Washington sentinel., 1854-04-23

2 States surveying steamer Water Witch, Leuten-
. ant Commanding Thomas Page, United States
navy, arrived at this port on the 10th instant,
after trip Of six weeks up the river Paraguay,
J as far as Curumba, in Brazil, some seven hun
dred miles above this city, and that her officers
I confirm most emphatically the publications
made in the Courier and Enquirer in 1852, on
the authority of Mr.. Hopkins, our consul here
viz, that the Rio Paraguay is the best river for
steamboat navigation in the known world The
Water Witch is q vessel of war drawing over
nine feet of water, yet she only touched slight
" twice on her trip and neither time sufli-
ciently to impede her progress an instant. She
found capital channel, with plenty of water,
no snags, no sand banks, no obstruction to
navigation of any kind.
Lieut. Page had permission from President
Lopez to proceed up the Paraguay as far as
Bahia Negra, which is the northern frontier Of
this republic. On account of pending Difficult
ties with Brazil in regard to the boundary line
between the two countries, the President would
not give him leave to 60 further, but Lit. Page
having, when in Rio Janeiro procured permis-
sion from the Emperor to go to Albuquerque,
misinterpreted the desires OF President Lopez,
and not only went as far as he had authority
from any power, but proceeded seventy miles
further to Curumba. Finding the river falling
very fast, it being now the height of summer,
he was obliged to return
The officers have made eery full observations
and charts of the river, islands, and banks.
They took number of daguerrotype views of
the principal points and places of interest, and
made several excursions by land; one in par
ticular to the Pao d. 'Assucar, or sugar-loaf, a
steep hill l,4O0 feet high, near the frontiers,
giving the name to town, formerly Brazilian,
but which was taken possession of by this
Il aIs t1.0 md
Isettlements, and found the aborigines much
| superior to those Of Paraguay. The Indians
have been much courted by the Brazilians, who
have given them arms and implements of civil
lization. Some Catholic priests also have es.
tablished themselves with the Indians, and
have initiated the Jesuits in that zeal which
gave them the undisputed rule for so many
| years of the famous missions in this country.
i The Indians are represented as fine, athletic,
/ good looking men, much inclined tobe friendly.
! The charts drawn by the officers are very
j full, and soundings were taken every five min
utes and marked on the course of the steamer,
| the bottom being found alternated hard sand
and mud. Above the Bahia Negra the coun
try was found to be very beautiful, with high
| land and picturesque views, but below that
point the banks we're generally low and thickly
wooded. The Bahia Negra, the frontier Of
Paraguay, is large bay, deriving its name
from the dark color Of its waters. A river
empties into it, MP which, the Water Witch
proceeded some fifty miles, when she met
large field Of cana Tote, Ia description Of which
plant gave you in my journal Of q voyage up
| the Parana and Para guay,) and which extended
as far as the eye could reach on all sides. The
channel was barely wide enough to permit the
steamer to turn round.
Whilst in the territories of Paraguay, the
officers Of the Water Witch met with every
j civility and attention from the government Off
cials Wood, provisions, and other necessaries
were supplied them in abundance by order of
the President. The engineers found the wood
| to be m ost excellent substitute for coal, and
far superior to any other with which they are
acquainted. There is no longer any doubt that
at most, one cord and a half of it is fully equal
to one ton of our best coal.
On his arrival at Albuquerque, Lieutenant
Page learned that the Emperor had sent or
ders overland some months ago to afford the
expedition every facility and the officers were
treated with the same distinguished courtesy
and hospitality which has met them every
where since their arrival upon the coast of
South America. They pursued their .explora-
tons until compelled to return on account of
the falling Of the water.
officers have secured many specimens, living
and dead, of the beasts, BIRDS reptiles, and in
sects of this country; among them tapirs,
tigers, great owls, ostriches, serpents, &C..
They have also made collections of plants,
wood, gums minerals, &C., which will be Of
great interest to science and commerce The
Water Witch temporarily returns to Buenos
Ayres in few days.
i The small steamer built here by Lieutenant
Ammen and Mr.. Lambden, of the Water Witch,
and intended to explore these streams where
there is not water sufficient for the large vessel,
is completed, and made her first trip on the
22d instant. She is sixty feet long, draws
about twelve inches of water, and is exactly
such vessel as on the Ohio is called fat
ron." She is the first steamer ever built here,
| and of course excites great curiousity On
her trial trip some Paraguayans who were on
board, being excessively frightened by an es
cape of steam-she having high-pressure en-
gnes-leaped into the river. They received
no damage, however, except O good ducking.
Some months since, the Argentine Province
Of Corrientes suddenly laid transit duty of
FIVE per cent. on all goods, either going up or
down the river, to or from Paraguay. The
/ government of the republic Immediately pro-
tested against this arbitrary act, as contrary to
all law and justice, the rivers having by treaty
been declared and guaranteed to the world as
common highway. The government of the
Province of Corrientes pleaded orders from
Urquiza, the director general of the confede-
ration, and at the request of this government
suspended the collection of duties, and wrote
to Urquiza for further orders. In the mean
time several vessels had paid the duty under
protest Up to the 9th instant, no answer
having been received from Urquiza, the gov
ernor of Corrientes took the responsibility of
entirely abolishing the duty, and repaying the
sums that had already been collected.
This favorable result is great triumph to
Paraguay, and of much interest to foreign mar
kets, to whom it is a matter of no small moment
to be mulcted of FIVE per cent transit duty, in
addition to the heavy custom-house charges of
this country.
Yesterday, Christmas day, was the 4th ofJuly
here, being the anniversary of the declaration
Of independence of ofParaguay. OF course there
was a great feast as all celebrations are
called. But the commemoration was chiefly