New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-24
CALIFORNIA.


West and arrived San Juan del hictragal on Friday
morning. April l5cast anchor IA me bay close 70 the
sloop-ofwsr Crane The British Mail steamer and two
other trading vessels we're also ylng there oar o1g
the passengers we're sent over 70 GreytOwn free Of
pense Greytoan is handsomely situated on the OppO-
site aide Of che barbor from the Transit COmpanys
dfp6t about two miles distant; but vessels get
within mile Of il. account Of shOal water. The
town contains some 800 inhabitants and nearly many
buildTDgs-msny Of them being warehouses. Some OF
them do large wholesale busness-merchandise,
liquors &c being admitted duty free. The trade Is
principally with the upryer country. The natives bring
dowb dyewoCds, coffee. rice sugar, fruits hides, me
dicual TOots &c, in their Bungalows, crude boats ca
out Of the trunk Of tree) Every person here keeps
tavern The establishments are butt OF bamboo and
thatched with pslm--mere OUTDOOR sheos put having
the most astounding big names, such as the Irving
House Astor United States, Congress, Saranac, st.
Charles Revere, sc. We put up at the Saranac pay
ing 81 per meal and - for bed which consisted Of
piece Of canvass stretched across two poles Two meals
Der day is the fashion here, and If is well that it is for
they are 80 execraby bad that is quite enough 70
endure GreytOWn holds itself 20 be free aud indie
pendent State, owing no allegiance TO Nicaragua. IL
elects its mayor, town council constable, &c. We
purchased supplies here for the up river siege, con-
sspe Of one dozen caret and five lOaves of good fresh
bread Claret is the only wholesome drink that can be
procured the river water being very the Their
moneter runs up 20 1902. Some articles can be pro-
cured here cheaper than in New-IOrk Saturday morn
inc the boat came round 10 the wharf and took party
on board The New-Orleans passengers had TO remain
over until Monday for another boat ostensby, but in
reality 20 let the GreyowDers have further chance to
puek them. The water very low but we got along
very well for about ~ miles when the boat stuck
snpo bar The passengers had all 20 shore ia the
lighter the baggage also, being handled very much like
cord wood then hawser taken out and made fast u
tree the Wnd8gs manned and steam let on, but the
obdurate vessel wouldn't inch. The captain
then Ia man possessing all the authority OF the great
moeuD told the passengers they must either jump into
the water and help light her off, stay there for
week Some seventy FIVE or hundred went into the
water and worked for hours. Finally, after breaking
the hawser four times and good deal of swear
inc and lifting, she swung of. IL being now
nqLt We cast anchor and slowed ourselves pel-mell
anywhere and every sheTe until morning. Started at
dsJbreak but didn't 90 far before she struck again. and
the same scene had 70 be enacted again every few miles
for Two days, making only ten miles IN that time sun
dsy evening We had to walk about two miles through
forest vines ebreak DC 0i the most dense decrp-
ton throwing into the shade thing OF the kind ever
experienced by the undersigned Monday evening we
reachedt Colorado drains OIL more than four
fttbs OF the San Juan From this point up 20 the Lake,
the river wide and deep with the exception Of or
two rapds which we have wall around and take other
boats The ladies' of course, are Mt obliged 20 walk,
mules being provided for them by the Company. Ira
dtion saws that the Colorado cut through by the
Spanish Government TO prevent any armed vessels from
coming I'D the river TO invade the country Inc Fort
al Castillo is said to have been taken at one time by
Lord Nelson; how true this is, cannot say, but the
river there and the old grown castle also there
with the shot marks in the walls Stephens History of
Central America gives a minute description of this
ejent work Trees one foot in diameter growing
ont Of the inner walls. We saw some hne specimens
OF Comedian taken out Of the bill near the fort The
Fails OF Castillo short but very rapid NumerOus'
sharks aud other fish seen here constantly jump
ing up.
these Falls 10 carry che baggage to the boat on The other
side This boat is larger than those beow-havng side
laais has nd 90 u "A
son without any trouble. This boat goes up to the
Lake boat in about six hours The river here is very
deep and almost without current.
The largest class 0f steamboats, sail here. aud in
fact they could al the way up, the Colorado was
damned aud the Instructions were taken out OF the
!. Fails The Company say they intend dong tins, but
they say great many things they don't dc or can't do
IN Is yery difficult 10 procure labOrerS and mechanics.
The Company offered $3.50 per month, and board 70
carpenters and $50 TO common hands, but out Of the
whole compsny Of gold seekers there was but one man
who accepted.
The lake boat comes down the river fifty miles She
is large and cOmmOdiOus, and can accommodate loo
passengers small boat would be- unsafe 10 cross the
lake as the waves run very hIgh az tunes; ms boat
was brought up the lake last November The people IN
the States have no idea of the size and extent OF this
river and lake Near Virgin Bay is large island some
ten miles in circumference upon tins are tvs blgh
sugarlOai pesks-One OF them reaches 10 tne clouds
It's top was out Of sight the day landed at Virgin Bay
To give YOU some i0ea OF its hight merely assure you
that you could see from both the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans.
Tie boat arrived at the depot Of the Transit Com
pany Virgin Bay, at A. NJ, and cast anchor hall mile
from the shore The Company are building wharf out
10 the anchorage but for the present they are obliged TO
land the passengers in large iron lighter The bag
gage is all taken ashore first and taken into the depot
and weighed aud marked. Then comes the rush AMI
scramble for the first chance TO ~ ashore. BY one
O'Clock we were all landed partook Of dinner of the
worst kind and began TO look around for male or
horse About one thousand head are Kept here all the
time The poor animals never see such luxury as
mouihful ofgan They are turned out On the plans TO
pick up what they eau. During the rainy season they
fare tolerably well, but they are very poor The
ground is dry and parched, and yields them next to
nothing.
The next movement is to go to the Office, point out
your baggage pay the 10 cents pound take your checks
mount your mule aud be OIL at your leisure, or as fist as
circumstances will permit. Some go through Ia -
hours others require OF 4.
The Company furnish the mule, or give You SO if you
choose TO walk They have few sdesaddles' but most
of the ladies ride asride- some fall of but none get
hurt The road is go0d-about threefOurths OF 1t Is
Graded and nacadamized and bridged done by the ma
tiyes The Company has several hundred of them en-
ployed They work about four hours fairly. In the
middle OF the day they are either swinging in their ham,
uocks or living flat on their backs under the shade
crest fat abberly fellows They work all by task or
piece They carry the earth upon their heads IN raw
hide buckets despisirg the use Of wheebarrro" by
= O'Clock in the evening reached San Juan del SUI
and supped 8t the Pachc Hotel, kept by straight mar
row. bodied stiff one-eeged renegade Yankee Ihe
white men here and all through Central America are
set of the most wO thes characters imaginable-men
Who have been guilty of fragrant crimes IN California,
and have beer obliged fee the country and dare not
GO home 10 the States for fear OF being hung Here thy
are safe aud practice all kinds Of mpOlons GA travel
ers and make the people az home believe that the na'