Washington telegraph., 1847-02-17

We copy the following aeeauni Of tie attack
on capi. Mays squadron fem letter to the
\. o psl,a, dated Victoria, Jaauary iu
Reiwesn and : o'clock. 7 n, Capt May got
IA siih his dtagoons lie r. 3afs the los d eleven
men aud their hofaas, aul srvsa paek mules ~
far as can gather ihc particulars, aud tasy conn
from Capt, May thHy are these. Between Monte
Morales aud Llnafns Capt My aserHaIaej lha,
there was pas "a gofge OF tue mountains. aad
deiHrniHsd IA nsrafiain the nature of Il IlH
rlmmaHi consisted u two companies o' dragons
some seventy or eighty Heu. "a lp.t7itlag
The io't 81 lhe inonn,ain, every pgscaat0n was
u,ed 10 guanl against surprise. 4 Lieutenant
with twelve men acted rs ihr roa'guarl aud gasTd
ol the pack mules Of the command, Who remained
some few hundred yards in The rear, ani In TIL.
way they progressed slowly and carefully, until
they found oul the pass. which was 80 narrow that
it was with much dhieul.y single horse could 70
through Il. Bat May was determined {, Traverse
IL, aud make what discoveries De could on the
otIier side. DIsmonhimg himself and men, be- I'D
his horse aud the way, aud ailcr experiencing
much difficulty IN gctng from folk q rock, the
command ultimately spscerdtd 10 griuag through
Ga the right hand sdr Il tbs plss there b. per-
p.udicuiar cllf of sons SIX hundred feet, " %
high. o. some Of the mcn ssy, 'that d nan up
ihtrs looked Ike ltlv boy"
= ga ihr len hand, aior ~ or u fesi of fpen.
d.cnlaf, there was gradual slope 10 llio top. on
which an enemy could un down, IRE p.ros aud
thea return. II is represented as being the most
dangerous pass to daring enemy that Is known,
aud ons whefe a few determined men could stop
the advance Of thousands. Amer going o. for Oh
the oihc- vide a. wus thought necessary, they
turned 70 come back, and the main body rstflcrd
their step With the same caution observed In #.
lcciing the irt passage. hut the rear guard were
no, 10 lucky In getting through ths lime ilf it
appears aher the Lieutenant and Sergeant got
through, large body 0l men, who stationed inrm.
selves on the perpendicular side, siowefed down
stones from The top fast and heavy that their
advance Was completely eut of; and that they
were either killed, taken prisoners, or made their
escape to the other SIDE. II seems thai Captain
May was not taken by unpnse, for be- was con.
tInually urging vigilance. and lcit his best hHslrr
in the rear 10 sound the alarm in ease Of accident
as though be- anticipated an attack A Tumllng
sound in the pass caused him ,o halt fJr the rear
guard, but they not coming up when br thought b
was time for them TO reach. him, hs wheeled
about aud went in the direction nj the plsg again
at fall speed, lie shortly met the Lieutenant
aud Sergeant. and immediately demanded 0f tho
former, "Whrfc's your meni' The answer ol
the Lieutenant was, "oioie ut hand ai the same
time turning his head around ne u with tho OK
peo,aton of seeing them just brhind hin. Bat
there were none there save the Sergeant, aud the
truth Immediately flushed upon the commander
that something was WRONG with them. A. quick
as thought, snd n the niiufe ol The plth would
permit, they dashed oil for the pass, and when
they reached Il found that large numbero of stones
had been thrown down, aud discovered traces ol
blood along the dcfo. They followed up Us fast
as possible, but It was Of no avail tbcy could
make no further discoveries, nor lcafn any thing
Of the fate Of their companions, 40 they suHow.
fully retraced their steps, and arrived here ns
/ above noticed