Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/387



THE HUMAITA "QUADUILATERAL." 357

shal- President Lopez made this spot^ the key of the second line^ his headquarters, and long defended it after the first or outermost, which skirted the north bank of the Northern Estero bellaco, had fallen into the enemy^s hands. At this important central point converged ten radii of telegraph wires coming from all parts of the so-called '* Quadrilateral/' The house occupied by the President of Paraguay and his family was in a small orange grove; and the low-thatched barn with whitewashed walls had been scribbled over by visitors in uncomplimentary style. It contained two small rooms : one for reception, and a dark hole for a sleeping berth. Opposite the door were the remnants of a rancho, in which balls and dancing parties had been given by " Supreme " direction. To the south was the Bishop's hovel, which had fallen down ; and that of his assistants, Franciscan friars, was following its example. The "esporon" or bomb-proof, called a " cavern " by the newspapers, had been levelled ; it was built by Lieut. -Col. Thompson, with six feet of earth above and on both sides, and here it is said the Marshal-President used to conceal himself. Being within a few hundred yards of the enemy^s batteries, the barn was defended by three traverses, and without them it would certainly not have been commonly safe. We could not but remark the tall mangruUo, with its ladders surrounded by hides and matting, an unusual precaution intended to conceal petticoated ankles : I was assured that from this point the undaunted Madame Lynch used to direct bellicose operations.

We ascended the largest traverse, which contained 422,080 cespedes or sods ; these were usually 0.25 centimetres square by 0.10 thick. A total of nearly five millions had been ap- plied to the works, not including those upon the Tebicuary, and of these about one million were around Paso Pucii. Here, in the clear night air, we enjoyed a glorious view of