The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-29
THE DARIEM EXPEDITION.
The Survey of the Isthmus Over
for the Season.
Reconnaissance Of the Nicaragua River-Examt
nation Of the samgundi-Extracts froma
Diary-Preparations for Departure.

GULF OF SAN BIAS June II, 1870.
Thr morning is the finest Of all the bright morn
ings w'ssch have shone on the beautiful Gulf or San
Bias ~nce The wet season was miraculously inter.
rupted about three weeks ago BY what might,
with slight stretch OF the imagination,
be called an ''lndian summer" Such an Interrupt
ton sometimes occurs here towards the end
OF May and the beginning OF June. In
this special case 1t has richly rewarded the
ind0mitabe perseverance OF Commander Selfridgo
with opportunities TO continue the work OF his re-
and surveying parties. Preparations
for speedy departure were at once counermanded.
and after the shock and peril OF the early hoods Of
the wet season the abors Of the Darien expediti
were vigorously renewed. Some OF the Samgundt
party. which scattered by the deluge. had wan
dered without food for two days before they came
out safely at point on the beach several miles dis
tant from the anchorage OF the Nipsic and Guard.
The reconnaissance OF the Nicaagua TOR Nercala
gua) river commenced May and continued until
May Is, was resumed on May 80 and terminated ON
the 9Th OF June. Seventeen miles Of river were run
In the whole time. The level line did not reach tho
end OF the reconnolss ince oy about one mile. The
greatest elevation by level at the end Of level line -
3l7 feet. The elevation at the end OF the recOnn0is
sance is probably 400 feet. At the end are perpen-
dlcuar falls some thirty feet In height II Is thought
This reconnaissance Of the Nlrcalagua, made ny
Messrs Jasper Ogden and Carson has been specially
commended by Commander SelrIlge as have been
also two bold and successful Reconnaissance under
taken by Messrs. Moser and Bowdiich. the latter
were accompanied by zone sailor 10 carry the
barometer and two macheteros TO carry provlsons.n
Each OF the latter reconnossances occupied
seven days. The first began on the 2lst OF
May. The object TO determine the general
direction ofthe Samgundi Tor Samgamba) river, ana
from that the proper course for the engineering
party to run. The accommodating party was to run
a compass line to chain the distance and TO take
barOmetric observations morning and evening aC
their camps. The rough notes OF onao the party
give vivid idea of their incessant iatigues, the
wear ana tear Of their shoes and clothes, tho
encounters with hornets, soths and balloons,
their struggles with swift and swollen currents
and their forced Nights TO the bush whenever
the rain poured In torrents and demonstrated that
the "Indan summer' the Gull had but
partially al. pellet the .'wet season" the noun
tans No all their tribulatons, however could
deprive them OF the "peasures OF imaginatiOn.v
THUS when hurrying back TO camp one e'enin9 and
luckily reach g u be ore the river rose, they found
that the nncheteros mad been dilatOr1 about build
ing h1ts; that There was no place TO gei intOou
OF the rain and fire TO get Iclrn They sat
down in the dryest place we could find, which
chancei to be puddle with about an inch
II seemed, neary Two hours without speaking q
word" Now what were they silently thinking
aooutg On putting this question 10 each other It
appeared that one had been ''assstng'' in full dress
at a repres NATION OF FRA DavoOn at the opera,
while the other had been swallowing chicken AMI
wailles at hOme "Waifes indeed Wen, let's take
hard tack, ana Ill see about going to the opera
again"
already mentioned Will best complete this brief out
line OF their first reconnoissanCe;-'Camp Six Miles.
began work. Found our fe I very tender ard our
shoes very pulpy After working 1000 feet II began
TO- I rain Il poured or 'l.rscaua,ass Of an hour
out again and worked steadily tl.ilear TWO p. NJ,
| when we stopped for iuncn. While coffee was being
made suddenly heard baboon nowling on the
| let bank. Looking up In the trees opposite Il saw
sightnearIy nifty large black balloons on the
! tops Of the trees nowIng and GRIM ny at Us. The
reason we had not heard them before that tho
| RAPIDS close by made too much noise NJ. and
! first shot brought down two--an cid Que and a.
young one. the seGond shot brought another
ana and they retr aiea-company rrSnt, however.
crossed the river aud found the one
that fell after the first shot showed ngnt
still. So | quoted him with another snot. l re-.
crossed with the monkey and we took the hide on.
