New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-15

canal is proposed 10 be constructed, are geaeraly
correct. and are entitled 10 the confidence vito
xbich they have been received.
Itvould seem, however, that an attempt has
been made in England to invaidato Mr.. siey's
statements, by q person named BydI, who has re.
Gently published some uashy books on Central
America and who it seems, hes just pa'med off on
,be nnhle n book enti'led " Waa4erfaQs IN Chif
ana Pen" in which, Though the propFety Of the
relation is not obvious,-he has introduced chap.
.er on the connection Of tie Alaltic aud Pacific
Ocesrs, by means Of artificial navigation which,
TIE " Sgcciofor" observes possesses more than
sn Intrinsic interest, from tho Circumstances oil the
Boosted treaty between the United States and
Great Britain We know nothing OF the contents
OF this chsptcr Of Mr.. Bysm's book, beyond which
IL contained in the extracts quoted by the Spec
fafos" and these are not likely TO give a very ex.
alted idea Of that gentlemRn's verac.iy or Wit
among these who have any personal kno Wedge on
the subject. Ills account OF ihe "snahes Rni wild
animals Of all kinds" which nes, the banks Of tho
Ban Juan river will prove very sgitstng % the
small boys tho may read his book, aud nay be put
In the saue category With the yarns Of Monsieur
Violet or the MGnchaUtenism Of Mr.. Ruxt0n. The
state me 1T too that 10 his, Mr.. Ryams opinion, no
man has ever been able 10 penetrate twenty yards
IN the dense iorests which border the San Juan,
where the ruins Of the powerful works which the
epaniGrcs erected 10 control the ascent OF the river
frown down upon the voyager from the bordering
lights, and when II is a well known fact that no.
lets than twelve military stations and penal set.
Element once existed on the river, the traces OF
which are still distinctly visible-the statement
under these circumstances, is an evidence OF
most profound ignorance on the part OF this writer
and exctes a strong suspicion that be never saw
the river Of which he assumes TO SPEAK. 10 iscI
IL would not be surprising If il should turn oat tns'
Bysm is an ao0fer OF Violet, and ilDeai oescendv
ant Of Peter wilkins AIR. Byems plctd'e Oh Ihe
extreme insalubrity Of the Ban Juan Is enineA'y
untrue, az will appear In the seqoeL
Before proceeding further. it may no wei 20 70,
fer brie ly 10 the geographical aud toPogfaPhica
features OF the Republic Of Nicaragua. Ihese ace
somevhat remarkable. IL Ga accurate map OF
Central America existed, 1t would exhibit here
separation of the grea. chain OF tho C0rderas into
two divergent ranges, Of less general hight than
the great ridge itsef, and having occasional par
tisl interruptions. This divergence takes plaza in
the northern department OF SegOvla; one branch
extending due southeast towards the Atlantic.
It's outposts come down to the very shore, form
the prominent landmarks upon that coast Inc
range itself intersects the San Juan rver ABOUT %
miles above its mouth, at the "RdpidtS. Upon
its northern base, and nearly parallel 70 IT, hoEs
long ard large stream, the Hlo Esconddo, better
known on the maps as "Blueheld's river All
the sire ANS upon the other side OF the range 1Aii
into Lakes Mansgus and Nicaragua, or into the
San Juan river. This range resumes its course
upon the southern bank of the San Juan, bat nov
Pacific range in the elevated regions OF Costa Hi
ca. The Paci6c range follows tins general dlrec'
tion OF that co sst, sometimes risDg into oly vol
clnic cones, but generally sustaining the coarac'
ter Of high ridge, in places subsdiog Into low
bills and plains. This range preserves nearly
uniform distance from the sea o! from tive to ven
~ miles; consequently, there are no considera-
bic streams flowing into the Pacific FOR the extent
which it continues. 1t unites, as have already
said, with the eastern range IN Costa hlca' Tne
course Of this range seems to have been The Pfln
ciptl line of volcanic acton, ana extinct craters
and beds OF lava are to be met With, at short inter
y,ls throughout its length The lofty cones Of
tbe VOLCANOES OF San Miguel, Amapsla, Tyre Cose
euiIa, Vsjo, Santa Clara, Telica, Acosuseo Las
Pilas, Nomotombo, Aomobacho, Orosi and One
tepec, not to mention many others, may De regard
ed as belonging TO this range. They form pronl
nent landmarks from the sea, and constitute re-
nsrkable is atures in the landscape.
These two ranges Of CordillerAs form with their
slopes a erea. interior basin, consisting 10 grea.
part Of broad, beautiful and fertile plains. Tns
waters Of this wide region fall into the akeS al
ready named, Of " hch the San Juan River Is the
only outlet Many OF the streams flowing into
these lakes, especially from the North, are OF con-
siderable size and furnish Iupply OF water which
could NOS be senaibly affected BY drains Tor atsh-
cial purposes.
The Lake of MansguR approaches, at the near.
est point, to within ~ Is miles OF the Pacific,
from which it is separated, on the South, by tue
range Of bills already described. But between its
northern extremity and the sea there Is only tue
broad and magnificent plain OF Le0o, gradually
rising, for distance Of 27l5 yards, 10 al egstlon
of IS feet inches above the LAKE, aud 40 above
the sea, and then sabsldng In gentle slope to the
ocean.
The river San Juan concerning which so mach
has been written, is certainly magnificent stream
But its capabilities have been gceatiy exaggerated.
1t 10 the only outlet Of the two lakes above men
toned, flowing from the south. eastern extremity
of axe Nicaragus, nearly due east ~ the Atlantic
Its length has been varlously estimated az from ~
10 I04 miles The first estimate is certainly too
little Mr.. Bailey calculated it at 90 miles, and no
ID probably aot far from correct. The body Of wa
ter which flows through this ST. cam is at all times
considerable, bat il varies greatly in amount with
the seasons ofthe year. 1t Is greatest during what
10 termed the "rainy season In the interior that
u to say, from May to November at which period
the volume Of water is nearly doubled To this
circumstance, In great degree, may be ascrised
the wide difference in the statements Of the depth
and capacity Of the river made by different indi-
viduals
Several considerable streams enter the San
Juan, the principal Of which are the San Carlos
and 6erapiqui, both rising towards the South, in
the high lands OF Costa Hica. The streams Aoy
ing in from the North are comparatively small 10.
dicatipg that the mountains are not far distant in
this direction, and that upon this side the va lev
d comparatively narrow. The Scrap lui is as.
ENDED by boats to point where the Costa Rics
read (traiD commences. This 10 the route by which
Costa hica Keeps up communication with SsnJuan.
and to the point here named she is now endeayor
ING to construct road for mules, starting from San
Jose, her capitol
The banks Of the San Juan from the Fort If
Ban Carlos, at the outlet Of the lake, 70 the Ra
psdes del IoT0, a distance of twenty mile, ara
generally low, and covered with pains, caoes
and species OF high, coarse grass, called gqma,
Tote. The river here sometimes oyerAoys h,
sbores, which, for considerable distance back.
seem to be dat and swampy From the port Of
2 9 9uAn uPwafos' Eau way to the point OF the
divergence OF the Colorado, distiace of eiebteen