Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/496



466 AGAIN TO THE ALLIED FRONT.

Paraguayans. They must win by the first charge, and they have a holy horror of playing long-stop to besieged bowlers. The foreign portion has probably never fought before. Gaucho warfare consists of scattering before the fight, gal- loping about, banging guns and pistols in the air, shouting the Redskin " slogan/^ and foully abusing one another^s feminine relatives. The infantry take shelter, and ad- vance under cover so as to steal a march upon the enemy. Both cavalry and infantry retire when a few men have been wounded or killed ; and, after the " battle " the throats of all prisoners are cut, according to the fashion of the Mohawks. D. Emilio praised the persistency of the Brazilian whites, who, in this particular, apparently resemble the Russians. He numbered his men at 5000, and he did not seem to think an increase probable ; many a '^ tropilla ^' of horses must be forthcoming before even these can move.

On our taking leave, D. Emilio gave us a general invita- tion to dine with him, and in this case it is equivalent to a particular. Returning to the Luque village, we called upon Colonel Ferreira, Chief of Camp Police. His quarters, situated a little behind the only square, have been, to judge from the rudimental arms of the Republic painted upon the walls, an official residence. Then proceeding to the State House, at the north-eastern angle of the Plaza, we sent m our cards to the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Army, Marshal Guilherme Xavier da Souza. His adjudante d^ordens (aide-de-camp) courteously asked us to sit down whilst the Generalissimo was finishing some official business. Presently we entered, and found him in a camp chair before a plain deal table, which bore materials for making cigarettes. A tall thin man, with pallid, not to say yellow skin, high features, and straight thin black hair, together with an ex- pression of countenance peculiarly Brazilian, his nationality is not to be mistaken. He was dressed in mufti, black