The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-27
Correspondence of the Journal of Commerce.
VISIT TO PARAGUAY.

|
/ Correspondence of the Journal of Commerce.
| VISIT TO PARAGUAY.
/ Who has not heard of Paraguay and its dictator,
tyrant, and sovereign, with the name of governor,
| Francia-that beautiful country, full of unknown
flowers, ruled by that bloody man, who, when he
got any there, kept them prisoners, as he kept
our friend Bonpland, the companion of Humboldt,
years prisoner, because it was his sovereign will
and pleasure to deprive of his discoveries, that
would have filed our gardens with new plants and
flowers. He is dead now, and like a good Catholic,
doubtless had to pass into purgatory, where he gets
| paid for his sins.
During the month of August, 1914, party Of
gentlemen, principally our countrymen, were con-
versing at Rio de Janero, about this beautiful and
unknown country, and by mutual consent il was
agreed to 60 there. "You sure that old jaier is
dead, for | am not ambitious Of falling into his
cutches.n "Yes, he died in 1889, and best of ALL |
have a letter to his excellency Senior Don Andres
Gil, Secretary of State Of the most excellent the
| government Of the republic of Paraguay" This
announcement of one of the company astounded US;
for did not know Of the diplomatic acquaintance
| Of our friend. The document was produced, and
like electricity went forth simultaneously the shout
"Hurra for Paraguay"
Passports taken out, letters Of recommends
ton to the authorities in the department of Rio
Grande obtained, and we embarked on board a
steamboat for the town Of that name, which is the
largest Town OF SCUM Brazil, full OF negroes ana
| sand, where we waded through the hot streets
for day, and started for Puerto Allegro, the capt.
tai of the province; passed through the lake Of
Ducks and entered the river Allegro, where we
sailed around corners, the towering palm trees
waving over us, into bays not much larger than
Castle Garden, and at last we anchored about mus
ket shot of the town.
Puerto Allegro is quite an out-of-thcway place, at
least two hundred miles from the sea-shore, and not
frequently visited by foreigners Now and then a
Yankee in brig or schooner will find his way up
there, if his vessel does not draw more than eight
feet Of waer and sell his notions barter them for
hides, which generally cost about eight cents
pound-a comfortable place to smugsle, one of the
| craft told us, also. The communication with the
| country from there is on the backs of mules or up
the river IN enormous canoes, generally made Of
two trees and which will carry fifty barrels of -four
besides SIX or eight negroes, TO pull them up against
the current.
The town is very pleasantly built on the side Of a
hill that rises gradually to about three hundred feet
and on the top the church and governors house give
It a very pleasing appearance. II has population
of twelve thousand Of whom more than half are ne
groes. Besides these there were about two thousand
dirty looking soldiers, of every color, from Bahia,
part Of the force sent by the imperial government
put down the revolution against it, that has been for
several years going on in the province. A more
quiet, beautiful spot cannot be found than this said
Puerto Allegro; and the English of its name--Port
Joyful, or happy-is a true type of its appearance
From the top Of the hill the view is superb-the
town the side of the hill, and in front the bay
with the vessels at anchor, and five rivers there join
ing their waters. The country through which they
pass is perfectly level, their banks clothed with
trees and vines almost impenetrable; half mile
back from the water is level prairie, with here and
there island Of trees of few in extent and
far back the eye reach appears the blue range
of hills that form the boundary between Brazil and
the Uruguay republic. Back of the city the coun-
| 4. n
succession of hill and dale, highly cultivated, and
the pretty white houses peeping out from the groves
Of palm, plantains, banana, orange, and hundred
other tropical trees. The hedges of the different
farms consist of many varieties of the acacia and
cactus. Altogether fell quite in love with Puerto
Allegro. But then the musquitoes They have an
Infamous breed Of the sangunary rascas, whose bite
| and song few can forget
A few days suficed for us to procure guides and
canoe TO take us up the Brown river, to the town
of Rio Pardo, where we were to mount and try our
fortunes on horseback. Saddles were bought, with
the usual quantity of blankets. Cooking utensils
we wanted none, as a piece of beef, roasted on
stick, was all we were to have could fnd even il
we wanted more. A canoe was chartered, and we
started, all in good spirits, and full of antcipations
of the new scenes we were about tn enter. Our ca
noe deserves notice, with its owner and captain and
his crew of six negroes 1t was about thirty feet
| long, and five broad. Aft was a small partition,
where the patton (captan) would sit with his legs
crossed under him, and paper cigar, steering the
canoe, and overlooking all in it. Next came the
cabin, about ten feet long, and the width Of the ca
nocthe roof not unlike that of stage coach, sup
ported by iron sancheons, four side, that were
about two feet higher than the side of the canoe
with painted sai-cloth for curtains that we could
| roll up at pleasure. On the bottom of the canoe
were laid mattresses and there, bag and baggage,
| we slowed ourselves away. n
| We were three days going up the river Bacacay,
no houses, nor having seen anything but the trees
that lined the banks and except where path indi-
Gated that man came to the wafcr's edge, we could
not see twenty feet from the edge Of the river-so
dense was the forest-so full Of creeping vines, of
| iowers unknown TO the botanist and now and then
the brilliant pumage of Macaw parrot or toucan,
or the passage, from one branch to another of the
ugliest looking black monkeys il was ever our lot to
see. AT night the woods were Illuminated by the
multitude of Spanish flies: myriads of bugs, BY us
called lightning bugs, whizzed about Imagine all
this IN dark night, when our canoe had stopped;
the negroes, naked, except rag around the middle
having made fire, and lowering around boil, or a
roast that they were preparing, between bugs that,
IKE shooting stars, were darting about-and the
light of the FIRE on the sable crew around IT, Rob
! lnson Crusoc and many tale Of cannbaIs were
| forcIbly brought to mind.
| The river we found very shallow in some places.
| and once found number Of canoes deeply loaded
with salt, wine, -four and dry goods, bound up. and
past sand bank, and had to wait for rise in Inc
river. Rio Pardo is the landing place for all canoes
that trade TO the interior. From here we were TO 20
on horse back; and thanks to the recommendation
Of his excelency the Baron de Caxias, governor of
Rio Grande, the Alcalde, after plenty Of discussion
and attempts to dissuade us from proceeding, and
finally liberal douceur ON our part, furnished us
with most miserable set Of small horses-slin and
bones--that we did not speak very highly of in En-
gsh, but were quite thankful to get, and in Portu-
guese told him Of our extensive thanks. This Is a
small town Of about 1--WE hundred inhabitants. living
mostly in miserable huts, aud full Of heas; but as
we had before formed intimate acquaintance with
their musical relations the mosquitoes, we quite
sioically bore them, and finally mounted and were
off.
To avoid the encampment Of, and the country in
Tested by, the revoludonists, course was TO be