This great change was quickly followed by another. In 1776 the Vice-royalty of Buenos Aires was created, that is, the four countries now known as Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, were detached from the Vice-royalty of Peru, under Don Pedro Cevallos, sometime Governor of Buenos Aires. This step was a recognition of the importance of Buenos Aires, to which all observers testify. All the efforts of the Spaniards to force the trade of Europe over the Isthmus of Panama and the Andes had failed, and Buenos Aires was now to fulfil its destiny as the metropolis of Spanish America. The new Governor brought a large force, for there had been serious trouble with Portugal. As the latter was too weak to resist, and as the news of peace between the two countries followed almost immediately, there was no difficulty in coming to terms, and Colonia was finally made over to Spain. The result of this important treaty was that Spain was left in undisputed possession of Uruguay and Portugal of Brazil in its present form, for she recovered Rio Grande and Santa Catharina. Free trade was established between Buenos Aires and Spain, and Argentina made wonderful industrial advances. The rest of the century was uneventfully prosperous, but great events were in the wind, and they were destined to have a powerful influence on Spanish America. The easygoing paternal rule was to come to an end, and a long period of bloodshed and turbulence was to succeed. As was the case in every other part of the world, the motive power was supplied by the French Revolution. FOOTNOTES: [26] Funes, vol. iii. 73. [27] "History of Brazil," ii. 322-3. [28] Drake in 1578 visited the south of Tierra del Fuego, and discovered that there was a passage round, but he did not himself make the voyage round Cape Horn. [29] Bourgainville (See J. H. Moore), "Collection of Voyages and Travels," 266. [30] "Buenos Ayres," 59. [31] Carlyle has an accurate perception of the gravity of the issue. "The Jenkins's Ear Question, which then looked so mad to everybody, how sane has it now grown to my Constitutional Friend! In abstruse ludicrous form there lay immense questions involved in it; which were serious enough, certain enough, though invisible to everybody. Half the World lay hidden in embryo under it. Colonial-Empire, whose is it to be? Shall Half the World be England's, for industrial purposes; which is innocent, laudable, conformable to the Multiplication-table at least, and other plain Laws? Or shall it be Spain's for arrogant-torpid sham-devotional purposes, contradictory to every Law?" ("History of Frederick the Great," xii. 12, § 3). [32] See Sir J. K. Laughton, _English Historical Review_, October, 1889. [33] See Sir J. K. Laughton, _English Historical Review_, October, 1889. [34] "History of Brazil," iii. 300. [35] "An Account of the Spanish Settlement in America," 340-1.