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

, . r, e
THE SUN LONDON, FRIDAt I'd'
:I/ENING. APRIL 14, 1 54,
TIM MOTT MENT IN TIIE DA BIEN EXPLORATION.

•_•
The following interesting letter is froth the naval
officer whocfe communications from the Chinese
ports have before appeared in our columns
"Hongkong. Jana 11).
"I sent yoti a North China Herald because of a letter
of some interest, descriptive of the habits and uaag of
the insurgents,- knowing that it came from a reliable
source.
" Its statements, as well apt the information brought
down by the EL-Tinei, have been fully confirmed by the
return of the French war steamer Cassini, with M. Bon-
balon, the French Minister, and, indeed, even much
enlarged. Thus they found a million or more in Nankin,
while the insurgents claimed to have but that number
in all China at the time - of the Hermes's visit to that
centre of all-important interest, and only not all-absorb-
ing because of its disfince and the imperfect information
concerning what iS being enacted or originated there.
" To my mind, unable to enter into the cavils of, per-

haps, goal men in thafuliest sense, it is a scene of deeper
interest, ;and involves -vastly greater consequences than
those about which the -western world seems stirred.

" Events are fast finding an issue here that in their
reaction will influence not simply the two or three hun-
dred millions immediately within the limits of the
Chinese empire, but the whole habitable globe.
"The French, as we, found them more frank, honest,
truthful, and brave than any Chinese they had previ-
viously met, and animated by a confidence (the
.prime
element of success) that
.could only proceed from their
sense of the justness of their cause, or 'from a motive
whoLy foreign to the ordinary Chinese mind.
"A Chinaman seldOm goes straight for his object;
these men always do.- •
" Whence comes the difference ? The answer I will
leave to those who impute their motives.
" The Fiench say they found much ignorance of
Christianity and much superstition among the masses ;
but in what country of. Christendom is this not the case
I will venture to say that there is ten times as much in
Catholic Spain ; but who shall determine where Chris-
tianity .ends•and superstition begins? I fear that there
might be a cross-action between them if this came to be
discussed ; and yet how little compAratively, is there of
superstition in fi it writings, taken as a whole. I say
not that these superstitions are unimportant, but surely
in estimating these men or their writings the amount
and character of the good in them should not be ignored,
and the faulty only dwelt upon.

" Since the Hermes was at Nankin they have pub-
lished only a few unimportant and not erroneous tracts,
but, on the other hand, they have published the re-
minder of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and Matthew,
and it is by these they should be judged and the cha-
racter of their motives estimated, fur it is palpable that
it is these they mean to be guided by, and that they
really mean to make the Holy Book,' as they term it
their, rule of life ; ,and doubtless, as they have put for-
ward statements and opinions at variance with it, it is
because they have not as yet learnt their incompatibility
therewith.

" Let those who object take one fact, and then say if
the man that could conceive the idea and honestly set
himself at such a time i;o carry it out be a common man,
or a ma❑ only under the influence of nonillion motives.
It is this—that he keeps 400 men constantly employed
upon the Bill and his army are c Iporteurs of the
'W rd-of

"I say, rather. must not he be inspired in a high
sense to have found out what few, even in England, have
arr►ved at, though the history of Christendom uniformly
shows that nations can only be civilized, christianized,
and regenerated by the incorruptible Word ?
" flow su►all a field he had wherein to learn the truth
of that Scripture—' Them that honour me I will honour ;'
and yet how truly has he learnt it.
"They give themselves 12 months from the time of
the northern army leaving Nankai to win the empire.
and have agreed to a separation of the sexes for that
time

"This is a trial to Chinese, who are very jealous, and
shows they do not care to have any hall-hearted among
them.

