The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-14 00:00:00

THE DARIEN EXPLORATION.

LOSS OF LIEUTENANT STRAIN AND PARTY.
The following interesting account of this expedition,
showing the impratticabiiity of the route, and the fright-
ful results to which it has led, are detailed in a letter to
the eiitor of the New York Tribune, by Mr. T. Win-
throp, one of the exploring party.
Sin,—As much anxiety is felt with regard to the Darien
expedition, and for the safety of Lieu. Strain and his party,
I feel called upon to make a general statement of what has
happened. Ido not, however, presume, as a volunteer to
the expedition, to anticipate the official report, which the
Secretary of the Navy will no doubt make public.
The facts connected with the despatch of the party are
well kuown—the story of Dr. Cullen, the sending of Mr.
Gisborne to verify it—his official report, with its maps,
plans, profiles, and estimates—all placing the project of a
line of communication across the Isthmus of Darien in the
most favourable light. The highly respectable character of
Mr. Gisborne's constituents caused the public to overlook
certain assumptions in his statements ; and though it was
evident that his estimates were incorrect, yet it was impos-
sible to regard the whole scheme as a bubble, and when our
Government, in its characterof protector of thelsthmus and
patron of inter-oceanic communication, was approached by
an agent of the company, there was no hesitation in extend-
ing the cruise of the Cyane to Caledonia Bay; and in placing
a small appropriation in the hands of Lieut. Strain, to form
a party for the reconnaissance of the proposed route. Little
difficulty was anticipated, and the resources of a man-of-
war were supposed to be nearly sufficient for the survey.
It can hardly be believed that nearly all the representa-
tions with regard to the Isthmus by the canal projectors
have been proved false ; that the main features of the
ccuntry were totally misconceived, and that a scheme
which was only an astounding fraud, has become a most
criminal one, as involving the safety of Lieut. Strain and
his party of 21 officers and men.
The Cyane touched first at Carthagena for information
with regard to the Isthmus, and to secure the co operation
of the Government of New Granada. While there, intel-
ligence was received that a British and a French man-of-
war had been detailed for the same service, and that the
Cyane was expected to join them.- Her instructions took
no cognisance of this, and after waiting 10 days for Col.
Codazzi, superintendent of the General Survey of New
Granada, she sailed for Caledonia Bay, where she arrived.
Jan. 17. Little information had been obtained at Cartha-
gena, but that little was unfavourable. Two gentlemen
had been sent by the governor to see the Indians and pre-
pare the way for the survey.
Caledonia Bay, extends into the channel of So,sardi, in a
fine harbour, perfectly protected by a range of coral keys
and rocky islands. The western entrance is shallow and
exposed ; the eastern, though narrow, carries abundant
depth of water. A complete chart of this bay has been made
by the Cyane's officers. The general aspect of tke country
from the water is most unpropitious—ranges of.hill above
hill rise back to a lofty chain of mountains, all densely
wooded.
Immediately upon the arrival of the ship, the Indians
from the neighbouring villages came on board and re-
quested that no one should land until the chief had been
consulted. Several of them speak imperfect English, picked
up among the coast traders. Next day a grand council was
held on board the Cyane. The principal men of the coun-
try, for 50 miles up and down, assisted. They showed, as
we had expected, great jealousy of any attempt to enter
their territory. They represented the hills and forests as
barriers placed by the Almighty against any canal; they
spoke of the danger s from wild beasts, from swamps and
forests. At last, full permission was given to traverse
peacefully the country, and this was confirmed some days
afterward by an envoy from the head of the nation at
Mending° Bay. These Indians are a diminutive but active
race, skilled in the use of fire-arms and the bow and arrow.
They cultivate the cocoa to a considerable extent, the pro-
duct of this coast being much esteemed.
