The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-24
DIFFICULTY BETWEEN LOPEZ AND ENG
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F. & ID & d .
trom Ayros Correspondent of the New York Expc
Mr. Christie, the British Minister near the Argentine
confederation started weeks since for Paraguay
board IL. D. b. S steamer Wasp, for the purpose, it is
supposed Of renewing the English treaty which expires
this year, Of making better in its stead The
Wasp broke down. her propeller becoming derangcd and
she had to return To this port whereupon Mr. Christie
took passage the Paragnayan merchant steamer Sato
dc Guayra, and proceeded in safety to Asuncion-
Soon after his arrival he opened negotiations, and as
preliminary step waited upon his excelency the President
present his credentials AT his first visit he found Lopez
dressed in prepostcrous costume, half military half dip
oatc and parts OF it 80 grossly exaggerated as TO
make it extremely ridiculous AS part of his uniform,
Lopez wore an immense cooked hat all fnged with
and down. and bedisened with gold lace and this
ent he persisted in keeping upon his head during the
whole interview at which discourtesy Mr. Christie took
serious umbrage, he is most unyeldng in matters of
etiquette He retired from the interview rather abrupt
ly and made official complaint of the aront the Pres
dent had put upon her Majesty minister by wearing his
hat at official interview, whereupon the sapient Para
guayan secretary replied to the indignant pcnpotentiay
that her Majesty the Queen always wore her crown and
robes of state when she received foreign minister's and
that the President Of Paraguay no impropriety in
wearing his hat which with him took the place of the
peculiar ensign of royalty displayed by the Queen
Mr. Christie did not wait to hold any corrcspon
dence with illustrated government He asked for
his passports and without delay took passage small
English merchant steamer called the Little Polly, owned
and loaded by the English house of Gcttng of this city
When thirty fourty leagues below Asuncon, the
Little Polly met the Paraguayan steamer 1acuaii
the vessel that happened to come up just after
the fort of Itapiru had given the Waterwtch sound
drubbing in 1854. The river here wide enough,
with first rate channel, and there necessity for
the two steamers to within quarter of mile of
each other. E5al
1t was night time when they sighted each other and
both vessels had lights up The Tacuar without making
signals Of any kind deliberately altered her course and
plump into the Little Polly cutting her down to the
waters edge. The passengers and crew all jumped
hoarl of tl,p will f
them had time to take their hats and the watch be-
low glad to be saved in their night clothes They
do say that Mr. Christie did not make very digniod
appearance tumbling the rail of the Tacuar In his
shirt and drawers but all hands were thankful that they
escaped with their lives The Little Polly sank instant
ly and in the morning nothing could be seen of her
Some days afterwards, however portion of the wreck
found six leagues further down tho river everything
being total loss. Httf ttgttt#
1t is intnated here that the Tacuari people had no
idea that distinguished digntary Mr. Christie
board of the Little Polly Her only intention
cripple the Little Polly, because that vessel intercred
with the traffic of the Salto de Guayra, Ypora and other
owned by Lopez which virtually monopoze the
steam tfade of the river However, this time the Para
guayans have caught Tartar Last year the Tacuar
deliberately into the French steamer Bisson while
that vessel lying at anchor, for which outrage Lopez
had 10 make humble apology, and disbuse $40 900
This case is much serious, the steamer and The
whole of her valuable cargo are totally lost and not
insured Nobody supposes that Mr. Christie, who has
returned TO Parana, viii rest satisfied With nglorous
termination of his mission to Paraguay For making the
first bad treaty in 1853, Sir Charles Hoitham reward
cd with the governor-generalship of Australia and Mr.
Christie naturally expected high reward for making
better convention with Lopez in 1853 His revenge
will be proportionate 10 his disappointment
~ st- -----------
SINGULAR PHEsosEyoS On Tuesday last, says tho Will
nningon (N C Journal, the people about wharves
Witnessed peculiar tidal phenomenon. The tide which
had been running down for me suddenly turned
and run back for something like threcquarters Of
hour-then resumed lie downward direction, which it