Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/399



FROM HUMAITA to GUARDIA TACUARA. 369

commissariat Inilks awaited the bread and meat boats from Humaittl.

We lost no time in visiting the transport which bore the flag of the late Vice- Admiral Jose Joaquim Iguacio. As the lack of surname shows, he did not owe his promotion to high family; in fact, he was a Portuguese, and he was succeeded by a fellow-countryman, Vice- Admiral Elisiario. Upwards of sixty years old, he was one of Lord Dundonald^s (as w'ell of Lord Howe's) boys ; still active, despite the hard work which he had seen, a veteran with stiff grey hair, weather-beaten face, and burly form. The old soldier of a sailor — absit verbo invidia — received me with courtesy, though much occupied ; sent my card to the Commander-in- Chief, whom I was anxious to visit, and gave us both a general invitation to dinner. Lieutenant-Commander Bushe was very popular in the Brazilian fleet, and he has ably kept up the position of a neutral. It is no easy task to stand firm when so many influences are brought to bear upon one man — the public at home, the Admiralty, the diplomates at Buenos Aires, and last, but not least, the combatants.

The Vice- Admiral, speaking fluent English, began to en- large upon the " atrocities of Lopez,'"* and the necessity of the Brazil carrying on the war to the bitter end. Popular rumour declares that he is not fond of going to the front, and that once, after receiving two shots in his hull, he retreated. " You really must not expose yourself so reck- lesslyj my dear Admiral \" said to him a facetious French Secretary of Legation. " Where would be the Brazil if any accident happened to you ?" " No, I really must not !" was the reply. He is well known for a series of predictions that the campaign could not last above six weeks. Upon one point he was then very sore. The U.S. steam-ship TVasp had received orders to remove from Asuncion the American Charge d'Affaires. Her commander, however, was not per-

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