The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-11

20 tUJusc-hIftpNf az nlJhfe tdEV-IOWpu4tAt
about ooai-Mr. Hopkins and he opinions Of the Mon
tevideaas ia relation 10 Ae eIpeddhOn-Wariiks tone
Of the organ Of Lope=, aud Udgue Tl1'oTs Of prepare
ton.
UxITED STATS FRIeArE SABINE,
Monte Yideo, Dec. 20, 1858.
A brief period has elapsed since you were last informed
of the movements Of the Sabine. The cordial assistance
of Captain Hutton, captain superintendent of the dock
yard at Bermuda, aud the earnest desire Of that officer
to tender MS every facility at his command, so far accelcr-
ated our departure as TO enable US 10 take a Tegreuul
leave Of him by the 9th of November. Our admiral,
whom / may mention here, is a man of excellent taste on
such occasions, did not fail to make every acknowl-
edgment TO the English officer for his kind efforts, and
the latter gentleman, l understand, fully appreciated the
graceful manner Ia which IL was done. This ceremony
performed, and q salute fired on leaving the harbor, our
little companion, the British steam-tug, towed us beyond
the reefs. Affair westerly wind here infused a new life
into the ship, spreading the broad white canvess to the
trucks of her tall masts, and walking her off on a ten
knot course. Striking the northeast trades, the steady
breeze bore us on rapidly into the doldruIns or equato-
rial Gains, and after being a prey for q few days to the
flful and ugly squalls OF this region, we crossed the line
ON the LIST of December in longitude SOC 2S'.
You may or you may not be aware that the line is re-
garded amongst mariners as a kind of toll gate, through
which the uninitiated landsmen are not permitted to pass
without suffering such penalty as Neptune himself may
prescribe. The old salts had not failed to impress these
facts upon those who could not boast TO have crossed the
line before, and consequently the ninitiated-amongst
these there was a very particular friend of mine-suffered
not n Ittle from anxiety alone on that LIST OF December.
The day had passed away, and ID was believed for q short
while that the god must be on a northern oruize, when
suddenly q deep sonorous voice proceeding from the water
authoritatively hailed the ship, and said it wished to
come aboard. No one venturing to disobey sucl, a COM
mand-not even the admiral himself-we were partially
hove TO, whilst the piping of the boatswain's mate
brought over the side one of the most g~rotesque and UNI
seemly objects ii has eser been my fortune TO witness. 1t
was the god himself. A magnificent trident, carrying on
the centre-spike a sun fish left no doubt of the genuine
ness Of the parsonage whilst a gilded crown, lighting
up a countenance of tar, a flowing beard of mops, and a
NEUROLOGICAL body dripping with salt water, awed all by
ISLANDERS into the profoundest respect. A formal inter
view took place with the captain and, after the vessel
had been inspected to the satisfaction of the god, he bid
us adieu, a tar-birrcl brilliantly lighted carrying him
back to the line. This is one of those mysteries Of the
deep sacredly observed amongst all mariners, and a source
of grievions disappointment whenever interfered With.
AS all predicted, Neptune brought us good luck. The
southeast trades flltered not u moment. Fernando Nor
bona was passed the next day. On the 9th we were in
the latitude of Rio Janeiro, the ship occasionally sailing
like a witch, and not quite 80 days from Bermuda. OF
the qualities of this vessel | can scarcely speak in too
much praise, and she has probably had as fair a test in
this voyage ms any vessel ever had. You have learnt how
magnifcently she rode through the terrific hurricane,
which struck us when only six days from New York. She
proved herself then o gallant ship, fit to ride the lierccst
gale that ever blew out of heaven. And yet | have seen
her so light and easy that the faintest breeze gave her the
motion of a bird. She passed every vessel on our course.
On the evening Of the 18th she stood abreast of Cape st.
Mary, and found herself at last in the mighty estuary into
which the waters OF La Plata flow. The moon was up. so
that she kept on to Montevideo under the skilful pilotage
of Captain Page, and handsomely did he run her that
night, making the city early the next morning. BY thus
pushing ahead we avoided a severe blow, following the
next day.
The dark hull of the frigate st. Lawrence rose more
and more distinctly to view, as we approached the har-
Dor, and soon she was wrapped in a cloud of smoke,
whilst the slow-traveling sound saIuted the flag at our
fore. We came to anchor a short distance from her.
Salute after salute followed, us the different nations here
--.zaA -A.l A. .,,1 Observation-Disclosures -S.. ,ats -.
casions, and we were Immediately boarded, notwith-
standing the ~roughness of the weather, by many friends
in the squadron. We found the following vessels at this
place The frigate st. Lawrence, the sloop Falmouth,
the briggs Brainbridge, and Perry, and the steamer Water
Witch well known in these parts. The Fulton, Sup
ply, and Dolphin were at Buonos AyIes, but have
been ordered to proceed here Immediately, on account of
the convenience of this harbor for the preliminary ope-
Iations of the squadron. The Harriet Lane came in
late last night, from Rio, where she was undergoing re-
pairs and receiving coal, and is now placed in quarantine
by the authorities of this place. The Fulton and Water
Witch arrived some thirteen days ago, the Fulton a little
ahead. The Dolphin was but A days from Boston. We
shall look every day for the Preble and the chartered
steamers. Monte Video will be the rendezvous instead
Of Buenos Ayres, the latter port being entirely unsuited
to e~quipping the squadron. 1t is proper to say that very
serious complaints have so far been made by the com
manders of the steamers composing the Paraguay expe-
dition, relative to the coal furnished them at Barbados
and Pernambuco.
Oh the government contracts, endangeripg valuable
lives, that the fortunate may pocket q little more gold
Mr.. Hopkins, whose name resounds SO loudly amongst
the denunciations of his excel issiaso, the President Of Par
aguay, is now in luenos Ayres, and, may add, to no
good purpose. He had better remain in the United
States, or, at least, the company at Providence would
have done well to detain him. So far IS / can learn, the
public sentiment of this place is not entirely in our favor.
The expedition has assumed a magnitude and Importance
which, through the microscopic imagination OF the Mon
tevideans, would seem to endanger the rights and inter-
ests of all the riverinc States, or at least be a precedent
for hlibustering expeditions further South than Mica