MONTE VIDEO, Cisplatino, or Banda Oriental, a tract of country in South America, which for some time was the subject of an obstinate war between Brazil and the united provinces of La Plata. It has Brazil on the east and north-east; on the west and north-west it is separated from Entre Rios and other provinces of La Plata, as also from Paraguay, by the river Uruguay; and on the south it is washed by the Atlantic and the Rio de la Plata. It is somewhat of a conical form, rounded at the bottom, and bending to one side towards the apex, which is situated in latitude 27° 3β' south. At the broadest it extends over five degrees of longitude; and Monte Video, the capital, which lies nearly in the centre of the base, is situated in latitude 34° 50' south, and longitude 56° 20′ west. It received its name of Banda Oriental from its position with respect to the Uruguay; but this was changed to Monte Video when it was erected into an independent republic.

This country, the first which salutes the eye of the European traveller on entering the Rio de la Plata, is equally distinguished for salubrity of climate, fertility of soil, natural beauty, and geographical position. In these respects it is superior to any of the provinces of La Plata, or the republics of Buenos Ayres and Brazil. Fertility is indeed characteristic of the whole of these countries, but the land is exceedingly flat and monotonous. The surface of Monte Video, on the contrary, is diversified by an endless variety of hills and valleys; and yet scarcely an unproductive spot is to be found. A Spanish traveller thus speaks of it: “r 1he whole country abounds in excellent pastures, and not a single spot of ground is left waste. The pastures are of excellent quality, and fertilized in an astonishing manner by the irrigation of many rivers, rivulets, and springs. At each step the traveller finds himself agreeably surprised by meeting with streams of pure and salubrious water, which tend to enhance the charms of the surrounding scenery, consisting of a constant succession of hills, eminences, meadows, wilds, rugged defiles, and mountains, with which all the territory abounds.” The principal river is the Uruguay, which rises amongst the mountains of Brazil, and, after traversing the province of Rio Grande, sweeps past the north-western and down the western limits of Monte Video. It is celebrated for its volume of water, but is only navigable for the space of sixty leagues, [7:15:432] on account of a slight fall, which, however, might be easily avoided by a regular canal along one of its sides, a work of little difficulty. The most considerable tributary of the Uruguay is the Negro, which is likewise the largest river in the province. It originates in a ridge of hills, which runs northward from Maldonado and Monte Video, and is navigable for some leagues above its junction with the principal stream. The scenery of the Rio Negro is celebrated for its beauty, its banks being delightfully fringed with various shrubs, particularly the sarsaparilla plant, which is reputed at certain seasons to impart medicinal properties to the water. A bend of the river before its junction surrounds a fertile, lozenge-shaped piece of ground, so as nearly to isolate it. This is called Rincorn de Gallinas, and it was found extremely useful during the war as a place of refuge for the cattle, a dike having been run across the narrow isthmus. The Gualeguay is a river of nearly the same size as the Negro. The other streams of note are the Ybicui, Cibollati, Yi, St Lucia, Guegisay, Diaman, Arapei, Guarey, Olimar, Pardo, Tacuari, Ygua-ron, and Tacuarembo. The immense currents of these rivers are formed by a multitude of rivulets, many of them very considerable, which run in all directions, excepting an elevated ridge of land which crosses the whole country, and is called Cuchilla Grande. Almost all these rivers might be rendered navigable with little trouble throughout the greater part of their courses. Those that are easily navigated, besides the two already mentioned, are the Cebol-lati and St Lucia. For ten or fifteen leagues from the banks of all the principal rivers, the country has been occupied by grazing farms; but the centre and northward portion of the province is wild, and covered with wood; and northward, beyond latitude 30°, the trees acquire considerable magnitude, and are suitable for all purposes of house and ship building. These are floated down the Uruguay, and, when the river is full, pass over the falls of Salto Grande and Salto Chicowithout difficulty. As the grazing business produces such immense profit to those who possess capitals laid out in estates, of which there are so⅛je of immense size, agriculture as a speculation has occupied but little attention. The soil, however, is capable of producing abundantly, and almost without labour, all kinds of grain, fruit, and vegetables. A traveller thus speaks of the climate and the productions of Monte Video: “The fruits, peaches, grapes, figs, oranges, apples, &c. are exceedingly fine. In this enchanting climate, with the exception of a few of the tropical fruits, all the fruits most esteemed ripen in great perfection in the open air. In fact, I believe that the climate is surpassed by none in the world, not even by that of Italy or the south of France. It experiences neither the sultry heat of summer nor the chilling blast of winter.”^[1. Brackenbridge’s Voj∙age to South America. ]

