has already been before the public as an active agent of the Chilian cause in connection with the steamer Meteor. Acting on the maxim that "stratagems are fair in love and war," Señor McKenna's attachés, at the suggestion of one of their number, Mr. Sarrotea, devised the following scheme to "sell" the Spanish authorities here and in Washington, and at the same time to remove obnoxious war vessels from this port:

With the envoy's consent a letter in Spanish to the Chilian minister at Buenos Ayres was written on his official paper, bearing an excellent imitation of his signature. Here is a literal translation of the document:

TRANSLATION OF THE BOGUS LETTER.

CONFIDENTIAL AGENCY OF CHILI IN THE UNITED STATES,

New York, February 21, 1866.

MY ESTEEMED FRIEND: With sincere regret I have read your letter dated from Buenos Ayres, in which you inform me of your unpleasant rupture with the government of Uruguay. The hand of Spain may be plainly seen in this intrigue, and it is evident that we have nothing to hope for from that republic. With regard to La Platte, I am confident that when the deplorable war in Paraguay is over, our old and excellent friend, General Mitre, will know what position to assume in the Chilian question. I proceed to give you, as usual, a hasty sketch of the progress of our operations. The most notable event which has taken place is the capture of a steamer called the Meteor, which, it is supposed, was going from here as a privateer, and the subsequent arrival of two Spanish men-of-war from Havana-the Carmen, of forty guns, and the Isabel la Catolica, of sixteen guns. The Spaniards here have been red to suppose that the aforementioned steamer was intended for a privateer in the Antilles, and they have succeeded in detaining her. You will understand that this event has not troubled us since, without having had anything to do with any such vessel; we have detained here, with but a shadow, two Spanish vessels. This circumstance has been the happier inasmuch as it has withdrawn the attention of the enemy from the real points of importance. As I informed you in my last letter, our friend A. M., who was the confidential agent of Peru here before war was declared, was so fortunate as to carry out several enterprises with the $500,000 in gold which he brought with him, and certain operations in the consignment of guano, in which prominent men of Washington and of this city have taken part. I could not associate myself with those enterprises for two important reasons: First, because of that fatal principle of absolute neutrality in this country which is so prejudicial to us, and which must be observed; and, second, because we have no money, not having yet contracted the loan in London. Besides, as the cause is common, it matters not who has done these things. His operations concluded, whose base was the southern ports, because those of the north are so vigilantly guarded, A. embarked for Aspinwall on the 21st of January, taking with him the celebrated Captain C. J., who commanded the Merrimac in the famous combat of Hamp ton Roads, and three other officers of high grade in the confederate and federal navy of the north. By this J. and his companions (who it is believed here are on their way to Callao) should be on board of the two corsairs fitted out in Savannah and Galveston, Texas, and it is possible that they have already completely destroyed the Spanish mercantile marine between Cuba and the Peninsula.

According to the plans of A., J. ought, in preference, to attack the semi-monthly steamers between Havana and Cadiz, disembarking the passengers, whom he should treat with the utmost consideration, at St. Thomas and Curaçoa, sending the vessels thence to the Pacific with the arms and reserved crews at his disposal. We have lately learned that a frigate had sailed from Cadiz as an escort to one of those steamers, but we suppose that it may be only for a few hundred miles, while the Spaniards believe themselves menaced by the Eagle, which, as you know, is commanded by the brother-in-law of Williams, and the Condor, which we have also learned sailed from Glasgow in the direction of the Canaries. But even in case J. should meet a frigate he will attack her, since his vessel is magnificent, and carries three hundred pounders, which J. himself constructed in the foundry at Selma, upon the banks of the Alabama river, when he had charge of the establishment during the war with the South. So you already see, my friend, that if you in Montevideo have not been able to despatch the privateers, neither can I do it here, in order not to have any difficulty with the laws of this country, which shows itself so well disposed towards us. Our allies, the Peruvians, had the chance of doing it with perfect ease at the opportune moment, and without violating any law. Oh! my friend, if we but had the Chincha islands what prodigies we should perform. At the same time we know that an active and ingenious friend, S. C., has despatched from the slightly guarded port Cette, in the south of France, a vessel which was got ready in Toulon, but that he could not arm her in that city for fear of the vigilance of the French authorities, who undoubtedly sympathize with the Spanish government. According to what L. has written us the corsair from Cette is very fast, has a first-class engine, and masts capable of carrying heavy sail. She will carry on destruction in the Mediterranean, and afterwards will go to the Canaries, Montevideo, and Chili. It appears that this is certain, for it would not be advisable that a vessel which has cost nearly a million and a half of francs should remain longer than a month in the Mediterranean. The Spaniards, French, and, perhaps, the English would pursue her. For some days we have believed that she is the same vessel

which was seen near Valencia, and we attribute the belief that she is iron-clad to a light plating of iron which she has on either side of her engines. She was not further clad, to avoid making her heavy.

