Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/388



358

THE HUMAITA "quadrilateral"

a country which had been fought over for two years ; and the first glance proved that the Quadrilateral was a long oval whose conjugate extended from Humaita north to the south-western point of the Upper Estero bellaco^ whilst its transverse section ran from Paso Espinillo to the Para- guay river. The former had a direct length of six and a half miles, and the latter of nearly four and a half. The grand total of the lines defended by the Paraguayans be- tween the beginning of the war and March 22, 1868_, was 56 kilometres. It is evident that the extension was a grand mistake.^

Behind us_, to the north,, is the enceinte of Humaita, form- ing the third or innermost line. This is connected with the second or middle line by a zigzag running north and south ; and it skirts the difi*erent " passes ^^ or swamp- fords, known

Lt.-Col. Chodasiewicz : —
 * The following are the figures of the broken oval, supplied to me by

Eastern Line.

Distance,

Length of advanced Trenches.

Espla- nades.

Maga- zines.

1. PasoBenitez to P. Espinillo

2. To the Augulo redoubt,

third line

3. To Sauce (south-west end

of third line) ....

4. Sauce towards Curupaily.

Western Line.

1. Line along Lagunas Chichi,

Lopez, &c

2. Line facing Curuzu. ..

3. Curupaity Hiver-frunt. .

Second Line.

1. From P. Espinillo to La-

guna Chichi

2. Base of so-called Quadri-

lateral

Totals. ..

6 kilom. 475 metres

2 â€ž 417 â€ž

6 â€ž 427 â€ž 2 ,, 614 â€ž

4 â€ž 460 â€ž 1 â€ž 929 ,,

1 â€ž 988 â€ž

6 â€ž 376 â€ž

2 â€ž 485 â€ž 35 kilom. 115 metres

8 m. 895

4 â€ž 955

2 â€ž 883 2 â€ž 168

1 ,,"240 20 m. 901

91 71

111

38

42

52 + 14

28

126 3

576

48

32

63 + 64 32

28

36 + 6

27

23

310

The Trihuna estimated the trenches of Humaita fronting the river at 3600; to the south, 3600; east, 3000; and west, 2100: a total of 12,300 metres.

THE humaitA "quad