Wheeling Register

WAR RUSES BY THE OREGON.
Two Experiences of the Ship in Brazilian Waters Described.
A dispatch from San Francisco says:
Gunner Robert W. White, of the Oregon, writes to his mother in Oakland, giving some interesting inside history of that ship's experiences in Brazil.
The letter was dated at Bahia. He says in part:
"When we left Rio we had to leave the Nictheroy. The Marietta steamed out shortly after us and to our surprise did not bring the Nictheroy with her. As she is a sister ship of the Wheeling, our captain ordered her to paint her smokestack black-previous to this it was yellow--go into Rio, report as the Wheeling, and inquire for the Nictheroy. She completely fooled the natives and came steaming out the next day with the Nictheroy."
Again, in the letter, White writes:
"We called at Bahia to give our ship a final cleaning for battle. We gave out that one of our shafts was broken so as to get Brazilian protection until we were ready to move. An official came aboard to see if the shaft was really broken, but the captain had given orders to heat up the shaft room so hot that no one could stay there more than a minute. The official was conducted below, but soon came up dripping with perspiration. Rather than go down again he took our word about the broken shaft, and so we stayed at Bahia as long as we pleased."