Capt. Hollins took all possible precautions against hos-
tility on the part of the Indians, and there has never been
reason to suspect them of treachery. At this time we
were not informed of the murder of Capt. Prevost's men ;
afterwards, when the natives were charged with it, they
said that tluepeople of the interior, seeing these intruders,
treated them as enemies, as they had entered the country
without permission. I merely mention this to show that
they pretended, at least, to consider their permission as a
guarantee against attack.
The mouth of the Caledonia River, whose course the pro-
posed canal route follows, is not accessible on account of
the heavy surf ; the only safo landing is about two miles
and a half distant, in shallow water. The action of the
waves has raised a dyke at the mouth of the river, forming
a deep pool above ; the water flows rapidly over this dyke
about 10 feet wide, and waist deep. The other streams
flowing into the bay aro much smaller. A mile above its
mouth the Caledonia becomes a shallow rapid stream, run-
ning over a pebbly bottom. When Mr. Gisborne went up
with his party, he pointed out the point where the Indians
turned him back on his previous trip, about three miles
from the beach.
Our course lay along this stream, sometimes wading in
its bed, sometimes cutting in the thick jungle on its banks.
Six miles up by the windings of the stream, about four in a
straight line, the river divides ; both its branches have
been traced up, and found to have their sources 1,500 to
2,000 feet high in the Cordilleras. The descent of the river
up to this point was about 60 feet.
The party which left the Cyane consisted of 27 persons—
Lieut. Strain, Messrs. Puxtim, Maury, and Garland, of the
navy ; Dr. Bird, Messrs. Boggs, Kettlewell, Mayo, and
Hollins, of the Survey ; LOllOll3, Castillo, and Polanco,
despatched by the Governor of Carthagena ; Messrs.
Holcomb and Avery, volunteers at Carthagena, and my•
self, with 13 picked men from the Cyane. Every man car-
ried his own provisions for 10 days, blanket, arms, ammu-
nition, &e. The object was to make a run across the coun-
try, determine its general character, and return for
the regular survey. Had Lieut. Strain anticipated the
kind of work we found, his preparations would have been
different. Mr. Gisborne's official report led him to expect
a plain country, divided by a ridge of hills 150 feet in
height, and on the other side of this the valley of the River
Savana flowing direct to the Pacific.
In following up the west branch of the Caldeonia, on the
third day, and having already attained an elevation of
about 200 feet, we came to a gorge in the mountain where
the porphyritic rocks, precipitous on each side, formed a
pool in the stream, too deep to pass without wetting
everything. The order was given by Lieut. Strain to pass
over the slope above this gorge, and rejoin the river be-
yond. We clambered up, and in about twenty minutes
five of the party found their way separately into the bed
of the stream above. It was a bad bit of hill, covered with
a tangled tropical forest growth. After waiting a suaicient
time, it was supposed that the remainder of the party had,
in pursuance of the order, reached the stream higher up,
and we proceeded slowly along, firing shots, as concerted ;
we heard shots in answer apparently from above, and, con-
firmed in our previous belief, continued on, leaving notes
of progress. We encamped that night on a few square feet
of rock, having reached an elevation of about 700 feet in
the midst of impracticable mountains, the stream, a more
torrent, falling in successive cascades.
The next morning we cut to the top of a hill 800 or 1,00
feet above us (1,500 feet above the sea), nothing was tobe seen
except an unbroken mass of densely wooded mountains.
As we had no compass, progress was impossible in the
woods. We returned, and finding no traces of the party,
made our way to the ship for a new attempt. We were
still on the Atlantic side of the Cordillera. No anxiety
was felt for the main body ; our party consisted of Messrs.
Holcomb, Bird, Hollins (son of the captain of the Cyane),
myself and one of the crew. Mr. Holcomb, an engineer
of experience in South America and the Isthmus, and my-
self, were the only ones among the original party who had
any knowledge of the country.
During our absence, the British brig Espiegle, schooner
Scorpion, and the French steamer Chimera, had arrived
and landed a joint party of 60 under the guidance of Mr.
