Twice, in the year 1868, the Paraguayans attacked the Brazilian
monitors lying off Tayi, just above the influx of the river Bermejo.
These desperate attacks showed the most heroic bravery and devotion,
but were never successful.
Upon one occasion the iron-clad vessels Lima-Barros and Cabral were
attacked, and on another the Barroso and the monitor Rio Grande.
After the last attack, in July, the Brazilians threw a boom across the
stream, which would detain their enemies, descending in their canoes,
long enough to give time for preparation.
These Paraguayan boats were admirably adapted for navigating those
waters, where there was a rapid current and many sand-bars, constantly
shifting, with channels, more or less deep, between them.
The canoes were built so that only a part of the central section was
borne by the water, and they were consequently easily turned, while
they glided over the water, propelled by spoon-shaped paddles. Some of
these craft were very large, and would carry a cargo of many tons.
On the first occasion that the ironclads were attacked by means of
these canoes, an expedition consisting of twelve hundred men was
organized, under the command of a Captain Xenes, and armed with swords
and hand-grenades only.
The men were all paraded before Madame Lynch, the mistress of Lopez,
who, after distributing cigars among them, with great condescension,
told them to “go, and bring me back my ironclads.” The men answered
her with “vivas,” and went contentedly off upon their desperate
undertaking.
It was a dark night. The canoes were lashed in pairs, with eighteen or
twenty feet of slack rope between each pair. By this means they hoped
to make sure of boarding, the canoes of each pair swinging round on
opposite sides of the bows of the Brazilians.
There were forty-eight canoes, each carrying twenty-five men. The
Lima-Barros and Cabral were in advance of the main body, up the stream.
Many of the canoes were carried past them by the current, into the
midst of the Brazilian fleet. But about half of them hit the advanced
vessels, and the Paraguayans sprang on board, unperceived. The crews
were sleeping on the decks, outside, and some fifty were at once killed
by the boarders. The remainder rushed below, and into the turrets,
and secured the ports and hatches. The Paraguayans attempted to throw
hand-grenades into the port-holes, and “ran about seeking ingress,
like a cat attacking a trapped mouse,” in the meantime loading the
Brazilians with all sorts of epithets, and daring them to come out and
fight with the sword, like men.
The Lima-Barros and Cabral were thus virtually captured, but by this
time the rest of the fleet were aroused, and soon two more ironclads
came steaming up to their relief. They swept the Paraguayans from the
decks with grape and canister, and those who were not blown to pieces
in this manner were obliged to take to the water, and swim for life.
Very few of them survived to tell the tale.
It is surprising that people so utterly fearless and devoted never made
very serious attempts to blow up the Brazilian ironclads, especially
as there were so many ways of doing so, and plenty who were ready to
attempt it, even at the sacrifice of their own lives.
The best informed foreigners who were in Paraguay at that time thought
that they wanted the vessels themselves so much that they hesitated to
destroy them, hoping that an opportunity to board them successfully
would occur at some time. The same persons thought that if they had
even had one fairly good ironclad they would have completely cleared
the river of the Brazilians. On the part of Paraguay the war was
premature. Lopez had ordered armored vessels and rifled guns of heavy
calibre in Europe, but so late that the war was upon him, and the river
blockaded, before they could be delivered.
[Illustration: THE DREADNOUGHT.
(The most powerful Ironclad of the English Navy.)]