The New York herald., 1870-01-19
Preparations Of tho Expedition for
Departure from This Fort.
Science and Civilization on the March
Through the Tropscs-The United
Stftcs Surveying Enterprise
Nipsic and Guard Under
Orvlers-HEhly Interesting
and Graphic Details.

means AZ wou ~ seem to guarantee the ultimate sue
cess OF the a stempL The terrible suner'ngs OF all
those VINO a Svompanied the strain expedition and
The horrible .aeash which many OF them met In the
WHO'S OF u se isthmus must still be resh In the
memory OF the readers OF tho HERALD.
The fap Mre OF that expedition, like every
other Etempt made TO walk overn that
anicult short cut between two oceans,
was mainly to its orignators, having altogether
Too IN sph confidence IN themselves, coupled with
very Mttle knowledge OF the obstacles they had 10
con Eund against: and, lastly, TO want or proper
sn SpJrt by the governments most interested In their
81 Seeas Experience teaches, however, and our
Syernment has finally Get It's foot down firmly and
HA not.rack out OF the new attempt that is TO be
Esade, with the view or ascertaining II canal
across the isthmus Is a possibly, If money and
brave men can do anything toward making it an
exception to all previous endeayors OF the kind.
THE NEW EXPEDITION
VIII be under the exclusive control OF Lieutenant
Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, OF the United
States Navy The total number Of men who VIII
Lake part In the affair viii number about 2s7, and
the gunboat Nipslc VIII be the agship OF the eXpe
dition and the Guard the storeship. The former ~
now lying or the Battery ana the latter Is at the
Navy Yard completing her preparations for her
eventful mission. The expedition would have set
sail several weeks ago but for the fact thar the
Guard was detained longer than was expected and
could not be got IN readiness a0on the naval
authorizes had desired.
THE NfPsIC.
The Nipsic is Of about 500 tons burden and carries
two nine inch broadslde guns, eseven-inch pivot
and one lhirty-pound rife. The following are the
Lieutenant Cona,aander-Thomas o. Selfriage,
commanding.
LaefieyMn.f-s. Hubbard executive officer.
Ma dsteT-E. Mccormack, navigator.
Ems agns-George $. Davol J. +. Moscr, p I.
Jasper and n H. Niles.
Passed Assistant PARMA ster-J Porter Loomis.
Passed Asststant % Stngeon,-W; @ i,, l. Simon. .,,,.
6eCOnd Assistant, l.. ]. Sanord.
Cdptdf's'S Gerk-Edward A. Casey
Tbe Guard is OF the same class Of gunbOats
the kipsic and carries about the same armament.
The following are ihe names OF her officers:-
Ing.
Lieutenaaa-G. G. Schultz, executive officer.
Lteatenant-h. ID. Hitchcock, navigator
Essfgfss-Frederick Collins, j. Eaton and ). Z.
Haw,ey.
Besides the officers Of the two ships, who have all
been selected for the expedition account OF their
particular fitness for the duties winch ,hey will be
called upon to perform during lts process, q geOO
gist D0tanis tcleer rapn operator, photographer
ana q draughtsman, all civilians, have been espe-
sullivan. n. 3. Leman and Messrs ogden, Mer.
Tiden and Karcher, officers OF The Coast Survey,
wiil also accompany the expedition and act as
assistants TO Commander seiridge. the telegraph
operator has been furnished with about eighty
miles OF wire seventy-nve miles OF which are
o. the ordinary olIice wire and the remain
der OF the same KIND OF insulated wire used
the army ~ "a" ,S war ne mas %
winch he considers quite sufficient to knock all the
monkeys who may presume 10 occupy the wires for
gymnastic purposes into the land where the spirits
OF all dead monkeys 20. full set Of the regular
army signals mas aso been furnished the ships, ana
these VIII be made use or whenever they can be Of
good service. The nags will he used In the day time
ana the lanterns tine lights AZ night Every scien-
Tile instrument necessary for the proper carrying
OF the plans OF the explorers has been secured
PRES ENrs FOR THE INDIANS.
