The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-12 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Dr. Cullen begs to present his compliments to
the editor of The Sun, and to request the insertion
of the following Report, by Dr. Ross, of the Expe-
dition across the Isthmus of Darien, from H.M.S.
-Virago, which he has obtained from the Medical
Department of the Navy, and which has not
hitherto been published.
11, Royal Exchange, Sept. 11, 1856.

EXPLORATION OF ISTHMUS OF DARIEN.

December 13th, 1853, 1 p.m.—Left the ship in me

ical charge of the expedition sent to explore the Isth-

nag of Darien, and report on the p-acticability of the
)rcjected ship canal from the junction of the rivers

S'avana and La Villa, on the Pacific, in a N. N. easterly
iireotion, to Port Escoces, on the Atlantic side. The
f .110 wing are the nanses of the offi3ers and crew that

,cconlpanied the expedition :—C.)mtnander J. C. Pre•

vost, Lieutenants Moore and Glrdon, Mr. Inskip, mas-
ter; assistant-surgeon Dr. Ross ; Mr. Hornby, midship-

,nan ; WEn. Rawlins, captain of forecastle ; R. Whit-

bread, quartermaster ; J. Curtis, J. Fink, H. Windsor,
U. Robins, IL Jones, J. Dick, W. Beheuna, J. Tower,

I. Cullen, and R. B!ake, able-bodied seamen ; W. Rowe,
W. Richards, and J. Callahan, ordinary seamen ; J.

fiyde, J. Perkins, G. Julier, J. Orrell, W. Barnes, and

T. Fisk, privates of the Royal Marine Artillery, with
seven New Granadian guides.
January 7, 1854.—Returned to the ship with the ex-
ploring party. The following is a brief account of our
journey across the Isthmus and back :—Leaving the
vessel in Darien harbour we ascended the Savana a dis-

Lance of 21 miles in the cutter and first gig, the Grana-
lians occupying two canoes. This river has its source
in the Isthmus from the confluence of a number of small

itreams, and, after a comparatively straight course of
from fis to 30 miles in a S.S.E. direction, empties itself
into Darien Harbour, in the Gulf of San Miguel.

For the first six or eight miles ascending from its
mouth the banks are low, swampy, and covered with
nangiove bushes, which extend for some distance in-
land; until the ground, beginning to rise, terminates on
the right bank in a range of hills from two to three bun
,fired feet high, running nearly parallel to the river. The
swampy mangrove on the left bank runs farther inland,
is more thickly wooded, and finally ends in irregular and
solitary hills of from one to two hundred feet in height.
A.s far up as the distance spoken of, the river, from
ll mile in width, narrows to half a mile, and has a vari-
able depth of 1} to 5 fathoms, the deepest water being
in mid-channel. This part of its course is nearly direct,
and there are no obstructions. A little beyond, how-
ever, the stream widens and is studded with numerous
Atle islands, through which there is a passage with
6 fathoms water. For the next 13 miles it becomes more

-.,ortuous, narrows considerably, the banks become more
solid, the mangrove is lost, and forest trees grow close
to the water's edge, it being then only from 20 to 30
yards wide.
Its tributaries are the Iglesias and Lara, opening
on the left bank, the former near its mouth, and tie
latter nearly 18 miles above, and the La Villa on its
right bank, about three miles above the Lara. The
two first mentioned are large streams, but the latter is
small.

