New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-31
CENTRAL AMERICA.
III
AN INVOLUNTARY SOJ0VRN' ON THE
SARAPIQUI.

SARAPIQUL
We had hardly planted feet on the rough shore OF
Costa Rica when the few dirty and miserable looking
soldiers who formed the garrison of the plsee sur
rounded us and showed great anxiety 10 know who we
WERE and where came from. They all appeared puZ
zled and stupCed as II had been the hrst foreign
ers whom they had Certainly, our dresses torn
aud spoiled By the Journey as they were, locked very
strange, and the great number OF trunks, nled WIN
instruments and other apparatus which scientific
tourists can as little spare Ms travelling ladies' their
hatboXes aud dressingcases could easily give rise TO
the suspicion that We had some smuggling purpose 10
view. And, indeed, those of the surprised soldiers
who supposed that such would be our design did by no
means guess the worst for every intelligent foreigner
who visits remote halfbrute country, smugges some
new ideas some refined habits and customs irto 1t,
and the shock to which unciyzed nations are exposed
by this Kind of unta xed Struggled manners IL much Sc
than the loss which the treasury has to endure
from the introduction of contraband manufactures
From this distance, twenty-five miles or eight and
Onethrd leagues calculated for the voyage on tho
San Juan. and twenty miles or six and twotfIrd
leagues for that on Sarapqui River.
While our were discharging the boat and carry
ing all our little things up the hill demanded to
the commandment the principal officer Of the piece
The former absent on visit to GreytO"n, and the
latter presented himself in the person oi sioky, rag
ged barefOOted corporal, who introduced himself Vith
an air of gravity rs the cabO.' We RENTED 10 thus
strange parsonage circular letter 70 the authorities
of Costa Rics, with which the ambassador OF that We.
public at the Cabinet of Washington, Don Felipe
Molina one of the most intelligent ami distinguished
gentlemen of the country Kind enough to favor Us
But neither the "cabo" nor the other five soldiers
which formed the garrison of the place were able TO
read This circumstance placed Us in the most sngu-
lar positon-to explain that the official document in
strncted The authorities of Costa Rica 10 facilitate and
promote. by all means in their power, our journey
through the country and our scientific researches
But even the name OF the subscriber of the dOcr-
ment Don Felipe Molina, the pride OF the Costa III
cans and one of the few political capacities Of Central
America Was unknown to this military auditory, and
the official seal OF the Republic IN which we had placed
SO much confidence, seemed at this, its first use, 70
prove OF little advantage
There were no mules TO be found at the Muelie
which we could have continued our journey TO. San
jose and although offered 20 take upon US all re-
sponsibilty vet the corporal but little inclined %
dispatch one Of his subalterns as messenger 10 the
next settlement where sufficient mules for our trans
pOrtation could be procured However, 1t was mrch
less the anxiety of committing an 0iense against DIS
cpne than the sight OF our bright guns and other arms,
which prevented the cautions corporal from send-
Ing soldier He seemed afraid OF weakening By this
measure still more his little garrison But this reu
sal surprised no longer when we learned from one
of the bOatmen. who brought our baggage under the
howell and who stretched out his brown hand, exactly
ike civilized porter for gratuty that the corpO
raj "a we'll the soldiers inquired very nnxlOusly If
they lad nothing to fear from and whether we were
really nothing but peaceabe weldsposed passengers
This fear, ridiculous as it appeared in tie first mo-
nent, seemed 10 US, nevertheless quite Justified, as
soon inspected this forest barrack and the
miserable condition OF all their and instruments
Of defense In corner few rusty guns OF the
most ancient shape aud fashion and others better
quality, we're hanging Ike hams prepared for smoAng,
ON strings above the hearth in the kitchen; in the
whole establishment there was beside paddles, hooks
and long knives only one good gun ard this WAS prn-
cpaly used to increase their means of subsistence b.
hunting
According TO tie appearance Of the figures who now
surrounded US with inqusltiveness Unsuitable and
who watched over all our goods and movements, one
would have supposed, either that the place where
stopped wac very unhealthy, or that il served hos
pta to the military inyaIds Of San Jose for beside
the corporal, all the other soldiers we've afflicted with
ieyers and fingered about in the Plost pitful way.
Their food was chiefly a vegetable diet consisting o.
boiled paintains bread-fruit like melons, (papayas,J
coffee and what the luck Of the gun the hsh-hook
provided
To an European in general and an Austrian in par
cuar the sight OF this outpost OF the military force OF
Costa Rca could not ia.l 10 produce singular impress
sion. We were. until now, accustomed 10 perceive
the warrior in imposing condition, dressed and
armed in the most splendid style, at heavy expense
10 a whole nation. We had witnessed the deporable
spectacle OF entire estates brought to the border OF
bankruptcy by the riches spent increase the masn
heence and pomp Of well-dsciplined spiendidy equip
ped mercenares and il required time 10 persuade
our Imagination that halinaked militia man withou,
shoes or helmet, and nothing but gun on his brown
uncovered shoulder. should b. able TO defend the lib
ery OF his free primitive country with greater energy
and than the hired soldier in gold differing
dress with sabre aud musket to match it,
The poor soldiers at the Sarspiqui were in such
degree destitute Of the most common necesstie,
OF life that they able Ia sell nothing but some
dulce (the unrefned, hardened juice Of sugar cane
ana coffee and as our own provisions were nesrl,
exhausted. longer stop in this uneasy quarter
seemed BY advisable as it was dicst to "a,
how soon should be able to get out of this scrape
Our provisions Of bread sugar and cogrsc had beer
already exhausted and we found ourselves now redu
ced TO coffee rice and meat biscuit II was in thi
moment particularly that learned To appreciate tn
great adv antaees of Mr Bordens invention which nov
constituted the principal part Of our nourishment
The more use We made Of the meat biscuit the bette