A Shanghai_resident who has a brother serving on a British ship which put into Rio on ® voyage from New Zealan being damaged by a collision wi iceberg, hus recently received a very esting letter from his brother, of whi following extract has been kindly sent us for publication Ship Wellington, Rio de Janeiro, Braz My ear exp Cuar,—I have been unable to write before as ® war has broken out here and all communication is cut off. Thave been the witness to several battles, and also I might say I have been in the line of fire on two or three occasions. The other day I was in the boat with the akipand they commenced barding the town, two or three projectiles dropped close astern of our boat. Lthought they were going to hit us: they reminded me (the splash they made I mean) of the geyser in Iceland, which I saw long ago in the VI Royal Reader, I dare say you remember the picture. Another day Twas in Rio when they were bombarding, Icould hear the whiz of the cannon balls above my head; one of them knocked the spire of @ church off, and another took a big piece out of the Post Ofice, " woman with a child in her arms got her head knocked clean off The war is a civil one between the President of the Congress of Breail and the Minister of Marine. Just where we are ying I can see everything that goes on. Last week I saw a most lively engagement between the sailors, who are on the Minis-of sailors came march-a lot Assvon as they turned a corner of cavalry come tearing along and charge the sailors, I could hear the orying of the wounded, and after they had had " good tight, all of a sudden the sailors rushed into some houses and common' firing through the windows; some of the bullets came Ww! through our rigging. One man shot himself, his gun exploded, and he gave a fearful yell, and fell back on the ground, The xinount of dust and smoke revented me from everything then a gunboat came along and began to dine away at the houses, and they ashore fired back at her like fun. Then after Il was quiet, wud as it was gettin, Teould not ights exchanging signals, Every day they are fighting. I am out of my spprenticehip now, ete.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.