New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-15

and Il was not without some anxiety that esch .
turn pasted over il at q slow pace, the rotten
beams bending and vibrating beneath our weight
at every step We took.
Tho Rsron was in the midst of his workmen.
He appeared very happy 70 see US ana we'conied
MS to bis rustic retreat. His house was nearly
fuishel and has been built on the plan OF SWISS
cottage on the brow Of Mill In full view OIL the
volcano Of Turialva which shows ITS mighty mead
f.r above the intervening mountains: IN whenever
direction you look from the balcony OF his house
N. pripssval forest meets the eye. Inc whole
country around is succession OF hills aud Valleys
of great fertility. About fifty or sixty acres
have been cleared in the vicinity OF the mousse
hut the colony as yet exists only in the sal
snine Imagination Of its protector, who unfor-
nstely for the success Of his undertaking, wastes
his energies and money which would be better EN-
ployed on the colony in searching the track oil the
road the native company OF Carriage undertook
20 omen. The site OF this future colsnyi Is lower
than the level of the central valleys; It enjoys
therefore a warmer and pleasanter climate. we
remained two days with the worthy Baron ana
listened attentively 20 the endless explanations ne
chose to give MS, be pointed from the open gal
ery of his cottage TO the thickly wooded valley oil
This. where in course of time he hopes to see
thriving villages and highly cultivated fields In
lieu of the trachless forest which now clothes
the surrounding country.
The valley Of Carriage, through the whole
length of which we passed on cur way 20 the
Reventazon is much smaller than the vale! o,
San Jose. IL contains only one town, the oId
capital of the country. Carriage, ana numerous
Indian vii ages dispersed on the banks OF tae
streams or placed midway up the mountains: Inc
Reyentazon which we had just been WISHING Is
formed by the junction of three torrents the Aqua
Caliente $50 named from the thermal sulphurous
nlpl m ~ n
distance from Cartago,) the Navarro, whose
whole course lies between the ridges OF the Cor
dlera, south of the former capital OF Costa hica'
and another the name Of which has escaped my
memory.
The volcano of Carriage and its northwestern
prolongaton, the chains of Barbs aud the aqua
cate. are the backbone Of the Cordluers IN this
part Of the Istbmus, the waters OF the valley OF
San Jose flowing into the Pacific, while those OF
Carriage empty themselves into the Atlantic. The
whole of the Immense territory OF Costa hica,
with tie exception of the upper valleys nave
mentioned is an imperyious forest, known only 10
the beasts of prey which rove through It's sunless
depths. and 10 a few independent Indian tribes;
hut this forest covers riches which viii be iound
when the natural resources OF the country shal1
have been developed by large immigration OF
stronger race OF men, to be me&haustiole' Inc
soil is of q marvellous fertility, and within IT'S
bosom contains some of the richest mines. But
the immigrants must remember that il this fertility
il an earnest of the wealth they may attain II Is
also one of the great obstacles against Wuio.
they will have 10 contend, for IT Is produced
nv the extreme dampness of the air and ny the
continuous rains which last seven months IN lne
settled parts of the country, and may be said I'd
last the whole OF the year In the districts tnes
would have to redeem from the wilderness Inc
natives estimate the cost OF clearing ana Prepar-
inc the soil of a man:dRa of land (about two
aeres) ~ 500; but have no doubt that an Amer
lean backwOodsman would do It for one-halI that
amount In the upper valleys, the value oil lana
varies greatly, according to the locality; mus
near San Jose land is bought and sold az from
SluO to $3.50 the manzans-if IN cultivation Oh
coffee, for instance, each tree Is rechohei apart
from the price ofthe so-the old tree, half reai'
Scents and the young tree just beginning to bear,
one real and half @. cents)-while at eient OF
ten miles in a direction west of Barba, manZaha
of land is not worth more than Slc. In the FOREST
the basis of the price of Government lands-that
at which they are put up az auctl0n-s TOl inc
absUeyia a measurement which contains I%O
acres. In the most favored districts, l. e.. near
the settlement of San Ramon, the Government
asks, however, q higher price.
The climate Of the valleys of the San Jose aud
Carriage. and other smaller ones which occupy the
table lands of the Cordillera, is, for tropical
country, quite healthy; and the only serious
disease the inhabitants complain OF IL dys-
pepsia should think also that cutaneOus dis
eases would be quickly developed there in per-
sons thus predspOsed. There are also some cases
of leprosy, a tendency TO drOpsy, and some women
affected with wens. AS for the seabOard, whether
on the Atlantic or Pacific, it is a mere ques-
ton of more or less unhealthiness--the Paclhc
side being the less fatal OF the two-though
Punta Arenas, the seaport of Costa Rica, on the
Gulf Of Nicoya, which is said by Mr.. Molina, IN
his sketch of the country, TO be healthy il de
cidedy the reverse, and subject TO inroads OF yell
low fever and even of black vOmit, as witnessed
during my stay in the country.
To the stranger residing at San Jose, the rainy
season is an absolute nuisance. The roads which
branch of from the town become impossible, and
he is therefore debarred from taking any foot ex-
ercise. 1t generally rains every afternoon the
mornings alone being fine. Between IL and 2,
during this portion of the year. heavy opaque va
pors curl over the SUBMITS of the Cerdlllera,
(which surround the valley, and rest entangled
among the tops of the dense forest which clothes
the nights. Loud claps of thunder echo from
mountain to mountain, but for a short time the
storm fingers. As the clouds accumulate they
creep along the deciivity or move between
the outstanding spurs OF the main chain; mere
they are luminous from the rays Oh the sun, WINE
further. under the shadow Of the mountains, they
remain dark and threatening; their masses, slow
" or rapidly moving, according to the direction
and strength Of the winds which blow through the
gorges mingle in strange contrast. AS the storm
increases, the vapors sweep down the mountain
ridges into the valley, and suddenly the whole sur
rounding country is lost to your view. Sometimes
this thick and stormy weather lasts two and three
weeks, with only short and occasional lull. This
the natives call "temporal;" fortunately, the
temporal" is not of frequent occurrence. l did
not witness during the rainy season passed
In Costa Rca