The government, however, was still disturbed by the retention by Spain of her conquests in the province of _Rio Grande_. Portugal appealed to Great Britain to procure the execution of the Treaty of Paris in accordance with the intentions of the contracting parties, of which England had been one. It had certainly not been her intention that the Spaniards should retain their conquests in _Brazil_. It was to the Brazilians themselves, however, that they were to owe the recovery of the Spanish posts in _Rio Grande_. Aware that the Spaniards of the _Plata_ were sufficiently occupied elsewhere, they secretly collected a force of eight hundred men, with which they took their enemies by surprise, thus regaining by arms that which Great Britain was engaged in endeavouring to obtain for them by diplomatic means. CHAPTER XVI. _PARAGUAY; EXPULSION OF THE JESUITS FROM BUENOS AYRES AND PARAGUAY._ 1649-1805. From the date of the removal of Bishop Cárdenas as governor of _Paraguay_ [1648], that province had enjoyed freedom from internal dissensions; until, in 1717, _Don_ Diego Balmaceda was named governor by the Viceroy of _Peru_. His nomination was unpopular, and, after two years, serious charges were preferred against him before the Audience of _Charcas_, which that body were occupied during the three succeeding years in investigating. Meanwhile _Don_ Jose de Antiquera had obtained the provisional succession to the post of governor; and he hastened to _Paraguay_ to assume power. Balmaceda was, however, reinstated in authority, and he ordered the usurper to resign his pretensions. But meanwhile Antiquera had organized a considerable force, and he refused to submit to the orders of the Viceroy, and sent a party to _Corrientes_, who brought Balmaceda a prisoner to _Asuncion_. On learning this rebellion against the Crown, the Viceroy sent instructions to the military commander of _La Plata_ to dispossess Antiquera of his authority, and to reinstate Balmaceda. On reaching the river _Tebicuari_, General Garcia de Ros found Antiquera too strong to be opposed. On his retiring, Antiquera, with a view to conciliating Zavala, the governor of _Buenos Ayres_, sent six hundred troops to assist him in the defence of _Monte Video_ against the Portuguese. This manœuvre, however, did not avail him, and Ros was sent a second time to assert the royal authority, with two hundred Spanish troops, backed by the forces of the Jesuit missions. The Jesuits had been expelled by Antiquera from _Asuncion_. On reaching the _Tebicuari_, Ros was encountered by Antiquera, with a force of three thousand men, and, being defeated, was compelled to return to _Buenos Ayres_. [Sidenote: 1724.]