Democratic banner., 1846-04-04

anu ny lIC ulilltt utlioIi VI VA "H
victory will again inevitably perch upon our
standard. DEMOCRAT.
From 81: Louis 10 Oregon in less than
% m0nth:-A New York correspondent Of
the Washington Union is urging with great
zeal what may be regarded as a new route
to Oregon. In a late letter, he says:
s'Since the publication of my former let
ter. | have conversed with Captain William
Tyson. of this city, who visited the port
of St. Juan, some fifteen or twenty years
since, and ascended the st. jusn river to
the Lake Nicaragua, and tra~ersed that
lake to its northwest extremity On ascend
ing an eminence of the west of the lake,
he had a view of the Pacific ocean.
His statement as to the navigabilitv of
the St. Johns to the lake differs very wide
" from the opinion advanced by Mr. Thomp-
son. He SAYS the harbor of st. Juan is We
~ good and contains sufficient water for a
large class OF steamers or vessels, but that
the mouth of the river is much choked
with sand or mud, which, he thinks, how
ever, might be improved by artificial means.
He SAYS he assembled the river in one of the
small native boats to the lake, but it fire.
Quently got aground, and that the boatmen
had often to wade out and search for a
channel. The party, however, reached
the point on the lake from whence the riv-
er takes its departure, and near which is
situated the small town Of Carlos and fort
st. Juan.
He says the grounds Immediately Dor
,derlng the river, on the right and left hand,
are very level, affording excellent levels for
q railroad the whole distance from the port
to the lake. At a little distance from the
margin of the river, on either side, the land
rises to a very considerable height. Ne al
so states that the whole country between
the Atlantic coast or caribbean sea- and
Lake Nicaragua is remarkably well timber,
ed; and that in case a railroad should be
contemplated, the greatest abundance of
timber would be at land for the whole dis
lance for its speedy construc ion. From.
Port st, Juan to Lake Nicaragua, via the
river, the Captain found to be 100 miles,
Suppose arailroad to be made this 100 miles,
engines would be able to pass over it in five
hours. Atits lake terminus, steamboats,
could be IN readiness 20 convey passengers
and goods To the northwest or Pacific ex-'
treinity OF the lake-say 4 distance oftrom
100 to 100 miles; and from whence another
railroad ID IL mites long, would land them,
on the shore of the Pacific. By such a.
route, persons coulo readily pass from one
ocean to the other in from Is to 20 hours.
that's to say, by railroad from Port St. Ju-
an to the lake, 100 miles, in 5 hours; by
steamboat, through the lake, 100 to 1870
miles in 9 hours: and again from the lake to
the Pacific, 10 IL mles in 2 hours. Total
distance, from q l-2 to % l-2 miles. To
tai time of travel, 10 hoursl Heavy trans
portatlon might consume IA hours. The
whole distance would be less than from n.
iorkto Boston, and the communication
could be established at less expense than
the communication from this city 10 the lat
ter via the Long Island railroad, &c. Who.
can estimate the advantages of such a COM
to the civilized world and to
the United States in particular?
Captain Roberts told me lie had once
sailed from New York to port St. Juan, in
days, in a pilot boat! If this great
Improvement were made, what then would
1t be to pass from New York to the mouth
the Columbia river? Hence to St. Ju-
an, as we have said, by steam, would con-
sumo only ten days. Across the Isthmus
per railroad and Lake Nicaragua to the Pa
chic, would be only one day. From thence
10 Oregon, by steam, would be ten DAYS
the whole time twenty-on
lays! The trip from New York to New
formerly consumed this r.uch or
more tune If the voyage to Oregon was
commenced at New Orleans, via Tie same