The National Register. — London, England, 1821-12-30 00:00:00

r ~ ^"" ' '- • rbit• nal/ Tir PA - • t • dP Our fling, CaulMutton, anti EA1134. ft: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1821. No. 1,548.—V0L. XIV.] - PRICE 90. MEXICO AND PERU. The revolution now nearly conducted to its close in the great provinces of North and South America, whieli heretofore constituted as colonies the chief " 'kite province of Costa Rica, or, as it is named by some geographers, Nicaragua, has occupied but the very cursory notice of either Spanish or other writers; they have all, however, stated, that a communication could be opened by the Lake of Nicaragua, between the two seas, but no accurate description of the country has ever been published ; and indeed so completely has the mind of the public been turned towards the Isthmus of Panama, as the favoured spot where the canal should be cut, that Costa Rica has been disregarded. " la looking over the excellent maps of Mellish and Dr. Robinson, recently published, we perceive that the liver called salt Juan discharges its water into the Atlantic Ocean, in the province of Costa Rica, about the latitude of 10 degrees 45 ttt i t lutes north. This noble river has its source in the Lake of Nicaragua. 'flue bar at its mouth has been getteralle described as nut having more than 12 feet water On it. About sixteen yews ago an enterprising Englishman, who casually visited the river, examined the different passages over the bar, and discovered cute, which although narrow, would admitaa vessel drawing 23 feet. It is said that some of the traders to that coast from Hon ditras are likewise acquainted with the passage just men tioned, but it has never been laid down on any map; and if the Spanish Government had been informed of it, they would, conformably to their usual policy, have studiously concealC. it. After the bar of the San Juan is crossed, there is excellent and safe anchorage in tour and six fa thoms of water. It is staled that there are no obstructions to the navigation of the river, but what may be easily removed, and at present large brigs and :schooners sail tip the river iuto the lake. This important fact has been communicated to us by several traders. The waters of the lake, throughout its whole extent, are from three to eight tediums in depth. " Iu the lake tile some 'mantilla klands, w bleb, with the country around it herders, form a romantic and most enchatitic scenery. At its western extremity is a small liver, which communicates with the lake of Leou, distant about eight leagues. Mont the latter, as well as at Nica ragua, there are some bistall rivets which flow into the Pecilie Ocean. distance It ant the •Lake of Leon to the ocean is about 13 miles, *lid Nicat ague to the gulfuf Papagayo, ill the Pact& Oct n, 1511 miles. The ertniad between the lakes, anal the seasti jaaalead level. Tat unly Apequalities seen.tere sianiiplateraehal hills 0( volcailic‘origin. There are iwu places where a canal could be cut with the greatest faciltly ; the one, from the coast of Nicoya (or, as it is called in some of the maps, Caldera) to the Lake of Leon, a distance of 13 or 15 the other, from the Gull of Popagayo to the Lake of N•ediegua, a distance of akin: 21 or 23 miles. The coast of Nicoya and the Gullof Papagayo are tree front rocks and shoals, particulaily it the gulf, the shore of which is so bold, that a frigate nay anchor within a few yards of the beach. Some navigators have rept esented the coasts Cl Costa Rica, us welt on the Pacific as oil the A:iautie side, as being subject to :mimic tempests, amid iimice these storms have been called Papagayos ; but we have conserved with several mariners who have expe rienced them, and have been. assured that they are hiding when compared t%llll the dreadful hurricanes experienced among the Antille-, in the months of August, september, and October. The Papagayes ate merely strung 'mirth east gales, tallith last about the same time, in the winter season, as the itoriltetit gales iii the Gulf of Mexico. Fur Mole than half the year, the seasons me perfectly hau almiil, and mote especially on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We have conversed oath persons, residents of the city of Lean, who assured us, that for twenty years past they had not experienced any thing deAa•viug the name of a litlrricane: _ _ measures going on in the second army, that it may be inferred from them that war is going to break out. Couriers from the Emperor are received daily. —The tone of the journals likewise presage an ap proaching rupture. Many distinguished officers think there will be a winter campaign, which they • pretend will be prcferable to a summer campaign in •those countries, the climate of which is very um , kritolestome. It will not be uninteresting to give you a view of the military force of the Ilusbion empire. " The mass of the I rmips is divided into two armies tied urge corps. The find. army is e posed of six divisions; t' • the second of four, %%11101 snakes inall 15 corps. These di.. visions are all composed in the same manner--of jar :only. csvalry, and artillery and ebsineers, formed into brigade., &e. The total of a corps is 60 of 10,000 -.len. Each of the two armies hash Generalissimo. The detached cusps hoe Generals-in•Chicfs. All these corps see distributed in the following manner:—The first army extends throu.h all the western provinces, and touches on the frontiers of Poland and Austria; the second is stationed in the southern part of the empire principal') oil thy side of Turkey and of Moldavia. 