IL began 10 rain again by way OF variety. The river
woods Finding It Impossible to 20 any furth
we made our camp there. ! added up orr
mics and six feet SO we called our last
camp Camp SIX Miles, The river is one
hundred feet wide where the line ends, and
as that carries Us In the direction OF the Chagres
river it is not what we want Tae rlver has risen,
We Judge, nearly 400 eet In tntse Six mics there
Is no chance Tor canal here. The country Is 80
mountainous as 1t was be ow sad ileback Mount
Grant)-I suppose because are very aigh up in
the noun ainsbu still II Is very huly aud the river
Is nothing bat very large moun'ain torrent 100 feet
wide Baromefric observations this eyening-Tner-
mometcr. Is IS; barometer, 296Oi.
camp SamgamDia May z0.-otarted back early this
morning nom camp. SIX Nile, baronetric o.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES - As; barometer, 29.5l6.
Made good tune III we reached Camp Saddlcback,
where we luDchsd and rested. When we started or
"a n In. eA1
II dd not actually begin until We about half u
mile above Camp Samganlbia We waited IN hopes
II would leave OF: but finding it Gid We pushed
on 10 Try anu rcacn our Oh camp sam anba before
tne river rose We got there Just IN the lick OF
time the river was at It's Height we were saf ao
ensconced al our camp slipping not cofee and think
ing OF operas ana chicken anu waies TO our hearts,
On the second reconnaissance, which also occu-
pied seven days, Messrs. Bowdltch anu Moscr ira
yelled eight miles beyond Camp Four, wicn IL about
twelve mi es by tral from the beach They crossed
The dividing ridge on June at elevation of nearly
loo feet and went until they struck branch
probably the san JOSEF OF the Mamoni river Tne
distance between The head waters OF the Samgandi
ana oil this branch vi the Mamoni IL bat little more
than 500 feet
Lieutenant Hitchcock and his party after pushing
Oh To this same branch OF the Mamoni, made recon
having thus travelled twentythree miles to point
which IS ABOUT ten mics from the nearest point On
the beach Of the GuI Mr.. Hitchcock and his parry
crossed the dividing ridge June 4, at all elevation
OF l,li2 leet The end Of the evelel ne-two mil
from tuat Oh the compass nne-S O52 .eet above tho
level OF the sea.
Returning, Messrs Hitchcock, Sullivan and Coed.
sell arrived ut Camp No. al Jour O'Clock yesterday
afternoon and have Just been welcomed on ship
board ut hali-past one O'Clock to-day Messrs Eaton
and Clarke reached MIR. MosInaas observatory q
couple Of hours previously.
Early this morning the dimmutive donkeys from
Carthagena were hoised on board the Guard which,
In Few minutes VIII be t0wcd out oi the Gull OF
san Bias by the Nipsc. This gulf, by the bye, has
been mlsrepresented as leu by writers who id
not know that II can boast OF Its sixty-sX square
miles.
On the 2sth or January 1870 the Guard sailed from
New York haroOr, reaching Caledonia harpor on the
18Th OF Feoruary. TIE work OF the expedition was
inaugurated on the 22d February, the birthday +
Washington Al indicaLOno Of now much las SINCE
been done IS Afforded by the fftysix note books on
which Mr.. Louis Karcher has made twenty-five
maps. The Photographic views by Mr.. O'Saliiv IN
are innumerable. AT ha fpast two O'Clock to-day
Nhc lin or Junel tbs officers or the Nipsic ami
the Guard united ia celebrating TN The spa
clous wardroom OF the Guardl the conclusion
OF the work OF the Darien expedition OF 1870. A
huge and cheerful punch bow lent additional
festViy 10 the occasion. On this SATURDAY, goa may
be sure, sweetAearts and WIVES as vel operas,