The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-23
surveying in the Tropics.

| Commodore Selfridge, commanding the
Darien Ship Canal Surveying Expedition,
writes to the Secretary of the Navy:
The men had to wade through streams
breast high, and cut their way through
dense underground. The Cordilieras at the
Indian trail where the party crossed rise to
an altitude Of 200 feet, and the men were
compelled to throw away everything but
their provisions. After march of four
hours they reached the Sucubti river. The
! trail is ell high ground, with deep gorges
on each side.
| Commander Selfridge then gives an ac-
count of his first interview with the princi-
| pal men of the Sucubti tribe of Indians,
which. upon the whole, was quite satisfac-
| tory. He states that the party, although
experiencing all the inclemencies of the wet
season, returned in perfect health, and he
is inclined to think that he will be enabled
to make a much more favorable report upon
the climate than was generally believed in
this country. The result of his reconnois-
ance was to make him change his first
plans, so as to prosecute the surveys from
| the Atlantic as base only to the Chucuna-
qua, and on the Pacific side to run line
from the Sana to the Chucunaqua. He
procured promise of the Indians to show
him the path across the mountains at Sas-
sardi. The native laborers he procured at
Aspinwall were Sc worthless that he sent
them back and proceeded to Carthagena
to obtain laborers and number of jack
asses, the latter to carry the supplies to the
surveying parties as they proceed into the
interior
RIVER COURSE DETERMINED on.
The second letter of Commander Sell
fridge is dated Sassardi, United States of
Columbia, March 90, 1870.
He announces his arrival at Carthagena
on the 18th March, and states that the
President of the Province rendered him
every aid in obtaining laberers and jack
asses, but could obtain none of the former,
as the people appeared to fear the Darien
Indians He returned to Caledonia Bay on
the 18th of March. He renewed his sur
veys, but failed to find a pass through the
mountains, and finally chose the route of
the Aglassiuiqui river as the most direct as
well as the lowest. lie has ordered the
surveying party to follow about a west by
south-half-south course, seeking the lowest
depressions, and run line of levels to the
Chucunaqua river. Every foot of the way
has to be cut through dense underground,
along steep mountain sides and deep rocky
ravines. The whole face of the land is
broken, and there is no such thing as level
open country, and it is a good days work
to have surveyed 1000 feet. In order to
keep his surveying parties supplied with
provisions, he is compelled to build road
all the way to their front, as well as to do
the cutting fer the survey, which, of
course, takes much time and labor. He is
in constant communication with his survey
ing parties by means of the telegraph,
which is moved along with them. At the
time of writing he had fifty-six men in the
interior, twenty of whom were engaged in
cutting and making the roads, fifteen as a
guard, and the remainder surveying, tele-
graphing, etc. In addition to these, he
proposed to send party up the Sassardi
river, to wolk in the direction of the WORT
river, because this route presents a much
lower depression than the Caledonia route,
though the Indians report high mountains
in the interior The topographic survey of
the harbers of Caledonia and Sassardi is
progressing satisfactorily. Commander
Selfridge reports the continued good health
of the command, and says there was not
sick person OH the ships or among the sur
veying parties. He says the climate is far
superior to that of Aspinwall. The harbor
of Caledonia Bay is magnificent, and pre-
sents all the requirements of the terminus
of an inter-eceanic canal, but nature has
surrounded it with a chain of mountains
almost impossible. The harbor Of Sassardi
is also sufficient for the purpose, provided
the interior presents favorable aspect.