The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-07

nxploratio. OF tho Isthmus OF Darscn,
GUN NAVAL OORREsroSDvsCE.
UMrKD sTArHs SHIP DECATUR, PANAMA, May 10, 1857
oossw lusdosips Journey-why As SET outPrerio's Adj
ssx1es- Latea rt,p from Pamama- Es.ter,ng NE WI
dossss- Ths hioy ROute-Scews ne wav-aT4rs1scA
- ~ A!sa.tsO-Rsurn Of the Docor-H1 Hopes Of ~
h~e iAlocess
In my previous communication brief alusinn made
NE success Of Or Caldwell in his expedition discover
he prsccabty Of inter oceanic canal across the 18TH
of Dariep In this letter propose 70 give In deail
The facts connected with the expedite III.
ye Doctor for some tine had been collecting facts from
aaves spd foreigners resident here which had led him
the con that the opinion OF the impraSucaety OF
such route had been arrived At too hastily. TO Nj An
drew Hosach sCetnhman by birth, residing at Chepga
r. village the Cub Of San Miguel the Oosor express
Cd himself under the highest Obligations for sucn tnforma
ayn ~ ally induced him TO set foot the expedition
". Hossch resided number Of years at OhePgana
md has Witnessed the consecutive expeditions OF Cu Gu
Provost Lieut. Strain others without at all losing ns
confidence In the feasibility OF the plan, despite ne " sue
Sss OF previous explorers. Cullen ne says, u" no"ins
Beyond The Gulf Of San Miguel not having pehe'ra'e"
aae hey The coast; all the statements Shi u ne pup
hea being receives from the natives, though cullen pre-
sumes 70 furnish faithful detail Of his own Journeyngs
ssross the kthmus.
e Of Mervin leeave OF absence for three
xe.ss and seaman named Parker hts aid proce edcd
from Panama to Chepgana This is small place situated
90 the Uhucunaque rtver and has latitude Of 80
deg IN NORTH long 10 deg Is min. west Into the
GUY Of San Nsuel flow number Of small streams among
principal OF which be- mentioned the Savanna
ChxcuDaque which unite in larger river (the DArien)
previous their dpchargng the Gulf The
Ase only so far they are swelled by the periodical in
au1 Of the Pacific tides
Through the agency of Mr. Hosach the Doctor
from Senior Juan Refoo, the Redor with the opera
Hon o ST. Borbua Alcade ef tue district negro and two
h0ians guide and interpreters With these aids
hs lctor started from Chepgana the 9th AorI
poCeedei 10 Fuerte del Principe old abandoned for
tess on the eft bank of the savanna river.
On The 7h he started from the opposite bank, accompa
MED by biz guides, boldly pushing his way into viii
which had proved so DISASTROUS 70 the parties Of
Prevost Lieut. 81 ATM but his plan different from
the ntters In the first place. he started with mucl
smalef escort since the large number Of Strains party
to have seric usly nterfered with its movements
because came involved in want Of provisions,
evil which irremediable In wilderness country.
Agau, Lieut. strain committed great error IL following
the Of the rivers which he met suppOsng they
~rold conduct him to the oppO ite side Of the lahmus
TIE Chucupaque river along which he wandered for
eat distance pursues long meanderng COURSE far TO tbs
socth~ard Of direct line from Caledonia Bay the point
II de >arIure the Atlantic side to San Miguel Cuff the
POINT of his destination the Pacific rnis latter difficulty
ne Doctor avoided by using the compass as his guide
steering bis route northeriy and easteriy.
AMER leaving the Savanna river at point opposite Tuerte
del Principe the Doctor compelled cut his pahya
step by STEP hro the painless Of the Forest by
he AID Of toe mackete, sort of Spanisn hand axe.
On the rst day AFTER leaving Principe he found an ec
vaton Of the country which ne reckoned to be some ITO
lso feet ht h, and this the highest land which he
met with upon the route. After the first day he MET no
river Of running water though he crossed numerous rocky
uohes and ravines which probably had been oiled With
during the rainy The region which he ira
versed appeared 10 be prolonged plain In which, for the
Int four days. ihey and then met marshes pools OF
muddy water but on the fifth the same plain continued
6Oush with the greatest difficulty the party could
and emo, gh quench their thirst
On thi- day numerous shots Of firearms were heard in
the woods around hem though they no human being
whatever; out his guides became greatly alarmed fearing
they would be cut off b. enemy, and also, suffering
much for the If wsier deserted him But the Doc
tor With that genuine American resolution viii h ordi
nary dang. and obstacles deter from purpose
still determined abandon his undertaking until
be had accomplished its object They then CLIMBED tree
some eighty or one hundred feet in height from which,
through opeIing in the coast range the Atlantic
bearing about forty 0) degrees t Of north This
event gave fresh impulse 10 the Do,or his undertake
pg greatly from The scarcity Of water his provisions being
Ahnsst exhausted, with but the seaman Parker,
ul he determined to proceed onward, and like Balboa
renowned for his discovery Of the Great South Sea-"
Jake no halt until he had arrived at the Ultima Thule Of
his expedition, aud like the old WARRIOR battle hs shield
h the Atlantic So he travelled day MORE when the
plain In which his had led seen extending
hierupedH towards the gap in the coast range, through
vhch the Atlantic had been seen the day previously
On this day reports OF firearms heard In
No vicinity though person But on this day
hey found whatever, and their stock OF prov
sons reduced almost nothn ia pound and half OF
plogpn sausage and few bits OF biscuit So much TO be
regretted although in my OPINION In nowisc detraotps
IRON the OF the expedite the Doctor compel
I'd 70 rerace his steps, hen seemingly within I've miles
a the Atlantic.
he found large forests the route, human ha,
stons of any kind after Leaving Principe, nor single HUI
being though frequently mcpaced BY he growing.
Il wd beasts during the night yet they never attacked
him He saw nothing remarkable In the geological orma-
xoo region through which be passed. pone oil me
scna evidence OF volcanic influence usually met on the
hn,us no large basac lodges common fur her north
The suchee and ravnes irregular In their direction,
seeming pour their waters 10 the rainy seaon uoon
the plain which he uaversed The Doctor is entirely
Adeb after his observations that the route s practicable
one for The puctiop Of an ioter oceanic canal
the 10Th day, he returned to the point the Pacific
Ode, whence be had departed, whore he met most cor
dial reception from his friend Mr. Hoeach He thinks the
between the oceans, by the route which he
purseed will not exceed thirty miles.
The Iocor IL quite lion at Panama since his return
Sumo Of the prominent citizens proposed raising $780,
and put at With several men at his disposal TO pro-
seed down TO Chepgsna for the purpose OF completing
his explorations But he declined eli such proposals. has
made out report Of the expedition which he viii oba
bly, forward oy the present mail 10 the Secretary Of the
Navy, allowing him to make such disposition Of 1t as no
may think proper,
due TO the Doctor say that tho expedition
dussod solely nj his own expense.