ceed with the victorious liberating army into Upper Peru. There was an armed force in the Upper Province of 5 or 6000 men, commanded by general Olaneta, and stationed in all the principal towns. As the heroic Sucre advanced into the country, he was not only received with universal joy by the inhabitants, but the royal corps at Cochabamba, Chiquisaca, Santa Cruz, and Chica spontaneously abandoned an unjust and sinking cause, and declared for the independence of the country. Sucre advanced to Potosi in April, 1825, where Olaneta made what resistance he could; but was himself slain, and all the royal troops in Upper Peru surrendered to the hero of Ayacucho. The number of men in the Upper Provinces which capitulated was 5490, which together with those destroyed, and taken on the field of battle, and in the garrisons of Lower Peru, made a total of 18,598, as the trophies of the great victory of Ayacucho, which holds that rank in the revolution of South America, that the victory at Yorktown does in the revolution in North America. About the time of the arrival of Sucre at Potosi, the intendancy of Chiquitos was invaded and taken possession of by the Brazilian troops from the interior province of Mattogrosso; the Brazilian commander informed Sucre that he had taken possession of the province in pursuance of a capitulation concluded between the chief of Mattogrosso, and the governor of Chiquitos. Sucre in reply to this communication on the 11th of May, says, that Ramas the governor of Chiquitos, had no power for a negotiation with the authorities of Brazil, that his delivering up the province of Chiquitos was an act of treason, and the occupation of it by the Brazilian general, an unprovoked aggression, and that he had ordered the commandant of Santa Cruz to march against him, unless he immediately evacuated the territories of Peru. It is supposed that this decisive conduct caused the Brazilians to withdraw from Chiquitos.

The territories of Upper Peru, so long the theatre of the most fearful and terrific struggles of the revolution, being at length entirely free from every foreign power, measures were adopted to convene a general congress of delegates from the intendancies, to decide on their political destiny, whether they would unite with Lower Peru, the United Provinces, or form a separate and independent nation. The congress was convened at Chiquisaca, and after long deliberation, on the 6th of August, 1825, published a solemn declaration of the independence of Upper Peru. They say that at length "the happy day has arrived when Upper Peru has become liberated from unjust power, from the tyrannic and wretched Ferdinand VII., and that this fertile region has escaped the debasing relation of a colony of Spain; that it is important

to its welfare not to incorporate itself with any of the co-terminous republics, but to erect itself into a sovereign and independent state, in relation to the new as well as to the old world; that the provinces of Upper Peru, firm and unanimous in their resolution, proclaim to the whole earth, that they will govern themselves, under their own constitution, laws, and authorities, in that way which they may think most conducive to the prosperity of the nation, the inviolable support of the Catholic religion, and the maintenance of the sacred rights of honour, life, liberty, equality, property, and security. To carry into effect this determination, they bind themselves through this sovereign representation, by their lives, property, and sacred honour.” This declaration was signed by Jose Mariano Serrano, the president, and 57 members of the congress. It was the direction of Bolivar that the representatives of the people should be left entirely free in their deliberations and decision on this important question; but it is supposed that he was in favour of these provinces uniting with Lower Peru. The congress decreed that the new state should be called "THE REPUBLIC OF BOLIVAR," in honour of the liberator of Colombia and Peru, whom it acknowledges as the father of the nation; that he should exercise the supreme power whilst he remained in the limits of the republic; that the 6th of August and the 9th of December, the days on which the battles of Junin and Ayacucho were fought, should be annually kept as national festivals; that in the capitals of each of the departments an equestrian statue of the liberator should be placed on a column ; and his portrait in all the tribunals, cabildoes, universities, and schools; on the left of which, in the same situations, to be placed the portrait of Sucre, whom the congress calls grand marshal of Ayacucho; a pedestrian statue of the grand marshal is also decreed to be placed in the capitals of each department, and he is to be further honoured by the capital of the republic and its department, being called Sucre. The grand marshal is declared captain-general of the republic, and invested with the command of all the departments. Every soldier in the battles of Junin and Ayacucho was declared a citizen of the republic, and one million of dollars directed to be distributed among them by Bolivar.*

No constitution has been adopted, or permanent government established, and the republic must at present be considered as under the authority of general Sucre as dictator, who, however, acknowledges the superiority of Bolivar, so that the liberator may be considered as exercising supreme power in both Upper and Lower Peru.

