The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-23
TRB PARAGUAY, EXPEDITION

NNA ~ HAAHfihAA 'AAh'NA eh'A vi WV IoSN VI cA1AF-I NA ~
to be very sanguine as 30 the prospect of a peaceful set
Element with Lopez The sudden departure of the Bra
lillian envoy for Assumption tended 10 strengthen this
probability, and just as / was leaving Monteyideo the
Spanish charge daffaires assured me that his colleagues
departure, so abrupt and mysterious, was undoubtedly
connected with our arrival.
The steamer Fulton left Monteyideo on the 3Oth ult
reached Buenos Ayres ON the 3ist at noon, and started up
the river from there on the LIST January, at 8, p. M. We
anchored oil Colonia, some 80 miles up, the first night,
in company with the briggs Dolphin, Perry and Balm
bridge, and steamers Water Witch and Harriet Lane.
At day break, on the I'd, We assembled in the following
procession Fulton towing the Dolphin, Water Witch
towing the Perry, and Harriet Lane the cambridge At
l o'clock we passed the famous island of Martin Garcia,
from which to Corrientes the distance is some $50 miles,
and in this line we arrived here on the 9Th instant, about
noon. The brigs got three times aground in narrow and
circuitous channels, but were tugged OFF without damage,
The Water Witch delayed the most. The Harriet Lane
is Il fine fast steamer, and her captain a regular steamboat
man, whose management of his boat has smoothed over
many Of the navy ~prejudices against this command hay
ing been bestowed upon a lower grade of service.
Yesterday the three brigs made the best of their way
up the river under sail, with a fair breeze. AT noon the
Water Witch followed, and the Harriet Lane succeeded
to-day, having to take in tow both the Dolphin and
cambridge, one on each quarter, like a lady forwarding
with two gentlemen in a cotillion. This was because the
flag captain is tired of towing. We are delayed here
getting coal, of which we take on board $50 tons, and
shall hardly get away before tho 9th inst, But we shall
go up a kaing, as she is a very fast and powerful steamer.
We hope to get to Parana capital of Entire Rios, and Of
The Argentine Confederation in 36 hours. We shall
stop there a day to see Mr.. Yancey and Urquiza, If there,
and then proceed to Corrientes, which is the rendezvous
of the fleet. The latter place is only 10 miles from the
mouth of the Paraguay, and 30 from the celebrated fort
and batteries of Humaita, on which Lopez relies for his
defence. ..... .
None of the seven or eight auxiliary steamers had ar.
rived when we heard this a. M. from Buenos Ayres, The
waters of these rivers will begin to fall by the lst April,
80 that we have scarcely three months in which to nego-
tiate or fight, as the case may be. ,
The late freshet did carry away the stookade fort
erected below Assumption. 1t also took OF a portion of
the bank at the water batteries of Humaita, dropping
some small guns in the water. Lopez, who never before
left home, went down last week to superintend the re-
pairs in person. Humaita is on a bend of the river Para
quay, $50 miles below Assumption. The most formida
bic work there is a casenate called Londres-th the work
Of an English engineer-which mounts l8 64 Founders,
obtained in England. .
Near this fertilization there is a camp of IA, 900 men,
some ~tolerably well drilled by a variety of British, Hun
garian, French, and German adventures. 1t is said by
our river pilots, long in the country, that they have
never seen and will not stand fire. But the British con
sui here, who was lately some five months in Paraguay,
says that they will fight better than Sepoys. 1t must be
borne in mind that the masculine resources of Paraguay
have not been curtaied and decimated by revolution like
that of the provinces of this Confederation, and that as a
country virgin of war it can furnish many men.
Yet l can. hardly believe Lopez rash enough to pro.
woke an encounter which must result in his overthrow.
He is in his sixty-ninth year-obese and unwieldy as
Dixon IL. Lewis of old, aud, to make any show of resist
ance beyond the batteries of his fort, he must create col
onels and generals--so many rival ambitions in the State
His wealth is colossal his ~despotism us absolute as that
of Russia; but he docs not kill he only lets people die.
