The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-30 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA.

CIIAGUES, JULY I.—We reached this place this
morning,. after a short passage of nine days from New
York. The Americans have now two lines of
steamers between this latter town and the river of
Chagres, each consisting of two vessels of an average
tonnage of 1,000 tons, and from 4,50 to 600 horse•
' power. There are two departures on the Ist, and
two on the 13th of each month. The fare from
New York to Chagres is 125 dollars by Aspinwall's
line, and 100 by tee competition one. The accom-
modations are indifferent by both ; indeed, the
crowd of passengers is sucb, each steamer carry-
ing about 25C, that comforts are completely out of
the question.
There is a third line of American steamers con-
nectieg New Orleans with Chagres, via HaVaneati.
The Alabama and Falcon, two old boats with rickety
engines, keep up the communication in this quarter.
These are pretty golden times for the American steam
shipowers. There is not a single case in which
their capital does not yield them 1,000 per cent. clear
profit.
Chagres has an altered and improved appearance.
as you enter the river, stands the Ame-
rican o n consisting of some 50 wooden houses, all
whichoOfrithteg
haver"i-it :
started up within the last four months.
Each of these structures bears the name of some
teshionable hotel in New York, such as Astor or
Towing. house. The accommodations they afford are
wretched in the extreme. The bill of fare never
comprises more than two dishes, salt beef and cheese,
and these have to be imported from New York or
Europe. The American town is, however, better
situated than the old Spanish one of the same name,
both as ►egurds commerce and health. Tne latter is
ensconced behind a high promeetory, capped by a
dilapidated fort, and therefore shut out from the sea
breezes, which can alone counteract the malaria
arising from the mass of stagnant end putrified vege-
table and animal substances which obstruct the en-
trance to the river. The former, on the contrary, lies
exposed to these breezes, which spring up invariably
in the evening, and sometimes blow keenly enough to
drive ships oil shore.
Ships generally cast anchor opposite the mouth of
the river in five fathoms water. The moorage is un-
safe, and the danger great when it happens to blow
strong from sea. I noticed, however, the Alabama
lying wiihin the bar under the promontory, a position
into which no English steamer has yet ventured.
There were several large schooners unloading close
to the American town and also within the bar, in so
favourable a position that the merchandise could be
fended without the intervention of boats or luggers.
Tnis fact struck me ae one of considerable mercantile
interest.

Tnere is a brisk trade now going
on between CathidagErengsiish niui
fruit, sugar, vegetables, chiefly
t,merchandise. There are few
the Ja-
maica
potato, and
articles which do not bring high prices; the payment
being made in French silver coin, which is
on the Isthmus, or in gold dust. The
immigrationabundant
of blacks and mulattoes from Jamaica is alsoco
nsi-
derable. On the Spanish side of the river nearly all
the boats and hotels belong to dark emigrants from
Jamaica or from the Dutch island of Curacoa.
There had been a species of civil war at Chagres a
few days before our arrival, The population of the
American town, a most gregarious set of deserters,
gamesters, runaways from Justice, took into their
heads one evening to organize themselves as a dis-
tinct and independent community. They drew up a
string of resolutions expressive of their firm resolve
to obey thenceforward no other magistrate than a
fellow called Taylor, a notorious drunkard and
gamester, whom they appointed provisional president.
Taylor entered upon his functions by opening a warm
fire from rifiss and revolvers on the inhabitants of the
of i town. The latter assembled in considerable
numbers, and repelled the assailants. A gun was
discovered by them among the ruins of the fort,
and pointed on the American town, which it com-
pletely commanded. The United States Consul in-
terfered, but only received kicks and cuffs from his
countrymen for his pains. It was only when they
saw themselves on the eve of being driven into the
sea that the Americans would listen to reason. The
matter was at length bushed, after several lives
having been lost on both sides, but the old animosi-
ties still remain, and will undoubtedly burst forth
the moment the Americans find themselves strong
enough for another encounter. It was believed that
the attention of the Government at Bogata had been
called to this anomalous state of things, and that a
company of troops would shortly arrive to protect
the New Grenadine territory, and the inhabitants of
Chagres.
Tnere is at length a fair prospect of the railway
ecross the Isthmus being taken up in earnest. The
contractors, the I4l,ssrs. Aspinwall' of New York,
have secured the adhesion of the West India Steam
picket Company. The latter consent to hear one
quires of the entire expeoso.., kw/int; the eetnerican
(-;'l"Ptiny free to go :any- 1, . gala they think proper.
It is now believed that ere eight months elapse the
works will be so far advanced that travellers unty

pass in a covered carriage from one ocean to the
other. The starting-point will be Table bay, a point
of the coast about 20 miles to the west of Porto
&Po. A system of carriages with tvr.o horizontal
interior wheels is to be introduced, catching or press-
ing on a middle or third rail. It is hoped that very
high declivicies may be ascended and descended by
this means without the expanding of labour on cut-
tings. Tne system has not, that I am aware, been yet
tried on a large or practical scale in Europe.
You are no doubt aware that the American Com-
pany
,have obtained from the New Grenadine Go-
vernment a privilege for conveying across the Isthmus
the mails of all nations. Against this privilege Eng-
land has protested through her Charge d'Affaires at
Bogata, but as yet without effect. 'the matter is of
considerable importance, and it seems strange that
France, which is equally interested, should as yet
have taken no steps therein. Surely the pm ers of
Europe, however engrossed by their internal bicker-
ings, cannot shut their eyes to the danger of allow-
ing such a monopoly to he claimed and exercised by
America on the high road to the Pacific and Cali-
fornia.

