Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-09
r,,r xrNNEY NxpEp1TIoN.

To those who need them most
--s~s~-
THE KINNEY NxPEDITION.
The New York papers contain copious detail
in reference to Col. Kinney and Col Walker
Col. Kinney arrived at his place of destinatio
on the 10th of July. He landed without diff
Guilty, and seemed to satisfy the people that hi
was no hostile invasion, but peaceful expedition
His reception by the inhabitants was very enthu
sastic letter TO the Eue,.ing Post says:
ssThe next day, however, the Colonel wa
waited upon by Consul General Greene and Capt
Dobbie, who, in consequence of some stories
| which had been told them by an enemy to hi
| disadvantage, desired from him an interview, in
order to have full account Of the purpose, plans
| and history of his expedition. With this request
Col Kinney cheerfuly complied; and at the
house Of Mr. Geddes, the British consul at Grey
town, in the presence OF the above mentioned
| gentlemen, together with ConsGls Nelson and
Macon, and myself, gave at length the desired
information, tracing the opposition which his
| enterprise had encountered to the agents of the
Transit Company-enemies alike Of Nicaragua
and hmself-and charging the decree which that
government had been inveigled into promulga-
ton for his exclusion, solely to the msrepresen-
tation of interested parties.
ellis object, he said, was the peaceful colonial
ton of certain lands in Nicaragua, TO which he
believed he had valid title; if the validity of
that title should be disproved, he would abandon
it, although he had expended thousands of dollars
on the supposition Of his lawful ownership. In
regard to the rumor that the British man-of-war
and the troops at Point Arenas had been stationed
! to prevent his landing, he was prepared with due
respect, TO say that he should allow his right of
settling peaceably in Greytown, with the assent
of its inhabitants, to be called in question by no
power on earth.
s'Such, SO far as can recall it, was the sub
stance of the Colonel's remarks, which appa-
renty proved satisfactory to his interrogators.
CATER partaking Of the hospitality of the
British consul, the interview ended by the accep-
lance on the part of the Colonel of an invitation
to pay an early visit of inspection on board the
Captains ma,n-of-war, the Buzzard
"Colonel Kinney himself is now stopping at
Captain Mooney s, but most of his followers have
taken up their abode in the house formerly occu-
pied by the American consul--one Of few dwell
lings spared by the destructive lucfer matches of
Captain Hollins.
''Thus far the expeditionists have SO conducted
themselves to gain the good will and respect of
all classes in the community, having Shown dis
position not to swagger or talk large of flibus-
tering or conquering the government, but to en-
ter into respectable employments, and as they
belong to quite variety Of vocations, each one
has without difficulty found his place. For the
last day or two, however, they have been very
busy stripping a wrecked vessel, which has been
purchased by Mr.. Alexander Wood, in this place
This vessel, the brig Hamlet, which was driven
ashore on the 18th, with large amount of coal,
tar, and turpantine, has already turned out not
a little speculation for them, not to speak Of its
effect in impressng the people with notion of
their willingness and capacity for hard work
1.-THE good understanding established between
the Colonel and the British authorities here on
our first interview has turned out in an inter-
change of courtesies mutually agreeable. On
the 18th, observed Capt. Dobbie and the Colo
mel on shore practising target shooting with their
Sharpe's rifles and revolvers; and on the day fol-
lowing the latter, young Webster and myself, in
company with Consul Mason, by invitation, vis-
ted the British war steamer Buzzard, where we
were treated with every possible hospitality and
attention, by gentlemanly set of officers as
ever trod the deck.
''After stay of four hours we left, as we had
come, in one of the steamer boats, manned by
eight British tars, and with the flag of Great
Britain waving its projecting folds over us. This
visit furnished the occasion of an exchange Of
presents between the Colonel and Captain in
which the former received very fine field teles-
cope, and the lattor Sharpe rifle, made espe-.
cially for the Colonel's use by Mr.. Penfeld,
(Which seemed to have excited the particular ad-
miration Of the British oficers.) This species Of
weapon, with which some Of the expeditionists
have provided themselves, has wonderfully in
gratiated us in the goodwill Of Her Majesty's
subjects not only here, but in Jamaica and Turk
Islands.
"Since we have been here fandango or ball
has been given by the inhabitants in honor of the
Colonel's arrival. 1t was held in one of the best
houses in town-a house which has two stories,
and instead of being matched with palm, is shin
gled. The room may have been thirty feet
square, Imprinted, the beams entirely visible, so
far as the candles would allow, and with small
bar for Refreshments in the corner. OF course,
Col. Kinney and his men all went, and it was n
scene worth looking at.
"The gallant Colonel-the handsomest man in
the room, by all odds-led forth the lady of the
mansion, with even more than his ordinary sua-
witty and grace, to take part in the first quadrlle.
Young Daniel Webster, with his partner, and
others with partners of various shades and ma
tons-black, brown, white, English, American,
French, Spanish, &c., also figured. All around
the room and outside the house, peering through
the windows, which, by the way, have sashes
or wndow-panes. were all sorts, colors, and con-
ditons of men and women, in costumes equally
diversified.
"Among the first exploits attempted by the
Colonel, since his arrival, is the building of
house for his private accommodation"