Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/297



FROM ROZARIO TO CORRIENTES. 267

the Paraguayans. The Jeqidtinhonkaj with two 68-pounder8 and aWhitworth, grounded on a bank in front of the shore, and, peppered by the land batteries, was abandoned. The Paranahyba had her wheel cut away, and was boarded and seized. The Belmonte, riddled with balls, was obliged to be run ashore to prevent her sinking.

At that moment the chief pilot of the Brazilian fleet, one Bernardino Gastavino, a Correntino, the son of an Italian, who had probably never heard of the Athenians and Pelo- ponnesians at Naupactus, or the Kearsarge off Cherbourg, but possibly of Admiral Tegethoff at Lissa, bethought him- self of a manoeu\Te which changed the fortunes of the day. Guiding the Amazonas towards the Paranahyba, he cleared her decks with grape, and striking the Paraguan in the middle ran her down. The Salto and the Marquez de Olinda had their boilers shot through, and the Jejuy was sunk by gunnery. The battle lasted eight hours, and the assailant lost half his ships — the Tacuari, the Ygurei, the Ypord, and the Pirabebe being obliged by the injuries they had received to escape and take refuge under the guns of Humaita. They must inevitably have been captured had they been pursued by Vice- Admiral Barroso ; but, though boasting that he went to ^^seek for danger,^^ he neglected, as usual, in his terror of the destructive flying batteries, to push his victory. For very equivocal conduct he was made Barao de Amazonas ; whilst the pilot, who did all the work, became, I believe, a lieutenant. Such is mostly the gratitude that the Bra- zilians show to foreign employes. Captain Mesa was mortally wounded by a single bullet from one of the enemy's tops, otherwise he probably would have been shot, as he de- served. Both sides claimed a victory, as usual; struck medals, and sang Te Deums. The Paraguayans own to 200 men hors de combat, while the Brazilians swell to 1500 and even 3000. The Brazilians assert a loss of 300, which the enemy