SOUTHLAND CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO, AND THE WEST INDIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5760, 4 May 1880, Page 5

SOUTHLAND CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO, AND THE WEST INDIES.

H.M. s. Bacchante, with the Princes Albert Victor and George of Wales on board, had arrived at Bermuda. No reception honours were paid then on account of their youth. Drought and short crops of sugar and tobacco is the news from Cuba. United States warships are surveying the harbours of Golfito and Boca del Tora, on the Panama Isthmian coast, for the purpose of establishing naval stations there. The Colombians are muoh exercised over reports from Washington that the American Government will oppose the construction of a canal by a foreign company. They say they want no protectorate, neither French nor American, and will submit to neither without striking back as hard as they can. They are strongly incensed at the slight offered to Colombia in that she is not to be allowed the right to ; grant concessions to private companies other than American, or without asking permission of the United States. THE SOUTH AMERICAN WAR. Arica had been bombarded by the Chilian navy ; but the attacking ships, Uuascar and Magallanes, had such unexpectedly severe treatment from the old American built monitor Monca Copac, hastily put in service, and handled by Captain Mooie, of the illfated Peruvian war vessel Independencia. After half-a-dozen shots from the Rodman guns carried by the monitor, the Chilian ships got out of range as fast as possible. The blockade had been forced by the Peruvian corvette CJnion, after fighting seven hours with the Chilian ironclads and a transport. Callao is to be blockaded or bombarded. The Peruvian army of Torato has been defeated. A counter revolution had taken place in Bolivia, and Campera had been restored. Mosquequa had been occupied without resistance by 14,000 Chilians. It is reported, however, that they bad fallen into a Peruvian ambush, and been defeated.