Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-05-19

The WATER WITCH AFFAIR.-We find in the
New York Evening Post the following lette,
! from commandant PAGE, addressed to gentle
man of that city:
| STEAMER WATER WITCH, BuEsos AYREs
February II, 1865. I
| My Dear Sir: With this send you the Bri-
fish Packet Of the 10th, in which you will find a
| short account of most dastardly attack upon
the Water Witch, by fort of Paraguay, mount
ing six guns, some of them "a Founders. The
Water Witch was in the act of exploring the
river Parana, when she was fred into.
The river is, mind you, the common boundary
between the Argentine Confederation and Para
quay; and such thing as Paraguay even max
ing an objection to the Water Witchs ascending
this river, never entered my head. And even
had she objected, this would have been no
reason for my not exploring the river, when
was invited to do so by the Argentine govern
ment, and especially by the province of Cor
| rientes. the bording State.
The Water Witch was ascending the river,
therefore, under the right from the Argentine
government. more fragrant outrage upon
| national right was never perpetrated.
had left the Water Witch, taking with me
all of the working officers, save the first ieute-
nant and eighteen of the best men, for the
purpose Of ascending the river Salado, which
traverses the province of Santa Fe. This work
l had expected to do, if possible, in two of our
boats; and as the work there was supposed to
be the most arduous, the most exposed, ETC., |
had taken the above officers and crew. The
condition of the Water Witch, her diminished
number of officers and crew, was well known to
the government of Paraguay, and especially to
the commander of the fort. Had the officers all
been on board, believe unequal as would have
been the contest-the Water Witchs small
howitzer boats guns against "a Founders
mounted on fort-the dastardly savages would
have been entirely driven from their guns.
l am here, now, hoping most anxiously for
the arrival of the Commodore. Ihave, much to
my regret, found not one single man of war in
this river, place that never should be left
without one. had hoped to have met here
with the Germantown, Capt. Lynch, from which
l should have gotten two Of his ga Founders,
and have returned to Paraguay in less than one
month. With this force, would have asked
nothing, and would have taken upon myself the
responsibility, after this outrage, of knocking
down every Paraguay fort, and capturing their
whole navy-one steamer and in smaller craft.
This is no Boosting.
Ever since that difficulty, (between Lopez and
Hopkins) President Lopez's conduct towards the
Water Witch has been most childish. He is
provoked with me, personally, because pro-
tected the Americans, and removed them from
under his tyranical hand ; and he has gone far
out of his territory to annoy and interrupt her
progress in this work, precisely rs if it were q
private affair of mine, in which the Government
Of the United States has no interest. And yet
he is all the time processing in his correspon-
dence with the Government at home the most
earnest desire for the most amicable relations.
take it for granted that the United States will
send some instructions to the commander to
punish this outrageous insult. If can get the
guns and ammunition, the fort will never FIRE
another gun after have done with it.