Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/338



308 FROM CORRIENTES TO HUMAITA.

At Curupaity we took on board the Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine army, who came to meet his daughter. General Don Juan A. Gelly i Obes, said to be of Para- guayan descent^ began life as an auctioneer. He fought in the Montevidean affairs^ and after a long banishment to the Brazil in the days of Rosas, he became Minister of War and Marine at Buenos Aires; and since he replaced the Coraandante Amadeo, he has been the life and soul of his motley force, ever in the saddle, and ever au grand galop. But this active and energetic soldier has not been fortunate, and his enemies have soundly abused him for failing to do some great deed. In appearance he is an Aymerican Sir Charles Napier (of Sind), the eagle type, with hooked nose, black eyes, long white beard and waveless grey hair. A spare and lithe veteran in magenta-coloured kepi with gold braiding, blue frock, and long riding-boots, he was an effec- tive, soldier-like figure. I feel grateful to him for the cour- tesy with which he answered all my questions, and for his readiness in assisting me to inspect the environs of Humaita.

In my next you will hear about the " Sebastopol of the South." Adieu.

My dear Z-