Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/476



446 AT AND ABOUT ASUNCION.

Army ; Seiior Egisquiza_, who was believed to be a ^' Lopizta/^ and D. Carlos Saguier, an Argentine raercbant^ son of a French settler, and born in the little Republic. The latter 's brother was the D. Adolfo Sagnier, an Argentine captain who had distinguished himself by a highly sensa- tional report concerning the " atrocities of Lopez /^ It is to be feared, however, that Paraguayan blood will always lapse into the path of Francia and Lopez. Moreover, a President without subjects enough to form a ministry — as is at present the case — would be a palpable absurdity, and M. Paranhos could not lend himself to the farce of creating a nation out of a few war-prisoners.

Messrs. Prytz and Peterkin were absent on leave. M. and Madame Auguste Chapperon, of the Italian Consulate, had run down to Buenos Aires. The Portuguese Consul had been shot, they say, by " Supreme " order. M. Cochelet, Consul de France,"^ had been succeeded by M. Cuverville, ex-Eleve Consulaire. I did not seek the acquaintance of this young person, who wore upon his arm four of the very broadest gold stripes — where will the broadcloth be when he shall become Consul General ? An ugly story, involving a serious breach of confidence, was current about him and the family of the unfortunate Mr. Taylor. Moreover, he was in the habit of setting afloat apocryphal tales which found their way into the papers. One was touching a silver handbell, with fleur-de-lis, which belonged to Madame Lynch, and which had been treated with especial distinction by M. Paranhos : the latter assured me that he had bought it at Buenos Aires.

The United States Minister, General Macmahon, was in the mountains with Marshal-President Lopez : no com- munication from him had reached the sorrowing sisters at

tured and shot, was removed from Asuncion by the French gunboat.
 * M. Libertal, the chancelier, universally reported to have been tor-