" Art. 1.—His majesty the emperor of Brazil, declares the province of Monte Video, at present called the Cis platane, separated from the territory of the empire of Brazil, in order that it may constitute itself into a state free and independent of any nation whatever, under the form of government which it may deem most suitable to its interests, wants, and resources.
" Art. 2.—The government of the Republic of the United Provinces concurs in declaring, on its part, the independence of the Province of Monte Video, at pre sent called the Cisplatane, and in its being constituted into a free and independent state, in the foregoing arti cle." The 4th article provides for the formation of a repre sentative convention Congress, by deputies elected from the Banda Oriental and by the city of Monte Video ; and the 5th, 6th, and 7th articles provide for the formation of a provisional government, and constitute the Con gress a Convention to form a permanent Constitution. The remaining 12 articles regulate the various details relating to the troops, rights of removal, and of property, delivery of prisoners, Ste.
With the ultimate proceedings under the treaty, we are unacquainted ; but are enabled to regard the Cis platane province, or Banda Oriental, as at least nomi nally an independent republic of South America.
We have, as far as material has been collected, and with due regard to our restricted limits, taken a general survey of the continent of South America, and close the articleby a notice of the islands, contiguous to and usu ally regarded as appertaining to that continent.
TtERRA FUEGO, already briclly noticed under the head of Patagonia, is a large but desolate irregular island, separated from the continent by the Straits of Magellan. It is three hundred miles in length from the Straits of Lc Maim, to Black Cape. The surface is mountainous and contains one or more active volcanoes, whence the name, Tierra del Fuego, or Land of Fire. The main island is environcd with many smaller ones of similar mountainous and desert character.
It is a common error to suppose that Cape Horn, the Ultima Thule of South America, is a part of the island of Terra del Fuego : on the contrary, Cape Horn, almost exactly on S. lat. 56°, is the extreme southern point of Hermit Island.
Between the western outlet of the straits of Magellan, in S. lat. 53°, and Maulin Bay, separating Chiloc Island
from Chile, in S. lat. 41° 40', through upwards of eleven degrees of latitude, the western coast of South America is much broken by islands and small peninsulas; amongst the former, the most worthy of notice are Ancon, Madre de Dios, and St. Martin's, between S. lat. 49° 20', and and between the Gulf of Santissima Trinidad, and Cape St. Isabella. Cape Corsa separates the Gulf of Santissima Trinidada from Campana Island, extending to S. lat. 48°. The gulfs of Chonos, Guytecas, and Chiloe, form in fact one lengthened bay from the penin sula of Three Mountains to Maullin Bay, or for about 250 miles. This labyrinth is filled with numerous islands, the principal of which, Chiloc, was noticed under the head of Chile.
Immediately to the north of the western entrance of the straits of Magellan is the peninsula of Lobos, termi nating to the north-west in the Cape of Santa Isabella, and again between S. lat. 45° 22' and 46° 41', extends the true peninsula of Three Mountains, attached to the continent by a very narrow neck of land.
It is very remarkable, that leaving the Bay of Maul lin, and advancing northward, that there is not along the coast of South America a single island worthy of notice, or a peninsula from Chiloc to the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama, in a distance, following the coast, of four thousand miles.
The islands of the Pacific, Juan Fernandez, Ambrosio, St. Felice, and the Gallapagos, have been by geographers attached to South America, but the relative distance renders the connexion doubtful. A similar remark might also be made with respect to the Malouine or Falkland's Islands in the southern Atlantic, but we may notice the former from their historical notoriety. The group crossed by S. lat. 52°, lies about 110 miles a little north of east from the straits of Magellan. There are several smaller, but only two of any considerable size are relatively called East Island and West Island, separated by a strait, the San Carlos of the Spaniards, or Falkland's Channel of the English. No wood, and but a scanty vegetation of any kind grows on these islands, except grass, which is luxuriant. They are in reality, though long contended for between Spain and Great Britain, mere barren rocks or marshes, the residence of Phoci and wild fowl.