New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-15

freIgth 20 be unfit 20 bear the fatigue of the land
travelling We, therefore resolved not TO stop. and
Mr. De c., being the best steerEnsn If the two took
the helmn and ordered the patron forward, where he
lay quietly on the luggage. DESTROYS Of making my
self also Of use, armed myself with an umbrella and
taking my station next my friend protect Us both
from the rays Of the sun, resumed journey with
increased impotence.
We were seated. Mr.. de c. and /, on a loose plank
placed across the stern, which was go narrow as TO
obllge ne to be seated partially the side Of the
boat The danger Of falling overheard should one of
us rise incauousy from his seat clear; there
fore promised each other TO be very careful and,
should one wish 10 quit his seat 10 give notice the
other before dong so; ard as exchanged this
premise We locked suspicousy at the turbid ssters
which rushed by ", and thought Of the agators Turk
ing beneath their surface.
We had just laboriOusly passed through narrow
arm OF the rver where the current, feariuy strong,
swept over treacheroUs snags IL had been al anx-
lous time We were Just beyond, and the current
was st difficult 10 stem. Just then my companion
perceiyng q large bird perch upon snag some twenty
Yards ahead Of US told me burriedly to shoot it, re-.
heyDg NE as be spoke Of the umbrella | carried. |
seized my gun and taking aim, bent forward, rising
UncOnsciousy in the act; sudden exclamation from
Nj &c G.. startled me and made look round 70 see
him fall backward into the river / endeayored 20
arrest his fall, but though threw down nv gun TO
seize quicker hold Of him, be vas, before could do
So carried beyond my reach The thought flashed
across my mind 10 leap into the water and hold him
up; and was on the point Of doing so when, to my
great relief, (for am but very Indifferent swmmer)
| that be had been carried by the current upon
sandbank, where he stood with the water his neck
struggling violently TO keep his footing. All this &C.
curTedn far less time than is required 10 tell IT, We
let the boat drift to where be was and picked him up
1t narrow escape. Had Mr.. de {. been
smaller man we could lot have saved him. When
had him safe again in the boat, laughed heartily,
now that all danger wGs past. Ny attention soon
became attracted by the chattering Of bOatmen,
who necessarily repeated - I'll ;usil i'll tone OF
row. 1 asked him what they meant, and was informed
that in MY attempt to arrest my friends iall had
thrown my gun into the rver-oGr worthy crew being
far more chacrned by the loss Of the said gun than
moved by the peril from which Mr.. de G. mad just
been rescued.
IT wac not necessary to stop to repair our cabin,
which had been broken in tie struggle We
steered, therefore toward the opposite side OF the
river and mOOred the boat in quiet water. The pa
irons attack of fever had passed, We gave him
strong dose of qunine, which We thought IN lar pro-
portion with his Hercuean frame. We ordered the
to eat their dinners, and set ourselves to repair
the wreck. The sun was very hot and the persplra
ton rolled down faces in streams AS we handled
the hammer and the bowe-knie. The job once nm
shed, had some trouble to bring our men together
and put off again into the stream. NJ dc L. was still
at the helm. but standing; TO the umbrella IL was
fairly in disgrace. We had not gone far when the
crew began 10 murmer and expressed their wish TO
stop for the day, though it not yet 1--we o'clock IN
the afternoon Ny companion grew angry. We had
worked hard TO repair the damaged cabin, "a work
which it was the crews duty to have done while they
quietly ate their dinner. There had been, moreover,
many causes OF delay throughout that day that
had put US back and given them many moments OF
rest; il was not reasonable therefore, IN them to
rlurrner The man who was the lOudest, ana who
actually threw his oar aside, the scoundrel l
have spoken Of already Our safety required that we
should not submit to such characterization. there
fore took up my revolver and with fegned resolution
drew back the cock threatening with an oath tn shoot
that man. if he did not work immediately. The cow
ard wigced when he the pistol and resumed his
our but with lOw-mutered threats. i ordered him to
be silent If be wished not to be shot like a dog.
Meanwhile his comrades, very much frightened en-
treated him TO be quiet and violently accused HIM OF
endanler all their lives by his conduct the patron
s6ong. TO my great amusement " These Americans
are not to be trHed with" The man at last began
to row. 10 my great satisfaction for what should
have done had he continued to refuse could not IN
conscience have shot the man for such trific, and
still had they not feared us we should have been com
pletely at their mercy.
We continued our journey more peaceably after this
show Of savage energy, especially as we were careful
whenever our boatmen bad worked more severely
than ueual ia difficult pass OF the river ~ express
our satisfaction by giving them good drink OF brandy
This kept them ia good hum0r, and frequently after
the anchor had been let dewn and the boat well Sc
cured and their supper disposed Of they would break
forth into some native song, the mOn0tdnous cadence
OF which would harmOnize well with the profound
solitude which suTrg unded ms
Late in the afternoon of the fourth day we quilted
the San Juan River and entered the SaraPqu but not
without epcounterng at its mouth the greatest danger
we had vet had to overcome. During the whole OF
our navigation on the San Juan our boatmen had con-
stanty been obliged to steer from side TO side Of the
river in order TO avoid the main force Of the current
and on these occasions generally lost much OF the
WAY previously made. Our rudder broke several
times. causing us much anxiety and delay. We were
now ON the northern bank Of the San JUAN facing the
entrance of the Ssrapiqu; our rudder was broken
airesb and declared by the patron who had resumed
his duty to be irreparabe. The San Juan above its
junction with the Sarapiqui takes suddenly southern
course and sweeps round 10 the east and rorth-the
Ssrapoui entering the southern point OF the bend
The waters shoot round this bend with fearful vlo
lence thrusting into the deep mud OF the southern
shore inst below the mouth Of the SaIapiqu count
less snacs which threaten you with destruction.
Where the two currents come into contact with each
other and mngle their waters, their Junction creates
hind of chopped sea, which is very dangerous; and
Il a the more so for us that had TO cross In the
midst of it. broadside 10 the San Juan current. we
were as have said the opposite side OF the river
and as looked at the prospect before US and thought
of our broken rudder, it appeared to me as hoping
so,ipst hone 10 expect ever to reach the opposite
sbore We crept along over the dull water In which
NO Law ss Gar as the projecting bank Afforded US
shelter and then pushed off into the stream Inc
current Immediately caught hold on the boat, when
the nstrop in vain endeaOred to steer Win the dsa-
bled rudder; broadsde 1t came 10 the wave, anu 'no
newt moment we were humping against some snags.
we extricated our boat and pushed out again Inc
boat still broadsiie TO the current rolled feirfuiy;
the natron saw the danger and calling TO us to weigh
ON one side he Quilted the helm, stepped along the
stern and in an instant was IN the midst Oh MS GREY"
He seized an oar from OF the men, and we couid
see that his whole soul in every stroke Az TINS
,fs frulv