The enemy had, amongst other defences, placed a heavy iron chain across the river.

This chain it was absolutely necessary to remove, and the gallant officer I refer to, who commanded the attack squadron, set a splendid example to us all by dashing forward and cutting with a cold chisel the links of this chain.

The whole time he was thus at work he was exposed to a tremendous fire, having two men killed and two wounded out of the six he took with him.

This deed, now almost forgotten by the public, can never be effaced from the memory of those who saw it done.

That the fight was a severe one is evident from the fact that the vessel I belonged to had 107 shots in her hull, and thirty-five out of seventy men killed and wounded.
It was after we had thus forced ourselves into intercourse with the Paraguayans that I saw an instance of want of tact which struck me as most remarkable.