Gisborne. I anticipate to say that they returned, after a
fortnight, entirely baffled. They had found the same
range of lofty mountains everywhere. Mr. Gisborno said
that he had been entirely mistaken. Dr. Cullen was of
the same party. There was but one opinion with regard
to those persons ; the representations of both were proved
totally false.
Two parties were now despatched from the Cyane ; one
to examine still furtker the mountain to the eastward, the
other, consisting of those separated from Mr. Strain, with
a reinforcement, was to join him if possible ; if not, to
continue the exploration of the interior. The first Marty
returned after a few days, having reached the summits of
the chain in their direction, and found the mountains
equally impracticable.
Little anxiety was felt for Mr. Strain ; it was not sun-
posed that he would cut off his communications. We
were this time provided with compass and cutting tools,
and by their aid, on reaching our point of separation, were
.able to find traces of our party. As they were proceeding
dispersedly over the mountain, they had fallen in with a
faint Indian trail leading westerly, and without sufficient
consideration of the face that some of the party would, in
pursuance of orders, proceed along the stream, they had
hastily followed this trail, leaving scanty marks of their
way. On arriving at their first station we found a note
from Lieut. Strain, specifying the missing, and recom-
mending that if any should reach this point, after a certain
period, that they should reture to the ship, as he would be
too far in advance. Before reaching this station we had
crossed several ridges, the highest near 1,500 feet. From
this place Lieut. Strain had followed a small stream flow-
ing north-westerly, under the impression, derived from Mr.
Gisborne's account, that it must be a tributary of the
Sevens, the river whose course the proposed canal was to
follow. But this person, who had overlooked entirely the
existence of the Cordillera, had also failed to discover that
between the valley of the Savana and the mountains is the
valley of the main river of the Darien, the Chuqunaque,
which flows for a long distance nearly parallel to the coast,
draining the greater part of the Pacific slope of the range.
He had mistaken the low hills to the westward of this
river for the dividing ridge between the two oceans, and
supposed that thii was the same stream upon which, a few
miles from the Atlantic, he had been turned back by the
Indians.

What must be said of mistakes like these by an engineer,
and what portion of the responsibility rests upon him if
Lieut. Strain, still trusting to his map, has perished in
the forests and swamps of the river?
The necessary condensation of a communication like the
present obliges me to omit much that can make the sub-
ject clearer. This humbug upon the three great maritime
nations cannot be fully expressed in a paragraph.
We proceeded on a direct course by compass, hoping to
intersect the route of our companions. On the third day
we crossed a range of the Cordillera, more than 2,500 feet
high, and thence, by cutting away the trees, had a clear
view of Caledonia Bay, distant from 12 to 14 miles. The
ships were just visible. Descending this range, we found
a river flowing in a favourable direction, and followed it,
constantly expecting to find traces of our partY• We
passed but one Indian hut, recently left by its three in-
habitants, and several stations for drying game ;
we also
saw three light canoes. Nothing, however, indicated a
numerous population, and we have since ascertained that
the principal villages are to the westward.
As we proceeded, the stream became too deep to wade in
and the vegetation more impenetrable. The scenery was
exquisite—a New England mountain stream overhung by
a tropical forest. We kept on until only just enough pro-
visions remained to enable us to reach the ship. The river
had already diverged from the proper course, and we had
determined it to be some tributary of the Chuquaque. At
our extreme point we ascended a hill 600 feet high, and
had a view of hill ranges and forest country extending
from 12 to 15 miles westerly. We retraced our steps to the
ship by the way we had carefully cut, eking out our provi-
sions by some plantains found in the deserted hut. Our
return journey was a very exhausting one. I have seen
much rough travel in the wilds of our own and other coun-
tries, but none so severe as this.
On our return, we of course placed ourselves at the dis-
position of Captain Hollins, should he dispatch other par-
ties. There was as yet little apprehension for the safety
of Lieut. Strain. It was supposed that he had crossed the
country, and, if not finding it convenient to recross, would
be returning via Panama. Letters were dispatched for
him through a trading Indian, at the village of Sasardi,
but they were brought back, with the batelhgence that the