This, my friend, is all that I have to communicate to you respecting the privateers. You will learn, then, with satisfaction that before six months the commerce of Spain will have no existence in the world, and thus O'Donnell will suffer for the evil which he has done to his own country, which for so many reasons is deserving of a better fate. Here we amuse ourselves, nevertheless, with wild alarms, since, according to the Spanish journals, the seas will swarm with privateers. Meanwhile there are positively none except those of which I tell you. It may be that there are others of which I am ignorant, for it would not be strange, since previous to my departure from Chili one hundred and twenty letters of marque were issued, and nobody knows how many more have been issued. I know that the Chilians in California are hastening to send privateers to Manilla from Honolulu, and that for this purpose Captain Finch, who came from Chili with Santa Maria in, the month of October, went to San Francisco from Lima in December. Poor Spain! How dearly she is about to pay for her rashness.

The affairs of the country are progressing happily, as you will learn. The government writes us that it will not make peace except with honor to itself. There is a great deal of enthusiam in Peru. M. writes me from Caraccas that an alliance will be formed with Chili, and that New Granada, when Freiro, the Peruvian minister, has arrived, will follow. So O'Donnell must take care now of his "ever faithful island," when we are assured by the Cubans resident here there is a profound dissatisfaction which will break out ere long. R. also writes us from Paris that he keeps up an excellent espionage in Madrid; that O'Donnell despairs of the war, and is anxious to make peace; so I have written to the Chilian government by the steamer which went out to-day.

God grant, then, my friend, that this war, so unfortunate for all of us, may be concluded. The suicide of Pareja must have opened their eyes to their folly. The wrongs which they have done us up to the present time are, nevertheless, infinite. In return, the Spanish name will not be heard in South America for a century.

I send you No. 7 of La Vox d'América. In the next we shall discuss the Uruguay question.

A thousand remembrances to Grillermo, Blest, and Demetrio, and dispose always of your affectionate friend and disciple,

Señor Don JosÉ VICTINO LASTARRIA,

Minister of Chili in the Argentine Republic.

B. VICUÑA MACKENNA.

THE SPANISH SPIES SNAP AT THE BAIT.

(Signature imitated.)

The above was enclosed in an official envelope, printed similar to the heading of the letter, and intrusted to a person familiar with the haunts and habits of the agents of the Spanish officials. Watching his opportunity, this actor in the farce contrived to drop the important and compromising letter, as if by accident, in a street near the post office, at a moment when he was but a few feet in advance of two members of the Spanish secret service corps, and no other persons passing close by. The bait took splendidly, as the Chilian messenger saw from a building on the opposite side of the street, which he entered immediately after coming his little "drop game."

Off they started to the Spanish consulate as swiftly as their legs could carry them, with the extra weight added by the conviction of having discovered a Chilian document of im portance, may-be even a sketch of the enemy's plan of campaign; for the Chilian official heading and the name of the addressee suggested the confidential nature, at least, of the con. tents. From the Spanish consulate the "highly important discovery" was, of course, communicated to the United States marshal and to the Spanish officials in Washington. Hiac ille lacrymæ. Hence the departure of the Carmen and Isabel.

THE CUP AND THE LIP.

The letter, we believe, is now in possession of the United States district attorney, to whom it is said to have been handed as evidence to corroborate the charges brought against the Chilian envoy in the Meteor case. It is estimated that the cost to the Spanish government of the voyage of the two war vessels, and their ridiculous return to Cuba, will not fall far short of thirty thousand dollars. The above are the leading points of this successful farce of "the biter bit."

While the Spanish agents are rejoicing at their good fortune, and exulting over the coming doom of the irrepressible McKenna, that astute son of Chili is in all probability chuckling quietly to himself at the easy manner in which he managed to outwit the officials of her most Catholic Majesty, and allowing them to have the first laugh, for the reason that rira bien qui riru le derner!

Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward.

[Translation.]

WASHINGTON, April 7, 1866.

The undersigned, her Catholic Majesty's minister plenipotentiary, begs to inform the honorable Secretary of State, that on the 27th March a vessel called the Varuna left the port of New York under strong suspicion of going to be fitted out as a privateer against Spain by Chili. As is well known, the Varuna was built by the Messrs. Forbes, of Boston, to be used as a war vessel for the government of the United States, and although rejected by the Navy Department because it did not fulfil the conditions of the contract, it was in the service of said government for two years during the late war, remaining finally the property of its builders. The Varuna was advertised some time ago for New Orleans, but it gave up the trips, and having been newly coppered in great haste, was again announced for Hong Kong, (China.)

The Varuna being a war vessel, and its owners being the same as those of the Meteor, at present under process for violation of the neutrality laws, elicited, for these and other reasons, suspicions sufficiently great to induce the district attorney and the marshal of New York to give notice to the custom-house not to clear the vessel, and, whilst proof was being gathered, the undersigned had reason to hope that the vessel would not leave until he had at least been informed that she was about to do so. It was with surprise, therefore, that he recently learned that the Varuna had sailed on the said 27th day of March for Hong Kong, the clearance having been taken by the same agent, Mr. Carey, who was employed for the Meteor, with no other cargo than coal and a few muskets, and with the very suspicious circumstance of virtually refusing to take passengers, by fixing an unusual rate of passage, which, from two hundred and fifty dollars, had been put up to six hundred and fifty, gold. It even appears that the voyage was announced as an expedition gotten up by a few friends, without any present intention of returning to this country. The above facts have, within the last few days, acquired greater weight from the discoveries elicited by the trial of the Meteor. In that trial, besides the evidence which appears against Mr. Forbes, there is a declaration of Mr. Ronald MacNichols, showing that the Varuna was on the list of vessels furnished to the Chilian agents as suitable for their purposes.

