New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-18
THE DARTEN EXPLORATION
THE ROUTE IMPRACTICABLE-
REPORT % A MEMBER OT ra2 EXPEDITION.

Fxps6on. and tor The ssi'ty " liz u~ cra" 7 mo POI"
rel oiled upon to make gensl siren~D' Of wh' has
bsppcn,d 90 MT howev,T Pc urae IS vea' f'ef |"
the execution To srcps;s 'he oeisl report which che
s,,,,,rv of ,hs NAVY vii no doubt make public
1,a tcs cor ueet.i with toe dspsfeh o; the party are
w,n kroNr-tle story of Dc Cullen tie seGdDy o' W.
S,ho4ue 10 verify T. bis ofcial rporf win w. maps
ulsrs prot Is snd estimates al placing me pnp~o'
brc Of Communication ross the Ishmus 81 D-ren IN tho
mos, favorable lcht The highly respectable eharse'f@
ar Gsborres constituents cauSd the pubic 10 overlook
oe-sr assumptions in his statements and though was
evident that his estimates incorrect vet t was 'ip
.ihe to r,cad teo whole scheme baebie ana when
orr Cvernu.rt in H. chsracsr Of protector of the isto
nus ard patron OF oter o'eanc CONTEMPLATION ws' sp
uoscted hv so agent OF ths comoeny there wss no hess
talon IN extending the cruise ct the Oysne 20 "e1o''s
Bay ard in placing small appropriation IN ths hahis OF
L.u' Sr,in form party ia the rsconnasance OF ths
proposed nu'c Little difficulty vas anticipsei anu tbs
r,sourcss Of supposed 30 be nearly sam
Cert fr ths survey IL h'rdy be believed that nearly
M the representations with regard TO the lshnas By the
canal pre,co have been pr we'd false ~" the main
stuIe. OF tie country ;slb nj conceived and thai
scheme which only ssed,pg fraud has oesons
est crninsl one involving the safety OF L'sat srsn
a. d his party o twenty officers aad men.
The Cysne ioucbed first At Csrlhsgens for infcrmrlo1
with reesrd the isLmus and to secure thero1pr,icn
Of the Government OF New GrsnsdA While there iniit
hsd been detailed or the service and thai ths Cysns
was expected TO ioin them der instructors took yn
zance of this ano after waving days for Col CoiaGnl
Superintendent OF the General Survey Ut NewGHlsih
she sailed for Caledonia Bay. where shs arrived Jan H.
Little information had been ob'Gired at Carthagens but
that little was unisyorsbe Two gentlemen mad been sent
by the Governor 10 The Indians and prepare the way
for tse survy
Caledonia Bay extending into the Channel of Lasaidi
-. oral nv
and rocky Islands The entrance is shallow aud
e,posed the eastern though narrow, carries abundant
depth Of water A compile chart OF this bay has been
made by the Cysnes officers The general aspect OF the
country the water is most unp'opious ranges of bill
above hl rise back to lofty chain Of mountains. all
dousely wooded
Immediately upon the arrival Of the ship. the Indians
from the neghbong vlsges came on board and request
ed that no one should land until the chiefs had been con
,uled Several OF them speak imperfect English picked
Up among the coast traders Next day grand couoc was
held on beard the Cyane The principal men of the eoun
try for thirty miles up and down asss, I'd They showed
as had expected great jealousy Of any ATTEMPT 10 enter
their territory They represented the hills and forests o.
barriers pla,ed by the Almighty against any canal they
spoke Of the dangers from Wild beasts, from ssamps and
forosis At last full permission was given to traverse
peacefully tie country, aud this was confirmed sons days
s.rwsrd By an envoy from the head o:the nation Man
droo Bay These Indians are a dmnutve bu, active
race .d in toe use OF firearms and the bow and crro~
They Gu tvste The considerable extent the pro
duct of ilis coast being much esteemed
Copt Hollns took all possible precautions against hos
. on the mart of The Indians and thero has been
reoson to suspec, Of eachery At this time wa were
not informed OF the murder of Capt Prevosts msn a~f
wards when the natives charged with they said that
the people vi the interior seeing these intrudefs ei"d
th a. enemies a. they had eneed the couaty without
permss.n I merely mention this TO show that they pre-
tudd at least To consider their permission as guarantees
sgenst attack
ne mouth of the Caledonia River whose the pro
roso canal route follows is not accessible account OF
Heavy sur the only safe Gndog is about tso miles anda
half Distant in shallow water Tho action OF the waves
has raised dyke The mouth OF the River forming deep
roo above the flows rapidly ths dyke about
10 1t wide and deep The other streams flowing into
II o bay are much smaller A mile above s mouth the
Caledonia becomes shallow ropd stream, running overs
pebbly bottom When Mr. Osborne went mp with his
psriy be pointed the point where the Indians turned
him back bis previous trip, about three miles from ths
leach.
Our course lay along this stream sometimes waiing In b
bed, somenm,s wadDg in its bed, sometimes ounng In
the thick Jungle on its banks SIX miles up by
tho winnings Of the stream, about four IN straight
lre the rver dvides, both its branches have been
traced r and upd have their sources go to 1000 feet
high in the Cordera The descent of the River to this
point about 90 feet
The party which len the Cysne consisted Of twenty
,even persons Lieut. Strain, aesrs PruIton haury ana
Garland Of The Navy DR. Bird Msssrs Bosgs, ksue~sll
Nayo and HoIns, OF the Survey Lshods Castillo aud
Polspco dispatched by the Governor Of Carhsg ena hsrs
Hocomb and Avery Volunteers at CaTihsgenab and my
self with thirteen picked from the Cysne Every man
carried bis own provisions for days blanket arms am
rnuttior &c The object across the coun-
y determine general character and return for tbs regu
lar sutyey Had Lieut. Strain anticipated the kind OF work
found his prepar aiops would have been csrsaI MI
Gboroes off ial report led him to expect plain country
divided BY ridge of hills $50 feet in hight and on the
other side Of the the valley Of the River Lsyasa flowing
direct the Pacific
In FLOWING up the west branch OF the Caledonia on tho
third dsy and having already attained an eevs'on OIL
abou, zoo feet to gorge 10 the mouussn whre
the porpbyrc rocks precpous on each SIDE ford pooA
In the deep to pass without wettng everything
The order given by Lieut. Strain TO pass over Tue ope
above this gorge and rejon the river beyond we clam
bered mn and in about twenty minutes Ave Of the party
found their way separately iao the bed Of the aove
II YVES bad biz Of hill, covered with tangled tropics
forest growth Amer waiting sufficient time It sup
coed hat the remainder of the party had in pursuance Of
he order reached the higher rp and We proceeded
so,yy along firing shots concerted heard shots In
,rrgerapparcn,y above and confirmed 10 our previous
bel continued leayit notes Of progess We encamped
N at ght few square feet Of sock having reached an
elevston OF about 700 fee 10 the midst Of mPrasoabls
maintains the stream mere torrent falling in successive
cascades.
The next morning we cut 10 hs top Of bill zoo or 1000
fee, above u 500 above tho nothing TO DO seen
exon, an uubi,ken mass Of densey wooded mountains
4, W. Lad no COMPASS progress Impossible In tho
woods we retained, and finding no traces oil toe party