The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-03 00:00:00

THE PACIFIC.

By the arrival at Southampton of the West India
mail steamer Atrato we have received files of the
Panama Star and Herald to the 9th December.

Her Majesty's ship Vixen, Captain Lambert,
sailed for Central America on the Bth, with Sir
Wm. Gore Ousdley, British Minister to the Central
American States, on board.
The north winds set in at Panama on the night
of the 6th, and the dry season was expected to have
fairly commenced.
The steamship New Granada, Capt. Hill, front
Callao, arrived in Panama Bay on the morning of
the 7th. Her dates were—Valparaiso, Nov. 16;
Callao, 26; Paita, 29; and Guayaquil, Dec. 1.
The Chilian Congress opened an extraordinal
session on the 7th Nov., to consider the budget
and other measures. Both the Government and
Opposition parties mustered strong, and some warn%
debates took place.

A dreadful conflagration, which took place 011,
the 13th of November, destroyed a large part of
the city of Valparaiso, causing damage to the
amount of nearly 3,000,000 dols., of which 1,726,000
dols. was covered by insurance. The entire range
of buildings from the Pasaje Edwards through the
Plaza del Orden to the Quebrada de San Juan de
Dios was burnt, and an immense amount of valu-
able property destroyed. The fire originated in
the Union Club about 10 o'clock in the morning,
the wind was blowing fresh and heavy rain fell
during the entire time the flames raged. Unfortu-
nately some of the firemen lost their lives in their
endeavours to check the fire, and a number of per-
sons were also seriously injured.
Trade at Valparaiso was reported as unusually
dull.

From Peru there is not much news. The Act of
general indemnification to all persons, as also a full
pardon to all political persons excepting Luis
Lomar, only awaited the President's signature to
become law. The Bill authorising the President
to raise 15,000 men to conduct the war against
Ecuador had passed, and the recruiting stations
had been opened, but with little success, and the
Government would, it was said, have to resort to
_conscription to raise the necessary number. The
American ships that were seized by the Govern-
ment at Patallion do Pira were being fitted up as
transports. The Lizzie Thompson was pierced for
six guns, and the Georgiana for two ; they were to
convey troops to Ecuador.
A proposition had been brought before the present
Congress in favour of selling the guano at the
Chincha Islands at the rate of 30 dols. per ton, to be
delivered alongside the ship, and to be sold to any
one who might wish to purchase. The above pro-
position was referred to a committee, who had
reported favourably on the bill.
General Echeniq tie had issued a circular in
Bolivia, where he still remained, assuring his friends
of the aid of the President Linares towards carry-
out his revolutionary movement against the Castilla
Government.

Ecuador continued blockaded by Peru, the mail
steamers being the only vessels allowed to enter or
clear from Guayaquil. No attempt at war had yet
been made beyond blockading although the Ecua-
dorians appeared to be rapidly raising an army to
repel the forces of Peru.
A letter from Guayaquil, of the Ist of December,
says :—" There are very few vessels in the river, a
French corvette of war, a Spanish baque, the Rosa
Carmen, laden with cocoa, which is not allowed to
leave port: two Ecuadorian schooners, a Russian
ship which has come in to be repaired, the Spanish
brig Hernan Cortes, waiting for better times ; the
French ship Bolivia, which returned a few days
ago, having run aground in endeavouring to get out
to sea. She has discharged her cargo, which was
intended for La Union, and will probably be con-
demned."