The Empire County argus., 1855-06-09
NO. %.

COLONEL K1NNEYs EXPEDITION. The new Mica.
ragua expedition which is proposed by Col. Kinney,
is designed it is said by those interested, to settle
upon a tract of a million and half acres of land,
principally in the mountainous district OF Chon-
tales and bordering upon the northeast shore OF
the large aud beautiful lake of Nicaragua. 1t is
asserted that this tract Of country is the legal pro-
perty of the Nicaragua Land and Mining Compa.
ny, Of which Colonel Kinney and Mr.. Fabens are
the prominent leaders. large portion of it, they
state. has been purchased from the government and
church of Nicaragua, and the title to the remain
der rests in certain land owners connected with the
company, who desrous of inducing Americans
to come and reside there. The country and eli.
mate represented to be delightful in every res
pect The land is billy and even mountainous,
and is watered by numerous rivers, in the beds Of
which gold and silver are found. The development
of these mineral riches is object of the expedi.
ton. The soil is very rich and suitable for the
culture OF cotton, tobacco sugar corn and rice. 1t
is said that three crops Of corn may be obtained
yearly. All the fruits incident to tropical climate
grow there and the woods afford refuge for many
varieties Of wild animals. Chontales is also famous
as pasture country, and herds of cattle may be
seen everywhere upon its pasture lands.
The proposed LONE of the eJ peditionsts is some
eight miles distant from San Juan, and the Nicara.
qua river, which affords the means of communca-
ton, is deep and narrow navigable stream. The
lake is about eighty miles in length by sixty in
oicdulu anu 10 ouiiOuLucu Wy
which is settled by Spaniards and has many very
comfortable haciendas and some populous towns
and cities. The lands Of the company are located
upon a popular route from the eastern States to
California. Passengers by this route transport
ed up the river and across nearly the whole length
of the lake, and then conveyed distance Of
twenty miles to the landing on the Pacific shore in
stages.
Virgin Bay, the termination of the steamer route
upon the lake, is little American town, built up
since the opening of the line. The old Spanish
town of Granada situated few miles to the north
ward, Contains fifteen thousand inhabitants and
that of Leon, n few miles further to the north on
Lake Leon has twenty thousand, There are ex-
tensve plantations Of sugar tobacco, coffee and CO.
coa in the neighborhood of these large towns,
though. owing to the natural Incidence of the ma
tives their cultivation is by no means as thorough
and profitable as it might be made.
Colonel Kinney intends that his eolonists, upon
settling the northeast shore of the lake, shall
work the mines, cut down and export the valuable
woods such mahogany, satin wood, rosewood,
black cedar, Braz lletto aud Nicaragua, in which
the country abounds and last but not least teach
the inhabitants the American method Of farming.
He believes that ere long they would create revo-
luton in the art of agriculture it is practsed
there, or by finding new and profitable markets for
their pr ductions, introduce spirit Of energy and
enterprise into the business of cutivatng the soil
which cannot but be productive of good effect
Boston Journal