New-York daily tribune., 1859-02-05
VEW PUBLICATIONS.
PAGES LA PLAZA.

the River L. Pla.a ard the adjacent countries IN
the years 1886, are embodied IN this els
borste volume. Tie explorations Of Lieut.. P@se
embraced an extent Of sbout 3, 600 miles by water,
and of 4, 400 miles by land, through Paraguay and
the Argentine Confederation. EuoarAins IN he
Water Witch, steamer Of 400 tuns, eariy II iooJ
the expedition arrived st Rio de Ja1elro 10 April
and st Bueuos Ayres in Msy, from which Por'
after q delsy Of about three months, they tooh
their departure for the ascent Of the Parana.
They reached the town of Asuncou on the lsrot
October, and soon after their arrival, Lieut.. Page
presented his credentials TO the Minister of Foreign
Af.irs, who appointed an early Aour for 81 in:er-
view with SehOr Lopez President Of the Republic
Of Paraguay.
The personal appearance Of the President, iudg-
ing from the portrai. in this Volume, does ample
credit to the means Of living in thit portion Of
South America He is person Of stalwart pro-
portions with enormous breadth of face, sud an
expression that indicates consciousness of being
born 20 command He received Lieut.. Page with
his bat Oh, sDd, without rlsing requested him to
take a seat and 10 place his hat on the table. This
last ceremony, as was sfterward discovered, was
q special act Of condescension, whether to the
good looks OF the Lieutenant, or in honor of the
American epauletres, does not appear. Lopez is
about fifty -four years old, and has never been out
Of Paraguay. Though ruling under the nominal
title Of President, his authority is absolute and
despotic Lieut.. Page found hun highly Inrelil-
gent, of considerable reading, and familiar with
the policy of foreign governments, but an uuscru-
pulous diplomatist and with little espect for the
laws of nations. In conversation be was siOgu-
ary agreeable, talking with great fuency, and
very much to the point. He appeared favoraely
disposed toward the expedition, and at second
interview, few days after, promised to furnish
all necessary supplies, for the survey of the smaller
tributaries of the Paraguay. Ii required some dl-
pomacy TO obtain his consent 10 the exploration Of
the main river, but it at las. given, and satis
factory arrangements were made for the assent.
TIE town Of Asuncion Cor Assumption, as II Is
usually written in EDgish) dates from an early Pc
riod in the history of Spanish America. IL was rst
settled in 1886, and now contains some 1900 IN
habitants. Situated on gentle elevation above
the river its position is well adapted for cOumer-
cisl purposes, although little scope is given by the
Government to individual enterprise. The houses
are all of one story. Some of them are large and
well constructed, containing six, eight or ten airy
rooms opening upon court. They are oullI oi
bricks of q peculiar form and size; the better
houses are tiled, the roofs projecting three or four
feet beyond the caves while the others are built
with posts driven into the ground, on which are
pla:ed sleepers to support the josts and rsfters,
with strips Of bamboo across, cemented together
with mud or mortar.
During bis ,tay in Asuncion, Lieut.. Page had
his quarters in a nicely whitewashed apartment in
which bis servant made daily battle against the
heas BY flooding the te.hoors with water. The
furniture was simple. 1t conslted chiefly OF cot,
with snowy muske!o-net which bad before done
good service during long cruise in the China seas;
two cedar tables, two feet by four, one of which
served for dining the other for books and writing
materials; some crockery from the Water Witch,
which was arranged in the cupboard with view
to asthetc effect by the cabin boy; aud
dozen rcbIy-carved, hgh-backed chairs which
dated from the time of the Jesurs. The boy
aforesaid was chambermsid, butler, and cO)k
Roast beef, chickens, the delicious m.ndiOca Oran
ges, grapes and figs composed the bill of fare, to
which fine fish might have been added but for the
aversion Of the inhabitants TO that article of Diet
The expedition left AsanciOn on the 9Th Of No.
vember, and, after proceeding about forty miles,
reached the first point at which they were to take
in wood for The steamer. Tie trees from which
this was procured were giants, even in the La
Plata forests; others were specimens of hor.l
beauty; some were valuable for their fruits, Others
for their barks. The Aeorroba, one Of the mimo
ss, produces fruit similar in taste (though
smaer) TO our honey.pod. 1t contains qusntity
of saccharne matter which, after being dried and
pounded, is preserved in skins by the indians;
they also make from it fermented liquor Of which
they sre very fond, but which is apt to prove un-
palatabe to strangers. In the Argentine Confede-
ration this fruit furnishes valuable food for cattle
especially for horses, who thrive upon it so well
that if not severely exercised they become too fat
for active service.
The width of the Paraguay at this point Dat. "a
"a 32 S. is l076 yhrd.. Us general width from
Asuncion is from half mile to mile-least depth
90 feet, greatest -. The banks have an elevation
ol duoul II iccl dl tnc u sucsS iISc VI t1C HHDA'
they are well timbered; the woodland extending
some distance back, with intervening sections OF
palm and grass. Fourteen miles further up the
river is an extensive estancia of President Lopez.
The dwelling is in the usual sty of the better class
of Paraguay country houses, one story high, very
capacious and built round court. 1t stands about
half mile from the river, in the midst of apalm
. ain, skirted with magnificent and lofty trees.