The city of Monte Video, the capital of the republic, is situated on the northern bank of the Rio de la Plata, near its mouth, 120 miles north-east from Buenos Ayres, in latitude 34° 50' south, and longitude 56° 20'west. It is built on a small peninsula, which projects forwards, and constitutes the eastern boundary of the harbour. On the opposite isthmus a strong fort is erected, and the town is still further secured by a wall and ditch, and several minor forts. On the opposite side of the harbour rises the hill of Monte Video, also surmounted by a fort, which, along with those already mentioned, commands the harbour. The town rises gradually from the harbour, and presents a handsome appearance as it is approached from the shore. Like Buenos Ayres and other places built by the Spaniards, Monte Video is disposed in regular squares all nearly of a uniform size. The streets are wide, well paved, and cross each other at right angles. There is a plaza about 150 yards square at the upper end of the town, the west side of which is occupied by the cathedral, a large and handsome brick edifice, surmounted by a cupola, covered with glazedtiles; and on theeast sideisthebarracks. Thehouses are chiefly one story in height, and are built of stone or brick, with .flat roofs without chimneys. The better sort of houses are generally built round a square area or court, the sitting rooms being on the side next the street, the lodging rooms in the two wings, and the inferior apartments at the back. Provisions here are cheap and in great abundance. Monte Video is a most excellent position for commerce. It is central for collecting and exporting the produce of the province, and for distributing the goods imported in return. It is also very superior to Buenos Ayres as an intermediate port for the transhipment of goods from the -larger vessels which arrive from distant countries into smaller vessels fitted to navigate the Parana and Uruguay, because the channel of deep water runs along the north side of the Rio de la Plata. Indeed, from various circumstances, this port is the best on the Plata. The exports consist of tallow, hides, and salt beef; and the imports are manufactured goods, coffee, sugar, and the like. The atmosphere at this place is humid; storms are not unfrequent in summer; and in the winter months, June, July, and August, the cold is sometimes severe. The climate of the capital, therefore, is not equal to that of the interior parts of the country. Monte Video was built by a Spanish colony from Buenos Ayres, and for a long period formed an object of ambition to Portugal. When the former shook off the Spanish yoke, the Brazilian court seized the opportunity of taking possession of it; but it was recovered, after a long siege, in 1814, and retaken by the Brazilians in 1821. By the treaty of 1828 it became the capital of the republic, which was called by the same name. The population cannot be estimated with any exactness; it may be from 15,000 to 20,000.

The place next in importance to Monte Video is Maldonado, which is situated upon a bay of the samejname, lying more immediately at the mouth of the river than the capital. By some writers it is considered as preferable to Monte Video for a place of anchorage and shelter. It stands on the brow of a hill, rising gently to the height of 250 feet above the level of the sea. Immediately off the coast lie two islands, Lobos and Gorrete. Under cover of the latter, which stands in the mouth of the Lar Jour, and is noticed for the growth of stick· Fquorice, a small number of ships may ride in safety in all weathers. The principal buildings form a quadrangle, on the north side of which is a considerable inn, and on the south side a spacious church; whilst the rest of the square is occupied by common habitations. The houses in the streets issuing from the square, or running parallel to its sides, are chiefly low, and constructed of earth. The whole number is about 250, and the inhabitants amount to about 1000. A place bearing the same name is situated about nine miles from this town towards the north-east, and is said to have been formerly the chief place in the district.

Northward of Maldonado the coast continues low to the Rio Grande, in lat. 32° 15', in which parallel the Brazilian territory commences. The soil is extremely rich, and, in a ridge of hills which runs northward from the neighbourhood of Maldonado, mines of gold and silver were formerly worked. Proceeding to the westward of Monte Video we meet with several bays and rivers well adapted for the purposes of navigation, to which they will no doubt be applied as the country advances in population. At Colonia, opposite to Buenos Ayres, there is a tolerably commodious [7:15:433]harbour for large ships, which is well fortified. At Las Vacas, a few leagues farther, at the mouth of the Uruguay, there are good anchorage and shelter for small vessels; and the Isle of Martin Garcia, which is near to it, is the rendezvous of ships of war. There are several other towns and villages besides those mentioned, but none of sufficient moment to require particular notice.

