New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-03
Nsw31ork DAILY Gribmne

LIEUT.. SrRAs.-By the death of Lieut.. Strain n
Aspinwa on the 18th utmo, the Navy has lost one OF
its most accomplished othcers-one OF the few VINO,
amid the demands of an engroSsing profession, found
time TO cultivate literary tastes to an extent unusual
amerg purely literary men. To practical experience
rarely found among persons of the world he joined
mind carefully disciplined by selfcuture. Few coun-
tries had been left unyisited and he died planning an
exploring VOYAGE in the Malayan Archipelago.
This had been for long time favorite project and
while there some ten years back, he had devoted no
little labor to the acquisition of the Malayan language,
n LnowIedge shared by bat two or three OF our coun-
tr,mep. Al another time, he vsited the rarely ire
querted portions Of South America and while on duty
crossed on horseback the immense pampas OF Buenos
Ayres climbing the Andes and penetrating from ocean
10 oceoo. AT another time, he was like Humboldt IN
Iv with tIe tr,,pca nxuriance of Brazilian scenery,
and with half dozen followers penetrated far ntothe
interior on scientific mission The journey offered
many subjects Of interest to person who so keenly
erioved viewing the mognIfcence Of nature and the
habits Of wild and picturesque people He was also
ENGAGED on the Boundary Commission for running the
DIVIDING line between the United States and Mexico
but Lieut. Strain is more generally known from bis
eYnlore,on Of the Isthmus of Darien. Its ultimate
importance as bearing on the practicabty OF an inter-
oceanic canal and the immediate Interest eAceu .!
the display of 70 much personal herosm' has drawn
to th. little expedition very arge share oil the PuDe
attention With party of tweniy-seyen men, ID jan
nary 1854 he left Columbia Bay on the Atlantic coast
srn s,rp.k inland for the Pacific Three attempts by
Fryli.b and New-Granadian parties had already
failed ard this the fourth, now carried TO sue
o,.,tul issue under circumstances which would have
srrsUed the courage Of almost any other man. Aiter
heinz Given nm as lost this li.te party reached the
Pacific. leaving By the wayside one thira oil thef
nm her the victims If hunger aud fatigue. The re-
suits Of these explorations were enoodeu U! leu.'
S,raip in valuable paper read before the Geogrepni-
cal Society. The last few months OF his LIE were
connected with another great work In July ias'' he
sailed with Cant Bergman in the Arctic to examine
INTO the uraetcsbty Of the Atlantic Telegraph. he
t,,ring no nas.ed the Winter in New-YaTk, con-
fined TO Liz rom during portion Of the tune oy "
heath wbrb rendered a visit to the South OF immedi-
ate inheritance. O:ical duties detained him an'ii
Mav and he died en- route to join the sloop-oi-war
Cysue.
In judging such. man as Lieut.. strain, we nnu'
boar !, n;,d not only whsthe has done but what he
might have done. With hundreds OF Others he SUI
ered Iom system feitered BY routine and seniority
where responsibility cannot be attained un'u the nr't
STRENGTH II manhood 5 passed and where talent can
by no msuaeement outrun mediocriiy. Generally IN
asubord.nste no.ton. he never hal under bis com
mand more n an dozen oT two Of men, and yet he