The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-14 00:00:00

LOSDON, 310.NDAY, SEPT. 14, 18138.

It is not often that we have to chronicle such
terrible and startling intelligence as reaches us to-
day from South America. The calamity is so great
that it is difficult to realist it, and it seems to be-
long rather to the startling records of earlier ages
than to the ordinary events of our every-day life.
Fearful earthquakes, we are told, occurred on the
13th of August in Peru and Ecuador, in which
from twenty-five to thirty thousand lives were lost.
At first sight we might hope that the reality might
have been less disastrous than the report, and that
some degree of misapprehension or exaggeration
had prevailed. Some time since one of the
periodical convulsions of nature in tropical cli-
mates occasioned much distress. A report gained
ground that a whole island had been submerged,
and for some days great uncertainty prevailed.
Ilappily it turned out that the truth was much less
terrible, and the loss was comparatively s-nall. In
the present case, however, there is litee ground for
hip s. In the first place, the communication be-
tween North and South A•nerica is much more
Cire!-.1 and certaii than that with any outlying
and the date of the news from Phila-
delphia is just one mouth later than the first
day of the catastrophe, so that it is
not a mere random run-our, but news
founded on advice received simultaneously from
many quarters. The destruction of eight cities,
whose names are mentioned, besides smaller towns
of Ecuador and Peru, leaves little ground for
hoping that tle I,:za of life call.have bem.„47o4,laleas

than was reported. The earthquakes, which com-
menced on the 13th of August, laste 1 three day-,,
totally destroying the cities of Arequipa, chief town
of the Peruvian coast, province of that name, Arica,
Iquique, Pisco, Ibarra, Tacunga, Tacna,
Juan-Cavelica, and many others. In Peru
the loss of life is estimated at 2,000, and
in Ecuador at 20,000. Most of the inhabi-
tants of Arica and Arequipa escaped with
their lives, but in other directions the loss of life
was immense. In presence of such wholesale
slaughter the destruction of property occupies a
very secondary place, but it ha 3 necessarily been
very extensive. It is roughly estimated at
£60,000,000, but of course so soon after the cala-
mity it must have been impossible accurately to
measure its extent. As is usually the case
in earthquakes much damage was done by
the tidal waves which followed, and many
vessels wore wrecked, among them being the
American steamers Trenonia and Wa`erer, the
British ship Chancellor, and the Peruvian ship
America. We may form a faint conception of the
violence of these waves from the fact that the Wa-
terer was carried half a mile inland. Mr. BILLING-
! HURST and his family perished at Iquique. Tnis
gentleman is mentioned as the British Consul, but
this is a mistake, since he was the representative of
the Argentine Republic. It is scarcely necessary to
add that there is great suffering among the survi-
vors, since the whole of the beautiful and fertile
country which stretches between the Pacific and
the Andes is a scene of desolation. Ibarra, in
Ecuador, is within one degree of the equatorial line.
Iquique, an island in the south of Peru, is more than
a thousand miles distant from it, and while the
latter is, as we have said, an island and seaport,
Ibarra stands high among the mountains. Pasco,
which is reckoned to be the most elevated city
of the world, stands or stood at an immense eleva-
tion, but whether on the coast or in the clouds,
whether situated among the glowing verdure of the
tropics or among the snowy peaks,
" Where Andes, giant of the western sphere,

Looks from his throne of clouds o'er half the world," I
One destruction appears to have been equally swift,
conclusive, and terrible. All alike were seated on
that beautiful but treacherous soil, which has so
often converted fair and prosperous cities
into desolate ruins, and changed a thriving popu-
lation into a few scattered groups of mourners.
To us accustomed to colder and safer climates it
appears marvellous that men should be found wil-
ling to risk their lives by dwelling in such places,
but the story of Herculanum and Pompeii is no
new one. It would seem as though man grew as
reckless as Nature in such in regions, that he was
willing to enjoy her lavish gifts to-day with the
chance of her sudden powers to-morrow. Accus-
tomed to violent shocks, to extremes of tempera-
ture, to tempests of terrific violence, the denizens
in those volcanic regions would seem to hold life
more lightly than the inhabitants of a temperate
zone. Each, no doubt, has his advantages and his
compensations, though it is not often the history of
human suffering presents us with so startling and
terrible a record as that of these Peruvian earth-
quakes.

Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE has been addressing
the electors of North Devon at considerable length,
and the right hon. baronet spoke out in his usual
straightforward manner. He declared that the
position they were now in as a Government was
neither very satisfactory to themselves nor very
advantageous to the country, not being supported
by a majority of the House of Commons. Two
things are requisite in order that an Administration
deserve the confidence and support of the country,
that its policy be popular, and that it performs the
business of the nation properly in the several de-
partments of public bul;ness. We entirely agree

with Sir S. NoßTlicorE that there is nothing
for the Government to b..; ashamed of for the

manner in which they have conducted the
public affairs of the country.
stances might more or less affect the position of
affairs, and as the right hon. baronet truly said,
no Administration, Whig or Tory as they chance to
be, ought to be blamed for what they cannot pre-
vent. They must be judged according as they
have done their best under the circumstances they
find themselves in. Fair allowance should certainly
be made for the present Government, for they
assumed the responsibilities of office in most ad-
verse times. The Fenian conspiracy was most
alarming when they came to conduct the councils
of the country, and they were in no
ways responsible, directly or indirectly, for
it. It began some two or three years
before they took office, and yet they had the
awkward task of putting it down with a ne-
cessarily strong hand. The first winter during
which this Government was in power was most
painful, and the conspiracy may then be said to
have reached its height, and those in authority who
had the most direct charge of preserving the public
peace were greatly to be pitied for the burden
that fell upon them. We are now happily free from
anxiety on this score, but it is only just• at a time
like a general election to look back and see what
has been done for the benefit of the country, and
certainly no one has a right to deny that the Fenians
would not have been put down so effectually if it
had not teen for the determined policy pur-
sued towards them. This, in connection with the
line taken by the American Government, succeeded,
and thus the mischievous effort was effectually
checked. So far as foreign affairs stand the Go-
vernment is in a better position than when it came
into office.

Varioui circum-

The expenditure of the present Administration
has been so sharply criticised that it is not sur-
prising a member of the same should speak on the
subject. At the same time Sir S. NORTIICOTE
spoke very moderately, and found no fault
with those who declaimed against the expen-
diture, only adding that a good answer
might be given to the charges preferred. The
expenditure has been increased during the last two
years. But why ? Because it was found absolutely
necessary for the good of the country that it should
be so. Nothing can be fairer than the way Sir S.
NORTIICOTE put it to his hearers. If the late Go-
vernment want to take the credit of the improvements
in the army, for which they issued a Commission
to inquire, let them also take the responsibility ;
but they wish to have the merit, and let others pay
the bills they left behind. " Let us have it one way
or the other," exclaims the Secretary for India, very
justly, and we think even his opponents will agree
that his demand is a fair one. We would direct
particular atteatioli to the remarks here made on
the subject of the pay of our soldiers, beebuse it is
one too apt to be neglected or overlooked. Our
army differs from tho3t: on the Continent because
they are supported by conscriptions, while ours is
an army of volunteers ; it becotn.s, therefore, of
consequence that all that call be done should be
tried to improve the condition of the soldier.
General PEEL did a good deal of servi.',:e to the
country by the spirited manner in which he took
up the conversion of the weapons. At one of the
Cabinet councils held at the time of the German
war, General PEEL came down and said,
" litre i 5. a great war ou the Continent, a great

