208

DON JAIMI CORVALLAN.

meet us as we rode up to the house, invited us cordially to enter, and presented us to his wife and daughter, who welcomed us kindly, and busied themselves with the preparation of what proved a sumptuous supper.

Paraguayans of all classes observe the sensible and economical habit of serving one dish at a time, though sometimes a single article of food will furnish material for half a dozen courses. All are varied by nice cookery.

On the present occasion we had "pucharo" (stewed beef with vegetables), "asado" (roast beef), poultry, mandioca, and a “dulce" -a term comprehending a variety of sweet things-in this case a simple but very nice preparation of milk and sugar. After cigars and a chat with Don Jaimi we were shown to our sleeping apartments, where we found beautifully clean beds and white cotton hammocks, with elaborate net-work trimmings.

At an early hour the following morning we were astir and ready for a start. The servant who awakened us served at the same time a maté; and when we were ready to mount, a little negress came forward with a large goblet of foaming milk, fresh and warm from the cow. Our kind host accompanied us for some distance. And now realizing that we had fairly commenced our journey into the interior of the country we felt much pleased with this first experience of its hospitalities.

The road we followed was good, but sandy, and lay through a populous campo.* After passing Ytigua, a pueblitat with a neat little chapel, we reached Perijû in about three hours, and stopped for breakfast. This village is beautifully situated at the base of a ridge of wooded hills, and has its plaza and church. To the east ranged lofty sierras, and between them and the serranias lay the fertile campo through which we had traveled, winding beyond reach of the eye, and dotted with estancias and herds of horned cattle, or with small fields of corn, tobacco, and mandioca.

The meal at Perijû, which served both for breakfast and dinner, consisted of beef, chickens, and mandioca; the latter a general substitute through the country for bread. Our route from this place still lay through a level grazing country, its monotony relieved by superb woodlands. Passing the village of Paraguayri, we stopped for the night at the house of Señora Dalmacia Fernandez. Festive sounds reached us as we approached-the jingling *Campo, level country, in contradistinction to sierra, mountains, and serranias, hills, or spurs. + Pueblita, hamlet.

SEÑORA DALMACIA FERNANDEZ.

209

of guitars and dancing. We had disturbed a merry-making, and met with a cold reception. It was too late to look for other quarters, and, fatigued by a long day's ride, I was indisposed to excuse this want of hospitality by remembering that our arrival had interrupted the dance. I revenged myself by an exhibition of independence, which was, I fear, all lost on the señora; for, re

freshed by a bath in a small river that meandered through the campo, and wrapped in poncho and shawl, I settled myself for the night, quite unmindful of after invitations to supper and bed. The vaqueano had especial instructions to pay for all accommodations which the party received; and at five o'clock the next morning we left with a smile, a courtesy, and an adios señor, from

Señora Dalmacia, that would have "taken aback" an old Spaniard. But I was unmoved, and went on my way with a stiff bow. and a determination never again to seek shelter from storm or starvation at the house of this fair widow.

We passed a wooded spur of the sierra, and, after a ride of twenty-one miles, hungry and fatigued, stopped at the Estancia del Estado, about one mile from the Rio Hondo, a small tributary of the Tibiquari. Here two of our cargaro horses, with the daguerreotype instruments, broke down, but we were furnished with fresh animals to take us to the house of Señor José Dolores, our resting-place for the night.

Passing the Capilla* Ybitimi, we arrived, about dusk, at Don Jose's. He was absent, but we were kindly received by the son, who hired us fresh horses to Villa Rica. As early on the following morning as the laziness of our vaqueano would allow, we were on the road, and in a short time reached the Tibiquarimini (Little Tibiquari), the principal branch of a river of that name. After fording this stream, which was two hundred yards wide, and from two to three feet deep, we entered the Partido Ytape, and breakfasted at the estancia of Señor Manuel Vasquez. Three hours later we arrived at "Villa Rica."

Having letters for a Portuguese merchant, Don Louis Homan, I at once sought his residence, wishing to consult him about quarters for our party. He insisted that as many as could be accommodated should remain at his house; while for the others he found lodgings. I had no wish to impose upon his kindness, but he would only compromise matters by agreeing to find rooms for us elsewhere, provided we would take our meals with him. The hospitality of Don Louis was only surpassed by his industry and intelligence. Though an active merchant, horticulture, mechanics, and the rearing of horses occupied his leisure hours. A garden well stocked with delicious fruits, improved machinery for crushing sugar, and some fine horses, were shown us with evident pride. His racers were really noble animals, though they may not have possessed the "blood and heels" of Eclipse or Henry. Señor Homan also takes an intelligent interest in the native products of the country. His house, like all those of the better class at Villa Rica, was of adobe, and of one story. The furniture was made of Paraguay woods, such as Morosimo, and Tatay bà, both of which have a very fine texture, and are susceptible of a high polish. * Capilla, a chapel surrounded by a few dwellings.

