The cotton, as
soon as picked from the pods, was spun on the spinning-wheel, and then
woven by a travelling weaver, whose rude apparatus was carried on the back
of an ox or a mule, and, when in use, was hung from the branch of a tree.

Commerce was dealt with in the same way as agriculture. The market was
under Francia's control, and all exchange of goods was managed under rules
laid down by him. He found that he must open the country in a measure to
foreign goods, if he wanted to develop the resources of the country, and a
channel of commerce was opened on the frontier of Brazil. But soldiers
vigilantly watched all transactions, and no one could act as a merchant
without a license from him. He fixed a tariff on imports, kept them in a
bazaar under military guard, and sold them to the people, limiting the
amount of goods which any of his subjects could purchase.

As a result of all this Francia brought about a complete cessation of all
private action, the state being all, and he being the state. All dealing
for profit was paralyzed, and agriculture and commerce alike made no
progress. On the other hand, everything relating to war was developed. It
was his purpose to cut off Paraguay completely from foreign countries, and
to be fully prepared to defend it against warlike invasion.

[Illustration: INDIAN SPINNING AND WEAVING.]

INDIAN SPINNING AND WEAVING.

Of his books, the one he most frequently consulted was a French dictionary
of the arts and industries. From this he gained the idea of founding
public workshops, in which the workmen were stimulated to activity alike
by threats and money. At one time he condemned a blacksmith to hard labor
for awkwardness. At another, when he had erected a gallows, he proposed to
try it on a shoemaker if he did not do his work properly, while promising
to richly reward him if he did.

Military roads were laid out, the capital and other cities were fortified,
and a new city was built in the north as a military post to keep the
savage Indians under control. As for the semi-civilized Mission Indians,
they were gradually brought under the yoke, made to work on the land, and
enrolled in the army like other citizens. In this way a body of twenty
thousand militia and five thousand regular troops was formed, all being
well drilled and the army supplied with an excellent cavalry force. The
body-guard of the dictator was made up of picked troops on who