Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-03-17
Interesting from Paraguay.


1 Late adyices from Buenos Ayres repre-.
sent the Paraguayans as preparing for war
with the United States. The defences Of
the river are described as follows:
The frst defences worthy Of the name
are two or three leagues above the conhu
ence Of the rivers Paraguay and Parana.
At what is called the Tres Bocas, (ths
three mouths of the Paraguay there is =
small station, but of too little force to be
considered. But there is, a little higher
up, a range Of delences called Uumaita,
that is intended to command the river per-
fectly. 1t consists Of a range Of batteries
extending along the shore for distance
OF about mile and bali, and mounting
about one hundred and fifty guns. The
breast works are made OF timber in 'front.'
filled in with clay from behind, making
such an elevation for the guns as directs
them towards the middle of the narrow
channel. The bank here is about fifteen
feet above the water. About the middle
| of this line Of unsheltered guns there is a
sheltered battery, mounting, thirteen guns.
The walls and coverings are of brick. The
embrasures or openings for the guns are
beyelled from the outside instead of from
within, making large target around each
gun, and making the wall so weak that a
cannon ball hitting anything near the guns
would knock the brick over the heads of
the gunners. Across the river from this
line of batteries they have recently cleared
away heavy forest, and as that side would
command the river for greater distance
than does the one now occupied. the Prob.
ability is that our expedition will find guns
on both sides.
The river at that point is narrow, and the
channel is so narrow that turning around
is out Of the question, and so close to the
Humaita fort is it that you could stand on
shipboard and toss biscuit on shore.
Below the fort, and on the same side, the
ground is covered with low trees and tan.
gled brush, almost impenetrable. Here
and there in this forest, within sight of the
river little patches have been cleared
There is at this point also such bend in
the river that ship ascending does not
see the fort till near upon il. But vessels
that can throw shells two miles, as ours
can, could lie under cover of that forest and
that bend, and the range Of batteries is
such that shell would have width of
target Of mile and half; 50 that not
shell need be lost Does not Lopez fore
see this, and are not these patches of clear
ed forest, places where guns will be plant
ed to annoy the shell throwers?
Back OF the defences, directly on the riv-
er bank, there are placed breastworks at
irregular distances, and pointing, some
DOM the river, and others up, with refer
encc to a retreat from the river side and
to be used in case Of an attempted landing
by the attacking party.
The number Of soldiers within easy call
Of this fort is about 900. They have
not the skill or power in q conflict that We
fad IN the troops Of tie leading nations OF
the world, bat they are by far the best
troops in South America. The liberal
mixture Of Indian blood makes them much
more Formidable in battle than the Span
ish. They DO sometimes get into confu-
sion, but they DO not run or retreat unless
ordered. No Paraguayan leaves his post
and lives another day. livery lance :asso
or knife in the Republic is commissioned
against him il summary execution. They
are wanting in sXpertuess in using heavy
guns, and foreign instructors whom they
have employed will not engage in actual
conflict, being released from that o5liga.
ton BY contract. But they are not want
ing in savage terocity. or in fatal skill in
the use of the "bolas.' the 'la.so, or The
lance. and 10000 men can be coneentrn-
ted at ohc point upon very short notice
For distance fighting they are not prepar-
I'd. Judge Bowlin will doubtless be de-
tanned at or below Iiuma;ta until it shall
please Lopez to let a negotiation COM
mence. The result of il can only he con-
iec,ured. The sentiment here is that he
will offer a serious and tedious resistance.
MA }. +. JOHNSON, Esq, has disposed
of the Crescent City Oraete Office, and IS
going to the gold mines. In his yalcdic
tory he speaks as though his subscribers
had avaled themselves of the benefit Of his
knowledge and means without paying up
as honest men should. This is always the
ease where credit is e xtenaed to newspa-
per subscribers In nine eases out OF ten
where a man does not pay for paper
when he subscrihes. he never will, unless
the publisher re earns his money dunning
for it. 4 man can pay for newspaper
as well at the commencement, as al the
close of the year and when publishers of
newspapers credit every Tom, Dick and
Harry, they not only wrong themselves.
but encourage a class Of swindlers of the
most contemplate school
s>Se -
EsSs> Ia letter from Gen. JONES' infor-
ming us OF the increase ot mail service on
several routes leading from this city,