PAYSANDU, formerly San Benito, a port and departmental town of Uruguay, is situated on the left bank of the river Uruguay in 32° 20' S. lat. and 58° Γ W. long., 270 miles by river from Montevideo, and 120 miles by road from Durazno, the present terminus of the railway. The long streets run east and west at right angles to the river, and the slope of the ground makes drainage easy. Paysandu has been a great battle-ground: in 1846, for instance, it was held by Oribe and bombarded by Rivera, and in 1865 it was captured by the Brazilians after a twenty-eight days’ siege. But the name is best known in Europe for the oxtongues, <fcc., preserved in its extensive saladeros. In 1868 the population was about 9000, and it has since considerably increased. Taking Paysandu to mean Father Sandú or Alexander, the inhabitants call themselves Sanduséros.