The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-02-05
THE GAZETTE.
CITY OF DAyENPORT:
CENTRAL AMERICA.

fsnV. IUCItO OO - O0AsSUs~'1 sAsS ~~ss
Juan del Sue--Dec. 10, 1851"
ii left New York, June 2Sth for Cha
ore, al which place arrived the 9Th, and
was obliged to lay there until the l4th, to
take the British Steamer to San Juan.
reached the latter place the 18th and lay
there waiting for my s'mill" to arrive until
tho 22d, and then started up tho river for
Granada, on the first trip ofthe little steam
boat Sir Henry Bulwer,' with Com. Van
dsrbilt.
~ did not reach Grana ada until about the
4.h Of Aug, as !, with three others, was
left on tho river in a small boat by Com.
Vanderbilt and we suffered no little, being
obliged TO row ourselves in leaky boat
against a current 2 miles an hour, dis
,snce Of 80 miles and nothing to eat for 36
hours.
"From Granada travelled all through
that part Of the State (Granada you will
find at the upper end of Lake Nicarngua)
TO find the best location for our mill, spend
ing about three weeks in that business.
We then received the appointment Of
Agents OF the s'American Atlantic and Pa
c6c Ship Canal Company" at this place,
with instructions to proceed immedi atel,
to take charge. This was an offer not to
be rejected, and | started Immediately for
San Juan del Sue, or as il has been newl,
chrsiened Pineda City.
II found that the Company had no office
here, and in fact there were no buildings
10 The place save an old thatchroofed shed
for Hotel, and two or three tents and
hu,s found little cane hut owned by
native woman, which hired for SIS per
month, and set to work with my servant
to fS4, up for an Office. Il was modest
affdr tor an Olice for Company like this.
Ii was ,ha,ch.roof running down to the
ground on the two sidcs-which was u
saving Of cane, the gable ends were cane
tied together with species Of vine, and
the door was OF cane also, with vine hin.
ges The dimensions inside were by 10
feet. In one corner constructed wide
table, and covered il with "palate," or
native mating, and having placed on this
nv gold scales and ink stand, was ready
for passengers. Ny faithful 'sman Friday"
swung my hammock here too, and here we
slept, 10 the hammock aud he on the Ia
bic. In that little shanty | lived over
three months, doing there, all the business
of,he Company, dispatching thousands Of
passengers, some days taking in gold over
$4,000.
81 have had at one time in that little
hut, in dust and coin over Sl30,00O and
the town full ofihe wors, desperadoes from
California and Panama, aud no authorit,
10 the place. have often been obliged to
lay awake or sleep with my pistols In m,
hands to protect the gold have had there.
Some Of the passengers direct from the
mines are perfect devils, and know no law
but the pistol and bowie-knile. We have
had them here deliberately pass resolutions
,ohang tho Agents, because we could not
procure them mules MS soon as they wish
cd. We have had them come to us in
band, lourishing their revoIvers and swear
ing they would kill us unless we paid their
board while detained, they have placed
guards around the office TO sec that we did
not send the money we had away, and all
such scrapes.
"We have now built US quite nice Of
nee, with lasge private room back, and
'are'now living quite like christians. Be-
SIDES the Agency Of the Company, we are
also Agents for Vanderbiit's Steamers run
nIng between this port and San Francisco;
winch with our regular Commission bust
ness give US plenty to do, and we are do
ias q very satisfactory business.
Lam very we'll satisfied with my pros
pecls, in time we shall build up very
respectable business here. As for the
country, it is magnificent in tho extreme
Nature has done much, very much for it,
'ae land is unsurpassed for agriculture.
Ms mountains and valleys afford both sub
unity and beauty; the great Lake-.Nic-
'fagua" is perhaps one Of the most beau,i-
"' bodies Of waler in the world, aud the
'"er San Juan is unapproachable. There
ahe'd here for every variety Of industry.
ror iarming where is there better place
iae land as said before is as good as can
0o' two crops year are raised and with
"al'ng cultivation, or it mining is prefer
'eaCalitornia has 40 richer mines than are
% be found in Central America-gold, sill
.ef' lead, anything and everything.
:, The climate is exceedingly uniform.
I'VE nave about six months Of what is call.
eu The rainy season, when il rains pretty
''uch all the time, and six months Of the