Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/485



AT AND ABOUT ASUNCION. 455

probably have barricaded themselves ; and, if not, they cer- tainly would have marched up too late. A few corps of Paraguans might, I believe, have entered Asuncion before dawn, cut the throats of the unarmed residents, and retired with plenty of booty : they would probably have been joined by the 420 men under Colonel Baes.

Beyond the Oriental headquarters we passed dwarf trin- cheiras, or earthworks, supported by palm-trunks, and commanding the land approach, with platforms for two guns ; of these barricades many are scattered across the seve- ral roads. Fording a stream and giving a wide berth to a dead mule, we turned into the gardens that lay on our left. It was impossible not to remark how Brazilian the fauna and flora had become. The chattering ainuns, the parroquets with thrilling flight, and the bem-te-vis were noisy as ever; the charming white and black viuva flitted from bush to bush as on the banks of the Rio de Sao Fran- cisco ; and the tame little doves ran along the ground, whilst the large blue pigeons, swifter than the hawk, winged their arrowy flight high above. The quaint staccato voice of the frog contrasted with the monotonous chirping of the nyaciingra or chicharra, a large cicada. Here and there we started a lizard or an iguana, resembling the dragon of Saint George in pictures. There were beetles of many kinds, and achatina shells, mostly tenantless at this season ; the spider wove on almost every tree her large web-like nest, and the ant was, as usual, busily engaged in useless labour.

The monarchs of the woods were the flgs, especially the bunchy Ympomen and the Tavumen, with dark-coloured fruit. The characteristic trees were mimosas and acacias, especially the inga, the quebracho, and the jacaranda, or palo de rosa. Of these woods a beam has been found bearing the date '' Octobre xx. 1633.'' I recognised the