The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-02-19
Interesting from Par. .y-The prepnra
tions of PRESTIGE .oDez for War.

interesting from Parr .y.-The Prepare
tions of PRESTIGE .opez for War.
Late adviccs from ienos .Ayres represent
the Paragraphs as p5.eparing for war with the
United States. The defences of the river are
described as follows
The first defences worthy of the name are
two or three leagues above the confluence Of
the rivers Paraguay and Parana. At what is
called the Tres Bocas, 1.-THE three mouths of the
Paraguay there is a small station, but of too
little force to be considered. But there is, a
little higher up, a range of defences called
Humaita, that is intended to command the
river perfectly. It consists Of a range of bat
teries extending along the shore for a distance
OF about a mile and a hall. and mounting
about one hundred and fifty guns. The breast
works are made of timber in front, filed ia
with clay from behind, making such an eleva-
ton for the guns as directs them towards the
middle Of the narrow channel. The bank here
is about fifteen feet above the wafer. 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
embrasnres or openings for the guns are
bevelled from the outside instead of from with
IN, making a large target around each gan, and
making the wall SO weak that a cannon ball
hitting anything near the gun would knock the
bricks over the heads of the gunners. Across
the river from this line of batteries they have
recently cleared away a heavy forest, and as
that side would command the river for u greater
distance than does the one now occupied, the
probability 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 round is out
OF the question, and so close to the Humaita
tort is it that you could stand on shipboard
and toss q biscuit on shore.
Below the fort, and on The same side. the
ground is covered with low trees and tangled
brush, almost impenelrable. Here and there
in this forest, within sight of the river, little
patches have been cleared. There is at this
point alsu such a bend in the river that q shin
ascending does not see the fort until nearly
upon IT. 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 a shell would have a
width OF target of a mile and a half; so that
not a shell need be lost. Does not Lopez
ioresee this, and are not these patches of cleared
forest PLACES where guns will be planted to an
noy the SELL throwers?
q III ueielCes, ulTectiE on The river
bank, there are placed breastworks at irregular
distances, and pointing some down the river.
and Others up, with reference to a retreat from
the river side and to be used in case of an at.
tempted landing by the attacking party.
The number Of soldiers within easy call of
this fort is about $1,000. They have not the
skill or power in a Conflict that we find in the
troops of the leading nations of the world. bnt
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 pure Spanish. They do sometimes
get into confusion, but they do not run or re.
treat, unless ordered. No Paraguayau leaves
his post and lives another day. Every lance.
lasso Or knife in the Republic is commissioned
against him in summary execution. They are
wanting in expe:tness in using heavy guns.
and the foreign instructors whom they have
employed will not engage in actual conflict,
being released from that obligation by con-
tract. But they are not wanting in savage
ferocity, or in fatal skill in the use of the
" bolas," the " lasso a" or the lance, and 10000
men can be concentrated at one point unon
very short NOTICE. fur uisrTbce Iigbting thew
are not prepared: Judge Bowlin will doubt
less be detained at or below Humaita until if
shall please Lopez to let d negotiation COM
mehce. The result of it can only be coniec.
tured. The sentiment here is that be will Offer
a serious and tedious resistance.