The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-10 00:00:00

DARIEN EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

A gentleman writing from " Off Carthegena, New
Granada," gives the following account of the
expedi-
tion of the exploring party under Captain Prevost •
" Captain Prevost visted me at Lima ; the first sight.
of him was sufficient to show how poignantly he felt
the loss of his four gallant fellows who had fallen a
sacrifice to the murderous treachery of the Indians,
and the misrepresentations of others in regard to the
character of these savages. The poor fellows had
been his constant companions, and were the best
men of the ship. The party pulled 223 miles up the
river Savanna, until the boats could get up no further.
They then cut through almost impenetrable forest and
passed over a swamp. They were tormented by swarms
of mosquitoes and other venomous insects. They passed
26 measured miles, and encountered ravines and moun-
tain ridges. They came to a rapid and large river flowing
north-east, but with a very tortuous course. They mea-
sured one fall of 600 feet, and found an inclination of 45'
to 60° ! This, alone, would give 600 feet perpendicular
elevation above the sea. They went as far as their means
would admit, but, although they were on a mountain
and ascended a high tree, their view towards the At.
lantic was intercepted by other mountains and ranges.
On my arrival at the city of Aspinwall (Navy Bay) I
found that some of the officers of the United States
man-if-war Cyani had arrived from Escocis. The whole
party appeared to be most indignant. Finally, on ar-
riving at Carthegena a French sloop of war came in,
accompanied by the Imperial French steamer Chimere.
The Chirnere was the French part of the expedition,
and they had left much disgusted. I passed from
Panama to Aspinwall in six hours and a half, including
32 miles of railway in two hours. The whole line from
wharf in the Pacific to wharf in the Atlantic will be
open in July next, and the entire transit two hours
and a half."

The Aspinwall (Navy Bay) Courier contains a letter
from one of the United States' officers sent on the joint
exploring expedition. The letter is dated, " United
States ship Cynia, Caledonia-bay, New Granada, Jan.
27." The writer says :—" We arrived here on the 18th.
Captain Hollins held a grand ' pow-wow' with some 15
or 16 chiefs. At first they were very averse to our land-
ing on the isthmus, and absolutely refused to give their
consent ; they at length, however, consented that we
should land, but only for the purpose of reoonnoitering
the proposed route of the ship canal. On the 19th, a
party of 28, men and officers, principally from this
ship, well armed, and provisioned for ten days, landed
under command of Lieutenant Strain. On the 24th
four of the party returned, having penetrated a distance
of 20 miles into the interior. These latter started next
morning, with a reinforcement of ten men and extra pro-
visions. The report of the said returned party is not at
all favourable to the prospect for a ship canal—for
they estimated, on a fair calculation, that the eleva-
tion of the lowest points over which they passed
is about 1,000 feet in height. They followed the
Caledonia river, and you can judge the size of the
stream, when the party walked up the bed of the river all
the way. The English brig of war Espiegle arrived on
the 19th, having on board Mr. Gisborne, Dr. Cullen,
and a party of English engineers detached to survey a
route for the proposed ship canal. On the 20th the
English survey schooner Scorpion and the French
steamer Chimere arrived, the steamer having on board
a party for the canal route survey, and the schooner
being intended for the survey of this harbour. The Eng-
lish and French party, combined, started on the 24th.
On that day a party of five, detached from Strain's
party, returned to the ship, and reported the obstacles
and hardships which they had encountered. They
stated they had left Strain and his party in the
mountain, 18 miles distant. They left the ship again
with a reinforcement of 10 men and 10 days' extra pro-
visions, under charge of Lieutenant Fauntleroy. While
I write I see detachments of the French and English
party returning to their vessels, and am informed they
have come after provisions. A glance at the letter of
Lieutenant Fauntleroy, who overtook the English party
the day after he left, fully indicates that their own con-
elusion upon the premises acquired thus far is that the
route is impracticable."

THE WAR—NEUTRAL VESSELS.
dis•

The following copy of a despatch from the Foreign-
office, in answer to an application made by the British
Consul at Riga, who, at the instance of the merchants
of that city, had requested information relative to " what
respect would be paid by British cruisers, in the event
of war, to bona fide British property, the produce of
Russia, if shipped on board neutral vessels," was circu-
lated at the Baltic Coffee-house yesterday afternoon :
" Foreign-office, Feb. 6.
" The Earl of Clarendon has had under his considera-
tion your despatch of the 26th ult., enclosing a copy of a
eaotf
letter from —, of Riga, requesting to be informedev'
wnth
respect would be paid by British cruisers, in
of Russia,
.
in the
war, to bond fide British property,
_e pr
if shipped on board neutral vessels. I.am.to acquaint you,
in reply, that property of the description in question—the
produce of Russia, and exported therefrom by and on ac-
count of a British merchant domiciled and trading there
—although purchased before the war, and exported to
England, would not be respected by her Majesty's cruisers,
unless in
pursuance of a license, or some special instruc-
tions from her Majesty to the officers of her navy.
"By the law and practice of nations, a belligerent has a
right to consider as enemies all persons who reside in a
hostile country, or who maintain commercial establish-
ments therein ; whether these people be by birth neutral,
allies, enemies, or fellow-subjects, the property of such
persons exported from such countries is therefore res kos-
tium, and, as such, lawful prize of war : such property
will be considered as a prize, although its owner is a na-
tive-born subject of the captor's country, and although it
may be in transition to that country; and its being laid on
board a neutral ship will not protect the property. You
will therefore inform whom it may concern that, in the
event of war, the property will not be protected by the
consular certificate, or by any other document, but will be
liable to capture and condemnation as prize."

FIRE AT SHREWSBURY.—Late on Wednesday night
an extensive fire took place at Mr. Clune's timber-yard,
Shrewsbury, by which property to the value of from
2,0001. to 3,0001. was completely destroyed. The in.
habitants, who had assembled to the number of several
thousands, lent their aid in carrying all the light timber
and laths from the yard ; and it was certainly gratifying
to see the higher classes of the clergy mingling with
the poorest operatives in their unanimous endeavour
to save as much property as possible. The fire was
finally extinguished about five o'clock yesterday morn-
ing, having lasted upwards of eight hours. It is the
largest fire that has occurred in Shrewsbury for the last
fifteen years. We understand the greater part of the
i
property destroyed s insured in the 6alop Fire Office.