MONTEVIDEO is the political capital, the commercial metropolis, and much the largest and most populous city of the republic. Between it and Cape Santa 3Leria stands the town of Maldonado, with a fine harbour, good fortifications, and about 2000 inhabitants : it exports hides and copper. Colonia del Santo Sacramento is a small town, with a harbour, opposite Buenos Ayres. None of the other towns are of any importance.
The Banda Oriental was, during the Spanish supremacy, the name of that portion of the vice-royalty of Buenos Ayres which was situated to the oast of the river Uruguay, end comprehended the present republic of Uruguay and the country called the Seven Missions. The continual civil wan by which the declaration of independence was followed in Buenos Ayres, induced the government of Brazil to take possession of the Banda Oriental in 1815. The republic of Buenos Ayres protested against this step, and, as no amicable settlement could be made, a war ensued between the two countries in 1825. Through the intervention of the English government a treaty of peace was concluded in 1828, by which the northern district known as the Seven 31Iasions was ceded to Brazil, and the more exclusive southern district was declared an independent republic under the title of Republica del Uruguay Oriental. But instead of securing peace to the country its independence appears hitherto to have only entailed discord upon it. Internal hostilities broke out at a very early period, and this was soon followed by the incursion of troops from Buenos Ayres; the assistance of Row, the president of Buenos Ayres, having been invoked by Aribe, one of the unsuccessful aspirants to the rulership of Uruguay. After a long continuance of strife without any prospect of either party securing a manifest superiority, Brazil was induced by the appeals of Paraguay and other neighbonriug powers to interfere. In order to
show her good faith, Brazil sent ministers to the courts of England and France, with a view to obtain their assistance either as umpire. or &ed.a agents in compelling the respective parties to come to terms. Those powers accordingly sent some ships of war to the Rio de la Plata in 1815. The English ships blockaded Montevideo till 1848 and the French till 1849, when both Englaud and France made treaties with Rosa. On these power. withdrawing, Brazil commenced more active hostilitlee—the Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios uniting with her. The war was however prolonged till 1851, when Arlie) was forced to capitulate In Uruguay, and Roses was soon after deposed In Buenos Ayres. Treaties between the several parties gave peace to Uruguay as far as regarded hostilities with foreign powers, and secured the recognition of the republic by the neigh bouriug statue. lint Internal discord in this as in so many other of the potty republics of South America appears to have become ohronie, and the latest accounts (received in October, 1855) speak of affairs as in the most disorganised condition. Brazil, which by assisting the government with money and men, had hoped to enable it to re-establiah peace, order, and eeeurity in the country, finding that no reliance could be plaocd on the president Flores or his ministers, had with drawn its subsidy, and was about to withdraw its troops; and the country was fast relapsing into a state of anarchy. The revenue of Uruguay has for some time been inadequate to meet the current expenses, and the interest on its heavy public debt has been long uupaid.