Retrospect of French Literature—Voyages and Travels. 693 
4 vols. 8vo. Printed at Paris 1809, 
and imported by Mr. De Boffe, Nassau 
street. } : 
In the course of a short introduction, 
the author details his reasons for vi- 
siting America on board a frigate com- 
manded by Don Joseph Varela-y-Ulloa, 
and two other naval officers in the 
service of Spain. He then relates 
that bis employments on his arrival 
naturally induced him not only to re- 
pair to, but to note down his observa- 
tious relative to the various provinces 
through which he travelled. As the 
country was for the most part flat, he 
was generally enabled to form an ideal 
line of march, between two different 
latitudes, by means of the compass; 
but on other occasions, he employed 
two men on horseback, who were de- 
tached in succession to given distances. 
To determine the exact position of the 
rivers, these were navigated by Don 
Felix de Azara in person; particularly 
the Paraguay, which he followed all 
the way from Jauru; the Parana, 
the Tiete, the Yesui, the Tebicuary, 
the Gatemy, tog- ther with part of the 
Aguaray, &c. were all explored, and 
great care was taken to mark the 
points of intersection with other 
streams. After detailing the names 
aud the labours of his assistants, our 
author proceeds to notice various col- 
lateral sources of information. Among 
these he enumerates the archives of 
‘the Assumption, Buenos Ayres, Cor- 
rientes, and Santa-Fé. 
tions the memoirs of Aivuar Nunez 
. Cabezade Vaca, who in 1542, received 
orders to complete the conquests al- 
ready made; and the ‘famous work of 
Herrera, towards the conclusion of 
the 16th century, ‘* who without 
knowing any thing of the country, 
transmitted to Madrid those communi- 
cations which bearhis name.” Schmi- 
dels visited South America, in quality 
of a simple soldier in 1535, and wrolea 
history of what he had seen, in Ger. 
man 3. Barco-Centener?, a priest of 
histremadura, repaired thither in 1573, 
and afterwards composed his Argen- 
tina, or history of the river La Plata, 
in verse, from its first discovery until 
1581. 
Ruy-Diaz de Guzman, born in Pa- 
.Faguay in 1554, in 1612 transmitted a 
Manuscript account of ‘La Argen- 
tina,” to the duke of Medina Sionia. 
Lozans, so well known for his history 
of the Jesuits, also composed an ac- 
Montraty Mac, No, 208. 
He then men- ’ 
count of Paraguay, and the river De 
Ja Plata: the latter was afterwards 
corrected by one of the fathers named 
Guevara, ‘* a person equally diminu- 
live in body and mind;’’ and at the 
expulsion of the order of Jesuits, a 
manuscript history of this country was 
discovered in the college of Cordo- 
ba. 
In addition to all these ought to be 
mentioned the manuseript works of 
Don Tadeo Haenk, who employed ma- 
ny years in travelling over South 
America. He confined hjs labours, 
however, to the natural history of the 
province of Cochambamba, and its vi- 
cinity, and was brought from Germany 
by the Spanish government, expressly 
for that purpose ; a memoir drawn up 
by him serves as an appendix to -the’ 
present work. 
The author commences vol. 1. with 
an account of the climate and winds, 
Which prevail in this extensive terri- 
tory, the southern Jimit of which is 
the Strait of Magellan, a portion of 
the Cordillieras on the west, the coast 
of Patagonia on the east, and the 
country under the parallel of sixteen 
degrees towards the north. These li. 
mits include a very irregular surface, 
containing a portion of land egual to 
the whole of Kurope. The climate 
varies with the latitude; but it is ve- 
nerally observed, that the south and 
south east winds bring cold along 
with them, while the north blows 
warm, 
** The atmosphere is always humid, 
and soils the furniture every where, 
more especially at Buenos Ayres; there 
the chambers exposed to the south 
are always damp, and generally covers 
ed with moss, while the roots abound 
with tufted grass, of about three feet 
in height, which is constantly eradi- 
cated eycry two or three years. It js 
very rarely that. the vapours condense 
to such a degree as to form mists or 
fogs; the sky is clear and serene, and 
I have been told that snow never fell, 
except once at Buenos Ayres, and even 
then the quantity was but small. This 
suow produced nearly the. same cffect 
on the inhabitants of the country, as 
rain does on those who live at Lima. 
Hail too occurs but seldom ; how- 
ever, in the storm of the 7th of Qc- 
tober 1789, some of the congelationg 
were three inches in diameter. The - 
anoual quantity of rain is much more 
considerable here than in Spain; and 
. the 
