Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/68

 38 TNTRODUCTOEY ESSAY.

Paraguay, and driven back to the Tacuari River, in the Misiones, and on March 10, 1811, he was disgracefully compelled to capitulate. The army was allowed to retire without molestation, and Belgrano, spending the end of the month with the Paraguayan officers, used his time in show- ing the advantages which their country would secure by throwing off the yoke of Spain. Shortly afterwards were heard in the mouths of the soldiery allusions to liberty, liberal ideas, independence and nationality, which a few days before would, if they could have understood them, have made them tremble.

After the " conferences of Tacuari " and a brief occupa- tion of Corrientes, the Paraguayan army returned to Asuncion, leaving at Ytapua, now Encarnacion, 200 men under D. Fulgencio Yegros. This officer, who had been second in command to Colonel Cabanas, still kept up com- munications with Buenos Aires, and he was ably assisted by a native of that city and a relative of General Belgi'ano, Dr. D. Pedro Somellera,* in arousing the spirit of the Paraguayans to adopt a change of Government. The Governor, Velasco, who was fonder of humming-birds than of public affairs, had lost his prestige during the campaign. Suddenly, on the night of April 3, 1811, a band of soldier conspirators, headed by their officers, occupied the barracks, and D. Bernardo, unable to resist, accepted a declaration of independence, unaccompanied by a single death and animated by an usually moderate patriotism.

The viceregal power thus overthrown. Dr. Somellera

champs lived in Paraguay between July, 1819, and May, 1825. They then returned to Europe, and produced in 1827, amongst other works, the " Essai Historique sur la Revolution du Paraguay." This naive and highly interesting volume was translated into Spanish by D. Florencio Varela (Monte Video, 1846) ; and it was enriched with the curious notes of this Dr. Somellera, Assessor of the Intendency of Paraguay.
 * The two Swiss naturalists Rengger (known as Juan Rengo) and Long-