New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-27

o,,,o,,. with the excepon Of Oubdo the head
waters and the center Of the mining distioI D"'"
banks were lined with plantations of maize sugnrahe'
planiains and bananas Every tropical fruit honrshrs
and the soil makes abundant returns for any labor OF me
hushandman The fertility Of the county II sa inSa
Food can be raised with 80 little aSI hca ,t" which would
afford susenance for one man, wiil ~ ,p MarmtS
and even temperature rendered clothing etcle OF lux
uiy Of necessity. dress is matter oi MINOR con, ,
rnicst rosshlc manner and from this icc an ntoxlcat
ing drink is made by fermentation, which seems 10 W.
"corn iaice" Cncao is raised in small quantities. and
delicious chocolate is made thereiro Nature Is it
ous and all physical needs are supplied WIN very ituc
labor when ready money is needed the father OF the
family loads his canoes with paintans ana aak's n
caoutchouc The spot selected for his operations being
hunt for the rubber trees begins Cutting branch mere
and there ms guide for his return win ms QUICK yc
the of which Is such precious article OF c3eree,
Ia forces his way through INC dense forests III Tree Is
work Days may pass without single tree being found,
and again. days work will mark dozen trees Inc
heavy sap downward and large caabash on The ground
receives the fluid rubber as it runs The sap Is snbse,
covered With water soon loses white color and as i
soldes becomes black large tree VIII yield as muen
as 200 pounds small scarcely 80. when D SUM-
Gent quantity has been collected To pay on ou Scores
the rubber loaded in canoes and taken 10 ane hnu
thus obtained the native again retrcs TO the bosom
5d w & rTs him d% forth to renewal aSo
The fandanGo is the only amusement. To the rude
onN S 81 hav Of aiH d Vanous beverage the
dancing is kept for twelve hours at time inc manner
measures being Slow and the movements more OF the
body than the limbs Some of the figures are very stately
correct taste would approve With the exception of
tax rubber there other burdens imposed upon
the people, and happier, more careless class wouu W
ditcut TO find. l., A., ..ou
our cutter reached Its destination early in the AFTER
noon and business being attended TO, claims sctted ana
all due compliments to the Acalde having peen paul we
walked the aSs Mh houses e We're all alike
All raised stakes and with PAIN tSaoy
through the open nOors Our stay was necessarily shor'
TROPICAL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS.
On May 8, at daybreak. the two boats cast oil ana
started down the Arato. The machinery OF the steam
cutter required much attention that for many houis
the only Roadway that given by the current swollen
high by frequent rains Tho banks of the large river
were very picturesque. Huge bonGo trees the followed
trunks of which constitute the hull Of many natNc
craft lifted their branches high overhead while clngg
from every limb parasitic vines and orchids Narleu lts
foliage with OF brilliant coors loodred passion
flowers lined the banks while the lavender fl9r de Mayo
more ambitions TO he scen-crOwned whole ueetOps
with its delicate flowers Parrots ana macaws eyea s
MonSrys. Black and White red brown and blue of all
sizes owlcd defiance, alarmed at the sharp crack ol
branch iii their forms We're lost to sight amid
the leafy coyers. Occasional plantations OF
t s,gn 0'l on the bank; native luts with
groups children shot into yew only to be lost at the
first bend huge allgatOrs laziiy Stunning themselves
unnn The banks slid lcsurely into the water, per
chance, yenturesome, awaited the sharp report oi
the bullet which was sure to be sent to Them Long
legged awaited with dignity our comins nt al
paLed by the quick coughing OF tne ISL All '0on
seemed to take an interest in our voyage lne
waving scenery with an occasional background of
mountains, made the day one long to be reneapereu c
peril but sharp and quick hands were ever ready
10 avert danger ana dy an pon
the morning May the boats issued from the narrow
lips as tine grand vista of the Caribbean broke on our
| view The Canandagua was ready, anu 10 ihe surlu
Tehnd Me-" the srcat anchor broke the mud the
engine turned ahead, and the voyage honlewalo WAS
begun.
As mentioned previously in this letter, the exact re-
suits of the survey not obanablc now, nor indeed
will they for weeks to Much Office work, many
thousands OF calculations, and much time viii be re-
ouired before the book work may be said TO be com
peted The line has been plotted" from time to time
and profile made by which general ldea may o. o.
means of comparison with other routes:
The proposed & M n9 has fST IT'S ha
pie for the anchorage Of thousand shps and is
sheltered from every gale From this as an initial point
which Tor over $50 miles is 1000 feet while the mini
mum depth is six fathoms) distance OF lao miles
the canal runs through low ground and for nearly II
miles hills encountered For tho next 9IO miles
hills arc with occasionally but the cutting Is much
reduced by with large radi skrting the higher
the projection of and this only in few cases
At This point, 21lIo miles from the Atrato, the canal
crosses the Nappi River by means of basin formed by
retaining dam 80 hight. An excellent place for
such dam has been found with bed rock for foundation
the canal, hight of l41:2 feet above mean tide To
ascend TO this II locks will have to be introduced upon
tine Atlantic slope Of average lift OF about ten feet
Here also the canal draws It's water supply rom me
river ITSELF and if needful the whole volume OF the
Cuia River only miles distant easily be brought
hitler by OF feeder AS 10 water there Is no
question, the two rivers can furnish any quantity
desired.
mountainous region The distance from the crossing TO
the Pacific is only 500 miles, and OF TINS 5oiI0O are by
tunnel. In estimating WHERE the tunnel should Degn,
cutting feet deph has been fixed as the extreme
of open cuts The western portal OF the tunnel is stu
ated within mile of the Pacific, and at tins point 10
locks succession will be required to reach the level OF
the Pacific The previous estimates for the line includ
ing the cleaning of the bar of the Atralo hospital ar
| Judgements, etc, were S5GOOO,O0O. The increased
length OF the tunnel and the greater length OF
line e. T h aa to S m The surveys 1ey 't hs
wear have not developed favorable country as was
hoped for but its shOrtness still renders IT formidable
rival the other routes Were not for the great length
of tunnel line would be without question the most
favorable yet found and even with thus drawback 1t
would be premature to pronounce against H. .
Tie work this Year has been done with the smallest
force vet put upon such difficult task, and 1t has only
been by the constant labor Of the few ohcers engaged
that the work has completed Great praise Is due
to Lieut. Collins, under whose command the expedton
was placed for the manner III which every deta OF tne
expedition has been carried out and it may be said With
out prejudice to others that no similar expedition mas
more thoroughly fulfilled the purposes Tor which IL was
organized than the Darien Expedition OF 1879.
RETURN OF EXPLORES ON THE IsTHMUs. :
Several members of the Fourth Darien Ex-
ploring Expedition reached this city yesterday in the
Pacific Mail steamer Acapulco They Lieut.. Fred
erick Collins, commanders Leuts. j. G. EastOn, ]. T.
sullivan s. c. Paine, Ensign Barrol and Assistant
Surgeon Noloc The other members Of the expedition
went 10 Key West in tue CaDandilgua.
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