New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-06-10
NIcARAeUAN CoRREsPoNpENCE,
CHoNrA LIE April 9th, 1856


nous for it's productions Genesee, and for its gold
and silver as Ophir Of old. In all my travels in this
department, I have been impressed thousand times
with advantages for every industrial pursuit that
man can follew; its heathiness the richness Of its
soil its clear pure streams the purity Of its atmos
phere; its romantic valleys lofty mountains and ex
tensiye plains, which thousands Of cattle,
mules and horses fact with everything connected
with the wants of civilized and industrious people.
From Granada to Ubald the port of 1.-THE district on
the Lake is about forty miles, and from thence to Rio
Mco where are the gold washings and quartz mines,
the distance is about nine leagues. In this country
all distances are defined by leagues, and miles are
never mentioned. The Mico is the principal stream
or tributary of Blewelds which crosses the Mosquito
valley or great Eastern plain Of Nicaragua and joins
the sea some twenty leagues North of San Juan del
Norte. The region Of the mines is elevated some
three thousand feet above the level Of the ocean, and
the trade winds Of the tropics constantly blow over
those great plains that crown the sunlmtevel, rem
dering this one Of the most delightful sections Of
country in all Central America. It is singular fact
that all that region between the Mco and the Lake is
almost destitute Of timber except along the streams
and upon some of the steepest hillsides, whilst the
whole country between that country and the Caribbean
DENSE OF every species
wood that grows within the tropics
Every bar in the lico, and many of its tributaries,
contains fortune in gold and it only needs the expe
rienee and industry Of California miners to develope
the hidden treasures Of these streams. found the
quartz bearing either gold silver (and much Of it
contains both to be very soft and easily pulverized
and all, without exception, extremely rich There
no large Jumps" however, as is the in much of
the California quartz and dry dggings, as it is
called but the absence of these is made up in the ex
IRENE softness and richness Of the rock This entire
region abounds in milsites, and the eastern hills
lowered with wood, from whence can be easily OBJ
tanned any quantity of lumber These rich, rolling
prairies need no " clearing" and no preparation for
the cereals, except the pillow. The Acacia hourshes
in great vigor and in two years it forms an mpervi
and lasting hedge. Besides this there several
kinds of thornbush, which are superior to the Eng
lsh hawthorn or the Texas thorn, for hedging There
ample stone of every quality for building including
limestone; and in my rambngs the burnt fields
near the streams, found great variety of stone,
which the lapdary could soon transform into beauti
full ornaments and which, if they were in New Orleans
or New York would be extremely valuable. Cali
forna diamonds must give way to the Chontaes chys-
tails. In ancient times this region must have sup
ported an immense population; and, in many places,
| stumbled upon the broken columns and crumbling
towers Of ancient edifces that gave evidence of
glory and spendor of which these present people have
not the slightest glimpse. Stephens should have Wis
tied Chontales. These ruins, scattered far and wide
on almost every baud, should be depicted by pen
ADLER than mine to do them justice. Who will enter
this fruitful field Of description and antiquarian
search !?
rua
tyes, are sugar cane, corn and plantain, with few
beans, e. frjos, y rather, should say, they grow
without cultivation. The cane is superior in every
respect to that of louisiana and when once it is
planted it will grow with little or no cultivation
labor. The product per acre is much larger than in
the States or even Cuba and the labor necessary for
plantation of 500 acres in Louisiana, would be suf
fcient for 1000 acres here Cacao chocolate grows
everywhere, tame and Wild; and an estate of that
article if well tended and properly cared for would
be Of immense value to the proprietor; yet SO lisess
and idle are these people, that upon the large
hacendas just enough is gathered to serve the family
Of the proprietor The chocolate of Nicaragua is
the richest of any in the world and tastes so different
from that you have at home, you would not know
the article made at the restaurants of st. Charles
street and the markets of New Orleans. But as we
get it from the hand of skillful g mugher" here
one thinks indeed it is fit for the gods its Greek
| patronyme indcates-Theobroma. The haciendas Of
Chontales, like those Of the other departments are
fast going down to ruin civil wars and revolutions
4 speeding them onward to desolaton. Most of the
proprietors partsans Of the Seryests Or Ariso-
cratic faction and they more keep their hands
out of politics than can the members of the " old
Albany Regency clique" Faithless among them
Selves reaeherous to ALL they would ride on to ruin
if death itself stood before them Yet, far, have
been neither molested nor in any way disturbed BY
any of them, and if Nicaragua can once obtain pc
sition among the nations, these will either go else
where to nurse their schemes of rebellion and revolt
ton, Or quickly descend to level with their demo
Z cratic felloW-ctizens.
/: 1t is from these people that Costa RIGA and othe
States have been encouraged to join in leagu
: against the present Government Of Nicaragua, ant
in fact if at last comes upon u.s. these traitors
their own country will be justly chargable with al
. its fearful evils. Hitherto have been in hopes of
permanent peace, and have so written you, but ate
mingling much with the class Ispeak of, am pre
pared to hear almost any day of within the State
as well as upon its frontiers. And " Cui bono? the
have not the slightest to give, not the shade,
of an excuse for their internecine predictions il
: deed, most of them owe their lives and estate
to the wisdom and generosity Of Walker, for the ne
tive democrats INSCRIPTIONS they are enthr
siastic and sarting under their long years of wron
and prosecutions from these services they have ofte
demanded of Walker the lives of the leaders and tn
q confscation of their property 1t has been my ain
&c and the aim Of all the Americans in this country,
soften down these asperities upon both sides, an
maintain towards each and all an open, frank an
confidng course Of conduct so as to give no excus
for complaint against our people. But this will nc
do the work. Power rank, station, are the object
they have in view, and neither patriotism, love
country, sense of duty to themselves their fe
low-countrymen, can make them yield up their PR
tensions to Legitimacy " and Hidalgosm' Lk
: the French Bourbons, they cling to that miserab
dogma of their political faith, and they would gladl
accept the throne Trona glorioso) even if they ha
to march over the dead bodies of every man, woma
and child in the land They would rather rule in
a desert than dwell peaceably in a paradise.
h You have glimpse of the party opposed to d
/. moeracy, which in Central America means somethin
The democrats wish to reconstruct the Union an
model its constitution and the whole government
e system after the great Republic of the North, an
with this leave your readers to reject synpathiz
with their cause and its final success, but which
yet doubtful, unless the American element is great
. strengthened in Nicaragua.