At sunset we encamped on the right bank a little
above La Villa, and built a rancho, or hut, of branches
of trees covered over with palm leaves, for protection
from the night dew.
At 6 a.m., of the 20th, we again resumed our journey
in the boats, and, about two miles further on, coming
to a place a little below tidal influence, with high preci-
pitous banks on each side, the whole party landed, it
being the intention to leave a depot of provisions and
ammunition. The boats were secured, and their con-
tents landed and placed under a canvass tent brought
for the purpose. A permanent and comfortable rancho
was also built for 10 men and an officer, who were to be
left here in charge, while the main body prosecuted their
researches inland. Every night at sunset we encamped,
building our rancho, when the locality was a matter of
choice, on a rising as near as possible to a stream.
These ranchos were designated by numbers from 1 to
12 inclusive, commencing with the depot.
Dec. 20. At 2 p.m., all preparations being made, the
party started. It may be here stated that the course
taken was compass N.N.E., from which, during the
whole journey, no obstruction in the shape of
rising ground, stream, or swamp, was allowed to deviate
us. Nearly the whole of our route lay through a dense
forest of immense trees, the spaces between the trunks
of which were filled with undergrowth of creepers of
various kinds, chiefly what is termed bushropes, varying
in size from half an inch to thrc 3 inches in circumference,
and very tough. Through these it was necessary to cut
our way with machetes or cutlasses, and so dense and
difficult of penetration is this forest that four men as
pioneers, cutting from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m., could only get
over a distance of from three to four miles. The first
19 miles lay through au undulating country, with fre-
quent elevations and depressions, rendering any correct
estimate of their height above the level of the sea diffi-
cult. It is supposed, however, that the highest of these
did not exceed fifty or sixty feet. In this part of the
journey numerous streams, the beds of which were
formed of clay, were crossed, running in various direc-
tions towards the Pacific, and also two swamps, in one
of which the water lay stagnant from two to three feet
deep, and extended along our course a distance of at
least one mile, and on either side as far as the eye could
penetrate, which here was soma distance, the vegetation
being scanty.
On the 31st, about noon, we arrived at a river with
high banks on each side, about 60 or 70 feet wide, run-
ning in a southerly direction, and having on its left bank
Indian plantain patches.
This was evidently the Chuquanaqua, which hitherto
had been laid down in all the charts as taking its origin
much to the southward of where we now were. We
here formed our 10th encampment. Next day, Jan. 1,
1854, a party of the expedition crossed and returned at
night with intelligence of having seen the sea—the At-
lantic—from the top of a tree on a high hill about five
miles distant, the view being in a N.E. direction, and
carried through a gorge. At the same time they brought
a very discouraging account as to the nature of the
country, which was broken into a series of high hills by
deep and intricate ravines, through which numerous
and rapid mountain torrents coursed, rendering travel-
ling difficult.
Hitherto our provisions bad been carried by five men
in large bags and baskets. It being impossible to con
tinue this mode of progression on the left side of the
river, it was decided that each officer and man should
take four days' provisions, and that the remainder
should be left at our rancho on the right bank of the
river in charge of a guard of two seamen and two Ma-
rine Artillerymen, who were chosen by lot.
This fell upon Henry Windsor, aged 25, Henry Robins,
aged 21, A B.s, Thomas Hyde, 22, and James Parkins,
31, R.M.A. On leaving the boats my instruments and
pocket case, with bandages, lint, tourniquet, and medi-
cine had been carried in a tin box. Finding that four
days' provisions, arms, ammunition, and blanket were
too much to carry under a tropical sun, I took from the
box What I considered necessary for immediate use on
emergency, and left the remainder with the guard.
On the morning of the 2d January we forded the river,
which was then only from 1 to 3 feet deep, but which,
in the rainy season, from evidences around our encamp-
ment, must overflow its banks and be then 30 feet deep.
Still keeping the same course we progressed towards the
Atlantic. By the evening of the 3d, after crossing seve-
ral mountains, varying from 300 to 400 feet high, and
travelling some distance in the bed of a river from two
to three feet deep, and whose course lay in our route,
we arrived at an elevation of 1,200 to 1,300 feet, in fact,
the summit of the Cordillera range.
From this point of view we overlooked a deep and
wide valley, densely wooded and running in an easterly
direction. It was supposed that it was through this
valley the Atlantic had been seen from the tree. The
hills on the northern side of this terminated in a broad
and well-defined cliff, beyond which it was surmised was
the sea. We had traversed 26.1; miles of measured ground
from the place where we left the boats, three miles above
La Villa, which, allowing 36. miles for elevations and
depressions, would give twenty-three miles in a straight
direction, and as none of the maps make the isthmus
more, from the latter place, than 23 or 24 miles wide,
we concluded that the ocean was close to this bluff. It
was still one day's journey distant, but our provisions
getting short it was deemed advisable to retrace our
steps, which we commenced doing on the morning of
the 4th inst. On our way back we explored, for some
distance, a mountain torrent which we at one time
thought emptied itself into the Atlantic, but its course
and direction soon led us to believe it was the commence-
ment of the Chuquanaqua.
A little before noon of the sth we arrived at encamp.
meat No. 10, and found the guard gone and the rancho
cleared of its contents. Presuming that the men had
gone on to No. 9 to avoid the annoyance of sand flies,
or that they Fad been ordered to return by the Indians,
who, from the vicinity of plantations, we knew could not
live far distant, although we had as yet seen none of
them, we prepared, with some degree of caution, to fol-
low them. Between Nos. 10 and 9we found a heap of
bread lying in the middle of the path, but the latter
rancho was alco uninhabited, although it had, appa-
rently, remained undisturbed. On arriving at the edge
of the swamp before spoken of as being covered with
stagnant water, we observed numerous and recently
traced footprints returning to the Chuquanaqua.
These, from certain indications, the Granadians pro-
nounced to be from Indian feet. About a mile from
No. 8, and on the western side of the camp, we suddenly
came on the murdered remains of three of our former
comrades, all lying obliquely across the road, and pierced
with soversal gunshot wounds, which must have caused
almost instantaneous death. They has evidently, in their
retreat, with heavy burthens of provisions on their
backs, which still remained there, been shot from the
left side of the path from behind an immense guipo tree,
the spaces between whose spreading roots couid have
concealed from view a number of men. All three
were lying on their right sides. Windsor was
shot through the pelvis and lower part of the spine,
Hyde through the left side of the head, and Perkins
through the head arid throat. Everything left behind
us, except provisions, were taken by the murderers,
From the state of decomposition in which the bodies
were, I judged they must have been dead 48 hours.
Nothing could be seen of the remaining man Robins,
and it is presuwed he was either shot with the others,

