Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-02-07

The following extracts from Letter, written by
an officer of the United States Navy to his relative
in this city, and by him handed to us for publca-
ton, VIII be interesting to many readers
GnEYrowN, SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA,
u . Steamer Saranae January 10, 1859
Here am !, slowed away in ON the hur,;oane
deck stealing away from the horrible noise dirt and
heat OF the Storage to catch the gentle ephyrs of the
sea- You probably are sitting by fine glowing fire lis
tening to the cold wind whistng or e sleigh bells ing
ling. The thermometer here ranges from seyentveght
to eghtyeght and the weather is either broilinr sun
pouring rain. With this of course we cannot he
healthy Fever abounds here it is the principal pro
duct of the country We have already several men sick
with it; died day two ago, but upon examine
n the doctor found that he had disease of the heart
This is winter time here so you may imagine what it
must be in
We reached this place New-years day, after a pas
sage of nine days from Pensacola. suppose of course
you know the object of visit and take it for granted
that little information about the state of the affairs
of this country will not be unnteresting to you.
The Saranac is the first American man of war that has
honored this port with visit The English on the con-
rary, have paid very particular attention to it, and
keep Of war here constantly. The Calypso, sloop
of war; arrived this evening to relieve the brig Express
and it is expected that much larger force will be
neglected interests to allow the English obtain
such strong foothod at point which is of such para
mount Importance to us.
Greytown is situated the left bank of the river San
JUAN at its mouth it small place. probably of five
hundred inhabitants situated level green spot be-
tween the river and small but beautiful fresh lake.
which abounds in the most excellent fish well aga
tors The houses built of reeds and wood the former
occupied by the natives the latter put the foreign
residents, of whom hundred Americans princ-
paly California adventurers. All of the improvements
American and entering the town you would ina
CINE yourself in California settlement AT the land
ing there is large barnlookng frame with ST Charles
Hotel painted in large black letters the front step
two further through the soft grassy Streets you
another building of the description which bears
the honorable title Of the United States HOTEL !" little
to the right, lovely little green is the Ameri-
can" At these you may obtain cobblers," punches &C.
without the ice In other respects besides its appearance
the town bears resemblance California settlement for
chickens three dollars pair and washing dollars and
half dozen, and vegetables dear in proportion
The country along the coast is low, and covered with
thick green bushes and trees In the interior we see
chain of quite high mountains, whose bueblack
lines contrased with the green of the coast make beau
ul picture. The San Juan river is the southern boun-
dairy of the so-dsa kingdom of Mosquito from which it
extends about two degrees and half up the and
sixty miles in the interior. This is the country which
England claims for Indian who is still minor with
about much she would claim Florida for one
of Seminole Chiefs and support his pretension in OPP
position to those of the United States
As this king, as they call him, is still a boy her Br
fannie aestys Government kindly undertakes to manage
his affairs. SO Dr. Green who is the English Consul here
is also the regent of the realm and he has power this
which Majesty Ouaen Victoria has not oyar
england If he, according to the Bulwer and Clayton
treaty, to give up the government tomorrow there
would be capable of taking it among the Indians
Of and would be that the Caornans here
would make republic of once until the Ncaraguans
should come in and claim their rights.
This suppose you know is the canal the Pa
cifc. Nature has made it the route. The San Juan
springs from Lake Nicaragua from which the distance is
about fifteen miles to the Pacific Vanderbilt of our
merchants obtained grant of the Nicaraguan Govern
ment to navigate this river with and transport
passengers &C. He has already established the
nicaton His steamers long propeller affairs
which do not draw than three feet most when
loaded There three of them here now They go up
to the falls which than half up the lake. and
then the passengers get and walk around to another
boat above which takes them to the opposite side of the
lake. when they take mules and to San Juan del
Sud, on the Pacific.
The current of the river is very swift always down.
ward; for the lake is much above the sea- and conse-
queny have fresh water in the harbor which is
right at the The river here is about
of mile in width and is deep enough float any class
of vessels but the harbor is rather small large enough
to contain large feet comfortably unless the vessels be
small.
On the side of the river opposite the town there is
long sandy peninsula which curls around making the
harbor quite andocked Vanderbilt took possession of
this point for his steamers His agent Capt Banker is
employed putting up houses there for stores &c. he has
number Of men atwork The English it appears claim
that point also they it for quarantine ground
OF course they looked with jealousy at the building of
these houses and it appears that this location does not
please the Yankees of the town either for they want him
to there and make his depot SO at last the
English Consul gave order that he should yacate on the
lt day Of January, 1852 This he swore he would not
do and our pportune arrival that day probably pre-
vented his being forced off.
Mr. Vanderbilt considers himself entirely independent
Of any Mosquito Government for he made his contract
with the Ncanguans and he refused to pay the port
charges for the Prometheus until John Bull forced
him to do il.
Capt Banker has been very sick with the fever but is
recovering One of the steamboat captains died last
night with it. We have several men SICK but only
dangerously Americans very apt to catch the dis
ease, particularly those who work in the SUM-
JANUARY l5we are in hourly expectation Of the arri-
val OF the steamer Prometheus she due yesterday at
noon The critical ~ ono;r, world