The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-05-03
PARAGUAY.

| Z
600 miles lfoa the -, Feb. 10, 1859. !
DRAa Dnornsa:
Thus far had We ascendcd ~ Parana River,
and were less than 800 nfiss ffom Paraguay,
when the Memphis Was met BY aaother steamer
coming down, bearing he Information that Lo
per, the Dictator Of Paraguay, had been fright
sned into terms. and bad concedsd I'll the de-
mands made b. our Government Instructions
also accompanied the Information, from the
commander-in-chief 70 turn around and retu,
70 the mouth Of the river; the instructions I
compiled with, bus soon after anchored for the
night where row I am writing this paper I
must confess was somewhat disappointed in
mot getting little brush at the Paraguayans
after coming 90 far to do %, and We were pretty
well prepared for il, our II steamers and sailing
men Of war made strong force, and well might
1t cosrce Lopez to terms, a. il troubled the adj
joining republics-Baenos Ayrss, Banda ORR
entail. and the Argentine Consideration % we'll
- the Empire Of Brasil who al had their rep
rssentatives in Paraguay urging the Dictator
to ccncede to the terms proposed, as they all
we're afraid Of American Allibustering. The
middle classes Of society truly expressed the
views which the officers wished to conceal, that
b, If the North Americans came here with an
army they would bring their wives end children,
and they would never get rid Of them, and after
. while the whole country would be absorbed
BY the United States. What not little added
TO our prestige was the knowledge Of American
ingenuity, the Dahlgreen cannon being still an
object Of curiosity in England and France, 10
magni6ed here to something tremendous. Every
body on our way out looked at the uncouth
gun, aud in Monte Video and Buenos Ayres as
| we'll % at the river towrs We passed, they ina
gined something was about them that would
! produce destruction at any distance. Then
curious little steamboat brought out on the deck
| OF sailing ship, was hoisted out and put afloat
at Monte video. 1t was designed for the navi-
Parana River and the Uruguay, on speculation
by some of the Boston merchants This was
magni6ed into importance, and soon it became
rumored round that it was shot proof, that it
would run up near fort, and by it's machinery
bore hole in the bank of the river, deposit |
powder, and back out whilst the fort was blow
ing up. The report also was a6oAt amongst the |
people that my ship, the Memphis, had an in
fernal machine. 1t was said that the Memphis
had only to get near enough place that it
could be seen, and for miles around every thing
could be blown up: when in reality have only
. submarine galvanic battery, BY which at the
distance of some miles through insulated wires
can explode powder in tanks containing from
so bbls to 600 bbls, when the tanks can be
placed in position. This submarine battery was
designed to remove chains drawn across the
river, or distractions sunk into it. Then the
Rocket battery (the Memphis being the last
from the U. S. brought it, was also magnifed,
" hen in reality it was designed only to brighten
cavalry and raw recruits, and in all conscience
they will do so, for after going mile or two
hey turn every direction, and make the most
,ideoas noise, but they do not hurt unless they
strike. Yet they will penetrate the individuals
Of whole company il in line of fight.
Had Lopez resisted US we should have found
more trouble than even the newspapers at home
imposing the main fort OH The Par
aguay river. There were mounted between 20
and 80 guns Those in passing differed about 20
m countngl but amongst them we're Is eight
inch guns commanding SO narrow part of the
river for mile and half, in which but one
vessel could pass up at time, and of course
have but one gun to bear against the IS larger
'nes and the 80 or 20 smaller ones. And as the ;
Tort, although incomplete, was on small space
If firm ground, whilst all the rest was deep
marsh and chararel, it would have given US j
rouble to cut road, bridge and transport NOR. .
ars for feigned attacks, whilst the real one would
De by the River, against force Of 1000 Para {
,uayans occupying the Fort. The general char. :
Icter of the Parana country at this season of ,
Ugh water is low marshy land, overHown, the
egetation of tropical character, dense as pos
ible, the trees, whose trunks are partially sub
merged, are Of a dwar6sh character, but the
ane, reeds and vines give it an impenetrable !
ppearance, currents of the river pass through,
,aEing them like many islands, jet still not all I
|
rairie looking land extend back, their borders :
n the water course fringed with trees as if +.
TAINTED by the hands OF man. For $50 miles T
p the river from its mouth these little elevated 9
stands are covered with peach trees, and at this
eason the fruit lie ripe. We had nothing to do
ut to send boat into the little canal separating
hem, and without the trouble Of landing pull
'om the branches, the best of them, and get as
lany as We desired. 1t was amusing to see the
oat loads that the sailors brought on board,
atural peacheries were open to all. Large
sssels for Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, Colona \
I'd Guatemala, were lying in the stream, whilst
her boats were engaged selecting fruit for
eir respective markets, they aided us by CIV o.
G US the ripe fruit, whilst the boats were lying U
de BY side, while We gave in return the green. is
kind, to be carried by them to distant p'
arket. At this season Of high water the Parana III
'pears larger river than the Mississippi; there
e no levees to contract the channel, and of p,
'urse the navigation is much more difficult to
lots We had, but for SO many hundred miles
traverse, they we're frequently lost, as every
ar the channel alters, and often We grounded =
It IS the current runs at rate between three &c
I'd four miles an hour, succeeded in getting -
oat, some times in an hour or two at others "
curing three or four days. popularity this -
FER presents over any other which have seen -
this, that during its highest stage there were
instantly passing, floating down the stream, tn
Ands Of vegetation, upon which are good Pc
&c sized trees, reeds and bushes, often mis-
Ten for fixed land, inhabited by snakes tigers, N,
dangerous reptiles. These floating islands
aid easily be avoided when under way
the day time, but when at anchor, as did to
cry night, they caused me but little sleep, for u
'uld such immense masses come against our
amer, neither the anchor or the engine could HI
vent our being borne away before them the
zee floating islands gave me much annoyance,
in reality we're the only things dreaded for