The character of the vessel, the name of its owner, the change in its destination, the hurried repairs, the absence of cargo, the indirect manner in which passengers were refused, its being on the above-mentioned list, the trial of the Meteor-everything conspires to increase the suspicions which existed from the beginning that the Varuna is going to be armed as a privateer. If, as it had been hoped, this vessel had been detained, there would probably have been occasion to furnish proof in reference to the suspicions.

The undersigned did not at once make application to the State Department, because he did not know in time some of the circumstances that have been related; but he deems it his duty to now call attention to this subject, hoping the government of the United States may think proper to take such measures as will insure the observance of neutrality.

The undersigned improves this occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States the assurance of his very high consideration. GABRIEL G. TASSARA.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &x.

Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON,

Washington, April 10, 1866.

The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, thinks he should bring to the knowledge of the honorable Secretary of State of the United States that at pier 33, North river, New York, there lies a craft called La Oriental, which is advertised for Montevideo, and which, according to all suspicions, is intended to enter the Chilian service. La Oriental is to sail to-morrow (11th) or day after, (12th.) Among the circumstances which render this vessel suspicious is that, besides two cannon which she has on board, there lie on the dock near by, and half hidden, two other new rifled cannon, which it is thought are intended to be shipped at the last moment. The vessel has been much frequented now by persons who seem to be from South America, and, notwithstanding the close approach of the day of sailing, she has yet on board no cargo but some charcoal. To this may be added the not insignificant circumstance that two months' pay is advanced to the men of her crew.

The undersigned requests of the honorable Secretary of State that orders be issued to the custom-house that the Oriental be detained until it be possible to produce better evidence or make her real destination clear.

The undersigned avails of the occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States the assurance of his highest consideration.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c.

GABRIEL G. TASSARA..

Mr. Seward to Mr. Tassara.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, April 12, 1866.

The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Tassara's note of the 6th instant, and to inform him, in reply, that inquiries have already been addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury with a view to ascertain the character and destination of the Varuna, a vessel which left the port of New York on the 27th ultimo, under strong suspicion, as Mr. Tassara states, of having gone to be fitted out as a privateer against Spain by Chili.

The undersigned offers to Mr. Tassara on this occasion renewed assurances of his highest consideration.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Tassara.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, April 21, 1866.

The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to inform Mr. Tassara, in further answer to his note of the 10th instant, that the vessel La Oriental cleared from the port of New York, on the 6th instant, for Buenos Ayres. Her manifest contained eleven cases of merchandise, described as "sewing machines."

The undersigned, in acquainting Mr. Tassara with the facts above stated, which have been communicated to him by the assistant United States district attorney at New York, avails himself of the occasion to offer assurances of his highest consideration.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Señor Don GABRIEL GARCIA Y TASSARA, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON,

Washington, May 3, 1866.

The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has received from his government instructions to make known to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States that fossil coal, the produce of the mines of Chili. declared to be contraband of war by the commander of the Spanish squadron in the Pacific, it is understood will be such contraband of war only in case it is despatched destined for enemies' ships. As the agent of the government of the United States at Valparaiso had protested against the declaration of Brigadier Mendez Nunez, the undersigned hastens to make known to the honorable Secretary of State this resolution of her Majesty's government, whose object it is to avoid the damages which might be occasioned to neutral commerce. The undersigned avails of this occasion to reiterate to the honorable Secretary of State the assurances of his highest consideration.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c.

GABRIEL G. TASSARA.

Mr. Tassara to Mr. Seward.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON,

Washington, May 7, 1866.

The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has read in the papers of this country a despatch from Commodore Rodgers, commanding the United States squadron in the Pacific, on the late events in Chili. If this document had another character, the undersigned would not have fixed his attention upon it; but from the moment when an official document has been published as such, he considers it his duty to address himself to the Secretary of State to make some remarks upon it.

This he would have done at the first instant if he had not thought it proper to await communications he might receive from the Pacific. Those communications, far from causing him to desist from his purpose, have confirmed him in it. Annexed in effect, the honorable Secretary of State will find another despatch, from Brigadier Nunez, commander general of her Majesty's squadrons in the Pacific, which, although not in contradiction of that from Commodore Rodgers, may be considered as its necessary complement.

It is now beyond all doubt that both Commodore Rodgers and the admiral of the English squadron in those seas, not content with exceeding, perhaps, in their negotiations, the limits of all neutrality, used acts of intimidation, which, if they had been carried further, would have produced a conflict having the