In no case at all shall the Immigration and Agricultural Board receive any commission or retribution whatever.
In case it be necessary to send the immigrant over to some other department the travel would be at the expense of the State.
Four years after the River Plate was discovered by Juan Diaz de Solis, Hernando de Magallanes, following the same route as the former, went up the River Plate and discovered part of the rivers Uruguay, Guazu and Parana. But as he could not find the channel, which, he thought, ought to lead him to the East Indies, he soon came back and sailed southward, discovering afterwards the strait.
In the year 1527, Sebastian Gaboto who had travelled over the Rivers Uruguay, Parana and Paraguay, built the first fort on the coast of the River San Salvador at a short distance from the Uruguay, so as to defend himself against the Indians who peopled the territory that now belongs to the Republic.
Then began the first essays of colonization made by the Spaniards, notwithstanding all kinds of difficulties and fights against the Indians who, with great constance and heroism, went on defending the land that was theirs.
In the year 1550, Irala sends from the Asuncion a few people over to the Oriental territory; and the first settlement is there founded, on the banks of the river San Juan, with the name of San Juan Bautista. Two years after the settlers gave up the place and went away, on account of the increasing attacks of the Indians which they could not resist.
In the year 1574, Zarate had a new fort built in the very same place where Gaboto in 1527 had already built one and gave it the name of San Salvador. Two years later, the settlers had to go away for want of resources and on account of the continuous wars with the natives.
In the year 1624, Fray Bernardo de Guzman began founding a new settlement, the most ancient one in the Republic, called Santo Domingo de Soriano, two leagues distant from the mouth of the Black River, Rio Negro.
In 1680 was founded Colonia del Sacramento, by Don Manuel de Lobo, the governor of Janeiro.
In 1724 the field-marshal, Don Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, founded the town of Montevideo.
From that time many more towns and important settlements went on being founded. In 1762, Villa de San Carlos, in 1763, the town of Maldonado, in 1778, Villa de San Juan Bautista, now Santa Lucia, 1782, the settlement of Paysandu, in 1783, Minas and in 1793, Rocha.