* Decree of the 14th of August, 1825.

In December, 1825, the liberator proceeded from Lima to Chiquisaca, the capital of the new republic, to arrange its affairs. In January, when about to return to Lima, he issued a procla mation informing the people that they shall be acknowledged as an independent nation, and shall receive as liberal a constitution as is to be found on earth. He proposes to call the republic Bolivia instead of Bolivar, the date of which he says will be the 25th of May, 1826, when it is supposed that a congress will be instituted to frame a constitution.

HISTORY

AND PRESENT STATE

OF THE

UNITED PROVINCES.

CHAPTER XI.

Extent and boundaries-description of the country-the pampas, rivers, bays, and harbours-productions and commerce—civil divisions-population and principal towns-government, army, navy, and finances-character of the people-amusements—the herdsmen of the plains.

THE republic of the United Provinces of South America or Rio de la Plata, extends from the northern boundary of Paraguay in about lat. 230 south, to St. George's bay, in lat. 450 south, comprehending 220 of lat., or 1529 miles from north to south. On its northern boundary from the Brazilian territory to the Andes, it is nearly 900 miles; but on its southern boundary it is not more than 300 across the continent from St. George's bay to the gulf of Guaytecas, and less than 200 miles to the Andes. These limits do not include Upper Peru, which was attached to the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres in 1778. The present boundaries of the republic are north on Bolivar and Brazil, west on the Andes or Chili, and according to Pazos, partly on the gulf of Guaytecas; south on Patagonia, east on Brazil and the Atlantic

ocean.

The territory included within the above mentioned limits is mostly comprised within the great valley of the La Plata and its branches, one of the most extraordinary vallies on the earth, both with respect to its magnitude and its peculiar soil and surface. The region which is watered by the vast river La Plata and its branches, rises towards the west into lofty mountains, whose Vor. II.

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bases extend into immense plains which terminate on the La Plata and the Atlantic ocean. The eastern boundaries of this valley are mountainous ridges, not far from the coast of Brazil, whence the eastern branches of the La Plata have their sources. Perhaps no country in the world presents so level a surface as the republic of the United Provinces of South America, with the exception of the elevated tracts at the head branches of the rivers near the extreme boundaries of the great valley. The country

west and south of the La Plata is one wide extended plain, embracing all the varieties from the richest alluvial to the high, broken, steril plain; most of this vast level tract is destitute of timber, except near the borders of the rivers. The lower section of this interminable plain, extending from the northern part of the province of Cordova south, on the borders of the river La Plata and the Atlantic, far into Patagonia, and from the river and the coast into the interior to the highlands, at the foot of the Andes, is usually called the Pampas, and extends nearly 1500 miles from north to south, with a breadth of nearly five hundred miles in many places. Over all this immense space, there is scarcely a tree or shrub, or a single perennial plant to be seen. There are neither

hills nor eminences, and the undulations are so gentle, as only to be perceived by taking a long view over its surface. The keen winds, called Pamperos, sweep over this unsheltered plain without the least obstruction. The surface of the earth appears to be a soft, black, rich soil, without stone, gravel, or sand. On the banks of some of the rivers, and in some other places, reddish clay appears on the surface.

Many of the rivers intersecting the Pampas are blackish, and salt lakes abound. Near the La Plata and other considerable rivers a few trees and some shrubbery are to be found, but most of the lesser ones creep through the plains, resembling crooked ditches of stagnant water, more than living streams; their courses not being marked by vallies, trees, or shrubbery. The whole of the pampas is rich pasture, and exceedingly productive in grass; a species of thistle also abounds, which grows from two to seven feet high. The only tree that seems to flourish is the Embudo, or perennial Poke, the trunk of which is a mere watery pulp, and is useless for fuel. The peach tree thrives when cultivated, as does also the olive and fig tree; the soil also produces good wheat, barley, and Indian corn, but the crops sometimes fail.

The pampas is chiefly useful for pasturage; on its immense surface are fed innumerable herds of horned cattle, horses, mules, and sheep; deer, ostriches, and wild dogs also abound. Thousands of these animals may often be seen at one view.

The more elevated plains to the north and west of the pampas are likewise generally destitute of timber, except on their water