In 1910 Señor Gondra was elected President, and formed his ministry; but he was unfortunate in his choice of Albino Jara for the portfolio of war. Jara headed a revolution to depose his chief, and in January, 1911, succeeded in usurping the presidential chair. In a month Gondra started a counter revolution to regain his lost position, and a fight took place, in which six or seven hundred Paraguayans, who could ill be spared, lost their lives. The revolt was unsuccessful, and the chief officer of Gondra’s party was taken prisoner and shot. Albino Jara does not seem to have inspired his followers with much attachment, although he is alleged to have increased the pay of the army, and in July, 1911, they revolted against his petty tyranny, and he was either persuaded to leave or was shipped out of the country with a pension and the title of general. The president of the senate was called upon to fill the place of President until a new one should be elected, but the role so appealed to him that he resigned the occupancy of both positions in order to offer himself as a candidate for a term of the Presidency. Having secured both nomination and election, Liberado M. Rogas was installed for the term which ends in November, 1914, but Gondra and his followers, men of means and position, obtained possession of boats, guns, and men, and having the sympathy of the best citizens, succeeded in November, 1911, in obtaining the upper hand. The country was in the thick of this revolt during my visit, and I saw enough in the short time I was there to convince me that the lot of the average Paraguayan is far from enviable, despite his romantic and Arcadian surroundings, where the sun is always shining and the women have no vote but do all the hard work. On all hands one heard complaints of the dislocation of trade, whilst timid folk who were unable to escape out of the country did their best to hide themselves. Foreigners in the city had to display the greatest caution in their relations with the natives. One Englishman, whose son was lying dangerously ill with typhoid fever, being seen in conversation with the doctor who was attending the case, was immediately warned by the authorities not to mix himself up with politics.