'Cite five detached corps are (mistimed as follows: " I. The rrelmehts of the Guards, the most numerous corps, being 80,000 Wont, which is in general at Peters burg!' and Moscow ; and their neighbourhood, has advanced at present towards the western trootiers. " 2. The division of Loth:olio Heroines the Provinces on the Baltic. and extends to the fronti• rs of Pinssias " 3. The Division of Finland is stationed along the Gulf of thst name, and tot the side of 84edell. source of Spanish greatness, has naturally awakened the attention of persons engaged in commerce, to the consequences likely to follow this most important change. That a new and extensive influence on mercantile affairs will be produced by the indepen dence of Mexico, Peru, and the other states of South America,formerly under the controul of Spain, there can be no reasonable doubt; bus is equally certain that the result will, on the whole, be of a nature eis,mtially beneficial to the world. ‘Ve shall confine mirselves to what (in the opinion of intel ligent and experienced merchants,) may be predict ed as the more immediate consequences of this revo lution, studiously avoiding to speak of its more re mote effects, from the equal desire of avoiding too speculative views, and discussions of a too contro versial tendency. . t " 4. The Division of tienr i ;ia occupies that country and the frontiers Innard► Persia. " The division of Siberia extends through the north of Asia.—llesides this mass of troops, there are in each 6J. Vernmeot Iwo or three garrison battalions, and add a company of veterans in active service, in the chief lU*ll of P.aell dis trict ; all tUse troops, destined Mr the service oh the salerior, are as well exercised as troops of lie tile. " The total muss of troops i• thereluie tats a mil lion, without reckosting the invalids, who ilotif i tty, and whose number is very considerable. The Wilt - fix alone of all these corps would form an army inure iluaterous tads that of 6001 C kingdoms." ON THE POLLY OF ATHEISM. " The clinateClidosta Rica has none of the deleterious qualities of the province of Choco and the Isthmus of Pa mane. The sea breezes from the Pacific, as well as Atlantic, set in steadily every moining, and iiitfusa over ;lie whole Isthmus of Costa lZica it perpetual freshness.— We think it is not beam ding iota lunch to say, that this pal t of the Amea lean continent is the most salubrious of all the tropical regions. The must finely formed and ro. bust race of Indians of the ‘%inea ICAO continent are found here. The soil is peculiarity fertile, particularly in the vicinity of the river San Jll4ll, and :wound the but dcts of he lakes NlL:Wave and Leon." Mexico, possessing an extensive coast, as well in the gulf that bears the name, as on the Pacific Ocean, will, as soon as freedom of trade can be es tablished, become an important link between Europe and Asia. The silver, which hitherto flowed from . Mexico to Europe, and from thence to India and China, will now take a direct course across the Pacific, and Nlexico will be supplied in return with the productions of India and Chinese industry.— Being liberated from the restrictions imposed on her by Spain, the diversity of her soil and climate will encourage the cultivation of the sugar cane, the cotke and cocoa tree, the indigo plant, the vine, the olive, wheat, and every species of grain, The mines 4 %611 be worked with greater skill and activity ; and • ilis , -consumption of European manufactures will increase in proportion as they become more produc tive. Peru Icing washed by the Pacific only, and more remote from Europe, will still have an active in tercourse with Asia, although she cannot be a point of intermediate communication ; bat she will in crease the quantity of her exportable commodities, and institute and extend a beneficial coasting trade. Chili will enjoy the same advantages, and supply Peru, and even the western shores of Mexico, with wheat, flour, wine, tallow, and skins in fulurn fur sugar, cocoa, coffee, and salt. The healthiness of the climate, the abundance and, cheapness of. provi sions, and the situation of 'the ports of Chili, to windward of the coasts of Peru, New Granada, and Mexico, will make that state the principal resort and depot for European commerce; while the hardiness of the Chilians, which fits them for seamen, will ultimately give to that country a large participation in the carrying trade. It is, however, certain, that the first advantage in that respect will be reaped by Great Britain, until the South Americans shall, by the progress,ot connnercial capital, procure a sufficient number of ships and seamen of their own. The °willow of our population will henceforth, find a ready admission in the thinly peopled, but fertile regions of South America, where lands may 1), lied for ; noshing, and, taxes are insignificant : the length and expellee of the voyage are the only Serious obstacles. It is to be wished thaveniignmts ' in rrefirephe, fix their