The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-03

49, WV uAhsuNA NOx1NsROAtsAcneee
MAGAsGUE, New Granada Sept. ID, 1858
Bd'7unq.ila and Hs Svroundings-A Foyagc ON lr MAJ
dalend-!he Lfqae Of Cartaagena-Fa al Maga~gus-
appearance Of he CTy-Goods Gold Dust CamLlS.q DC
left New York on tho 14th ul, and arrived at SAINT.
MARIA the "a instant and at Barranquilla the 9Th
Barranquila is situated crenega, or lagoon i'm
mediateiy facing the Magda!ena river aad NJ
though more modern built city than any other en- tho
New Granadan coast, and without beiag seapsrt has
attained more importance and gone ahead all others
1t has population Of about 1000 souls 900 90 whom
foreigners 1t is the principal station and terminus
for all steamers and native craft plying the Mgdaena
river delay took place here Of thee days and afar
dsembarking on beard the steamer Cauca we loft at
A. NJ on tho 18th, and proceeded the Magdaeua with
about 100 tons OF merchandise and eighty passengers d
tined for the last fair Of the year. held at Magangue AZ
ter passing the villages of Pubba Nuevo Rcmolno ui
marc and Penon, arrived at Calemar at 4P NJ This
is the great highway 10 the city of Carhagena which
IL IS distant about twenty Spanish leagues II was
the principal point Of operations OF Colonel Totten we'll
known and highly popular superintendent OF the Panama
Railway who resided here some years. trying open cut
clear communication with Carthaeena by naans of tbs
III spanish dque or canal, which even now navigabe
or bungos drawing but little water al the wet II
he year.
After taking board fuel goods aud passengers, We
PROCEEDED at r. M, reaching tho Bodegs of Las Mer-
des, tho route to the great tobacco Caunlu ut
A. M the following morning, and entered the mouth OF
the river Cauea at O'Clock. This ane largest tn
baary Of the Magdaena, into which rolls with a rapid
current and vast volume in latitude deg 20 min s. and
longitude II degrees s minutes W., anu both forming
a most magnificent stream, falling into the CARR
bean sea by various mouths in about lat. III ~
and Ion. II deg. 10 min. W. With exception the
scenery the banks Of the rivers Magdaena Cauca
to Magangue is exceedingly tame unbrOken by any thing
interesting to relieve the eye except after leaving Barran
qua, for few hours, the snow capped mountains of
the Sierra Nevada visible the left hand SIDE with
their highest peaks OF San Lopenzo and La Horquet rising
to the height Of 20 600 to %, 900 feet.
On the lower part OF the rivers tho exceedingly
deep and about one mile IN width; the banks
the country swampy, and Is at 'crescientes = of tho
rivers completely inundated and is, consequently,
unhealthy.
voyage the Magdsena is very different to anything
one will experience in the United States There is every
discomort-bad food and water, mixed medeys of pas
sengers thermometer ranging from 95 100 deg Fahren
hc III the shade, mosquitoes and sandlics without num-
ber Al night beds arranged in the saloon with the
ever be indispensable I" toldo' musquito bar Pas
sengcrs generally carry their own bedding and mix nell
mel one with another, quarreng for places then the
baggage is probably slowed away in the hold Of the
steamer, and costs one hour two to fish out a
stray bag or box Lately staterooms have been intro
duced on one or two of the steamers Of the Compnia
unda-a great Improvement, certainly; and cannot be
denied that improvements arc wanted in steamboat
navigation on this river difficult is on account OF the
climate and people and variety Of other causes which
will in after correspondence explain
My voyage from Barranqui!la to Magangue cost s31
including the use OF stateroon during my stay Of week
there he distance between the two cities probably
about F5 miles. The worst Of all here the servants
| Ono cannot depend on them in the least People who
grumbc about them in the States should have a months
experience OF them here and they would forever after
hold their peace. Magangue is situated lat deg 10
min n, and Ion u deg. IL min W, on the right hand
bank OF the river. Cauca is direct south line from
the coast about 200 miles from mouths OF the river
Magdaena, and thirteen miles from the mouth OF the
river Cauca II presents an entirely different appearance
to what did some three years SINCE being prnGi-
pally composed Of brick buildings, where formerly
the adobe and matched houses This Improvement
scqucnt upon the great fire. which took place here June
1856 and which nearly destroyed the town happened
be there at the time and watched the conagraon from
my bed on board a steamer.
The appearance Of this city approaching il a, distance
OF league or 20 on the river Cauca is extremely pctu
rescue and beautiu It's white buildings giistcnng tho
and al far time the immense number OF native craft
canoes champans bungos &c, laden with foreign goods
from the coast and produce from the Interior give
air OF LIE and activity which s not seen at any other me
place in tine country. But the city the deus Is
apparent: everything seems miserable Most OF the PEG
PIE who resort from the interior and the fair
homogeneous mixture Of all classes yet here you
will find the entcrprsng American, the intelligent French
man. the thrifty Hebrew from Hamburg the steady Eng
shman and the crafty Italian gambling in produce and
foreign wares by day and in faro roulette and hundred
different games Of chance by night but this Is free
try and one perfectly at liberty TO do whatever he
peases and so far freedom concerned New Granada
has the advantage over the United States. Talk about
freedom, indeed the United States and England
hold candle 10 the Granadian confederation. Yesterday
visited the church here and Of all the wrctchcd
| my life, the wooden ladders being nearly all de-
s, .neyea sy age climate and negec, few
wrecks might say Of the images Of by gone days Here
you would see the leg or arm OF some dcfunc wooden
saint or headless trunk, and in inches around the
walls were deposited the remains OF sundry santos and
santas carefully covered M 10 protect them the
dust, these latter only beng brought days
when they are carried In procession around 10
nc intense admiration Of ts miserable ami supcrsitlous
opuaiion and the delight ~ the padres who manage 10
eke out miserable subs stcnce from the
pious inhabitants The edhcc, though the remain 81
once substantial brick building, erected IN the time or
the Sraniards, and formerly, from H. proximity the
gold mines Of Sragossa, In the valley OF the Cauca
rich IN gold, silver and precious stones riches which have
disappeared many years past by then and revolutions
which latter this unfortunate country has been continual
~ subject since the departure Of spanish domination.
Magangue has population Of about 900 souls which
y augmented during fair time to IL 900 IL but short
distance from MompoS, Of the principal cities
| river Msgdalcna Of which I purpose giving you a dos.
crip'ion IN my next letter. intend visiting il In fc~
days Tbs Is the third time have been here but
before did sec business exceedingly dulthe failure
and fall ia price Of the produce Of this country
quent upon the late commercial crisis in Europe and
America, which s now severely felt here Large guam
fcs Of gold dust find It's way here from the rich valley
the river Cauca and various mines worked by indvi-
duas 20 ssrasosa but the purchaser generally sas
tans oss Of from three 10 FIVE per cent it's
tsnce 20 Europe account OF ~ high price AMI bad
| washing
The heat here II excessive the Thermometer averaging
ninety eight degrees Fahrenheit IN the shade the past
days 20 one hundred and -four yesterday half
past two IN the afternoon, which IN this country the
Nt