The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-18

name Of Leaf, having become possessed OF little
island in this vicinity, erected house upon It,
and, bent on horticultural display, cleared away
all the trees and planted flowers. The result was
o caution to enterprisng gardeners for the sland'
hitherto laved gently by the waters OF the san
Juan, which encircled 1t. was now bereit OF It's
support. and gradually wore away. Prior to this
mishap the Colorado River was miserable little
stream, or did not exist at ALI but II seems that,
deriving fresh impetus from the partial clearing
away or the island, 1t robbed the San Juan OF Its
course and struck boldly for the Caribbean Sea,
into which 1t now noWs with laundering noise.
there being something near eight feet OF water on
the bar Thus the San Juan, deprived OF the great
volume that formerly rushed to Greytown, sweep
ing away all obstacles. Ia now far TOO
feeble to carry or the accumulations which
are annually deposited In Its bed by numerous
tributaries. 1t would not, however require much
engineering skill to divert the course OF the Colo
RADIO into the san Juan; but have already init
mated, the Nicaraguan governments seems to have
been under the influence OF opium or soda water
for some years past Candidly. the wretched COP
ditton to which 1t has allowed the harbor Of Grey
town to sink Is sure evidence OF persistent indif
ference and approaching decay. Thus far the San
Juan has disappointed me. In point OF color,
depth and impassibillty 1t Is only rivaled by
THE sTYGIAN STREAM
in Broadway, that lows on sush days-thanks to
the Venetian gentlemen Of street cleaning fame
or late this rlver-the San Juan, mean-is hardly
navigable by the smallest craft. Having said so
much about the San JUAN 1t is proper to state that
none of the facts mentioned initiate in the least
against the canal route across Nicaragua, since 1t
is proposed 10 make forty miles Of the distance be-
tween the lake and the Caribbean Sea inland canal.
The intervening sixty-dve miles Is to be slack
water navigation.
THE ENTIRE LENGTH
OF the San Juan rom Fort San Carlos-the outlet
at the lake-to Greytown, Is about los miles. the
lake navigation for the proposed route Is hity-six
miles, and the distance from the shore OF the lake
to the harbor OF Brito, on the Pacific, is tribe
over sixteen miles, making the distance from
ocean to ocean about $50 miles. The pre-eminent
advantage claimed for the Nicaragua route for an
interoceanic canal Ia the Inexhaustible supply OF
water at the summit level. Beyond question 1t Is
the great reservoir OF water OF Central America.
The practicabity OF the route was demonstrated
py Colonel Cnilds over twenty years ago, when the
route was surveyed for the then existing Ameri-
can, Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company.
The estimates OF that engineer were only little
more than half put forward by the present expedi-
ton, although. OF course, the same difficulties did
not formerly exist which are now presented And
it should be added that Colonel Chlds' estimates
are based on the suppostion that the proposed
canal should be only seventeen feet deep-a depth
totally inadequate to the requirements OF such an
undertaking.
At length we have reached Trinidad. 1t is sort
OF hallway house between Greytown and Lake
Nicaragua. Here 1t is that the Serapiqui River
enters the San Juan from the southwark We
have been canoeing and wading for over fifty
hours, and Cesar thinks that rest would be In
order. The canoe Is hauled close under the bank,
and we gratefully return the welcome OF the pro-
prietor OF the rancn-a structure well known to
the old Transit" passengers. We are somewhat
amazed. however, to find no less than four military
gentlemen from Costa RIGA, barefooted, OF course,
and bloodthirsty. Not fully posted on the political
state OF affairs begin to ponder and eventually
come to the conclusion that q revolution is immi-
nent. Bus our fears are allayed when we learn
that the Costa Rican soldiers are under arms
simply to prevent the smuggling OF India rubber
through the Serapqui River My impression is
that the rubber hunters get the better OF the war;
riors. both by day and night, for the reason that
the gallant sons OF Mars not insensible to the
bewltching arms Of Morpheus. All the India rub
Der smuggled through the Serapiqui and captured
by these w.de-awake heroes is confsca ted but
am told that the quantity of property seized thus
lar would not, If converted into money, pay any
reasonable undertaken for the final disposition OF
the bodies OF the four soldiers from Costa Rica.
The commissioners are now at Machuca rapids