New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-10
Metz lork Uailp 9rihmaae
CENTRAL AMERICA.
SAN MIGUEL.


mspt il considered very wealthy, still the EXTREMIST
poverty was visible in the whole household which
not to be compared with the poorest farm of German
peasant Neither chair pos .a1io nor any other iur-
niure excepting hammock filed the spacious room
and the little property Of the family hanging round
on rmal strings in the air Instead of finding at this
establishment as described by the soldiers OF the
"Muelle,p milk, bread, and meat in abundance, and
better couch than the damp ground we had TO satisfy
ourselves in former days with the national dishes of
tie natives and with their usual resting places
We made it our first business to negotiate with the
patron" or landlord for the hire OF a number Of
mules, necessary TO forward our friends and our lug
gage frem the debarketion point at the Sarapiqu river
to San Jose. in this moment the natiOI al character
presented Itself again in its irresolution and midty
contract which in any civilized part Of the globe
would have been concluded with few words, required
on the continent of New Spain a long, tiresome,
less conversation Of several hours duration, and al
though none OF the family excepting lad of about IL
years were able to read or write still it the cspe
cia demand of the landlord that the agreement should
be made in writing. This request put TO little
trouble, for knowledge of Spanish idiOm yet
too imperfect to enable us to draw up in decent d.
pomatc manner mule treaty.
Nevertheless by means OF our knowledge OF the ltal-
ian language got along pretty well, and the dOcu
ment was drawn up after two hours Of reflection tho
mule treaty was signed and ratified by both powers;
the letting and the paying AS in all treaties whether
of diplomatic or civil nature, the cipher played the
principal part, and the gray old proprietor
Of the mules perceived his exaggerated demand painted
with big cphers the paper he excused every other
hult of photography or style.
In the afternoon we had sad duty to perform. The
young settlement Of San Miguel contained already three
green Ombs the mute inhabitants of which were poor
German emigrants, our cOuntrymen. The lie OF an
emigTant is generally simple that relation OF it
seldom forms material enough to fill even few pages;
and yet the few events which mark its gen.
orally sufficient to break one heart.
! We visited the graves OF our countrymen with more
than ordinary regret 1t was not the common sor-
row felt at the loss of life in so desperate stua-
tiep it was the painful reflections aroused by the
social and political condition of Germany which makes
Thousands fly from their iatberland and seek in for
eign unknown countries for another home, that made
our pulse beat stronger, our heart feel deeper A
great number of German emgrants leave their country
in condition Of mind little fit for the task they pro
pose to accomplish. They arrive generally on the for
eisn shore with little no knowledge OF the country
or eo Oh which they intend to establish themselves
The consequences of such mode of acting are easily
foreeen the exiles fall into the hands of unjust mer
chants and usurers and end their lives as white Slaves
or they keep up their independence and die as in the
present for want OF sufficient care or by the us
eases Of the country.
In the fall of the year 1850 vessel with 81 persons
ysled from Bremen to Greytown. They all lett their
home with the hope and almost the certainty OF better
ing their condition in the new world, all looking ior
ward with delight to the happy life which awaited
them in the land of eternal spring in Costa klca
They arrived after two months sail at the Port OF Mica
raeua del Norte, and continued their journey, sur
rounded by great difficulties and Privatons to San
Jose Three years have passed since these oil emi.
grants padded in their ral pOng0 up the Saraplqu
River. And what was then fate Out of 81 persons
only three families are alive, all the rest having sue
eumbed to circumstances for which they we're not
prepared Nineteen died at San Jose soon after their
arrival are inferred at the Punto of the Sarapiqu
9ded at Miravally at Alajuela, and the bones OF
carpenter by the name of Lirenberg, from Saxony,
Who from certain indications had probably been torn
ing at night in the forest his journey to San jose
lie buried together with his wife and child under the
evergreen tombs at San Miguel
Towards evening several laborers returned home
from the forest in which they had been occupied IN
clearing large tracts OF land and the cultivation OF plan
tsns and Indian corn As the rain had already set in,
they made OF long large pisang leaves for umbei
las and seemed perfectly well protected. All these la,
borers Of pale sick and rough appearance and
BY the savsgeDess of their dress and manners, they
made in spite of the holy images which hung round
their necks most uneasy impression After travelling
for longer period, perhaps, in this country, by be-
coming accustomed to the sight OF these beggar-
Hike ragged costumes to the brown and stern looking
faces which for months have felt drop OF purifying
water, and to the wild primitive growth OF the hair
of the natives, the intercourse with them WILL no
doubt lose much of its repulsye character But dur
ing the FIRST few days of their acquaintance, these
o1,b sons of the mountains cause in the foreigner not
withstandng their timdity andcowardice' most un-
pleasant feeling -
We have Travelled for the last fourteen years, and
chiefly alone in the remotest parts OF the world and
an ug the most opposite races, but no where ala we
ever feel ourselves so much oppressed by sense OF
uncertainty and uneasiness, as when among the rude
inhabitants Of Central America. This circumstance
cannot by any means be attributed to our insucieht
knowledge OF the language the country alone or we
dwelt for several months in the most agreeable ana
confidential manner with the Indian tribes west oil the
Mississippi, and were much less acquainted with the
Indian tongue than with the Spanish language. Ihe
cause OF this feeling oil uneasiness and discomfort seems
therefore to be chiefly in the character of the natives
themselves who in spite of their free republican Gov
eminent have the most submissive and bringing man
ners which gives their aspect much more suspicious
expression
I'm the morning at the same moment ON which we
started Tor Jose the little of mules and drivers
was setting out for the Muele, leaving us the agreea-
HE bope Of soon meeting friends in the capital of
the Republic We had now TO pass over immense
steep hills covered with a attceike partly mpene-
trabb primitive growth, and 1t was only alter an
tedious journey of six hours that we reached
the lonely settlers hut Of CarBanco, in the vicinity
af river of the same denomination. What made
proceeding still more difficult and fstigung was the
sudden indsposton Of the driver Of our mule Sleep
inc AZ night in the open air without any cover MS
dress wet from the rain, he had severe attack OF
asre and having wounded himself besides on the sole
~ his left foot he became entirely unit for walking
spy further. Humanity as well as anxiety to get
n. induced US 10 dispense with the comfort oil
mule ride over the steep hills in favor OF the sick
skiyeripg driver and so we assembled with tho most
fnl Efforts these imposing attitudes foot; falling
s~metmes into the mud above our knees, whilst the
driver was following us pretty comfortably on the
hsek az the mule The unaceastomed heat Of the tro
nes the little rest we had during the foregoing nghs
The want of nourshng food, and tue oad sss o' tue
sores,.rosd caused US 10 arrive at Carl lSuco 10
49,: Nm rendered The continuation Of S.T Jc3s