"The women are organized and armed for the de-
fence of Nankin, and a..e employed in many out-door
employments, but are a:so under religious instruction.
"For the present no one is allowed to have property,
all belonging to the Stite, which finds them in every-
thing necessary.
"They had riot had any'specific intelligence from their
rrmy, but they had intercepted a letter from the old
Emperor, in which he stated that two-thirds of Pekin
was in a state of siege by the insurgents.
" Our authentic news of their movements is that they
are encamped seven miles from .Tien-sing, at the mouth
of the. Pi-ho. This will stop the main channel of supply
to Pekin, and is the next most important acquisition
after Nankin. Reinforcements, said to amount to
40,000, were going by the Grand Canal to join the nor-
thern army when the French were at Nankin.
" Whatever may happen t.) Tae ping, who is still at
Nankin, or to his party, the Tartar dynasty must cease
to reign in China Proper at least ; -they are very unpo-
pular with all except those whose immediate interests
are bound up with them, arid even these, if they could
see an opening to get out of it, would also manifest their
national exclusiveness, for the Tartars are not incorpo-
rated, and their struggle to extricate themselves from
their difficulties only sinks them deeper and increases
their unpopularity.
"No one continues under their standard without
large pay, and this has exhausted nearly all their re-
sources, any. involved them in liabilities which they can
never meet.

"As I had anticipated, the obtaining possession of
Amoy has been a sad loss: to thA Imoeri2li.t., both in
c1ia,..06c,- and pock t.
" Flushed wit:,• their success, they committed atro-
cities whicii fully showed that the Chinese character for
civilisation was at best but lacker.

"They violated pledges, and, in fact, acted as men
visited with judicial blindness.
"Their pirate allies-bullied the mandarins and robbed
their friends, and obtained an amount of funds that
left them unable to pay their troops, who are now disaf-
fected.

"They hive now only 3,000 troops, not to be de-
pended on, and the whole country is in a state only
short of rebelli6n ; and notice is given by the insurgents
that they mean to return immediately ; and who shall
answer for what. will be the result of a recapture, except
that Europeans, especially Englishmen, will be secure,
since th% insurgents who .acted with such moderation
have been ttugHt bow little dependence can be placed
upon the tender mercies oi the mandarins ?

" If attacked it cannot fad to be taken, as the man-
darins, &c., are such cowards. When Amoy fell into
their hands this time they we, e aware that the insur-
gents were about to evacuate it,—that they had no
friends, no ammunition,—and yet they were allowed to
depart in open day without. molestation nunestation ; not a man of
the 20.000 besiegers venturing to plant a ladder, till al
had left, and the main column, advancing too early, was
di lye!, back by ti.e fir, of :oily two met).
" Wi e r the in: urvents aereatl gone they comtnenced
a massacre of the a:.ed, the helple-s, and the friendleQs.
" Our men-of-war an I the missionaries saved 400 wilt,
were in the process of being decapitated or drowned,
250 of 'whom were wounded, besides many who were
saved' by the:merchants by giving them shelter in their
hongs ; and bur countrymen Are proportionably popular
and better protected in-consequence than they could be
by men-oi-war.

It may be that the masses are apathetic to an extent
that pievents them from taking active measures ; this
rather at ises from their not knowing the respective merits
of the cases ; but this apathy is fast passing away, and a
spirit of ioquiry is abroad that will result in their deter-
mieing suddenly. Depend upon it the nation will be
born to a measure of civil liberty almost in a day. They
certainly give •no assistance now to the Mantchoo ;
let them but determine, even in comparatively small
numbers, and their municipal and other organisation
will be made available for bringing in and establish-
ing the Government they elect ; and it is most import-
ant, when considering the probable of China, to bear
this in mind, and -this further fact, that Ciiinamen'
have such a keen sense of- their own interests, and
are so practical that they are not likely to elect as a Go-
vernment a set of men without power or prospects of
success. Let, then, Tae-ping take Pekin and China will
become his, and not in a state of disorganisation as many
suppose ; the effort of the masses in China is conserva-
tive of local government- and order. _ _

"Jan. 25.

"Our latest news is, that they are fighting near Pekin,
but do not expect to take it till they get the reinforce-
ments seen by the Cassini's people at the entrance of the
Grand Canal. -

" The French authorities satisfied themselves that the
stories of the massacre of Roman Catholic Christians
were without foundation ; that the insurgents had not
killed any as such; but they have killed some for breach
of their laws.

"The last news from Shanghai is, that the insurgents
of that place had been unable to communicate with
Nankin, and were rather in difficulties ; that the French
and English authorities weta trying to arrange an eva-
cuation without bloodshed ; this will be difficult, as the
Imperialists are so treacherous, and have a strong feeling
of their right to decapitate freely, and, indeed, perhaps,
feel that it would be acceptable to their court ; if they
do so, it cannot fail to add to their unpopularity, and
tend much to hasten the final settlement of the question
against the Mantchoo. -
"The exports from China have been enormous, and
no doubt will continue to be so, as all are desirous to
realge 'or place their property, in foreign keeping, lest
the chiefs of either party should take it.
"The emigration to California and Australia is im-
mense. lam told Enulisksovereigns are at a premium
of 25 per cent. in California ; they are shipping them
from here.

