Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-20
CITY & NEWS ITEMS.
FRInAY mORNING, nIAY oO, 1sao

mas Deen ehgageu more or less Tor SIX years in eX
ploring and survey ng the country Of NeW Graua.
da in South Am RIGA.
Mr.. Avs first went to South America 10 1853
for the purpose Of testing the pracucability Of a
ship canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
Entering into partnership with New York cap
italist, he went to New Granada and took charge
Of an exploring expedition, having the above OBJ
ject He spent ayear in visiting and surveying all
the routes which might be brought into working
condition. At that time Lieut. Strains expedition
proceeded to the lsthmus of Darien to explore that
route for ship canal. Mr. Avery joined that ex.
petition, and, by his knowledge of the manners
customs and language Of the natives, his topograph
ical skill and his acquired knowledge Of the prom.
inent features Of the country, proved valuable
acquisition to the engineering and scientific corps
That expedition, as our readers know, failed to
open or to find any practicable route across the
isthnus, and returned to New York Mr.. Avery
however, is confident that there is yet to be found
q f asibe route within few miles Of the line ex-
plored by Strain.
But it was while exploring almost by himself
that Mr., Avery made his most important discov-
cries and surveys. With a small steamer about so
feet long, he ascended aud explored the river At
ratio, the mouth Of which is about $50 miles from
Aspinwsl and 100 from Carthagena This river is
large and navigabe for several hundred miles from
its mouth. At distance of 60 miles from the Car.
ribean Sea, the river Truando empties into It. Mr.
Avery assembled this for about 40 miles. Here he
was but "a miles from the Pacific Ocean, ali but
miles of which is so level that there would be no
difficulty at oil in cutting ship canal through
The remaining three miles next the coast is hilly
and would require tunneling, the hills being 500
feet high Capital and enterprise, however, would
soon overcome this obstacle, when there would be
free passage from New York to the Pacific ports,
California, China and the Indian Ocean The dis
tance from the caribbean Sea to the Pacific Is about
1875 miles-of which the canal would be but "a
miles in length.
At another time Mr.. Avery took his canoe, and
sailed from Carlhegena along the coast to the
Atrat river, up thato to tributary upon the
! West side, which he ascended to its source then
walked three miles and there took another canoe
upon stream that took him direct to tho Pacific
ocean. He has at different times crossed from
ocean to ocean by seven different routes, demon
strating clearly that ship canal is practicable as
well as needful. Such canal would be of i'm.
mense benefit to tho United States, opening the
California and Western South American ports to
sailing crafts from the Atlantic ports.
New Grenada has vast natural resources, both
mineral and vegetable, which, combined with its
delightful climate, render it unsurpassed by any
country in the world. The Atrato river is navi
gable to the city of Quibdo, which is the capital
OF the great gold region Of Ohuco. All along the
banks ofthis river gold is found in prolusion. 1t is
found in many different forms and in all kinds Of
rocks. The sands over which the river flows and
the rools wlioh compose its banks, sparkle with
| the precious metal Mr.. Avery exhibited to us
nearly or quite a dozen specimens of gold bearing
rocks which he obtained from this river. This
gold is but little sought for aud is ready for the
hands of enterprising Northern men. The natives
will work for an American until they get money
enough to sport for few days, after which hand
| ful of gold will not set them at work until they
have spent their pile. There, as everywhere else,
gold is found only upon the west side of noun.
tains This is singular fact but nevertheless
considered as an invariabe rue by geologists and
miners Consequently those who have rushed
with such mad haste to Pixies Peak, have returned
with the fact learned by experience that gold is
not to be found upon the east side Of the Rocky
Mountains. This fact holds good wherever gold
is found-whether in California, South America
Australia, Virginia or North Carolina But gold
there ia in New Grenada and ar abundance Of 4
for those who make business of hunting for it.
The vegetable kingdom is nowhere more fully
developed than in New Grenada The rivers are
lined with abundance Of mahogany, rose wood
black walnut, lignum vit@ dye.woods, &c, while
palm trees grow overywhere The supply o
these woods, the latter good for fuel and the form
or valuable for export, Is ine4haustiblo for long
time to come.
Yams, bananas and plaintains grow sponta-
neously while oranges can be had at all seasons o
the year. There are two rainy seasons Of twS
months EACH in the spring and the other in thu
fall between which crops grow and come to per
fiction, thus giving two crops per year regularly
The Thermometer ranges from 20 to 90 deg. th
year round. In the rainy seasons the rain fall
generally in the night while the days are cool an,
comfortable. Dnring the dry seasons the heav
dew keeps the ground moist. Oranges are rpen
ing all Of the time, and II Is no uncommon thin
for one tree to be in bloom while another close b
is full of ripe fruit. Upon the mountains, spple
and grapes flourish well.
. In some parts Of the country wild cotton grow
Of which Mr.. Avery exhibited to US some specl
mems in the pod, which is remarkably soft an
white-more 80 than the average Of Southern cot
ton. He also has some vegetable wool which ha
I a remarkably even fbre.
Among the other vegetable curiosities Is Il
ivory nut, which grows az large as a good size
apple, which is soft when taken from the tree bI
which so hardens that its white meat may be car
ed and polished like ivory.
But perhaps the mostimportant Of all the sourc
Of wealth Of the country is the semi-btuTnnoI
coal which is found about forty miles from the Ca
. ribean sea, all butten miles Of which the coal ca
be carried upon thelriyer. and the other ten mill
r is a smooth inclined plain from the mine. This
the only coal In that whole section Of country A
the coal used upon the isthmns Is carried from Ba
. timore aud other Northern cities or from Englan
A few thousand dollars would put this mine inl
active operations by which mint OF money migl
be made.
There Is also a complete m0uatdtH Of pure su
n phuT which can be bTOughtto New York at sma
\ cost where II will sell at very high prices.
In short the whole country Is described to J
full of resources that need but capital and eneIa
10 bring into our Uuited States market. The il
= habitants. partly Negroes, partly Spaniarda, on
partly Indians, have no ambition or enterprise
They do not care TO make money. They can g
, enough and that Is enough. There are two I'm
OF sailing vessels from New York TO this COUNT
both Of which make immense profits An Obi