The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-10

Eoo Uasaoa Bxvaof1o9 Expe01e1ons
The oficIal report Of the Darien Canal expe-
dition, sent out last January by the United
States government under Commander Thomas
o. Selfridge, has been nearly completed. The
principal points In this report, - presented In
the Boston Advertiser, had already been made
known 10 the public by the special correspond
enc Of the NEW York HERALD who accom-
panied the expedition. The survey was begun
81 Caledonia Bay in tho latter part Of February,
and the expedition returned to New York In
July. Caledonia Bay is Of easy access and is
well protected from northern winds and heavy
seas. Only two other harbors on the Atlantic
coast Of the isthmus-the Gulf of San Bias
and the Gulf Of Uroba, or Darien-are adapted
10 tho terminus Of . ship canal. The sur
veyors found the country covered with q
primevaI forest. The difficulty Of cutting their
way slowly through dense underbrush, guided
by the compass-the sky itself being for the
most part out OF sight-can bs appreciated by
none but those who painfully remember it.
Commander Selfridge determined to explore
several water courses, which gave, Of course,
the lowest level Of the country and would lead
to passes through the mountain ridge If any
such existed Reconnaissance with the ba.
remeter were accordingly made up all the
streams ssuptyisg int Caledonia Bay. including
the Aglamsts, the Aglssenigua and the WASH
ingtsn river. while these were In progress
. reconnaissance In force Was made over
the mountains 10 the Pacific slope, down the
sucubu until the villages Of the mountain
Indians (the sucubti tribe) were reached. No
sign 81 pass having been revealed BY these
preliminary explorations, the line mp thsAgla-
xsaina river and thence over the mountains,
giving the lowest average line, was selected
10 bc surveyed. A line Of levels was carried
from the sea over the dividing ridge At an
altitude Of twelve hundred feet and down tho
Sucuba IL q point three miles below It's
sources, where an altitude Of Ave hundred feet
WAS obtained. The height OF the Sucubti, Ave
hundred feet BY spirit level. Was evidence
sufficient that no pass below that altitude
existed Ia the divide. This river. with its
tributaries, drains large area OF country, Of
which its bed must necessarily represent the
lowest level. Careful barometrcal observa-
lions were made down the Sucubtl 70 It's juno
tisn with the ChucunAgua, where was found
an altitude Of one hundred and ffty feet Ten
miles down the Chucnnagua an altitude Of
ninety nine feet Was obtained. Altar oil hope
OF finding pass was abandoned . survey in
the vicinity Of the Lassardi river, and stiIl
other and very Thorough surveys from the
Gulf Of San Bias, resulted In showing that
. mountain area Of ten miles would require
to be tunneiisd. The other portions Of
the route present very favorable aspects.
Tho southern part Of the isthmus stiIl
remains to be explored, and government pro-
poses, we understand, 10 resume ere long
these interesting and important surveys, carry
Ing them up the valley Of the Tuyra, across
the divide to the Cacarica Lake, not far FROM
the mouth Of the Atrato. Whatever may DO
the immediate results Of these Daricn explo-
rations we cannot aba<rson the hope that they
will ultimately lead to the discovery OF prac-
ticabIe ship canal from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific