are chiefly limited agriculturists and shepherds. There is much curious interest connected with the history of this people. ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, or BUENOS AYRES. It formerly included Monte Video and Paraguay, as we have seen. Cattle and agricultural products form the chief source of wealth; wool is also exported, of superior growth. The Argentine Republic is broken up into a number of minor republics, associated together; and Paraguay and Uruguay, or Monte Video, are but nominally included. These states have set up a separate government. The minor republics or provinces are Entre Rios, Santa Fé, Corrientes, Missiones, Bajada de Santa Fé, Cordova, San Luis de la Punta, Mendoza, San Juan, Rioja, Catamarcha, Santiago, Tucuman, Salta. Buenos Ayres, the capital, has a population of 80,000, almost entirely of the Spanish race. Its trade is very considerable. The government consists of an Executive, elected for five years, with his appointed council, and a Junta, elected every year. Rosas entirely subverted this constitution, and established a military despotism. The internal trade and navigation is considerable. In 1828 sixty-four British ships, of 12,746 tonnage, entered Buenos Ayres. In 1836 the whole number of arrivals were 213, of which 37 were from the United States; tonnage 36,117; value of cargoes 39,422,134 current dollars. The number of ships departing were 224-40 to the United States; value of cargoes 29,967,611 current dollars. Contraband trade has been extensively conducted in consequence of the disorders in the republic. BOLIVIA, or Upper Peru. More than three-fourths of the inhabit. ants are aboriginal Indians. The chief manufactures are of cotton, woollens of the hair of the alpaca and llamas, glass, silver vessels, fans, &c. Commerce is inconsiderable, growing out of difficulties t of transportation. Nearly all the products of Bolivia go to Europe, from the Pacific, after a terrible and rocky land-carriage of a considerable distance. Nothing but the precious metals and the most valued goods can endure the cost. Previous to 1829, Bolivia was included with Buenos Ayres. The independence of the country was then secured under Gen. Sucre. Its present name was taken from the liberator, Bolivia, who drew up its constitution. This constitution and code have been abandoned, though the government is still vested in a president, senate, tribunes and censors. The vast empire of BRAZIL compares with China and Russia in extent; having an Atlantic coast of 4000 miles, and an area of nearly three millions of square miles. The climate is of consequence very various, though in general mild and regular. Mr. Von Langsdorff, consul at Rio, remarks: "Winter, in this country, resembles summer in the North of Europe. Summer appears one continuous spring, while spring and autumn are unconsciously lost in winter and summer." "Stern winter smiles on this auspicious clime, All the trees and products of the West Indies abound in Brazil. In the southern provinces, the grains and fruits of Europe succeed. The finest and most valuable woods abound. Scarcely a two hundredth part of Brazil is in cultivation. "The luxuriance and richness of this vegetable world, is ascribed, by Humboldt, to the great moisture which everywhere prevails, and which gives it an advantage over all other hot countries; forming a more happy and fertile contrast to those parts of Africa which lie within the same parallels of latitude. In many respects the climate, the soil, the varied surface, and the rich vegetation, seem to resemble more some parts of Asia Minor. But in that exuberance of ever-green foliage, which forms the peculiar characteristic of a new continent; in the number of its richly wooded mountains; the sources of countless springs, and the abundance of large streams; in the character, even, of its sandless deserts and indomitable forests, the tropical regions of Brazil are almost pre-eminent to those of any other region.' Vast quantities of cattle are reared in Brazil, several thousands being common on a single estate. The mines of Brazil are most prolific of iron, gold and diamonds. The largest diamond in the world was found here. In the search for them, the earth is carefully washed after being taken from the beds of the rivers. The operation is performed by negroes, who receive their liberty when fortunate enough to find a valuable gem. 30,000 negroes have been so employed, and the mines are worked by governThe whole value of diamonds found in the eighty years, ending 1816, was not supposed greater than three and a half millions ment. * McGregor on America, p. 1332. sterling, little greater than the sugar and coffee export of a single year! After Mexico and Peru, says McCulloch, Brazil has furnished Europe with the greatest quantity of precious metals. The rage for mining has, however, abated, and the people have betaken themselves to the more rational and profitable pursuits of agriculture. There is a large iron foundry belonging to government, which was considered in 1843 a failure. : The population of Brazil are free and slave; the former including Europeans, white persons born in Brazil, mulattoes, aborigines, Africans, &c. There are 88 titles of nobility, viz. marquises, viscounts, counts and barons. The whole population, in 1844, was 4,450,249, a very inconsiderable number for so vast an empire. McCulloch makes the estimate about 7,000,000. One-half, nearly, are negro slaves, and one-sixth only of Portuguese blood. Mr. Kidder, who lately visited Brazil, says, "the Catholic religion and the priesthood are falling into decay." Brazil was discovered by the Spaniards, in 1500, and soon afterwards by the Portuguese, which gave rise to serious disputes. The Dutch, French and English plundered the earliest settlements. The Dutch held possession of different positions till 1654, when they were expelled. In 1808, the Portuguese sovereign removed his court to Brazil, and threw open the ports to all friendly and neutral powers. A revolution having taken place in Pernambuco, the Portuguese constitution was adopted to arrest its progress. On the king's leaving for Portugal, a struggle ensued, which resulted in the establishment of the independent Empire of Brazil, under the son of the Portuguese king, in whose family it still remains. The cities of Brazil are upon the coast, the harbors fine, and rivers extensive. The Amazon is one of the wonders of the world. It was discovered by Orellana, who, in a frail craft, descended it from the mountains of Peru to the mouth. His description, published in Europe, was exaggerated and embellished in the highest degree, and gave rise to the El Dorado. A race of giant female warriors were described, which gave name to the river. These accounts were for a long time credited. "Considering, says a historian, the lengthened period during which Brazil has been colonized, its vast extent and fertility, the variety of its productions and its favorable situation for commerce, its progress in the accumulation of population and wealth has been extremely slow. This apparent anomaly may, however, be easily explained. The slow progress of Brazil, like that of the contiguous ci devant Spanish colonies, is entirely owing to the vicious principles on which it was governed by the mother country, and to the rigid exclusion of foreigners from the country; the oppressive restrictions laid on the trade and industry of the colonists, and more than all the rest, to the ignorance of the Portuguese, and their inferiority in respect of science and art to most other nations of Europe. Portugal could bequeath nothing to her colonies but pride, superstition, and intolerance; but since the downfall of the old colonial system, consequent on the emigration of the court to Brazil, the foundations of a new and better order of things have been laid; novus saclorum nascitur ordo. The settlement of thousands of foreigners in Brazil, and the unfettered intercourse she now carries on with all the most civilized countries in the world, have already had the best effects; and though it will require a lengthened period to counteract the joint influence of ignorance, slavery and a debasing superstition, Brazil is rapidly rising, not merely in the scale of wealth and population, but also in that of civilization." We proceed to notice the most important cities and trade of Brazil. Para is situated on one of the mouths of the Amazon, called Para River, 80 miles from the sea. The regular ebb and flow of the tides of the sea are observed for six hundred miles above the mouth of the Amazon. The position of Para is admirable for commerce. Its highways and by-ways are all by water, on bays, rivers, lakes and creeks. Manufactured goods, silks, hardware, wines, spirits, porter, salt provisions, salt, flour, furniture, oil, gunpowder, iron in bars, lead, cordage, and