New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-04-21
OLD 81: HsS MEoAHs- e.,

& The attention WHICH mas heen drawn 70 Nicaragua
events recently occurring there, and the desire To-
know something definite concerning this new land Of
promise so boldly drawn and SO brilliantly coored by
those venturesome spirits which have undertaken its
present and future, has, owing to the difficulty OF OBJ
tanning accurate information had but small response
Returning pilgrims have been few, and they have told
us rather of what now is and of what may be, than
of what has been. In fact, we have been presented
with the frame Of the edfce now erecting, but not
taught concerning either its foundation or super
structure. Esf5s 4
The future we can only speculate concerning, With
regard to the past, however, we have run across
some information not generally accessible, but suf
GENTLY curious to repay for attempting synopsis
of its prominent features. The curious student
may derive some pleasure from comparing the Mica
ragua Of our old author with that other Nicaragua
concerning which DR.. Mclean and Miss Pellet have
recently given us some statistics.
The work to which we refer is entitled ga New
Voyage Round the World. Describing particularly
the Isthnus of America, several Coasts and Islands
in the West Indies 1.-THE Isles of Cape Verd the Pas
sage by Terra del Fuego the South Sea Coasts of
Chill Peru and Mexico; the Isle Of Guano, of
the Ladrones Mindanao and other Philippine and
East India Islands near Camboda. China, Formosa,
Leucona Celebes, etc. New Holland, Sumatra Nico-
bar isles; the Cape Of Good Hope and Santa Hel-
lena. Their SOIL rivers, harbors, plants fruits, ami
mails and inhabitants By Captain William Dampier.
Illustrated with particular maps and draughts. The
fourth edition corrected. London. Printed for James
Knapton, at the Crown, in St Paul's Churchyard.
MDCXCIX." #$
This terrible, though taking title, is succeededby
dedication " to the right honorable Charles Noun
tague ESQ.,. Enumerating all of the aforesaid right
honorables real virtues, and, probably, unless he
were more than mortal, which there is no special
reason for believing, some rather indistnct and
imaginary excelences, the author says: 81 have
not so much of the vanity Of travaler to be fond
of telling stories, especially Of this kind yet dare
to avow, according to my narrow sphere and poor
abilities, hearty zeal for the promoting Of useful
knowledge, and of anything that may tend never 50
remotely, to my countrys advantage" This is fol
lowed by preface, in which, abiding to style, the
writer very pithiy observes: 81 am persuaded that
if what say be Ineligible it matters not greatly in
what words it be expressed. Forthe better appre-
hendng the of the voyage and the situation of
the places mentioned in it, have caused several
maps to be engraven and some particular draughts
Of my own composure. Among them is map of the
American Isthmus, a new scheme of the adjoining
bay Of Panama and its islands, ETC.
e Writing concerning that region surrounding Blew
fields river or spell it, Bluefeds the chroncler
says "Whle we lay here, our lIoskito men. went
in their Canoa and struck some Manatee, or Sea-
COW s. 4 This creature is about the bgness Of a
horse, aud ten Or twelve foot long u following on
with two pages of description which winds up:
Privateers most commonly roast them as they do,
Also great pieces cut out of the bellies Of The old one"
privateers, in those days, being more common than
emigrants are in ours. A long disquisiton follows
concerning the sea-cow, which is chiefly remarkable
in that it particularizes an animal so infinitely with
which even schoolboys are now well acquainted.
Then comes a description of the manners of the
Moskito men, their style of fishing, padding, catch
ing the tortoise, hunting monkeys peccalles and
deer pigeons, parrots and turtle doves
The worthy captain says, tive lived very well on
what we got, not staying long in one place butsome
times we would go on the Islands, where there grow
great groves Of capabilities, which is sort Of fruit,
much like the pear, but juicy; and under those
trees we found plenty of soldiers, that live in shells
little kind of ANIMAL and have two great claws like
crab, and are good food.''
"From hence,n continues the old chronicler, we
passed to the Rio Grande, where took up fresh
water at sea, q league off the mouth of that river
From thence we sailed eastward, passing by St. Mar
tina. 1t stands close upon the sea, and the hill within
is very large one, higher than the Peak of Tenarif
| Speaking Of Quersao, the author says, " it is the
only island of importance that the Dutch have in the
West Indies. Formerly the harbor was never without
ships from Cartagene and Portobelo, which used
to buy of the Dutch here 1000 or 1900 negroes at
once besides great quantities of European produce
but of late the trade has fallen into the hands of the
English at jamaica" Who started the slave trade?
Advancing in his travels and discourse, the worthy
| and yeracious captain informs us that near Cape
| Banco and Caldera Bay " there grew some red
wood, useful in dying but Of this there little
profit because the people were forced to send it to
the Lake of Nicaragua, which runs into the North
Seas"
A great variety of other information concerning
the productions of the country is added but it is of
nature now well known, and only shows how rich
in all necessities of life that terra deors was when
first discovered, and how strong hold it took upon
the minds of those who saw it.
More we might extract from the quaint old volume,
of interest and amusement, but space is already
| exhausted.
| THE New MEXICAN TARIFF.--We learn at the Sta
tstical Office in the State Department, says the Ma
tional Intclgencer, that the new Tariff of Mexico
promulgated few months since, has been incorpo
rated in the report commercial relations with
all foreign nations. The importance of giving the
latest changes in the commercial legislation of foreign
nations was one of the reasons which influenced the
Committee on Commerce in recommending that the
report be printed under the superintendent Of the
office whence it emanated.
| We extract, from the Digest on Mexico, the follow
ing tariff duties on some OF our leading exports:
Candles, spermaceti sl2 90 100 pounds
lJnbleachpd cottons. ........... % per yard.
Shirtings, bleacled observation-disclosures. G3
ShirtingS, unbleached. .................. Oh
Colored tickngs TX yards wide. 05
do yards wide 05
Plain and twilled coltons, for lnings...,. Us
Colored snghaus X yard wide. ...,.... N5 :.
Cotton hose, mems womens bleaehed 8 per Dozen
Cotton hose, chdrens, small sizes,...... 30
Spool thread, 800 yards Nos. from 2 TO %
Goldfish in boxes Of 100 pounds % per loo pounds
Oysters, in tin cases. ................... 3 90
Herring large size Observation-Disclosures. 2 %
Hoop iron. l 90
Nails, assorted sizes. Observation-Disclosures. 9 50
Hams, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. s 90
White lead. 40per nnd yaorcm
Steel S Is 100 pounds
Brandy, in bbs of % gallons. 90
Brandy, in bottles. Observation-Disclosures. 8 90