New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-11
CnImornIa-rnc NIcaraugun Route.

We had an interesting call on Thursday from
an old subscriber Mr.. Dosne of Berrien Co. Mich
who left home on the 18th of January last for Cal
ifornia, was among the earliest of the great emf
grafton across the Plains to that Country arriving
in June and leaving late in October to return by
the Nicaragua route He suffered much in the
latter part Of bis journey over, especially in cross
ing the desert between Salt AXE and the Sierra
Nevada, was glad to pay five dollars for pound
of -four, and the same for a pint Of water, and
found deep snow in the Mountains but reached
the Mines in fair health, having lost FIVE horses
on the way by hurrying to keep ahead Of the
Choera) He dug some with fair success for a
raw hand, bought drove ofgaunt cattle from the
States in the mines, took them down to Sacra-
mento and sold them at satisfactory prices, Sc
cured some very choice land in the delightful val
ley of San Jose, and will probably return in the
Spring to cultivate it. He has good opinion o.
the Agricultural capacities of California, and
thinks good farming there much better business
than gold-digging. He saw one man who had
planted two acres of Potatoes late in June simply
turning overthe sward, dropping the seed in every
fourth furrow, and never touching the ground al.
terward and, though there had been no rain since
planting, and no live thing bit the Potatoes had
started in the field, yet the owner laughed at an
offer of 81 200 for his crop Just as it was Mr.. D.
thinks the soil in the valleys abundantly moist
without irrigation.
But we proposed to speak of the Nicaragua
Route. He came down to Realejoin sail vessel
was detained there two days; was FIVE days COM
ing thence to Grenada on Lake Nicaragua; was
there detained two days longer; was two more in
traversiDg the Lake by schooner to the San
Juan then detained again; and came down the
river lin bungO or long, narrow boat in two
days more He was sixteen days In all from the
time he landed at Reaejo till he was ready to
take ship at San Juan de Nicaragua on the Gulf.
But he is quite aware that Realejo is not the
proper port on the other side-that running down
the coast to the port Of Nicaragua city and strik
ing across thence to the Lake the journey may be
shortened nearly or quite one half No doubt the
journey will be still further shortened by the
improved means OF transportation about TO be
provided on this route, but Mr.. D. shakes his head
at the Ship Canal project. He thinks the near
approximation of the level Of the country around
the mouth of the San Juan-hsrdly foot above
the level of the Gulf for many miles in every
directiOn-will prove a serious impediment to the
enterprise. The soil is very porous, and inconceiv.
ably saturated with and pervious to water Take
up shOvelfull of earth any where and its place ia
instantly supplied by water; so that Mr. D. and
several felow.travelers had hard mork to bury the
body of a comrade who died at San Juan; and
finally three Of them had to stand on the coffin
while others covered it, or it would have been
instantly buoyed to the surface by the in-rushing
food.
Our citizens, landing in the night and thor
oughly drenehed with rain, were at once deprived
OF all their arms BY the British police in Gray
town, as they call San Juan de Nicaragua; but
they were otherwise treated very kindly. and
finally conveyed to Chagres by the British brig
Inaexible, which was prOsessedly blOckading the