The New York herald., 1870-04-10

| adiacenI hills ana mountains including Mount yer-
non rose tne outlines OF mountain ranges. piled up
lectors VI canal without locks tunnels across
the istnnus. But modern science and enterprise
uey all obstacles. They can do almost everything
winch VIII promise TO pay and II we cannot ar
| spy out longed-I0r depression IN the mountain
mountain tops were hidden in thick clouds, which
filed the SKY while the sunbeams, bursting through
foliage aud brought in vivid contrast to the
gray nists curling al0t from every ravine. The
| under the sunlight, while the shadows oi the
clouds fitting over 1t were OF purush hue.
The whole picture was "a thing OF beauty.p At
+. Nd. we came to anchor III Caledonia Bay. a
boat sent ashore to Cocoanut Island brought or
cocoanuts, custard apples, shells and other specl
'peurisy, Quartermaster H. O'Nel," and he Is lal-
proving. Tno Guard lett Sandy Hook ~ 1880 r. NJ,
Friday evening January 2s, 1870, and anchored IN
CALEDONIA Bay at i 2. NJ, saturday, February l9,
having sailed 2,4OO miles In twenty days and nine
Npsic, commander Thomas 0. Scifridse, In COM
mand Oh the Darien expedition.
Arrival of the Nipsic-A Visit to the Indian
Village or Sasnrsli-Hhc Indians Friendly,
but Inclined TO Oppose the Projected Cunai-
inauguration OF the Work OF Surveying
Movements of Exploring Parties.
UNITED STATES SroREsHIp GUARD, !
sn ~ CALEDONIA BAY, Marca 8, 1870. !
At 6:35 p. NJ. on the 2lst OF February the United
States steamer NIpsic came anchor ahead OF the
Guarl We had sighted her at $40 p. M. standing
along sasardi Island, and, and We were glad to
welcome her and the New York letters and news
papers wh,cn she brought from Aspinwaii.
Messrs. Sullivan and Mosman, OF the coast survey
party. md senior Bias de Arosemena. commissioner
@ 6. :w =: = afanaaa also arrived BY the Npsic. Tns
following Is q list Of Dcr onlcers:- ~"
COMMUNICATIONS o. Sellridge.
Leutcnant-Socrltes Hubbard. -.[.,.r,-,
FasS Porter hS%
lsSes-- Emmett MsfQriAack. .'''''''' 80 ''-'
First Assistant Englneep--Wiillam 8. Smith.
EnsiEns;-George :. Dqyal, jefferson +. Mosef,
Robert r. Jasper, Nathan Z. Niles.
Second Assistant Englneer-Levi 7. Stafford. y
Captains Clerk-E A. Casey.
Paymaster's Clerk. s. Rider.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF MEN OF sAsARDl.
On fhk seass pf FehSusy tue second cutter Of the
Guard was sent to Sasardl Bay with an oficer,
Ensign Collins, who landed ana 'interviewedn the
chief men or the village, assuring them of our
friendly Intentions, and being assured by them In
turn that they and also the Indians the Interior
were friendly. There were about thirty five natives
unarme1. One OF them, however, on seeing the
olcers sword at his side ran to hut and brought
out hatcnet, which he buried in the sand amid
shouts and laughter on all sides, as soon as the
sword passed back to the boat. Notw ithstand-
Ing their friendly professions the In6ians re-
fused to sell anyth accept gifts, nnating that
the policy they preferred was sort OF Jeff DAVIS
pOllcy-''to be let alone" They seemed not TO
have forgotten the idea which one OF their
Oid chiefs expressed to the unfortunate Lieutenant
Strain that Ii GOD had intended ttu tnere should pe
an interoceanIc canal across the isthmus He would
have made one HlllSeil. There are about twenty.
| hve huts ut Sasardi No women or cnlldren were
TO be seen. Some indians accOsted Captain Lu and
small party from the snip lii very friendly way
on the beach near Caledonia village the following
day, the zlsL But one Of their Old men, who some
Wnat reluctantly consented TO have his portrait
taxen by MI. Gustn, insisted on its being torn mp.
