The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-06 00:00:00

THE NICARAGUA ROUTE.

Regarding the opening up of the Nicaragua route,
the intelligence on this occasion is very favourable.
It appears that a large proportion of the return pas-
sengers from San Francisco had refused to take pas-
sage in any steamer that would not agree to land
them in Nicaragua, and the report of those who lave
since crossed that part of Central America, although
no preparations had been made for them, is calculated
to increase the desire to adopt it. The New York
Herald, after the arrival of the last mail, stated as
follows :

" Many of the passengers by the. Crescent City yes-
terday came by the Nicaragua route. The steamers
Northerner and Republic touched at Realejo, on the
Pacific, and landed nearly 200 passengers. The first
hundred miles towards the Atlantic were travelled upon
mules; then the lake was navigated in bungoes, or flat
boats, which were also used for the descent of the river San
Juan. The boat navigation extended about 200 miles. This
route is described as a very interesting one, and the cli-
mate is particularly mentioned as being very favour-
able to health. At present, of course, the journey is tedious,
from the want of facilities, though a steamer was at the
Machuca falls, on the San Juan, about to be used for the
benefit of pilgrims. The Orus was at the mouth of the
Colorado. When the enterprise of the Yankee has
fairly seised on the difficulties there presented, the lines
of emigrants wilt fall in pleasant places. About 200
passengers still remained at Realejo when the expedition
left. They will come on so as to take the next British
steamer for San Juan or Graytown."
It will be observed from the above that the two
steamers of the Canal Company were preparing for
active service. The Orus (or Nicaragua, as it is now
named) had safely reached the San Juan river,
-where it runs into the Colorado, and was waiting
for coals. She was then to proceed to the Lake, for
which service she was purchased, and for which she
is said to be well adapted. The small boat, the Di-
rector, had gone up the San Juan as far as the
rapids of Castello Viejo, but as her power (20 horses)
was not sufficient to ascend them until the water was
higher, she was to be replaced in that part of the
line by another of 40 tens. She had, however,
ascended the previous rapids without difficulty.
With regard especially to the prospects of the
canal some further favourable facts are said to have
transpired. It seems that several months back a
New York firm connected with one of the lines of
California steamers took the precaution of sending a
competent person to examine every part of the route,
with the view to ascertain if it would be desirable
that their steamers should touch at the points con-
nected with it. He has now returned, and the sub-
stance of his report is said to be that the river
route is perfectly practicable for the immediate pur-
poses of passenger traffic ; while, with regard to the
canal, he represents that he has found a passage from
the Lake to San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific, in which
there is little or no elevation to be over-
come, and the great advantage of which causes him
to recommend that port as the paeific outlet.
Should this statement prove correct (and the party
by whom it is made, although not an engineer, says
that his personal observations were of a character to
warrant him in making it with confidence), it would
much [reduce the estimates of costs hitherto put for-
ward. Meanwhile, the engineers of the company
were proceeding with their general survey. They
had commenced with the Salinas-bay route, and upon
its completion would examine this new route.

AMERICAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION

The following dispatch has been received by the
Navy department of the United States from Lieut.
E. J. De Haven, commanding the expedition in search
of Sir John Franklin :

" United States brig Advance, off Port Leopold,
Aug. 22, 1850.
" have the honour to acquaint you with the
proceedings of the squadron under my command since
leaving the Whale Fish Islands, whence my last dispatch
vas dated.

" We sailed on the 29th June, but owing to calms and
very light winds we did not reach the latitude of Upper-
navick till the 6th of July. Up to this place no obstruc-
tion from ice was met with. We found a clear passage
of from ten to twenty miles in width between the land
and the 'pack.' The latter was sighted daily, and had
the appearance of being impenetrable.
• "To the northward of Uppernavick many streams of
fine ice were found extending from the main pack close
in to the land. Through these, with a fair wind, we
found little difficulty in forcing our way until we ap-
proached Baffin's Islands, in the latitude of 74 degrees.
Here the ice appeat ed so close and continuous along the
land that our progress in that direction was arrested.
At the same time a clear and wide opening presented
itself, leading to the west. We had a fair wind to enter
it, and it was so directly in our course for Lancaster
Sound that I could not resist the temp.;:ation, particularly
as the passage looked to be almost hopeless by the usual
northern route through Melville Be]
"For several hours our hopes ot' *a
speedy and direct