New-York tribune., 1870-12-06

are bar larger than our own who that OF spain Is made
Of as ships including several sids 20 Supboats
mounted, each with heavy rifle gun. ,ho .uaxon
The South Atlantic station. hing rO ~,
across tO Saint Paul do LOanda and sOutn"h'r ,tont
the shores and beyond the capes OF eithsr g aI
OF yast oxtent and Importance. ht foDr
Sesses three Of which are On the station and the fourth
about "a Join IT, These under the abin the Ports
month the Wasp and the has been
pletely reitted during the past year. o,t, sou,b
The Pacific station extendslfrom Behring strs
ward to Cape Horn and @ ator ~ 10 iSt de,
gree east including the South Paeinc grVnps ~ ~ ~
Zealand New Guinea, aud Australia. M i1
the North and south Pacific squadrons. ,i,o oo,n.
The Sq5h Pacific sHWSGdTS WS nGfs R Tycr ES CONSISTS
time OF seven ships mounting in al IS guns s1 ~ w oIn
on the station and 9 the the ssfsnac the
Marys the Cyane the Nyack aud the saginaw wa"
Th sth Pecide sanadron now under the immediate
command of Commodore David McDOnga, COLOSSUS vi
Ave ships m9Snt9s 9SS ReaGs IN AZ me onward and MOhcan
Whole feet thus consists OF twelve SHIPS, d ~ Rear
l2 gqns and Is 6so TndeE Sne o relieved RearAdmri
the 9th day OF @ reOaired since
all but three vessels have been rentteu or rePaou S
Our coast line on this station including that OF Alaska
IA over 1000 miles in extent and the duties ana RESPONSE
htes OF mis- feet are Of great variety and Importance.
Besides general protectOrate Of the persons and prop
traders scattered on the and in the seaports Of
south America and the 1shmus, and among the lsanus
of the Pacific they include supervision OF the interests
of the Government and people in the whaling and
fisheries OF the north, and OF our commercial rela-
tions with the islands and with the east In these inter
es long stretches OF coast must be surveyed ports OF
and harbors OF refuge the main land ana IN ma
must he sounded and dredged points OF ulmcuy
and OF danger tested and marked out and at vast ds
tances with thousands OF miles between the nag Oh e
Republic must be displayed wherever DarDarsm is
The European station, embracing all the waters OF tho
Atlantic, and its communicating seas north OF s tns
and fualud o flp IglU
that OF North Africa s always station OF great c9nse
quenee in view OF the intimacy OF our relations win he
peoples and Governments Of Western Europe, and the
number and importance OF our personal ana e0mmeIcl
relations in that quarter OF the world IN tne Pesent P
well their interests and SAFETY demand hat We
shall be represented there by All the oroe ayaape 10 % %
the feet in that quarter as far az was p0sslpe,
view OF the requirements OF other sa'9ns i, HdirI
Giss0n. who relieved RearAdmra Rad1Ord on tS ys th
Of august t t6 eS@and GEns6s q the f PmoaR the sna
dOah the Juniata, the saco and the Guerrlero, eIts
on e station and the eighth the Guerriere, Is under
selling orders to join the feet OF this fleet all but the
Franklin, the Richmond, and the Junata nave Deehro
fitted and repaired during the past year. ,
The Asiatic station embraces AZ the Waters OF ASIA anu
Of Eastern and Northeastern Africa and the Islands OF
limits OF the Pacific station extending from the west
The fleet on this station is now under command OF Rear
Admiral John Rogers who relieved Rear Admiral Rowan
the goth day OF August last ~ consists oi 1
the MonOcacy the Paos and the Idaho toreship
vessels i'm all, mounting ss guns or THIS Meet az DuI
three have prepared for ana nave sailed O
the United states since the date OF my last report Tho
Paos small steamer Of 9Oo tuns fitted and armed iot
cruising in the rivers OF China was sent tns meet
by the route OF the SueZ Canal She made the passage
from Boston to Singapore in 70 sailing days Inc history
of her VOYAGE and her passage OF the canal detailed III
the Appendix win be found OF much interest The i'm
portance Of interests on this station can nardy De
oyerstimated and the constant necessity for an IN
OF force there oppesses the department Inc
uncertain tenure by which al the OF ON