He has shaped all Paraguay into a magnificent state in
which 700, 900 slaves toll for him alone all the year.
One-tenth of all the products of the land go to hin or
the government, then tho balance has to be sold to him
at his oum price. A sale by a grower of a pound of yerba,
mate OF tobacco to any one but him is visited with three
months Imprisonment and 81 900 fine. Again, he has
the monopoly of three important articles on the river,
yerba-mate, "a kind of teal tobacco, and lumber. For
these he asks what prices he pleascs, and people have to
pay it. A friend Of mine, lately in Paraguay, knew a
man who brought down 200 arroba US lbs.) of ycrba,
the fruits of more than q years toll in the Yerbales, a
remote, hot, and unhealthy section Of Paraguay. Lopez
took it at ST. so, and sold IL at 50. The same party had
been ordered to plant tobacco, and raised a very fine crop.
When it was ripe, Lopez ordered him to send it to the
government warehouse at ST. the arroba, I.aIsH
UrquiEs, the oonqueror of Rosas, and present President
Of the Argentine confederation, is a mercantile genius of
q high order, He has opened to the world the parana
river, and made every effort to encourage emigration. He
has a large fortune indeed, he is the richest trader in
South America. He keeps his money actively employed,
and is ever ready to take an active share in every lucra-
tive enterprise. Thus, there il o line of Yankee stages
running between this place and Cordova, 400 miles off.
urquiza owns 500, 900 in it, which is half the capital
stock. he has cattle, sheep, and horses by tens of thou
sands; immense eaaacias, or stock farms; saladeros, where
the cattle and mares are slaughtered for their hides,
bones, hoofs, and tallow; has interests in -four and saw
mills, in steamboats,, sc. He has colouists brought out
here at his own expense. To show the effects of his lib
eral policy, 1 will cite this very town of Rosario, some 220
miles above Buenos Ayres. Here, five years ago, there
was q population, including the neighborhood, of barely
3 900. To-day the lowest estimate is 18, 900. Your ears
are dinned by the hum of business and industry
houses are going up in every direction lots in active de-
mand at from $50 to 5000, a front Uyd by 40 yaras deep,
and the shops are well supplied with every variety of
merchandise, The tinman, the blacksmith, the caTpen-
ter are seen everywhere. Wages from SIG to $50 per
month and foud; in short, a kind of San francisco to-
wards the close of lS49. Eighty British and more than
fifty Spanish vessels discharged caIgoes here last year,
and in one period of two months there were received here
"a, 900 bales of British light goods, exclusive of hardware
Against strangers, foreign trade, &C., Lopez has set his
face. They would teach his people their misery and deg
radiation. Bolivia, our staunch ally, with only the mis-
cradle port of Cobija, on the Pacific, has two and a half
millions of population ON this side of the Andes shut out
from the La Plata, the natural outlet for their products,
by the jealousy of Lopez, who will not open the Paraguay
or the Picomayo. These are matters which Judge Bow
lin purposes attending to.
To show you how anxious the Cts Andine commerce ia
TO get to the Atlantic, l will cite that the little town of
Mendoza, the first frontier town of the Pampas, at the
foot of the Cordillera, crossing over from Chile. supplies
this place with raisins and dried peaches and pears.
These haVe 10 came here ia OK carts, a distance Of 900
miles, and q journey of over three months in this way.
The freight ~ reckoned at S95 per ton, and the raIsins
which are equal If not superior to the finest Malaga, are
sold here at 81 rs an arroba of % pounds.
Just learn that the Fulton will be through coaling to.
night. We shall therefore start tomorrow, Sunday, 9th
inst. One thing bear in mind You will hear that Ur-
quiZa Is preparing a crusade against Buenos Ayres 20
bring back that multiplying State into the confederation (;
that he is missing troops and seeking alliances with Para
quay and Brazil, &c. There is no truth in IL. He has
so much to lose by war that his interests are all for peace.
Every now and then a little bluster il got mp Just 10 affect
the stocks and exchange at Buenos Ayres, and perhaps 20
keep them In salutary apprehension but the direct trade
to this port, to Parana, and even 70 GpFieptes is bepom-