A large quantity Of beads, trinkets and various
cheap arLicles, held IN high esteem by the Indians
form part OF the .treatyn cargo OF the ships, and
these 1t s the intention Of the commanding officer
10 scatter among the savages with a lavish hand IN
order to secure their friendship, and thus enable rhe
expedition to make use OF them In various ways In
winch their services will be OF great Importance To
The success OF the undertaking.
THE OBJECTS OF THE EXPEDITION.
The primary object OF the expedition Is 10 make
thorough survey Of the isthmus ana To discover, II
there be any, tue breaks IN the mountains through
Aspinwall on her way TO the general rendezvous TO
Unake certain ARRANGEMENTS with the Colombian
authorities in reference the expedition aud the
Guard VIII go directly to Caledonia Bay, which il
about ESQ miles beyond AspiDwall, where the Nipsc
will JOIN her. In this pay the vessels Will remain
rs q OF supplies wnile the exploring parties
dive the wilds OF the istnmus. After all the
preliminary preparations In the bay Will have been
cemp!eted two parties WIN start out from sasardi
and another from the southern portion OF Caledonia
Bay to discover, II possible, the depressons In the
mountains and to reach pass winch Dr. Cullen con-
tends exists in the mountains and which has not as
tab isned from these points TO wherever the deprss
sions may be found, thence to the savanna river II
the mouth q the Lara - inc ~ waareyed
Into regular gangs as laborers, and they viii accom-
pany the exploring parties and be made service
able IN clearing away the undergrOwth and rendering
the passage OF the explorers as easy as posaibe.
Aid IL also expected from the alcaldes, and the
20 heio the expeditions In various ways. ON
the 2ist inst. two gentlemen VIII proceed
10 ASllnwali TO ascertain the correct astro.
Panama.
and the result Of their nvest2 aticn Will OF course
sne the base OF operations OF the expedition
After tho plorers shall made thorough sur
Vey VI Reconnaissance OF the country the vessels
will pr, SCecd to the Gulf OF San Bias, and thence
ploring parties will set out to establish line Of
&c, els al ascertain II that portion OF the country Ii
better q dapted 70 the passage OF canal than tnat
Darien Isne expedition will be occupied Tor aoout
six months, and Commander Selfriuge, wtnont
wishing to uay for certain tnat the ultimate object
sne dscove, ' q The depressions IN the mountains
Wilibe attained, expresses himself confident that
tDiug which no expedition has ever yet been able 70
accomplish.
RoucI1 ROAD TO TRAVEL.
Eachscxporng PAL " VIII have especial telegraph
wire OF It's own conn ecting with snpS, which 1t
ul erect 1t goes from place TO place, day after
Day The explorers wi II then be in constant com.
sequently be no danger Of any one Of the parties
falling victims to starvat lon IN the Wilderness a.
aid many -of strains exps aiton. inc region 20 %
tfaversed IN very mountain GUS, ana the ground ID
complete network OF una ergrowth SO thlck and
slrong that II would be mpt ,ssole to make any pro-
gIess through II without the aid OF The axe,
Ine Indians, who may At certain points prove
troublesome, are said to be OF warke nature, and
although under the nominal ,control OF the Colom-
ban government have never b. zen conquered by the
synite man. The expedition WILL az has already
b, en- mentioned endeavor 70 CO. nciate these sava-
,ye by presents, but at the re time each party
eya go well protected and thoro ugnv armed SO as
10 prepared for any rreachery "a the part OF the
d asa ~ Inhabitants along their rou te The distance
Hoat the point where the expedi lion VIII start
Gle onia Bay-to the savanna rive Is forty miles
apsi after ,hey shall have made Il leir way to this
a., N the will follow its course 10 the lay ol Do
re T. where the United States steamer Nyack, when
wi leave the Paeirc squadron IN pr oper time, VIII
be W readiness to receive them. It may be men.
tont W thai besides the savanna. the river Chauqua
nauu eGows through the region throua u which the
eallo yers VIII pass and il Is believed hnat 1t has
N ater s1ough to keep a canal well supplied.
II ~ CANAL ACROSS THE IsTuMUs Posi-. .gLRf
The O. Vcers OF the expedition have not the slight
eat doub but that they will be abie 10 cstaA lish
ps a; e wells and reach tile Savanna river m 4. ,ety