civilization and religion are held IN the EasI tho dsoI
ance which clogs and the supersons whch thWalt al
plain dealing with barbaric and % Po"sIS We
terest or danger-all these combine TO demand an IN
Of force which the department Is unable 70 s4pd
The feeling OF uncertainty and alarm when at hs
pervades all the European settlements III emma e1hdd
10 our own commercial aha AT ffgO1s s Dos rSg in mat
portion OF the station for the protecOn OF any htess
which may be threatened and the display as iar as @
" MIDWAY ISLANDS
The act making appropriations for the naval service
approved March 1862 appropriated $4,000 for deepen
ing the entrance the harbOr OF Midway Islands in the
Pacific Ocean, to afford safe rendezvous and port o
refuge the naval and merchant vessels OF
United States In pursuance OF the provsons OF h
act a contract was entered into with Mr.. George w
Townsend Of Boston. september 5O 1862 20 e1eene t,
work and OF the vessels OF the Pacnc nee the sag
tailed to aid the contractor by making the necessary sur
yeys and to afford such other facilities as were reason
commanding officer Of this ship charged with the
immediate supervision Of the work and with the mspec
reached the Midway Islands March "a, and as soon a.
possible thereafter the deepening OF the channel %as
difficulty has been experienced and greater obstacles en-
countered than anticipated but at the date OF the
latest report from the officer in charge he able tc
| form toeraby fair estimate OF the time and cost OF
completing the work His estimate or time is 81 months
from pr 49, the date Of s commencement, and OF the
cost about which sum he considers to De the least
the United states shall have the option OF terminating
tho work whenever the appropriation specially made oI
IL by Congress snail be insufficient Tor It's further con
|
strucons that the appropriation be not exceeded there
till October at which time the party proposes returning
to San Francisco.
| ISTERocEAsIC CANAL-DARIES ROUTE.
In execution of the plan stated in my last annual re
port for surveying the sthmus OF Darlen, with view t.
ascertain by what route IL any, ship canal might be
constructed between the oceans three small vessels
the Npsc, Guard and Nyaek, were, in January, 1870
placed under the command Of Commander Thomas Self
ridge with instructions to explore and survey such pOr
tOns OF the province Of Daren as might be supposed
suitable for the location and construction OF such canal
Beside the officers and OF these vessels the eXpOr
ing party GO consisted OF guard OF MARINES, under com
engineers draughsmen telegraphers, mineralOgists
Nipsc) we're ordered 70 rendezvous In Caledonia Bay
The Guard arrived there on the 18th OF February and
the Nipsic two days later by the way OF Aspinwall
where she touched aborers and guides The
President of Panama exhibited friendly interest, and
sent official representative to Join the exploring party
The Nyaok which attached to the Pacific fleet. wa
ordered TO S. Ingues Bay but not reaching her des
untll Jnb lAtn OF April HeT Olncers anu crew
took part in the explorations shore, but ad
| vantageOusy employed in harbOr and coast survey
| Three routes were explored and surveyed, viz:
First! The Darien route, which starting from Gale
donia Bay proceeds 10 the headwaters Of the Sucubt
River following that river to it's junction with the Chu
cunaqui thence goes westwardly across the divide t.
the confluence Of the Lara and Savanna Rivers and down
| the Savanna TO the Pacific Ocean.
Second The sassardi route, which, leading from Sas
sardi River, at the nOrthery extremity OF Caledonia
Bay up the sassard River 10 the dividing ridge, mOye
thence the River MOrt tributary Of the Chucunaqui
and thence, by the Mor Chucunaqu, and Savanna, tc
| the Pacific
Third: The route of San Bias which, starting from the
Gulf Of that name, passes through the valleys Of the
Mandinga and MarmOn Rivers, 10 the junction Of IN,
| latter with the River BayamO, or ChepO, and thence
| twelve miles by that river 10 the Pacific
Each OF these three routes ascertaned TO be I'm
..l--I. IL LII