ACCIDENT TO TEE SCREW STEAMER GLARIOw:-
GLASGOW, Wednesday.—We regret to state that a rAthr
serious accident befell this fine steam-ship this morning.-
Sue left thißroomielaw yesterday afternoon f( r Ne
•
York with a bumper cArg,), and ii, arty 400 passenger%
including deck and stea.:.(ge. Oa act rant of the lowne;s
of the Ctyde she grounded with the receding tide a miort
way below the harbour, bat lay quite easily. Al out 1
',
.o'clock - this . morning, when the tide again l'ad', the
(-41a,,g0w floated, ii.,,d, started on her voyage ; hut :she
had not proceeded alore.::,
_11?1!'.! ' ai,d 'a-liait :do Nn the,
river when she came in cone.i:ct with a large boulder
stone, or small ledge of rock,- on N% h' at., in spite of every
effort, she became fixed fur tie time. As the tide r 3:
ceded the immerse mace htmg by this point of rock,
which lay right under the beilers. By-and-by these were
forced upwards, and the ship began to make water. The
pa-sengers vk e,.e removed abort 7 in the morning The
Glasgow was got, off - by this after.oo /'E; tide. Ai i El , i, 1
Wi soon as possible be placed on the sip. It is to be
rs
hoped that the ii,jury th both ship and cargo is not 'great,
but still the loss tou,,t_bwo nsiderabie ; and great town-
veiliepoe tuu:it result,tathe tiquierom body 0, passenge ,
'-.1., t.4e ifaiiglalioit siki to -0414 y for sea tvr Nara we,:kf

LOSS OF LIEUTENANT STRAIN AND PARTY.
The following interesting account of this expedition,
showing the impracticability of the ronte, and the fright-
ful results to which it has led, are detailed in a letter to
the elitor of the New York Tribune, by Mr. T. Win-
throp, one of the exploring party.
SIR,—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 known—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 h,sghly 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 character of 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
country were totally misconceived, and that a scheme
which was only au astounding fraud, has become a most
criminal one, as involving the safety of Lieut. Strain and
his party of 21 officers and men.
The Uyane 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-
gene, 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 Sasardi, 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 the 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, pinked
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 hail 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 blasts, 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
Mandingo Bay. These Indians are a diminutive but active
race, skilled in the use of firearms 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, aid 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 the people 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 safe landiag 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 are 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 ppint where the Indians
ftruornmethheibmeabcahc.k on his previous trip, about three miles

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. Puxton, Maury, and Garland, of the
navy ; Dr. Bird, Messrs. Boggs, Kettlewell, Mayo, and
Hollins, of the Survey; Lenous, Castillo, and Pdanco,
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, &c. 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. Gisbornes official report led him to expect
e 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 reeuntea;-s* '"`""
the perplivritie eeeks, preeileeams on each side, formed a
pool mu 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. was a bad bit of hill, covered with
a tangled tropical forest growth. After waiting a sufficient
time, it was supposed that the remainder of the party had,
in pursuance of the order, reached the stream higher up,
;old we proceeded slowly along, firing shots, as concerted;
we heard shots iniiiswer apparently from above, and, con-
ermed in our previous belief, continued on, leaving notes
of p; ogress. We encamped that night on a few square feet
of rock, having*ched an elevation of about 700 feet in
the midst of impracticable mountains, the stream, a mere
torrent, falling' in successive caeca, es.
The next inei'iiing we cut to the top of a hill 800 or I,OOD
feet above us (1 SJO feet above the sea), nothing was to bo seen
except an tut tiroken mass of densely wooded mountains.
Vs 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
gill on the Atlantic side of the Cordillera. No anxiety
.ees felt for the main body ; our party consisted of Messrs.
Jolcombs,Bird, Hollins (son of the captain of the Cyane),
myself and one of the crew. Mr. Holcomb, an engineer
,f experidnce in South America and the Isthmus, and my-
‘vera.the only ones among the original party who had
Ley kn o'ledge of the country.
During our absence, the British brig Espiegle, schooner
eceepied, and the French steamer Chimera), had arrived
mist landed a joint party of 60 under the guidance of Mr.
3esborne. I anticipate to say that they returned, after a
fortnight, entirely baffled. They had found the same
range of lofty mountains everywhere. Mr. Gisborne said
that he hail 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 further 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 party
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 sup-
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 this 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 sound
a river flowing in a favourable direction. anti followed it,
constantly expecting to find traces of our party. We
passed but one Indian lint, 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 proceede I, 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 come tributary of the Chuquaque. . At
our extreme point we ascended a bill 600 feet high, and
het a view of hilt ranges anal forest country extending
f ons 12 to 15 miles westerly. We retraced our steps to ti •
ship by the way we had carefully cut, eking out our provi-
ms 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 supposetr:Chat 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 tratling_lndian, at the village of Sasardi,
Slit 'tit* werelionglAt bank, with the intelligence that the

