The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-10
Correspondence New York Herald

been accorded q very cordial reception.
President Carazo sent special envoy TO
greet the officers of the expedition, and to
promise them hearty cooperation in the
great scheme Of piercing the isthmus.
The work will begin at once. There
seem TO be no insurmountable obstacles
to encounter and all connected with the
enterprise hope for its successful compile
ton.
When the expedition completed its
business at Port Morant, Jamaica, as de-
scribed in previous dispatch, the entire
party was in a state of excitement over the
an ticipated search by the Spanish gunboat
Concha. Notwithstanding the assurances
Of the Jamacans that she was awaiting
the llondo in the ofiing, the steamer went
TO sea about midnight, was not molested,
and steered, without further incident, for
Grcytown.
On the afternoon OF the Sth inst. we
passed close on 10 the island Of III Ronca-
dor, the lonely coral reef in the Caribbean
sea upon which the hero OF the "Waikne"
is said TO have been wrecked and rescued
shortly after by the turtle hunters, who
carried him to the Mosquito coast. Here
he met the "She" OF Central America, and
became the father of one of the many
e-siaces along the shores OF the Caribbean
Aea
Early on the morning Of the 9th the blue
hills in the valley of the Deseado were
sighted, and the ship steered for the cones
of the twin Costa Rican volcanoes Irazu
and Torealba. These form range for
Grewtown, which is nothing but a fat,
sandy spot in the delta OF the Rio San
Juan. At s o'clock the Hondo anchored
about five miles of the bar, and awaited
the steam lighter sent out 10 welcome the
expedition and convey Mr. Peary, his as
sistant, the chiefs of parties and your cor
respondent to a reception in San Juan del
Norte, as Greytown is known in official
circles.
now THE BAR At GREYTowS WAS FORMED.
The action Of the sea current upon the
silt deposited by the Rio San Carlos during
the rainy season has formed Gordon or
mole across the entrance OF the harbor, the
channel Of which shifts every day, thus
rendering charts and native pilots useless
10 the navigator. Each time the surf
boats run the gauntlet OF the breakers,
over which only five feet at the deepest
can be carried, the crews expect 10 find the
narrow entrance broken out in some new
spot, and therefore natives are stationed
forward 10 feel the way with poles until
the danger OF this blind navigation is over
The rapidity Of the combined action Of
sea and river was clearly shown during q
severe tornado which swept the Central
American coast in 1858. The United States
steam frigate Savannah was then lying ut
anchor in the inner harbor, and were Il
not for the timely assistance OF visiting
aI,,,
good, as the entrance was closed in a
single night.
An EXCITING TRr ASHORE.
At 10 o'clock lines were cast adriit, and
the exciting and dangerous run through
the SURF that fairly smokes as II breaks
- along the entire length OF the bar, was be-
gun. New York society people, who suf-
fer from "ennui" and are always longing
for excitement, would doubtless find am
pie food for reflection during one trip
through the surf of Grcytown bar.
When our party left the Hondo the pre-
yailing breeze OF the northeast trades had
not yet tempered the morning heat; the
surface OF the ocean was MS smooth n n
polished mirror and the sun shot down
like arrows from cloudless sky, causing
the very tar 10 ooze in huge drops from the
rigging A gentle ground swell was set
ting from the northward, which, though
light, was quite sufficient 10 comb the
breakers almost ~ high rs the top Of our
smokc-stack.
As We approach the shore orders arc
given 10 seize every available rope, and all
movable objects are dashed 10 the deck.
With the captain NJ the helm, two men on
the bow 10 conn ship and six natives
sounding on all sides, the lighter is headed
for the spot where the supposed channel
ought 10 be.
4 CRITICAL MOMENT.
On We dash, now elevated 20 the crest oi
one wave, then down into the iathomless
abyss Of another, the ocean seething and
kissing overhead like boiling caldron,
while the sea IL II tonlly black with the
dorsal fins Of half starved sharks, mop
than twice the length Of the tallcst man.
and immense crocOdiles far more hideous
than those We saw ms children Ina story
books.
A slight miscalculaiion either way, the
burying Of the bow in soft sand and the
upheayal Of the stern by the next way,
breaking with the force OF 10000 steam
hammers, aud lighter, officers, laborcrs
sharks and crocodilcs would form one con.
fused struggling mass.
The descendants Of Cortcz seem 10 have
IhH'llNth lllN huNfflillulillN 10 fNflltUi'll
IN the moment Of danger that is accorde,
81 all the Latin races, for while We wcr,
running the sun, every Spanish hali-brecd
on board Immediately assumed command
and such Babel Of voices was never he
fore heard.
sAPE ~ SMOOTH WATER.
With the exception Of slightly scrapin.
lotion on one wave and being carrie,
safely over on the next, We found ounevc
in one Of the many lagoons that form IN,
delta Of the San Juan. A mile further NJ
We were met by an old Mississippi rive
steamer Of the stcrn-whccl type, that
looked M though she had been the large
of the entire federal battery during th,
last war. Passengers and freight wcr
there transferred and another start mad'
up the Rio Pos.
After running her bow into the mud q
every bend In order that the current NIGH
swing around her stern, We reached th'
little settlement that will soon dictate he
own terms 10 the world, and whose ores
cent shaped harbor now lullcd 10 sleep by
the heat Of The tropical sun, will some da,
be tecming with the rich merchant fleet
OF the world, and her pulses throbbini
with new life infused by the busy sound
Of commerce.
AZ the wharf VIC were met by Scno
poitaa tho ttctuIadano ronroaontantaW "a