The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-29 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MAILS.

PLYMOUTH, Sept. 29.
A gale is blowing here from the S.W., and a
heavy sea is running.

The Royal Mail Company's steamer Tasmanian
arrived here this morning with the West India,
Pacific, New Zealand, and Australian mails, 63
passengers, treasure valued at $958,401, and 623
packages of cargo. The mails and 15 passengers
were landed and forwarded by special train at 7.30
a.m., and the Tasmanian proceeded on for South-
ampton.

It is reported that in Tambo Valley, just beyond
the new port of Hejra, near Islay, a small town
was swept away, and out of 500 inhabitants only
20 managed to escape. Capt. Fox, of the wrecked
Liverpool bark Chanarcillo, and who returns in the
Tasmanian, has furnished a graphic account of the
catastrophe at Arica to the West India papers.
The city of Arica was laid in ruins by earthquake
at 5 p.m. Half an hour afterwards the lower part
of the city was submerged by an earthquake
wave. When the first ware receded the
shipping in the bay was lying in eight
fathoms of water. They all grounded, leaving
about six feet of water alongside. The second re-
turn wave was a breaking one, at an elevation of
about 60 feet, which totally destroyed the follow-
ing vessels :—American storeship Fredonia, with
all on board, about 22 ; the Peruvian bark Rosa
Riviera ; the brig Edourdo, with all hands ; and
the Peruvian frigate Americana was thrown 300
yards above high water mark. Her principal
officers, with 130 of the crew, were drowned. The
bark Chanarcillo was also thrown 500 yards above
high water mark.

In Chincha Baja almost all the town was de-
stroyed by the sea. Arequipa, a beautiful city,
built entirely of stone, with more than 50,000 in-
habitants, was completely overthrown. The loss
of life is under 200. The previous report is con-
firmed that almost the entire city of Iquique has
been swept away by the waves. The ports of
Pisqua and Migillius no longer exist. The port of
Chala is almost ruined; its inhabitants have had
to remove to a distance of eight leagues. The im-
portant towns of Torata, Cocumba, and Pachia lost
the greater part of their buildings. Cula Valley
is ruined. In Moquega one hundred and fifty
persons perished. Out of forty-nine ships loading
at the Chincha islands only six did not suffer
damage. Paracas has been swallowed by the sea.
The number of victims is as yet unknown.

The Panama Star says :—Counting only what is
known up to the
present, the evil extends over
more than 200 leagues. More than 300,000 per-
sons have retrained without shelter end without
bread in consequence of this horrible catastrophe,
and with difficulty shall we find in history an in-
stance of calamity which has embraced such an
immense extent of territory.
The Tasmania's dates are—Sydney, August 2 ;
Colon, September 6 ; Jamaica, 9th ; and St.
Thomas, 14th. Her passengers and despatches
bring further details of the earthquake in Peru and
Ecuador. Although no serious effects were expe-
rienced at Valparaiso, slight shocks were felt, and
the earthquake waves, which did so much damage
on the coast of Peru, swept into Tolcahuana Bay,
on the Southern coast of Chili, on the night of the
August 13th, and submerged and destroyed the
greater part of the whaling towns of Talcahuana

and Fome. There was no earthquake there, but
the sea retired from the bay from over one-eighth
of a mile. The inhabitants, warned by this phe-
nomenon, immediately fled to the hills, and on the
return of the waves about a quarter of an hour
afterwards only a few persons were drowned.

There were three of these waves during the night,
and one vessel, either Italian or French, was wrecked
there. The news already published of the disasters
on the Peruvian coast mainly by earthquake and
earthquake wave is fully confirmed. In Pisco the
sea retired more than 400 yards, and on its return
passed its usual limits more than 200 yards, carry-
ing with it everything it encountered.
Captain Fox was on shore when the earthquake
occurred, and despatched his boat to bring the crew
of his vessel to the land to assist the panic-stricken
inhabitants, many of whom were partially buried in
the ruins, some with their heads just above ground.
The scene is described as most heartrending, the
people shrieking and gesticulating in a dreadful
manner. NVheu the wave burst over the city it
drowned those who were partially buried by the
earthquake. The remainder of the crew, eight in
number, who were left on board in charge of the
Chanarcillo perished with her. It is considered
that Arica was the centre of the earthquake, and
the earthquake waves, and consequently that town
suffered the most.

THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.
POTSDAM, Sept. 29

The Emperor of Russia postponed his departure
for Warsaw until this morning, in consequence of
the Grand Duke Alexis not arriving here yesterday

as was expected.

His Imperial Highness, however, arrived shortly
after midnight, and was received by the Emperor
at the railway station, and his Majesty and the
Grand Duke left at eight o'clock this morning for
Warsaw.

King William has.gone to Baden-Baden.