New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-10
The Nicaragua Route to the Pacific.

Correspondence Of The Tribune.
NoUl LAKE NicAEAGuA, April IT, l.i9
On the 81 inst we lefrthe coast, ci route for q
Pacific, aud were only seven dsysIn reaching this
point. Oar company had arranged for three bun
sos 10 convey Us, with our baggage and effects but
were unable to get more than two, which left with
i've Of the party enrly in the afternoon.
We met with much delay and annoyance in bar
gaining with the patrons or captains Of the bun
goes. but one after another the different comPa-
mics par,od for the interior These blncoes are
about ty feet Ia length and seven feet beam, hsv
ing the stern part. or about eight feet, thatcbed
over. making sort of cabin 10 sleep In, md pro-
trct v0vasers ir0m the sun and rain. TINS cabin
barely sufficient for two persons. before s,ar1re
procured from Sir. Gordon some boards 20 ans~ er
.or ho1ring which greatly added D. our comfort
az i enabled Us 10 Jay mattresses dOsn Tor our
beds and on retiring. the use OF my ielow-pssseh-
gers mosquito netting, enabled Us 70 make the
VOYAGE IN a very agreeable and pleasant manner.
The buueoes generally have from eight % ten ma
kcd natives, commanded by patron T. manage
the vessel aud they are Individually and collect We
" bad specimens of human KIND They are
drunken COW a-dly and treacherous. We had
70 lcsve with only ok, as two Of them were
not TO be found, being probably drunk IN the
= GODS. Some of the rest OF the crew were also
quite drunk, and behaved very ugly, and We
mad a great desi trouble In getting them INTO the
boat, as We had almost 10 shove them ln by mall
strength and It was O'Clock In the evening be
'0le We started.
We were determined 10 leave, as we well knew
that ID We delayed until morning, another day
would be wasted, and more of our men would Doe
missing. Our crew had the reputation OF being
the best On the river SO you may Judge "nat Tue
rest were Five bungos left before Us, aud a.
Il. To- laa .ff cHV e
soon overlook them. One good Yankee sailor IS
worth more than whole crew OF such fellows as
we had with US. Our passage up the river was
full of incident and adventure ah0rdlDg great en-
10, meut for the time, and ample material for iu
lure reflection.
This IS the dry season, aud the river at tins
time is quite shallow however, It is very hand
some fiver and quite vide TOR most ct the way,
aud the rapids not very dangerous, and could
easily be overcome by Yankee enterprise. The
river IS about 40 miles long, and Is navigab.e ,r
steamboats, OF not more than two feet draugnt, ~
an season, and 18th some expense cOud De IN tde
uavigabe Tor boats of greater depth. On our trip
| 40 to this place used our guns, when birds anu
animals incsutiously tempted their fate, but being
m0 sty confined 10 the bungO We could not follow
the game. All the birds aud monkeys that came
within reach suffered some, and at night Tor ant
i other music. we were grateful for the how ilngs
| 4 the cougars IN the woods.
One day, on our passage up we saw an an
| NAL that throws all accounts of Col. Fremont >
| woody horse perfectly into the shade. As !
| understood. the creature is called Dante II
lives in the water, and feeds on the grass grow
| ing on the margin OF the river. IL greatly re-
.,mbles a mammoth hog, almost Of the size OF a
cow of q black color, with a proboscis similar t.
al elephant, although not quite as long Il had a
Young one with il. | wish YOU would exam az
| Bufion, Tor the name OF this animal, nat Ares
~ The rater, and when found, make a note OF It.
We tried our guns upon the creature, bat being
It too great a distance, our buck shot made no
| impression.
Opposite the rapids there are the ruins Of an
| old Spanish Fort and below that, there was an
| ther called 4" Serapste,' which was entirely de
,troy ed by the English q year since.
AT tins place there is another Fort, or the runs
Of one, and il is here that the Nicaragua Govern
| mcnt collect their duties. Our trunks were sub
| ected 70 al examination, here, but II was mere
matter of form. no charge being exacted Ihls j.
3n insignificant place a.. beside the public OH ce'
| here, there are only few miserable houses occu'
| Died BY the natives When arrive 81 Granada
will give you sn account Of our voyage on the
lake, and some description Of the city, and mat
ters Of interest and as We are about 70 embark
| | must hastily close. ours truly, " Iuk0E