CHILI.

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 97, 23 March 1866, Page 5

CHILI.

CONTINUANCE OF THE BLOCKADE. SUICIDE OF THE SPANISH ADMIRAL. By the Annie Laurie we have newspapers from Valparaiso to the 2nd of December, from which we take the following items of news : — The Spanish Admiral Pareja, whose conduct m instituting the blockade of the Chilian ports, and behaviour to Chilian authorities, had done so much to embitter the feeling against Spain, committed suicide on the 29th November. After eating his evening's repast on that day, Pareja shut himself up m his apartments, and soon after the report of a pistol was heard. When the servants entered the room, they found him lying dressed m full uniform, on a bed, with the pistol m his haud. He was bleeding profusely from the neck and chest, and breathed his last between eight and nine o'clock. The commander of the Blanche, one of the vessels of the Spanish fleet, went on shore and asked leave of j the Chilian authorities to bring the body on shore for interment. This was granted, and next I day the body of the Admiral was buried near Valparaiso. The newspapers say that the Admiral committed suicide because he felt overwhelmed by the great responsibility of a war undertaken by his advice.

The blockade of the Chilian ports still continves ; but apparently a good many vessels contrive to elude the cruisers- Under date of Valparaiso, December 21^ we learn that three vessels which had left a few days before had had to remain at the mouth of the harbour, and that the Vencedora was waiting for a favourable wind to get out of port. The Hamburg barque Perguiu had called m at Valparaiso, on her way to Curanmillo, from Sydney, and had received part of her freight.

The Chilian papers state that the war has been a great calamity on account of the great rise it has caused m the price of goods. Spanish bills are at a great depreciation, and Chilian have been withdrawn by their holders to save them from any further fall.

Great anxiety is shown to learn how England regards the blockade of Chili by Spain, and the Valparaiso papers contain copious extracts from the London journals. // Ferrocarril (The Railway) of January Ist says: — ''We learn that when the steamer Scotia left Liverpool on the 18th November, the Southampton steamer had just left for the West Indies. She was detained by the English Government awaiting the decision of the great Powers of Europe with reference to the Chilian-Spanish question. It is more than probable that the steamer brings a definitive solution of this point, since England and France would never suffer their commerce with the Pacific to be destroyed by frivolous eccentricities of Spanish rapacity." — Daily Southern Cress, March 6.