Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/482



452 AT AND ABOUT ASUNCION.

cattle farms. No stranger, I may observe, may hold landed property in the Republic ; and those who marry Para- guayan women become de facto naturalized citizens and subjects. Dr. Stewart had yielded himself prisoner after the battle of the Lomas, when Marshal-President Lopez dashed away from or through the enemy. He afterwards re- turned to England, landing at Buenos Aires and at Rio de Janeiro, where he was honoured by the Emperor with a lengthened interview. His low estimation of the Marshal President found its way into the newspapers, and thus, it is feared, the safety of his wife and children, who were marched north with the Paraguayan headquarters, may be terribly compromised.

Mr. Williams met at Asuncion an old Bahiano acquain- tance, Lieutenant-Colonel da Cunha, commanding 54th Volunteers. He had been badly wounded in the action of December 21, 1868, and only four of his twenty-one officers, and 90 out of 560 men, remained unharmed. These figures prove that, when manfully led, the Brazilian negro will fight. He praised the steadiness of the Paraguayans under arms ; also their intelligence, of which I could not discern a trace. He was severe upon the ferocity of their officers, and he spoke of the Duke de Caxias pretty much in the tone adopted by our cavalrymen in the Crimea when dis- cussing Lord Cardigan.

We were presently introduced to the foreigners at Asun- cion, and I owe the subjoined list of present prices^ to the

400Z. being the general sum from the sea to Asuncion. The ton pays $16 (f.) from Montevideo to Asuncion ; a ton of coal from Eozario the same. Pressed hay 6/. per fardo of 20 arrobas (each 25 lbs.). Washing, per shirt, 3*. Riding horse, per trip, 2/. Provisions are dear. Two lean chickens are worth $2 to $5 (f.) ; the arroba of beef, |3 (f.) ; the sheep (small and poor) fetches $6 (f.) ; cabbages (half grown) per dozen, |5 to $10 (f.). Meat averages 6c?. per lb. wheu at the cheapest. Bread is 1 piastre
 * Tug steamers are paid according to the tonnage of what they tow,