Coffee

tachio (mani), cotton, indigo, and cochineal, all which articles they export but in moderate quantities, for the reason before given,-because the inhabitants have few or no wants. has likewise been cultivated with good success. But the principal commerce of Corrientes consists in the export of many kinds of fur; because, besides the vicunnas, and the wool which they yield in abundance, there are in the territory stags, deer, carpinchos, &c. &c. It possesses timber also of various kinds, fit not only for building, but likewise for making tasteful furniture, and for the construction of ships of all classes; although, in general, ships built there are on a small scale. Saltpetre pits are found there running for many leagues, of which no use is made, excepting for the necessary interior consumption. Besides this, along the whole extent of the banks of the Paraná which belong to Corrientes, different colours are observable in the earths and clays, which might be of infinite use in pottery, if industrious men were to pursue that business. There are many tanneries for hides in the province, for which operation they use the bark of the tree called curupahî, and also that of the laurel.

PARAGUAY.

This province, which lies in 25° 16′ 40′′ south latitude, and 59° 59′ 58′′ west longitude from the meridian of Paris, is situated on the eastern bank of the river Paraguay, which, with the Bermejo, unites itself with the Paraná, as was observed before; being the last in the direction of that road, to the north of Buenos Ayres, which runs through the provinces of Rio de la Plata. It is undoubtedly one of the provinces which has always been held in most estimation, on account of the abundance, the variety, and the value of its productions. For the last fifteen years, however, (which is the time that, after the example, and with the aid of Buenos Ayres, it separated itself from the Spanish domination,) it occupies an obscure place in the politics of that country, and maintains no social or mercantile relation with any part of the world; for which state of seclusion it is favoured by its detached local situation. Without knowing whether this circumstance ought to be attributed to the rustic character of the only person who has governed Paraguay during the greater part of that time, or to the constitutional apathy and ignorance of the persons governed, the fact is, that, notwithstanding it followed the sentiment of the whole territory as regards its separation from Spain, that province has not only taken no part in

the war of Independence, by which it has incurred a general odium; but also, since that moment, has cut off all communication with the contiguous and United Provinces, and thus continued, till the present time, to prevent the exportation of its interesting productions, and to prohibit the return of all foreigners or natives, with very few exceptions, who came for the purpose of introducing ultramarine merchandize into Paraguay. Hence, nothing is known of that province which is not of an old date; and that information, of course, is liable to all the inaccuracies with which such communications were constantly divulged in those times. For this reason, we cannot take upon ourselves to certify all that has been related of that country. It is generally believed, that the recovery of the province of Monte Video by the provinces of Rio de la Plata would be of the most beneficial consequences to the state of Paraguay, as it would facilitate the means of convincing it how essential it is that it should join the social compact, formed by all the Provinces, to maintain themselves in union as an independent State. When this shall come to pass, Paraguay will fill a much more important station than it did under the Spanish Government; principally on account of its abundant mountain-forests, growing timber of all kinds, well adapted for ship-building; which, in fact, has always been one of its principal

branches of commerce. Most of the small vessels, employed in the trade of all the internal rivers, have been constructed there; and in Paraguay also some ships have been built, which have navigated the river Paraná, in ballast, as far as Buenos Ayres; that is to say, a distance of 400 leagues. In the year 1824, one of these ships sailed to Lima, after having made several voyages to Europe. The other productions, such as the Paraguay tea, (yerba mate, or the chenopodium ambrosioides of Linnæus), which is greatly superior to that of Brazil, and of which, in that part of America, there is a greater consumption than of tea from China, in the United States-coloured tobacco, which, in some respects, is superior to that of the Havannah, and which will equal it in all, when a better system of gathering and growing is adopted-cotton, of which considerable exports might be made even to Europe-and, in short, many other productions, such as, the earth pistachio (mani, or the Arachis hypogea of Linnæus), sugar, reed-cane, honey, &c. &c. &c. will all give to Paraguay, whenever it ceases to be the Great China of South America, the place of one of the most distinguished provinces, but never that of the chief of them, as some copyist geographers insist on calling it. M. Bonpland who was the companion of Baron Humboldt in his travels, is still living in Paraguay. He was in the towns of Mis

siones, situated between Corrientes and Paraguay, pursuing the researches which it was his duty to make, as a naturalist, employed by the Government of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata; which circumstance exciting jealousy in the ruling authority of Paraguay, it would not suffer him or his attendants to leave its territory, or even to send copies of the insects he had collected; but caused him to be forcibly conducted to the capital, where he lives at liberty, following the medical profession, but without hope of escaping from that imprisonment, except through some sudden caprice of that stoical governor, or the natural course of events. It is also believed, that the favourable termination for that country of the war of Independence, will have some influence in putting an end to this interruption of intercourse, and a commencement actually appears to have been made, by that province having permitted the British subjects who were detained there to leave the country.

SANTA FE.

This is the first city on the road from Buenos Ayres to Paraguay, at the distance of a hundred leagues, situated on the western part of the river Paraná. Its boundaries are the said river, Buenos Ayres, Cordova, and the barbarian frontiers. The population is very scanty; and there are no data