attention otillichealthy , provinces of river Plate 'wad Chili, where a climate . congenial to Eitrypean constitutions, together with the friendly disposition of the natives, are such as to obviate 7qutiy of the evils experienced by new settlers in distant countries., Air itatercsting appendage to the above observa tions, de insert ; a. ramsage from "' Robinson's'Me ' moils of theittertican Revolution," descriptiVe•of the wiins of il:enine a direct passage breanalhetween :Ake Atlantic and Pacific, duo' the Mexican Isthmus The preference, we find, is here given to the neigh * boOd Of the Lake of Niue:wage:l,' over the gulf of • Panama :. and it is impossible to eoutcmplate with- Nam *mixture of .awe and exultation, thin practical, - nay; it would seem, the appro:!ching siecomplish thlmt.-of tl Work whirlOvtilllfl - unite tiie billows of tiVra mighty weans, and by an easy process of lw . . man labour and enterprise, change us it were the physical boundaries of the world:— •• We 1144 roost . to teat 91 a ,celioss of the sii in their nie magaitievnt scitrutr pt h., .iga hie between 'lke IWO versus, sypeai rii.eic wa ttled v ita any uatuiat utstacics. BRUSSELS PAPERS. Sr. PLTERSBURGII, Nov.l6.—The great interests treated of in the Cabinet arc still covered with an . impenetrable veil. Though we cannot know what will be the decision of our Court with respect to the • Rate, the generadopinion hero is, that under the present cireuiastances,. war is inevitable. For some months plisC our armies have been in a formidable attitude, occupying a strong position on the Pruth. —They only wait Kifthe signal to exact a dreadful vengeance ter the unlitipy bite of the Greeks, their p.!rsecuted brethren.-:, ,gut the penetration of the Emperor Alexander foAsees the dreadful carnage to which the lawless pail - limns of Islamism would then deliver up all the Greeks. His noble soul, his hu manity, would wish to sec this sad fate averted from them, betel.° he - Makes known his irrevocable will. A private letter from the southern provinces of the empire contains the following particulars respect ing the war mid themmed force of Itussia:—" I , learn at this moment' that there arc such active ( From the Quarterly Review;) ' l4 One evening that Diderot and Roux had outdone each other in talking atheism, and had said things to call dew si a thousand thunderbolts on their heads, If thanderbui(s / .1 on such occasions, the Abbe Goliath, who hid listened rat'i,t4 to this dissertation, at last said—' Gentlemen, gentieno allow me to say that if I were Pope, I would clap you both up in the Inquisition; or if I were King of France, in tie Bastile ; but having the happiness lobe neither, I have only to promise to meet you here next Thursday, and I hope s oa will hear my answer as patiently as 1 have heard )ou."— • " Very web,"—we all exclaimed, and particularly o u t At hei..as,—" un Thursday!" " Thursday came, mid after dinner and coffee, the Abbe . gathered himself up into an arm-chair cross-legged like a • tailor ; and us the weather was hot, holding his wig aloft oh his left hand, and gesticulating with his right, he proceeded its follows : " ' Let me suppose that one of you, gentlemen, who be lieve that this world us the production or chance, were to go to n gaining table, and that your adversary were to throw seize -ace, mice, twice, thrice, tour, tic e, and six torts running, our fiiend Diderot would lui-e his money, and Ili ck the devil was in Ilte dice. Very tie 11, the game roc. and your adveisnry stilt goes on throwing the main ul s,•ve;i, nod w ithuut variation or inter' option *ins evcry bta:..•.— Didc rot willinow I e his temper as well as his money : hr will now swear that the dice tire loa•led—that the adversary is a blackleg, and that the house is a he!! I All, Mr. Pniat- SOpiler becau-e the same side of the two dire come upper-- mast for ten or u dozen times, and you lose a few shillings, you firmly belleSe that it is caused by a trick, an art, a com bination, by, in short, a master swindler and his subservient laid-, and yet, seeing to the universe around you, milliorsof cambium ions, more regular,n7 ore difficult, ii ore complicated, and all certain—all useful—all he .utiful—you never suspeLt that the dice of nature are loaded, that there is, indeed, as art, a combination, and a Master ingelligenee above, who regulates the gie n play by his subservient tools, and con foniids the rca t and the skill of such short-sighted crea tures as you.' ''.— 1/eurairs de l'Abbs ,lfor•ellell Lord Melville, Sir G. Cockburn, and Sir George Clerk, attended by Mr. Secretary Barrow, arrived at the George Inu, Portsmouth, on Monday mini* last, from the admiralty, and at ten o'clock the next morning they proceeded to the duck-yard, and com menced a series of inquiries into all the various de partments, with a view to make reductions therein. Their 'tabours were continued on the following day ; and on Thursday morning they returned to the admiralty. Nothing is known of the precise nature of the reductions contemplated, and which are soon to take place. It is confidently reported in the upper circles, that Sir Benjamin Bloomtial is out of favour ; some go so far as to say, that in a few days he will be no longer in office. r 6 p t: r` \ • 1 IS i 1