ; 
and if he heard of any more complaints or murmurs, he 
should avail himself of it, and in that case the deputies must 
make lip their minds to a session of at least six months’ 
duration. 
By means of the philosophical instruments, Francia has 
been able to strengthen his power considerably over the 
people. Every night he sallies out from his dictatorial 
palace, attended by a crowd of persons, and, examining 
the stars, he makes his calculations, and then retires amidst 
the admiration of the multitude. 
M. Bonpland, who accompanied Humboldt over the 
equinoctial parts of the New World, and who, by his bo¬ 
tanical researches, added so considerably to the value of the 
travels of the great Prussian, had subsequently settled at 
Buenos Ayres. In 1820, he received an invitation from 
Francia, who affects to encourage science, to follow his 
favourite pursuit in Paraguay. The offer of facilities in 
examining botanically a country scarcely known in this 
particular, but from the descriptions of Azara, was too 
tempting not to be accepted, although the friends of 
M. Bonpland made him fully comprehend the risk that he 
incurred by putting himself in the power of Francia: for 
previously to this, several Europeans, among whom were 
a Dr. Powlett, a physician, and a master shipwright, British 
subjects, had gone to Asumpcion, and had never been per¬ 
mitted to leave the country. 
In spite of these sad instances of a want of faith on the 
part of Francia, Bonpland left Buenos Ayres, and proceeded, 
in the first instance, to the Entre Rios, the province to the 
south-south-east of Paraguay, and between the Parana and 
5 D Uraguay. 
