7 JUNE 1879, Page 3

The captain of her Majesty's ship Turquoise' reports to the

Admiralty, by telegram on May 29th, that the naval engage- ment between Chili and Peru occurred off Iquique on May 21st, and that " the Chilian wooden war-ship Esmeralda ' was sunk by the Peruvian ironclad Huascar,' and the Peruvian ironclad Independencia,' in chasing the Covadonga (Chilian), ran ashore and was wrecked." If this account is correct, the en- gagement was of no importance, except to the two States con- cerned; but its accuracy depends, of course, upon the source from which the captain of the Turquoise' learned the facts. His account is in direct conflict with the statement transmitted to the Chilian Minister, that the " Covadonga " sunk the Independencia.'