and escaped farther into the bush, where he died, or was
despatched by the eavages, or else that he is retained to
live a miserable prisoner in .their hands. Fearing we
might now be surrounded by the savages, end every mo-
ment exm:cting a volley from hidden enemies, we could
not remai❑ to afford Christian burial to our lamented
comrades, however anxious to do so, and we continued
our journey till dark, passing ranchos Nos. 8,7, and 6,
and sleeping at No. 5. By daybreak next morning, 6th
Jan., we again commenced our journey, and at 11 a.m.
arrived at No. 1, where we found the party we left be-
hind all well. At 10 p.m., the tide serving, we started
for the trip, and arrived on board early this morning,
Jan. 7.

Intermittent fever is endemic amongst the negroes,
and New Granadians inhabiting the villages in and
around Darien Harbour, so that it was fully expected
that some of us would, ere now, have suffered from this
complaint. The incubative period of the disease may not
vet be over, but, as yet, no one has suffered from the Jour
ney. All were exposed to more than ordinary exertion and
consequent fatigue in carrying heavy burthens and
assisting to clear the dense brushwood, so as to make
a recognisable path for our return, and also for others to
traverse after us, should this portion of the Isthmus
be subjected to a regular survey. At the same time we
Were but scantily fed, chiefly on salt provisions, while at
night we had to sleep in open ranchos, exposed to the
night air, with, frequently, the lower parts of the body
wet from the numerous streams we had to cross. It had
been asserted that this portion of the Isthmus was very
insalubrious, but from the foregoing facts, and from our
being exposed to malarious influence in crossing the
marshes before mentioned, it may reasonably be con-
cluded that, at this season of the year, when the eva-
poration from decaying vegetable matter following the
rainy season has ceased, and dry weather fairly set in,
this portion of the Isthmus is healthy to Europeans. At
the same time our not having suffered from fever is
greatly to be attributed to our not having been exposed
to the rays of the sun (the foliage of the trees having
afforded us a grateful shade), and to the comparative
coolness of the atmosphere, which, judging from the feel-
ings, was never above 80 deg. Fahrenheit, and then
rendered refreshing by a constant nor'clerly breeze, but
mainly to the dryness of the ground over which we
passed, and its freedom, except in two places, from
marsh or swamp.