The Morosimo is not unlike mahogany; the Tataybà is of a delicate straw color. I am indebted to him for some beautiful specimens of the gum "Mbatitimbaby," which is amber-colored, clear, and apparently as hard as crystal. It is soluble only in nitric acid.

Villa Rica is equidistant from the river Tibiquari on the east, and its tributary the Tibiquarimini on the west. Its position is picturesque, being surrounded by fertile plains, while to the east and west range low mountains covered with noble forests. It has about two thousand inhabitants, and is the principal dépôt for all the products of the neighboring country. These are purchased by its merchants, and conveyed to Asuncion in ox-wagons at the rate of 12 cents the aroba. Each cart carries one hundred arobas, and consumes twenty days in the travel to and from the capital, without allowing for any detention there or upon the road. Owing to these embarrassments, and the exactions and monopolies of the government, the resources of this region are undeveloped.

The Jesuits had here an important establishment, but the church and other buildings were destroyed by Francia's orders, and upon their ruins was erected an unpretending chapel. The shops, the principal of which was that of our friend Don Louis Homan, were gayly decked with goods.

The country through which we had passed, from Asuncion to Villa Rica, one hundred and eight miles by the road, is throughout populous, picturesque, and fertile; the campo has the appearance of a lovely meadow, and the fine condition of the cattle proved the excellence of its grasses. Skirting the plains are the serranias, and upon these are built the pueblos, pueblitas,* capillas, and dwellings of the country people. Some of the latter are of adobe, and are spacious; others are low thatched huts. The rolling lands rise in gentle slopes to a background of wooded mountains, which form a beautiful and effective setting to the hills, and green pastures below.

There were no large plantations, but many small fields of corn, tobacco, mandioca, and a little sugar-cane.

In the time of Francia, cotton was extensively cultivated for home consumption. I saw but a few plants, the growth of two or three years; for even since the opening of the rivers in 1852, the foreign-manufactured article has worked its way into these interior regions, and the people will no longer pay seventy-five cents

* Pueblos, villages. Pueblitas, hamlets.

per yard for the domestic fabric, when they can purchase the imported for ten. So much for trade, even in Paraguay.

The Tibiquari and Tibiquarimini, which course through fertile lands, might be made channels of communication to the river Paraguay; but the Tibiquari disembogues one hundred and forty-two miles below Asuncion, and one hundred and eight above Corrientes. The products of the country would of course follow the current, and find their market in the latter city, and draw proportionably from the trade of the capital. This would not at all accord with the aim of President Lopez, which is to make the trade of the Republic centre where he has the collection of the revenue under his direct supervision. It is natural that he should wish to make the ports of Paraguay the seat of their own import and export trade; but more enlarged views would suggest the navigation of the Tibiquari by small steamers, or even boats; and the building of a village, which would soon grow to a city, at its mouth. The aggregate products of the whole country through which this river flows are even now considerable, and could, from its natural fertility, be increased a hundredfold.

We remained several days at Villa Rica to make observations for determining its latitude and longitude, and the variation of compass. Its position, as established by Lieutenant Welsh from altitudes of the sun, and of stars east and west, and north and south with pocket chronometer, sextant, and artificial horizon, is latitude 25° 47' 10" south, longitude 56° 30' 20" west; variation 7° 34' east; height above Asuncion 323 feet; and above Buenos Ayres 580.

We also hoped during this delay to refresh our cargaro horses, which were now quite useless from the state of their backs, caused more by the clumsy saddle of the country than the weight of the instruments. This recado (saddle), used every where, is not only uncomfortable to the rider, as I had a fair opportunity of judging, but injurious to the horse. Indeed you scarcely see an animal much used in La Plata whose back does not show its bad effects. It serves the double purpose of saddle and bed; and were our saddles encumbered with an equal number of skins or cloths placed under and over, they would answer as well; but the people of these countries trouble themselves little with improvements; old things are preferred because they are old.

From the difficulty of obtaining horses, and accommodations for so large a party, I determined to divide it at Villa Rica. Lieu