New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-28

feet in height The SOFIA red, arglllaceons
loan with sandy deposits-is exceedingly fertile.
The population, wholly agricultural, cultivate
manioc maize, sugar-cane, tobacco and cotton
Francia gave the first vigorous impulse to
agriculture in Paraguay, by obhgIng the iaooFeI
10 produce two harvests year. The gardens OF
Assumption, abundantly provided with vegeta-
bles. are surrounded with groves of oranges The
climate is DELICIOUS and of salubrlty equal 10
that Of The Canaries The air penetrates
Won with voluptuous languor, and the sky has
the purity and serenity OF the Ionlan heaven
The Winter is fresh. the Summer burning III
Julv. however there are white frosts, and on the
nlains the southern wind sometimes scatters
fakes of snow, but the trees are never de-
spoiled OF their foliage, and are IN blossom all
the wear. while the soil is kept soft and moist Dy
abundant dews.
The inhabitants are oil the Spanish race, crossed
with the Guarani, the abOrglnes OF the country
They seem modelled in the image OF their sky
they are mild, indolent, lnofensIve, penetrated
with profound respect for authority, and obey
the orders Of the President as a DIVINE law
Their wants are few and easily satisfied. Their
with straw: their clothing generally single
garment of the coarse cotton fabric OF the cOun-
try, with the indispensable poncho The children,
although they 20 without clothing till the age o.
twelve wears. wear broad -brimmed straw hats, IN
order to conform to decree Of Francla, that
they should always take off their hats to their
superiors
In their agricultural implements, they exhibit
the same primitive rudeness. pointed stake
serves them for plow from a bone, they make
apick.axe or a spade They inclOse their fields
with the trunks of palms, laid upon cross-pickets
They pick out by hand the seeds Of cotton, splnlt
into thread, and give il to some travelling weaver
who carries all his apparatus on the back OF a
mule, and suspends it to the branch OF tree
Their sugar-mill is piece Of wood set In motion
by oxen, and they boil down the cane.ulce III
earthen pots The only house which possesses
copper boilers, is the establishment under the
superntendence of the Presidents wife Corn
and rice are bruised in a mortar, and the tan for
their hides is prepared by pounding 1t with
stone on a piece of wood Nevertheless, the
undulating nights of Assumption abound with
streams and fine water-power, but the nha0-
tants prefer depending on the fertility OF the SOIL
while grading themselves IN hammocks swung
between two trees, and contemplating the sky
through clouds of tobaccO-SmOke-tor here all
persons, old and young, women and children, have
cigars in their mouths The inhabitants main
tain patrlarchal simplicity in their manners.
Every evening, before climbing to their aerial
dormitories, all the members of the family kneel
with casped hands, at the head OF the grand
sire, who gives them his blessing
The City Of Assumption, which leans against
the hills, Is reached by sombre avenues OF foliage
impenetrable by the vertical sun, and formerly
used as fortified dofileS against the Indians The
aspect of the place has not changed for many
years Its the same labyrinth of brick houses
rooted with tiles sometimes terraced, and OF
gardens and Enclosures separated by narrow and
crooked streets, where the water from the ioun
talns frets its way to the river in thousand little
streams. The population does not exceed eight
or ten thousand The churches, formerly so cell
ebrated for their wealth, are simply decorated
the inoXorable policy OF Francla despolled them
of their most precious ornaments. Beyond As
sumption extends the region Of pastures, where
herds are raised. and Misunderstanding TO the
Parana--the ancient missions OF the Jesuits
(oight in number) now the national property,
and the forests where the famous herb of Para
guay is collected The raising of cattle had
been almost abandoned, when Francia suddenly
gave it new life He had need Of beef for his
soldiers, and horses for his cavalry and IN few
years Paraguay, which was dependent on Entire
Rios for this branch OF commerce, was able to
export hides horses. and dued meats
The Jesuits established ger5alcs, or regular
plantations of yerba, Ohe herb OF Paraguay
around the missions, and the harvest thereof
was as easily gathered as other fruits. Now,
this herb is only collected on the slopes OF Mara
cayou, sixty or eighty leagues northeast of As
sumption. The ycrbd, which the Indians name
caa, Is the leaf of tree about the high OF an
orange tree which grows spontaneously IN the
| forests along the little afiluentS of the Uruguay
and the Parana The preparation OF tins herb
differs little from that OF tea. The branches are
heated I'LL the leaves are slightly shTlvelled they
are then roasted, bruised, and pressed into leath
en bags for the purposes O commerce The
Indians work under the direction of agents who
are represented as being ptileSs They are
obliged to labor in burning sun, tortured day
and night by deyourmg insects. and having TO
other nourishment than roots, wild fruits and
the snakes which they catch The yebales of
Paraguay inspire the same horror as the diamond
waShings OF Brazil or the silver mines of Peru.
| To assure to himself the monopoly, Frencia
made an expedition against the Indians who
deayored TO throw on the yoke on the borders of
the Uruguay. and the INV sion OF the Oriental
| Missions by President Lopez nal no other end
Paraguay PLAYED an important part IN the eS
tsblishmen, Of the Spanish Empire IN Amerca