Polynesian., 1853-01-15
Nicaragua News.

! BY reference to the Webster and Cramp,on
treaty you will discover that the whole of the lef,
bank of the Rio San Juan is awarded to the State
of Costa Rica. Now, about sixty miles up the
river, on that left bank, is situated village, called
1 the Castillo, (from the rapids Castitlo Tieio,)
settled almost wholly by Americans, employed by
and most Of them dependent upon the Transit
Company, or the business incident thereto. This
Is the halfway stopping place of the transit,
where passengers are transferred from one steamer
to the other; and this point has never been denied
to Nlcaragua-never was claimed by either Costa
Rica or Mosquito. res
Since the PRONUNCIATION of that treaty, Nicara-
qua has been sending small bands Of soldiers,
from time to time, to that point, until at length,
she has concentrated there force of about two
hundred, under the command of Colonel Montene-
gro, famous In the annals OF the warfare of the
State. What the object of this large body of
soldiers at this small village could be- we, this
town, could not divine but snspecting-and, as
have learned, justly, too-that attempt upon
this place was meditated, and having become
somewhat alarmed by various reports that they
were slowly moving down the river, we made pre-
paratlons to defend our own |" de facfo" independ-
ent government until our self-constituted guard
lans. the United States and Great Britain, should
bid US surrender. Two military companies were
organized from among the Jamaicans, and one
among the Americans and Germans-the latter
choosing for their officers Capt. B. Mooney and
Lieuts. Charles Wassmann and H. l.. Stevenson.
The three companies have been drilling nightly,
and are prepared to meet any force with whit b
Nicaragua may attempt to subdue US. Several
nights the town has been posted round about with
watchful sentinels; but in consequence of symp-
toms OF revolution having been again discovered
In Leon, the government were unable to spare a
force large enough for the enterprise projected
few months since, Nicaragua might have gained
fhQ of fhar a<<ft hx,E Ehovn
concessions, and the permission of exercising our
own municipal affairs; but having enjoyed the
delights of independence for season, we are not
disposed to yield to power scarcely superior to
ourselves. si
Other motives beside the above, actuated Mics.
ragua in garrisoning the Castillo, viz: to erect a
custom house there, to oblige the Transit Co. to
pay stricter obedience to the terms of their chaf-
ter, and more respect to the laws of the country.
to prevent smuggling, and to keep an eye on Costa
Rica, for it would be difficult matter for that
State to invade Nicaragua via the Senapaqui
river.
The management of the transit has much i'm
proved under the supervision of Thomas Baldwin,
ESQ.,, the present general agent: but it is sadly
deficient In steamboats, judiciously constructed
There some on the way out believe. There
is fault on the Pacific side of this route-a def
cheney of good, rapid steamships. For example,
when the steamship Pacific comes down, the pas
sengers are landed in New York in twenty three
days from San Francisco, but by no other vessel
is it accomplished SO quickly, showing the capa-
bilities of this route if properly equipped. Ii ls
quite clear that this is the quickest route, by an
average of FIVE days; but great reform is needed
in all its stages to enable it to regain its dnn-
ished reputation. would say to the Accessory
Transit Co.. to place the necessary facilities in the
hands of the present general agent, and their
portion of the California journey will be properly
performed, then renovate the ocean journey on
the Pacific, and the Nicaragua route will again
become popular.