PANAMA, JULY G.—l reached this place yesterday,
after a hard pull across the Isthmus. People may say
what they please, but a trip from Cbegres to Panama
is no child's play. You have, in the first place, the
river to ascend as high as Gorgooa or Crucis, the
current being against you all the way; then you have
the mounta►ns to cross to Panama. A word of in-
formation on the nature of the difficulties that are to
be encountered may not be here misplaced.
When you land at Chagres from the steamers you
are forthwith assailed by a whole battalion of boat-
men—white, black, and blue, of all hues and coun-
tries ; in a word, each making a tender, in Spanish
or English, of his canoe, and praising its qualities to
the close. Don't be impatient—don't close with the
first that offers. Make your choice carefully, and re-
member that, as you have to go against a current
seven knots strong, the light, small, and delicate skiff
is the better one. Of the boatmen, too, the whites,
whether European or American, are the worst. They
are, in general, a set of drunken banditti, who know
nothing of the stream and to whom it would be un-
safe to confide either your person or your goods.
Single ou►ithe bronze-coloured swarthy:children of the
Bosco del Toro who have learnt their profession at
Carthagena. You can easily recognise them by their
breadth of chest, sinewy arms, and retiring look.
Treat them liberally, and if it be an object with you
to get up the river as speedily es possible, promise
them an additional dollar for every hour they nay
gain on the average time. Next to these the Ja-
maica and Curagoa boatmen are the best, if they are
provided, as is usually the case, with a man-of-war's

My bargain was soon made. For an amount of
100 dollars ,I secured a small gig, which had formerly
belonged to a British man-of-war, with a Curecoa
pedro:;e and three fine Bocco del Toro rowers. We
commenced our task at six in the evening, and pro-
ceeded to.Gatoon the same day. There we found a
whole fleet of canoes, gigs, and boats, all warped in
to the shore waiting fin. day to proceed on their jour-
ney. The right bank of the Chagres is ornamented
in this place by a group of some fifty or sixty huts,
constructed with branc'aeaand covered with pandanus
or palm leaves. From the bottom (.f the village where
we landed we could distinguish the entire population
assembled around a group of youngsters who were
looting it away in a glorious " fandango." Heavens!
what a confusion of sounds. All the tongues, kettles,
and horns on the isthmus seetned collected in this one
spot. A great devil of an Indian acted as taster of
the band, tee perspiration trickling from every pore
whilst he strumped a gigantic dried bumpkin covered
with a sheep's skin. As for the dance, the less that
is sAd of it the better. A Perieian travelling com-
panion, an old habitue of the Chetn ere, told me that
he recognized several of the more eccentric hops of
that classic haunt. " Corbleu," remarked he,
were there a municipal guard or policeman on
the spot the whole party of dancers would be sent
to the police correctumnelle, for " contravention aux
bunnes niceurs." A little further on, the whirl of
roulette table was heard. We carne upon a knot of
dark gamesters assembled round this interesting
piece of machinery, and a number of monte tables.
Our " padrimes" and rowers having now secured
their boats, came and joined one or the other party as
their fancy led. Many of these poor devils spent,
before my eyes, all they were to gain by two days'
hard pulling up the river, and which, according to the
regulations that prevail at Chegres, bad to be paid
them beforehand.

At four in the morning we renewed our struggle
with the stream, and succeeded in reaching at eignt
the same night the village of San Pablo. The fe-a
lowing morning at nine we took leave of our " pa-
drone" at the village of Gorgona, one of the two
starting points for crossing over to Panama.
Several attempts have been recently made to navi-
gate the ChQgres by steam, but all have tailed. The
difficulties to he overcome are of two kinds, rapids
and snags. The former divert the steamer from its
course, carrying it in among the bushes, where the
machinery gets entangled ; the latter destroy the
wheels. And yet it seems to me that the application
of steam is quite possible here, were the boat armed
with a sort of advanced scytbe or knife to cut the
snags, and only to draw from 14 to 18 inches water.
If any of your engineering readers can solve this
problem he may reckon upon realising a fortune of
20,0001. within less than one year, or indeed any
amount ha pleases, as he will hold in his hand the
key which unlocks the navigation of the isthmus,
now become the high road of nations.
At Gorgona you must be careful whom you apply
to for your make. The price is generally sixteen
dollars for crossing over to Panama, a distance of
about twenty-two miles. Examine your beast well,
and see he fail not on the road, leaving you to splutter
on, as I have seen numbers do, up to their waists in
mud, and amidst the thickets of a dense forest. The
wiseEt plan is never to lose sight of your baggage, and
to keep your revolver in order. There are now hordes
of disappointed Californians on the isthmus who have
very little respect for the tenth commandment.
The Gorgona road, which is quite impracticable
during the winter season, is preferable to that of
Crucis in summer. A good horseman caa make his
way from either point to Panama in nine hours.
At Panama I find nearly two thousand Americans,
all from the western states, who have been detained
for the last two months, the steamers being too
crowded. Whoever comes to Panama ueprovided
with a ticket may look forward to a disappointment
f this kind. What renders it doubly painful is the
crowded state of the wretched inns at Panama, and
the horrible filth of the town. The Americans, who
have now nearly edged every native out of Panama,
seem to have improved on the habits of the latter.
Heaps of offal and filth block up all the principal
streets, and water-elos€ts are luxuries totally un-
known. No wonder that the plague and the cholera
morbus have selected this town for their head-
quarters.