East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-12-09

tiinlS hlolo pioihiopb Hi"h SWAMI P''
Without ceasing, save at night We
had toiled on for seven days, now and
then meeting a bungalo going down,
from which we procured fresh sup
plies of coconuts, oranges, lines and
cigars, but otherwise seeing no sign of
civilization or habitation until obliged
to land at the foot of O large rapids
and walk TO its head while the crew
hauled the boat up by main strength.
Here on the rocks, dashed to pieces,
lies the remnant of a steamer, and on
the bank, in the depths of the for
rest without any companion and miles
away from any settlement, lives a live
Yankee. He possesses mono of the
qualities of a hermit, but is here solely
as a speculator This may seem par
adoxioal, but is not so, when you un-
derstand that hundreds Of California
bound travellers are passing here every
week and that within his humble
shanty is splendid stock of ales,
wines and liquors which he deals out
at dollar "nip." Tom Leather
man here opened his lips after pain
full silence of several minutes and
pronounced the otard superb. The
proprietor, after having done his best
to administer to our wants, resumed
his hammock, his pipe and his violin
and we left him in the full enjoyment
of the slow Backed Car" On all
sides the land now arose into steep
rocky bluffs, the water became purer
and the air less noxious and our
spirits came up TO zero.
Upon the eighth day out we landed
soon after sunrise, at the ancient
Spanish town Of Castalia. 1t is of no
|
Importance socially or commercially,
but its antiquity is great andits scenery
magnificent. The river turns an
acute angle at this point and the bluff
shore rises almost perpendicular many
hundred feet Upon the elbow
formed by the sharp turn of the river
stands few houses, chiefly occupied
by persons interested in the transit of
passengers over this route, and upon
the top of this bluff and almost over
hanging the river, stands the ruins of
q once powerful and stately fort
| Some of the bastions are still stand
ing, but the parapet has fallen in and
tho huge guns once mounted upon the
ramparts lie scattered about half i'm
| beded in earth, moss and rust. Some
of them are monsters, measuring
twelve feet in length and having a six
inch borc-made of brass and stamped
17l4. What these huge implements
of war were ever taken to this place
to defend, exceeds our knowledge of
history or our most vivid imagination.
Here again are rapids, over which
boats are taken by force only and
after deal of danger and labor
The natives relate that the Spnniards
who built the fort also made these
rapids by filling the river with rocks
as further measure of defense against
invasion. This may in degree be
true, for from this point to lake Mic
aragua there is scarcely any current
to the river and both shores are over
flowed so that We did not make
another landing until we reached San
Carlos. Here we remained all day
rambling over the ruins of once
considerable city defended by a fort
of still greater magnitude and power
than that of Castalia. Here had been
at date long passed, settlement Of
no meanmagnitude and the plan of the
city could be still traced, though time
was fast covering the footsteps Of the
past with moss, and new and per-
haps ruder people were growing in
tho ruins of former generation
Here too, we saw huge brass cannon
lying about the streets of the town
and near the site Of tho old fort bear
ing very ancient date and stamped
with the arms of Spain. To the curl
Gus the ruins Of these two forts and
their history would afford ample food
for speculation however well the re-
search would be repaid.
The Wonders of the Port of London
The custom-house port of London
extends from London bridge to the
North Foreland, on tho Kent coast,
and the Maze, on the Essex coast, in
Guiding not only the Thames, but the