Monte Video, having been originally settled by a Spanish colony from Buenos Ayres, fell naturally under Spanish domination, but came at length to be a bone of contention between Spain and Portugal. From its peculiar position it was a prize of no common value to either nation. To Spain it gave the control of both sides of the Rio de la Plata, whilst to the sister-kingdom it was necessary to the free and secure navigation of the vast interior expanse of Brazil. During the devastating wars between these two powers, relative to the various boundaries of their immense South American possessions, Monte Video, then the Banda Oriental, was overrun and wasted, sometimes by one party, sometimes by the other; and their respective pretensions were differently regulated by successive treaties. At the commencement of the revolution, the Orientalists, as the inhabitants of Monte Video were then called, naturally joined the government of Buenos Ayres; but in what capacity, whether as a dependent or independent power, has not been made apparent. At all events, when the British were expelled from the Plata, hostilities commenced between the rival cities of Monte Video and Buenos Ayres, during the continuance of which the former suffered severely. For some time the party in the Spanish interest maintained the ascendency, notwithstanding an effort of the Creoles to follow the example of Buenos Ayres, in throwing off the Spanish yoke. In 1810 the government of Buenos Ayres laid siege to Monte Video, which was carried on at intervals, being alternately abandoned and resumed as they were successful or otherwise against the Spanish royalists in the upper provinces, till the close of the year 1814, when the republicans succeeded in capturing the place. During this protracted struggle, all intercourse between the city and the interior was necessarily cut off; and the ruinous effects of this on trade may easily be conceived. But its calamities did not terminate here. Not many months after the establishment of a republican government in Monte Video (the first acts of which were to set up a printing press, and to open schools and colleges), the troops of Buenos Ayres were called off to combat the enemy in the upper provinces; and thecitysoon afterwards fell into the handsof Artigas, a notorious brigand, and his lawless banditti. Under the guidance of this individual, whose authority was absolute and without the slightest control, the Orientalists gained a victory over the Buenos-Ayreans in 1815, at Gaubiju, and thus made themselves independent of that republic. But the Brazilians soon found a pretext for occupying the country. Pretending an apprehension that Artigas would spread the revolutionary contagion over Brazil, they attacked him, scattered his forces, and compelled him to seek refuge in Paraguay. The Brazilians maintained possession of the Banda Oriental till 1822, when the republic, nominally at least, attached itself to Brazil under the name of the Cisplatine province. That same year Brazil separated itself from the mother country, to which for a time the Orientalists remained true; but on the submission of the royal troops they called upon the Buenos-Ayreans for aid. This was granted, and ultimately the Banda Oriental was formally declared to be united to Buenos Ayres. But the standard of independence having been raised in 1826, war was declared towards the close of that year by Dom Pedro, who entered into an elaborate exposition of the alleged rights of Brazil. Both parties wasted Monte Video, which, whilst it was the cause of quarrel, became likewise the arena where either party attempted to decide it. But their resources were inadequate for enabling them to strike a decisive blow; and the solicitations of Great Britain, which, like other neutral nations, suffered by the war, at length procured a peace, which was signed at Rio in August 1828. By this pacification it was in substance provided thqjt the Banda Oriental should become an independent state, under the mutual guarantee of the two contracting parties. Thus the war, after having drained the resources of both Brazil and Buenos Ayres, ended in a drawn game as to the subject of the contest. From time to time since that period, hostilities have broken out in the various provinces situated in this part of the South American continent; and it will require many years of tranquillity before the great resources of Monte Video are properly developed. According to the official returns of 1835, the number of British and foreign vessels employed in the import trade amounted in that year to 893; tonnage, 89,238; the value of their cargoes amounted to 3,095,398 dollars currency; whilst the exports, as far as the returns have been given, are of the value of 2,765,401 dollars. The political misfortunes with which it has been overwhelmed have greatly retarded the increase of the population, which at present amounts to about 100,000 souls. (r. r. r.)