battle by the aid of new weapons, and what is the
position of England ? How many converted con-
verted breech-loaders do you you think we have
in our our army ?" We all guessed, and be said,
" You are all wrong, the number is twelve." Who
can deny that the Government under such circum-
stances were bound to go boldly into the matter,
and is it fair that the expenses they incurred in
remedying the errors of their predecessors should
be made the subject against them when their
countrymen are about to pronounce judgment on
them for the policy they have pursued.
Tha next day Sir STAFFORD NoRTIICOTE spoke
again to a different audience, and touched upon
other points connected with public affairs. The
Reform policy of the Government had been made
the subject of criticism in various quarters, and be
took the opportunity of defending it and explaining
the grounds upon which they acted. He did not
take upon himself to pronounce the plan submitted
to be most perfect, but it was the best they could
offer under the circumstances of the case. Na-
tional education is a subject of great import-
ance, and its settlement in some shape or
other cannot much longer be postponed.
The Government are not to blame for the delay, for
they had prepared a measure, but time prevented
them from pushing it forward, and they were so
anxious in the matter that they did not wait to lose
the Session of the expiring Parliament. A good
deal depends upon experience in deciding upon the
details of a question of this sort, but Sir S. NORTH-
COTE very justly deprecated the plan now in vogue
of throwing everything on the rates. This ten-
dency he thought ought to be " jealously watched,"
and the public will agree with him.

Telegrams from the seat of war in South Ame-
rica report favourably of the progress of the Allies ;
but we must not forget that all such information is
received through interested channels. Thus the
news which we publish this day was received from
Lisbon by the Argentine Legation, and Lisbon, we
can hardly fail to remember, is of close affinity to
Brazil. The telegrams report that the garrison
which had fled to the Chaco surrendered on the sth
of August with 12 guns, seven standards, and many
arms. The squadron commanded the river
as far up as ➢Matto Grosso, and the ironclads
were bombarding the camp of LOPEZ at Tebicuary.
The whole army, it is added, was marching
on Tebicuary. Thus it is evident, even from these
partial accounts, that LOPEz is strongly entrenched
at Tebicuary, and the invaders are, in fact, not
actually aware of the extent of his resources. The
Paraguayans have already shown their skill and
strength in fortifications, as the long resistance of
Humaita testifies, and even at the last the fort was
evacuated by the defenders, not captured by the
besiegers. The struggle, despite the congratula-
tions of the Brazilians, is not yet over, and the
Allies will do more wisely to offer terms than to
persist in pushing matters to extremity.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGEiVCE.

There was a general full dress parade of the
whole of the officers and men of the Royal Engineers
at head-quarters, Chatham, in the square at Bromp-
tou barracks on Saturday morning for the purpose
of witnessing the interesting ceremony of decorat-
ing those non-commissioned officers and sappers of
the Royal Engineers to whom has been awarded
silver medals, in accordance with clause 765 of the
amended Queen's Regulations " for distinguished
conduct in the field " with the Abyssinian troops.
Major-General J. L. A. Simmons, C. 8., read the
orders from the Horse. Guards directing the pre-
sentation, and, after a brief address, presented the
medals to each of the following non-commissioned
officers :-2,808, Sergeant John Deans ; 4,037,
Sergeant John Harrold ; 7,313, Second Corporal
William Chamberlain; 4,389, Second Corporal
Hugh Al'Donagh ; and, 7,386, Lance-Corporal
Henry Bailey, A. Trop, Royal Engineer Train.
Each of the non-commis-i nied officers decorated
distinguisbe I himself in a prominent manner at the
capture of Magdala, Sergeant Deans, Corporal
.ll'Donagh, and Corporal Bailey being the first to
cuter that stronghold by scaling the wall., Corporal
Bailey m.iking the discovery of the lifeless body of
Theodore almost immedia•ely after his death. At
the close of the presentation of the medals the
battalion of Royal Engineers marched past, and
executed some other manoeuvres ou the parade-
ground.