party had been seen in the interior, but had gone on. The
broken English of these people was difficult to understand,
and they generally answered a. leading question according
to what they supposed the wish of the interlocutor.
A force of 60 New Grenadian soldiers and had
convicts
been for some time encamped on the beach to aid in the
survey, had there been one. Meantime Mr. Gisborne, dis-
appointed in his original plans, had hired an influential
Indian from the Rio Diablo, who knew the value of money,
to accompany and procure him guides across the country
St. John, of the English Engineer Corps,
wfertiStsw°4:i)t.h 8
As time went on, the only hope for the safety of our party
was through Panama, and the Cyane sailed for Aspinwall
for intelligence, leaving the Chimere and Scorpion at Cale-
donia. The Espiegle had gone to Carthagena for provi-
sions. The steamer Devastation had looked in and sailed.
Nothing had been heard of our party at Panama, though
communication was constant with the Gulf of San Miguel,
the Savana and the Chuqunaque. On the sth of March
they had been absent 45 days. It was next to impossible
that they should have survived and not found their way to
the coast in this time.
At the moment of sailing in the George Law I met Lieut.
St. John, on his' way back to England from San Miguel.
In his journey across the Isthmus he had found no traces
of Strain's party; but the Indians reported that they had
gone down the Chuqunaque, and were lost. I had no time
to obtain from Mr. St. John a full account of his trip.
They had been guided by the Indian through a devious
path, ranging along the Isthmus to the west of the village
of Sucubti, on the river Sucubti, a branch of the Chttqu-
nage°, thence to Morti, similarly situated, and down the
Morti, across the Chuqunaque, to the path cut by Captain
Prevost over the comparatively level country west of the
Cordillera. While Mr. Gisborne and Lieut. St. John were
in the interior, letters were received from them at Cale-
donia Bay, stating that the Indians were assembled in
force at the villages above-mentioned, and had taken
a hostile attitude, owing to a rumour that three of
their people had been carried off prisoners by the Chi-
mere to Carthagena. They were with difficulty pro-
tected by their guide until those stories were proved in-
correct. Lieut. Strain depended upon the good faith of
the Indians, and should they have proved treacherous, our
national experience of Indian warfare, particularly in the
semi-tropical regions of Florida, shows how little chance a
small body of men, even when on their guard, have against
savages on their own ground. If the Indians, however,
have attacked Mr. Strain's party, why did they not our
own much smaller one? We have reason to suppose that
every step of our progress was watched by them.
Just before we left Caledonia Bay, the principal chief of
the coast, in talk with the New Grenadian commander, re-
peated the old assertion that God never intended a canal
there, and added, " God will take care that no one who
goes to seek a passage shall escape." The Indians may
consider themselves the agents of Providence in carrying
out his will. Lieut. Strain's ammunition was entirely in
cartridges; our experience proved that these would soon
be unserviceable from the constant showers and dampness
of the interior.
As merely a volunteer to the expedition, I offer no opi-
nion as to its outfit or management. Lieut. Strain had no
personal knowledge of the Isthmus, and trusting to the
reports and maps of Mr. Gisborne, anticipated little diffi-
culty in his preliminary reconnaissance. He wished to get
a general idea of trio country, and afterwards to carry a
line of levels across would have been merely a question of
time and bush whacking.
I have taken the narrative form in this statement that
the facts might appear as they came to us.
From Capt. Hollins and the officers of the Cyane the
enterprise met with hearty co-operation ; two of those
gentlemen went with parties into the interior, and all were
ready to take any steps for the relief of the missing. The
officers were occupied in a complete survey of the bay and
channel. I refer to their chart for details. The harbour is
a fine one, the trades blow home, making a leading wind for
entering; it is not difficult to beat out, nor always necessary.
On review, the principal points determined, with regard
