The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-29 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 29, 1856.

OVER DARIEN.

ed the Indian trail, which passes over the highest ground,
and traversed the only portion of the country which pre-
sents any engineering diffiettities, in a few,hours.
From these circumstances, and from their very cursory
and fugitive inspection of a country, which is one un-
broken forest of heavy timbar and tall brushwood, where
the explorer can scarcely see ten yards ahead of hire, it
was manifestly impossible for the engineers to make any
search for the valley which transversely divides the Cor-
dillera ; consequently, they were unable to collect any
data upon which to form an opinion as to the practica-
bility of the canal.
This is tho view taken ty Baron Humboldt, who, in a
letter to F. M. Kelly, E,q., of New York, dated Berlin,
Jan. 27, 1856, and published in Kelly's pamphlet on the
Junction of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, edited by
Ch. Manby, Sec. Inst. C.E., says, "Tt was on account of
his not having made so thorough an examination of the
mountainous country between the Gulf of San Miguel and
Caledonia Bay that Mr. Lionel Gisborno's plan of 1852
could not be carried out. Tho ignorance he was in as to
the localities, and the absence of measurements of altitude,
led to the unfortunate issue of the courageous expedition
of Lieutenant Isaac Strain."
Any person who has travelled much in hilly countries,
especially such as are covered with brushwood, will under-
stand the difficulty of striking into a narrow valley.
Having been lately engaged in a medical capacity with the
Turkish and Tunisian troops, chiefly in Armenia, Lazis-
tan, and Circassia, I had several instances of this difficulty.
Any one who has been at Sukhum-kale will recollect the
remarkably deep valley behind the hill on which the Rua-
sian furt stands, separating from the mountain farther
inland. The existence of th) valley would never be sus-
pected by any one who did not actually look clown into it
from the fort ; and 1 have twice, when on the plain below,
passed it by unseen, though closely searching tor it.
However, under the difficult circumstances in which they
were placed, it was impossible fur the engineers to make
any attempt at a survey. 04 their arrival at Sucubti they
found themselves in a most dangerous dilemina with the
Indians, in consequence om a fare report that the Chimere
had carried off Dennis ktretwo other Indian prisoners.
Upon learning this I instantly proceeded to Dennis (who
was, I believe, himself the author of the report), and
obliged him at once to despatch a special mErssenger to con-
tradict it.

After Mr. Gisborne's departure nothing whatever was
done, except that Commander Parsons continued his survey
of the harbours, which he pronounced to be adinfrably
adapted for the terminus of a great ship canal ; anti
although after her Majesty's ship Devastation reinforced
the expedition there were upwards of 000 men in Caledonia
Bay, not a man would be allowed on shore, notwithstand-
ing the enthusiasm of the crews to accompany me "to the
other side of the land." They naturally wondered what
they were sent to Darien for.
Nothing having been heard of Mr. Gisborne since the
9th of February, when he wrote from the Sucubti, stating
that he was in danger, and feeling very tired of the forced
inaction to which I was reduced, I engaged a passage, on
the 22d, in the Grenadian schooner Bolivar, to Carreto,
with the intention of inducing some of the Indians there,
with whom I was acquainted, to accompany me in search
of the missing parties of Strain and Gisborne. Upon in-
forming Commander Hancock of any intention, he gave
strict orders, in my hearing, that I was not to be allowed to
go on board the schooner on any account. Finding that I
was a prisoner on board the Espiegle, I made my escape
from her in an Indian canoe, at daylight on the 23d, and
repaired on board the Scorpion. Shortly afterwards Com-
Mauler Parsons received an order, of which I have a copy,
from Commander Hancock, desiring him to sand me back
to the Espiegle immediately ; to this he replied that as I
was a civilian, he would not undertake the responsibility
of sending me by force of arms. After some delay Com-
mandtr Hancock signalised "he may remain on board."
I then, as the only representative in Caledonia Bay of
the Atlantic and Pacific Junction Company, addressed a
circular to Commander Hancock, Captain Jaureigui-
berry, and Captain Hollins, requesting them to consult
together and tvke measures for sending a party from
each of their vessels in search of Strain and Gisborne,
anti offering every assistance in my power. Soon after
I had forwarded these letters, with the full approval
of Commander Parsons, to whom I had submitted
them for perusal, an officer, with a boat's crew,
came on board with orders to him from Commander Han-
cock to send me back by force of arms if I refused to go vo-
luntarily. As I decidedly refused to return of my own will,
I was thus brought back a prisoner, previously entering a
protest against this illegal arrest in the log of the Scorpion.
Oh my return to the Espiegle, Cominander Hancock assailed
use with the most violent and threatening language, and
decided, as he was going to sail the next morning for Car-
thagena, to leave me until his return on an islet, near
Golden Island, with Mr. Grant, the second master and two
coloured servants of Gisborne wh3 did nob know how
to pull an oar. However, the next morning, as I objected
to being left on the islet, he sent me back to the Scorpion,
first cautioning me, under penalty of martial law, not to
land on the coast, nor to hold any communication with the
Indians.
I Dr. M`Dermott, R.N., late of the Espiegle, is now in
London, and can corroborate all the above statements ; as
also can Mr. Grant, Mr. Doyle, and other gentlemen who
were officers of the Espiegle and Scorpion at that time,
and are now in Engladd.
Under these circumstances I decided upon going round
to the Gulf of San Miguel and the Tuyra, by way or Pana-
ma, and starting from the Pacific side in search of Strain
and Gisborne. I, therefore, by the personal solicitation of
Commander Parsons, obtained. a passage in the Cyane,
and sailed in her on the23th, arriving at Aspinwall, Navy
Bay, ou the 23th. There, finding that I had incurred im-
minent risk of a "lynching," on account of the then indus-
triously-reported lossof SLiaiu's party, and being cautioned
by some friends not to proceed to Panama, I onlyremained
until the 3d March, when, having learned of Mr. Gisborne's
safe arrival on the Savana, I sailed in the North Star for
New York.

Such was the manner in which the attempt to investigate
the grand question of inter•oceanio navigation was carried
out, and such the way in which I was rewarded for my
five years' laborious, perilous, and ruinously-axponsive
efforts in tho promotion of the grandest project of the age.
I will only say, in my own vindication, that, whilst in-
stead of an impartial exploration of the country, valuable
time was lost in the attempts made by some to find a route
in a line different from that laid down by me, and thus to
appropriate to themselves the results of my labours; and
whilst my statements were set down, without examination,
as exaggerated, I was, by actual force, prevented from
availing myself of any opportunity of demonstrating their
accuracy.

pense with the assistance they could have given him, that
he started upon an expedition into a wilderness, without
furnishing himself with any of the necessary preliminary
information ; and, moreover, that he was commissioned by
his Government to perform a difficult and dangerous ser-
vice, strictly within the limits of his professional duty and
on American soil, nud that in accepting such commission,
he was in no way influenced by any-statements of mine, I
cannot adroit the justice of the censures that have been
heaped on me for the sufferings of his party. I own lam
surprised to pad that Lieut. Strain, whoae party were
discove'red thirty miles to the east of the canal route,
and•who admits he never had any idea of his whereabouts
has published a map of the route, with a section of the
Isthmus !