sail-cloth, are imported to the amount of half a million of dollars. The export, in 1845, reached £147,505 sterling, embracing cotton, rice, rum, India rubber, cacao, cloves, coffee, gums, drugs, cabinet woods, etc. etc. manufactures are cotton sacks and India rubber shoes. The Maranham is a town of 30,000 inhabitants, and exhibits a general neatness and air of enterprise, said to be uncommon in the other towns of the empire. The imports in 1841 were £359,526, exports £319,833. Parahiba exported in 1844, 2,134 tons of sugar, valued at £33,493 sterling; 23,172 bags of cotton, valued at £80,765 sterling; 20,583 hides, £9,005 sterling. Pernambuco imports cotton goods from the United States; codfish, tea, earthenware, hats, flour, iron, etc., from England, France, and Germany. 1828..70,785....22,870....2,073....31,078.....6,771...1,460,628... 52,444 1829..54,820.. Hides. W't.-arrob. No. .46,573 .65,489 .76,584 84,743 .86,350 .91,492 .90,701 .93,771 105,851 21,984. 4,973....28.973. .8,222...1,463,332. 1830..61,151.... 25,335....3,743.... .38,576.... 13,849...1,705.614.. 1831..53,157....27,970. 1,402.. .42,466.... 8,429...1,799,986. 1832..31,520....21,708.... .3,895.. .42,555.... 3,640...1,518,300.....66,656 1833..58,564.... 15,507....3,432.. .54,477.... 5,444...1,301,612.. 1834..42,799.... 12,148.... 1,262....27,110.... 1,143... 854,088. 1835..52,142. .17,520....2,846. 56.996... 9,180...1,388,888. 1836..62,832....21,317........4,163....65,337. .31,399...1,828,392.. 1837..43,847. .17,774....1,603....57,346....19,248...1,456,420.. 132,993 1838..60,648....20,806.. 1,929.. .68,812....29,927...1,750,380.. 1839..39,173....20,891.. 3,739.. .78,800....27,923...1,878,675.... 111,052 1840..35,854.......... .24,946. .3,110....86,247. .42,168.2,191,093.. 1841..26,990........ .23,650....2,149....90,256....66,296...2,261 699.. 136,494 1842..21,357 .20,123.. 1,361. .78,739....54,390...1,906,936.. 1843..35,906.. .23,161....1,392. .60,613.. .73,204...2,017,522. 1844..41,385. .21,388... 772....75,105....96,890...2,146,688.... 124,074 1845..26,562.. 19,571.... 849....61,892...216,015...2,565,824....163,935 Bahia has a population, it is estimated, of 180,000. It was formerly the principal rendezvous of the slave traders. Rio de Janeiro." This port," says McGregor, "is much resorted to by vessels in distress, navigating the ocean between the capes of Good Hope and Horn. Ships of war and merchant vessels, bound round the capes, find this a most convenient place to procure water and fresh provisions. Ships from Europe and North America meet in this great conveying harbor ships sailing to or arriving from Bombay, Canton, New Holland, New South Wales, Valparaiso, and the various islands of the Pacific, as well as California and Oregon, on the western coast of North America. "Rio Janeiro has become the chief emporium of Brazilian commerce, and especially of its mining districts. All the ports on the coast south of Bahia, and it may be said, to the frontiers of the Banda Oriental, to Monte Video, send most of their produce for exportation to Europe or for home consumption to Rio Janeiro. Farinha, beans, bacon, dried or salt meat, are brought to the metropolis; hides, horns, dried meat, tallow and bacon, with rice and wheat flour, come by sea, chiefly from the provinces of Rio Grande do Sul and San Paulo; the latter furnishes also cheese, the bark of the mangrove tree for tanning, with some gum woods, sugar, and rum; Santa Catherina sends also sole leather, onions, garlic, dried fish, and pottery. The small harbors to the north of Rio de Janeiro, to wit, Joân do Paraiba, San Salvador, Macahe, Porto Saguro, Caravelhas, Victoria, &c., supply vegetables and fish, beans, planks, hoops, Brazil wood, bark, charcoal, fuel, cocoa-nuts, tcbacco, sugar, rum, rice, &c. "The inland trade is extensive between Rio de Janeiro and the neighboring provinces. From Rio Grande do Sul and San Paulo, many thousands of oxen, horses and mules, are annually driven to Rio de Janeiro. The inhabitants of the remote provinces of MatteGrosso and Goyaz bring gold in bars and dust, precious stones and smuggled diamonds, (the latter being contraband,) to exchange for European manufactures; to the smaller ports of Brazil, Rio exports all sorts of European goods; to both the western and eastern coasts of America, English and Portuguese goods; to Europe, sugar, coffee, cotton, tobacco, hides, otter skins, horse hair, &c.; and in |