Perhaps these Indians share the superstition or their
NOrtn American brethren, that part OF The life goes
out into the portrait For the rest, their physical
appeafance resembles that oi our indians although
ther complexion 1s not SO dark, while their
manners are as mild and courteous as those Of
their ancestors contemporaries first seen by Colum-
bus. ON the I'D "a few Indians. sent they sald Dy
an old chief, came aboard. One OF them, boy, mad
! handsome lace and remarkably fine eyes, Other
Indians paid both the Npsic and the Guard visit
] the next day. The oldest OF them wore heavy gold
| earrings, and, Ike another old man VINO accom-
panied MIN, suit OF store clothes. His black cloth
| panta.oons oeing TOO long were rolled up at the
ankles anu the price ticket twc.ve dollars) Of ms
2itn the chief OF the CALEDONIA village visited Coia
mander Seliridge, who persuaded ann TO promise
that the exploring party should be Guided 70 the
were respected no hostile demonstrations need be
| apprehended. Two Indians from sasarai village
plantalns as preSents. They ate willingly the iO0d
| ohered TO them, and one who showed great inte-
gence added considerably 10 Captain Lulls vocabu
iaryior their meagre language, whlch PROBABLY com
prlses but few hundred words.
/ INAUGURATION OF THE WORK OF SURVEYING.
Washingt0n's birthday, the 22d OF February, was,
| OF course duly celebrated Nor was 1t forgotten
that Lawrence Washlneton the brother Of the Illus
| trious George, had served with Admiral Vernon,
who captured Porto Beo, on the Istnnus of Darien,
and beseged Cartiagena, and whose name Is per-
| petuated BY Mount Vernon on Caledonia Bay as
| well as by Mount Vernon on tA2 Potomac. Com
mander Sefridge visited the Guard on the 22d Of
survey was vigorously inaugurated. A small river
about four miles distant, which the hydrograpnical
| party began to survey, was named Washington
ha hAfn An ngtr
nomical observatory had been erected the day pre-
vous on Cocoanut Island For the iirst time Gale
surveyed. The parLles at WORK on water and on
shore were for few days to return every night,
ganlzed thai although all returned the 0rst night,
including the pioneer party, which went ashore on
oicer OF the Guard. two expeditions were ready
leave for weeks absence early on Friday morning,
the 26th OF Feornary The surveying party on shore,
low under command OF Lieutenant Hubbard, OF the
| Nipsic, accompanied by Ensigns Coins and Elliot
and Mr.. Neil, gunner, OF the Guard Mr.. Ogden, or
| the Coast Survey, and Mr. Bowdltcn, assistant
mneralogst, mas been reported to-day, and VIII re-
| turn saturday. But the main exploring party,
under command OF Commander Selridge accom-.
panied 10y Mr.. sullivan chief coast survey officer;
Major Houston. Lleutenants Goodrich and Allen or
the Marine Corps, and all the marines; Lieutenant
and PaYmaster LOOMS Of the Nipslc Messrs. Gustn
artist and Carson, minerat0gist. ana tue Colombian
commissioner Don Bias, numbering nearly a round
hundred, all returned safe ana well at half past
two to-day, the Sd OF March.
Progress of the Expediti0n-Trip of the Main
Exploring Party Acress the M0untain-Par- r.
ticaurs OF the Jonrney-Striking the Sucubti
Riyer-Powwow with Sacuibti fudiums--The
Work Already Done.
UNITED STATES SrOREsBIP GUARD,
CALEDOSIA BAY, Marca S, 1870. !
At O'Clock Oh Friday morning, February rs.
began the hustle OF preparation for
A WEEK ON THE IsTHMUs
Commander Selfridge and his exploring party,
numbering nearly hundred landed on the beach
about mile from Caled0n. the Indian fishing sta
tiOn In order to make reconnaissance in force