Her Majesty's iron screw troopship Simoom, 4,
400 horse power, Capt. T. B. Lethbridge, which
arrived at Gravesend from Dublin with the depot of
the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment on board,
disembarked her troops at Tilbury on Saturday,
when the officers and men were forwarded by railway
to Colchester, where the 48th depot is to be sta-
tioned. The Simoom afterwards received orders to
proceed to Shoeburyness, where she will embark two
batteries of the 6th Brigade Royal Artillery for
conveyance to Portsmouth.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—•Lieut. Cecil G. S. Fol-
jambe, to the Malabar ; Lieut. Philip H. Worgan,
to the Canopus ; Lieut. G. J. Hamer, to the Satel-
lite ; and Charles G. W. Aylen, to the Galatea.

Some months since Mr. J. T. Bottle, of Great
Yarmouth, having heard that in the con-
struction of a ventilator in the south wall of the
nave of West Somerton church traces of colour had
been detected, at once obtained permission from the
churchwarden to clear off the numerous coats of
whitewash. His exertions were rewarded by finding
that the whole space between two of the early Eng-
lish windows of the nave, in length about 12 feet, was
occupied by a very fine, large, and early painting re.
presenting " the Son of Man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory." Unfortunately
the central portion of the upper part of the painting
is irretrievably lost, the wall there having been re-
built some considerable time since, and the plaster
at the lower right-hand corner is in a decayed
state. The excellence of what remains makes this
all the more to be regretted. Our Lord was evi-
dently .represented seated, with the globe beneath
his feet, upon a rainbow, the lower part of
which is still left, but of the figure nothing but the
bare feet, marked with the point of the nail, re-
main. On either side of our Lord are depicted a
seraphim, presenting to Him a kneeling female.
The one on his right hand, evidently his Virgin
Mother, bares her bosom, and holds her right breast
in her hand, as if pleading her maternity. The
other figure cannot be appropriated. Lower down
are two angels, habited in albs, and wearing the
usual type of angelic crowns, summoning with
the great sound of the trumpet the dead
to judgment. The angel on the right-band side
of the painting is more perfect than his fellow, and
his trumpet with its cross-ensigned banner is very
distinct. At the bottom of the painting are eleven
nude figures, rising in various attitudes and with
varied expressions of countenance from the earth.
Amongst them are represented a King and Queen,
mitrtd and tonsured ecclesiastics, and two knights,
whose acutely-pointed bassinets, together with the
broad bold style of drawing, indicate the reign of
Edward Ht. as the date of the execution of the
p iintiog. The treatment or the subject corresponds
with that of other inediceval representations of our
Lord's second coming, but the kneeling female
figures presented by angels to our Lord is to us a
novel feature. On the north wall of the nave opposite
the painting just noticed, enclosed within a border of
deco: ated character is a smaller painting of our Lord's
resurrection. '1 his is considerably faded, but the
figure of our Lord habited in a green ve,tnre step-
ping out of the sepulchre holding in his left hand
the cross banner of the resurrection, and with his
right hand giving the benediction, is tolerably dis-
tinct. One of the soldier's bills lies on the ground.
There are indications that the whole of the walls
were originally covered with paintings; and although
for the present operations are suspended, it is to be
hoped that these paintings also may be uncovered,
• and 100 those yellow ieo =dully pretn-red,.

Monday,
Sept. 14,
8 a.m,

Nairn
Aberdeen
Leith
Shields
Scarborough
Yarmouth
Helder
Cuxhaven
Skudesnen
Ardrossan
Greencastle
Holylitad
Liverpool
Valenti&
Cape Clear
Roche's Pt.
Penzance
Plymouth
Weymo uth
Pprtsmo uth
COn don
frpoGris Nei
Brut
L'Orlent
Hoch e fort
Biarritz
Oorun n a..
Brunch
Paris el,. It I
Strasbourg 1
Lyons ..
Toulon
Heart's Con-
tent (6 a.m.,
local time)

33'15f.
30'10f.
3011 f.
30-06 f.
30'03f.
2315 f.

30165,