to the proposed canal route are these. The Caledonia River
is a rapid, shallow stream of clear, abundant water, falling
about 60 feet in the first six miles. At this point is the
large village of Naga, with considerable level ground, where
are the Indian plantations. A furlong below the village the
river divides ; its several branches have been traced up, as
above stated, to mere torrents.
Parallell to the coast, and directly across the route, is the
main dividingridge of theisthmus—a massive rugged range
of porphyritic mountains, densely wooded, broken into
gorges, wild and impracticable. The summits of this range,
concealed often by cloud and mist, rise in full sight from the
bay, from 3,000 to 4,000 feet high. No passage was found
by any of our parties lower than 1,200 feet to 1,500 feet,
and this not a single ridge, but after crossing the terraces
of hills which are the " Appius" of the chain on both sides.
Crossing the Cordillera, you find streams flowing into the
valley of the Chuqunaque, a large river draining the Pacific
slope, and winding in a long -circuit to the Gulf of San
Miguel. Between this river and the Savana, is a long
range of hills, mistaken by Mr. Gisborne for the Cor-
dillera; except these, a level marshy country extends to
boat navigation on the Sevens. This plain was traversed
by Captain Prevost, about 12 miles to the westward of
Mr. Gisborne's proposed route. Entertaining a high per-
sonal respect for this gentleman and his officers, I look
with interest for their authentic report. The Savaua, in
its lower course, becomes a broad estuary. The former
error in longitude being corrected by Captain Kellett's ob-
servations, the width of the Isthmus, from ocean to ocean,
becomes 52 to 53 miles. The whole country is densely
wooded, and on the Pacific side, in the low ground, almost
impassable.
It showered constantly among the mountains, and when
the Cyan() sailed, there were signs of the approaching
rainy season. As an elevated country, this part of the
Isthmus is healthy; there was no sickness either on board
the ships' or among the parties on shore.
Theie is game, though not very abundant, especially on
the Pa,cidc side—deer, taper, monkeys, turkeys, ducks,
iguana, conejo, &c. ; alligators in the rivers, the so-called
tiger of the country, serpents of various kinds ; some fish-
in the rivers. I cannot dwell upon the natural history of
the Isthmus, as this communication has already grown to
a considerable length.
With regard to the missing party—there is no proof,
_though sant, nrounds for suspicion, of treachery on the
part of the Indians, If not, Llicry have prenanly followed
down the Chuqunaque, under the impression of arriving
speedily at tide-water. Deceived in this, they may have
had no other resource but to push on, and the great length
of their absence makes it almost conclusive that in this
solitary region, their previsions exhaused, and unable to
procure game or food, they have perished. There is a pos-
sibility, however, that some news may be had from the
mouth of the river, and Capt. Hollins will do everything
in his power to succour the survivors.
The probable loss of 22 persons, with several of whom I
had been connected in the intimacy of a voyage and a brief
companion lifo, is a melancholy subject of thought to me.
My indignation at the fraud practised by the canal pro-
jectors is increased tenfold when I remember that, besides
leading expeditions of the three maritime powers on a
fool's errand, it was their representations and their maps
that misled our party. I can hardly believe the evidence
of my own senses in contradiction of all the published
reports.
It was supposed by Lieut. Strain that Mr. Gisborne
would be in Carthagena and join his party with his own,
but meantime the British and French ships had been de-
tailed, and he joined them at Jamaica.
Though this statement may have reached a tedious
length, I have been obliged to omit many things bearing
upon the subject. The facts have all been submitted to
Capt. Hollins, and approved by him and the officers. Mr.
R. E. Holcomb, civil engineer, who had direction of our
second party, and Dr. Bird, both of whom returned in the
George Law, entirely concur with these statements.
Should you desire further information, I shall be happy
to communicate it.—l have the honour to be your obe-
dient servant, , THEO. WINTHROP.
No. 51, William-street, New York,
March 17, 1854.