TELE HIGHLAND BRIGADE OF THE

CRIMEAN ARMY.

Sir Charles Forbes, on behalf of the Highland Society
of London, presents his compliments to the editor of The
Sun, and would feel greatly obliged by his having the
goodness to give insertion in his valuable journal to the
accompanying application to, and the answer from, the
Horse Guards.
Broomwood, Sept. 11.

" 13, Parliament street, Sept. 2.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Committee of Manage-
ment of the Highland Society of London, of which so-
ciety the Prince Consort is chief, and your Royal High-
ness a member, to submit the respectful duty of the
committee to your Royal Highness, and to request the
favour of your Royal Highness's having the kindness to
grant permission to the Crimean soldiers of the High-
land Brigade, quartered at present at Dover, to partake
of a dinner to be prepared for them at the Royal Surrey
Gardens on the same plan, and under the same reguls-

tions, as that given to the Guards.
"The Highland Society of London is not only most
anxious to make this small acknowledgment of the high
sense its members entertain of the services of their bravo
countrymen, but the directors of the society have been
joined in this wish by many noblemen and gentlemen
residing in the metropolis, and which they have he
doubt would. afford great gratification to the inhabitants
of London as well as to the country at large.
"The dinner to the Guards having given so much satis-
faction, and several regiments of the Crimean army hal'
ing been welcomed and entertained in the provinces, the
circumstance of the Highland Brigade being at present
so near town, and that these three regiments (42d, 79th,
and 93d) might never again be together in our neigh'
bourhood, suggested that a similar compliment should
be paid to this portion of the army, which served in the
same division, and fought side by side with the Guards,
under the command of your Royal Highness.
" In the event of your Royal Highness being pleased
to grant, what may be termed a single holiday, to these
distinguished troops, the Highland Society would under-
take to make arrangements for conveying the Crimean,
medal men and their officers by railway to London and
back the same day, and to defray all the expenses attena'
ing the trip, conforming in all respects to such regule"
tions as may be made at the Horse Guards for their

guidance.
" I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your Royal Highness's most obedient
and ♦ery faithful servant,
" GEO. BAIN, Honorary Secretary to
the Highland Society of London.
" Hie Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
S.G., General Commanding-in-Chief, &c."

" Horse Guards, Sept. S.
" Sir,-1 am commanded by the General Command'
ing•in-Chief to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 2d inst., requesting, on the part of the Committee of
Management of the Highland Society of London, that
his Royal Highness would grant permission to the
Crimean soldiers of the Highland Brigade quartered et
Dover to partake of a dinner, to be prepared for them at
the Royal Surrey Gardens on the plan and under the
same regulations as that given to the Guards, and stating
that the Highland Society would make arrangements for
the conveyance of these soldiers and their officers by
railway to London and back again.
" His Royal Highness directs me, in reply, to request
that you will bo good enough to essure the gentlemen
of the Highland Society that he most highly appreciates
this mark of their kind feeling towards these national
regiments, but to state that, although there can be n°
objection to the troops being enter:Ained in this manner,
in the various garrisons in which they are quartered, 1"
the moving them from their quarters to London for such
a purpose must be attended with so much inconvenience
that his Royal Highness =list express his regret that be
is obliged to decline acceding to an application wblev;
has been prompted by so gratifying a feeling on the Per,
of the society.—l have the honour to be, sir, your mos'
obedient servant, " C. YOB IS.
" George Bain, Esq., &c."