Letters from the Battlefields of Paraguay. Richard Francis Burton

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СКАЧАТЬ published only in Guarani for the benefit of those who cannot enjoy Spanish. The Continela was in Spanish, with an occasional Guarani article. Thus ^^ il n^ a pas de journaux ^^ means that there are four.

      The commerce of Paraguay is nominally free, but the Government, that is to say, the President, owns more than

      INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 19

      oue-half of the surface of the republic, and is, like the old Imam of Muskat, the strongest and the most active of merchants. The country is, in fact, a great estancia of which the chief magistrate acts proprietor. The so-called public property supported about 300,000 head of cattle, and thus the army was easily rationed ; it also bred poor horses for the cavalry, the Paraguayan being an equestrian race, but not so notably as the Guacho of the Pampas, the Centaur of the south. An absolute Government, a supreme authority, buys from its subjects at the price which best suits it; sells the produce, and employs means to maintain a certain level of fortunes ; thus the Krumen of the West African coast temper riches ("too plenty sass"), which would give the individual power and influence unpleasant or injurious to his brother man. The rudimental agriculture, in which a wooden plough is used to turn up the loose soil, is limited to procuring subsistence, and even before the war began it was considered rather women^s work than men^s. The permanent military organization and the excessive armaments always carried off hands, whose absence, combined with drought and insects, rendered a surplus impossible. The following are the exports, and there is always a ready market for them down stream :■—

      In 1846, when the present tariff of import dues was settled, Yerba or Paraguay tea was made a monopoly of Government, who bought it from individuals for $1 (f.) per arroba (251bs.), and sold it to the exporting merchants for $6 (f.)* The "herb was in fact gold in the presi- dential pocket, its superior excellence made it in demand throughout South America, and it promised to be an inex- haustible mine of wealth. By means of it only, Paraguay,

       Lieut.- Colonel Thompson says that in his day Government piirchased

      at one shilling per 25 lbs., and sold at 21-32*.

      â– 2—2

      20 INTRODUCTORY ESSAY.

      comparatively rich thougli positively poor^ never had a public debt, and was not^ like the adjoining States^ whose revenues and expenses were unequal^ dependent upon foreign loans. At one time she was rich enough to assist deserv- ing citizens with small advances at 6 per cent. — economies effected by lessening her number of employes^ quite the reverse of her neighbours^ policy. The tobacco (petun)"^ has been compared with that of the Havannah^ and the similarity of the red ferruginous soils of Paraguay with the celebrated Vuelta de Abajo has not escaped observa- tion ; about 3,000_,000 pounds in bale and 6^000^000 cigars were the annual produce. The forests abound in admirable timber for building and bark for tanning — such are the Cebil and the Curupay. During the six months ending March, 1858, Paraguay planted 4,192_,520 ridges of cotton seed, and 195,757 shrubs and fruit trees : and in 1863 some 16,600,000 Cotton plants were set and the yield was 4000 bales. The cotton, except only the Samuhu or Nankeen, whose fibre wants cohesion, has length, force, and fineness, in fact, all the requisite qualities. Rice and sugar, wool and fruits, can be supplied in any quantities. Cochineal appears spon- taneously upon the Cactus ; the woods abound in honey, and the wild indigo has been compared with that of Guate- mala. Other rich dyes are the Yriburetima or " vulture^s leg^^ which gives a blue metallic tint, and the Acaugay root which stains scarlet. Leeches have been found, but they

       As M. Demersay remarks, it is not a little singular that the Bretons

      have preserved for tobacco the Guarani name " Pe-tun," which expresses the sound of the breath escaping from the lips. He quotes the couplet —

      " Quant il en attrape quelqu'un De leurs chair il fait du petun."

      It is a far better name than " tobacco," which means a pipe, or than the selfish " Angoulmoisine," proposed by Thevet of Angouleme, who for thirty-six years " navigua et peregrina.'* The modern Bretons, I believe, pronounce the word "butun."

      INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 21

      are still sent from Hamburg to the Plate. The principal fibres are from tliePiassaba palm now becoming so well known in England, the Caraguata and the Ybira, fitted for ropes. The Caoutchouc of the Curuguati and the Cuarepoti moun- tains is called Atangaisi. The medical flora is rich in gums_, resins, and drugs ; for instance, the Oriissi, the Cana- fistula, the Copaiba, and the Aguaribay, popularly termed " Balm of the Missions. ^^ Some authors mention rhubarb, but I do not know to what plant they refer.

      The imports comprised all things wanted by a poor and semi-civilized country : arms were in especial demand — the Paraguayans occupied Corrientes in 1849 solely in order to secure the free importation of warlike stores. Even lime was introduced, although there is abundance of it in the land. The other articles were mainly wet goods (wines and liqueurs) ; dry goods (silks, cottons, and broad cloths), and hardware. The Messrs. Ash worth, of Buenos Aires, supplied the stout baize for the use of the troops : since the beginning of the war that occupation has gone. The total value of the books imported in ten years Jiardly reached $3299, and of these, few if any treated of the arts or sciences, mechanics or industry.

      There were four taxes in Paraguay which, in ordinary times, sufficed to support the commonweal. The tithes abolished by Dr. Francia were re-established by President Lopez I., " rillustre magistrat,' who gave impulsion to the Code of Commerce, perfected the financial system, and established a mint to stamp coin with the arms of the Be- public. He raised them in lieu of $1 on head of cattle sold ; of the " Alcabala, or 4 per cent, on yearly sales, and of the vexatious 6 per cent, on purchases from foreigners. The custom-house dues, as in the Brazil, w^ere of all the most important items of income, and this evil is apparently unavoidable in young lands. The demi-annatte or conceded

      22

      INTRODUCTORY ESSAY.

      lands were made to pay 5 per cent, of their proper value^ not one-half, as in its unwisdom the old Spanish law di- rected. Lastly was stamped paper, which hrought in con- siderable sums : the highest class of $7 (f.) was used for patents of administration. As a rule taxation was exceed- ingly light,, and public works were paid for out of the treasury hoards or by the profits derived from Yerba.

      A book published in Paraguay by " supreme" dictation, contains the following scale of imports and exports during the ten years of 1851-1860 :—

      EXPOETS.

       Impoets.

       Years. Yerba, tobacco, hides, Wet goods, dry goods, wool, fruits, &c. iron ware, &c.

       1851 . . . $341,616 . . . $230,907

       1852

       470,010

       .

       715,886

       1853

       690,480

       406,688

       1854

       777,861

       .

       .

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