Over Darien by a ship canal : reports of the mismanaged Darien expedition of 1854, with suggestions for a survey by competent engineers, and an exploration by parties with compasses.

  • Cullen, Dr.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Over Darien by a ship canal : reports of the mismanaged Darien expedition of 1854, with suggestions for a survey by competent engineers, and an exploration by parties with compasses. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    On rounding Isla del Oro, or Golden Island, which forms the nortli-west entrance to Caledonia Bay, I, at least, was not sur- prised to sec the United States' sloop of war Cyane, 26, Captain Hollins, lying at anchor in the channel of Sassardi ; for a lon^r delay had occurred at Jamaica, which I had predicted, would result in the American engineer proceeding on liis own account, without taking cognizance of the fact that the English and French engineers were on their wa}^ to join him. Such\ve found to be the case, Captain Hollins informing us that Lieutenant Strain, of the United States' navy, had landed three days before our an-ival, without leaA'ing any message for Mr. Gisborne, or saying what course he intended to pursue. To this separate action must bo attributed the dreadful sufferings of Lieutenant Strain's party, who wandered along rivers' banks for sixty-seven days, viz., from January 19 to March 26 (subsisting for most of the time on the acid nuts of the trupa palm), and were at last tracked out and rescued from their perilous position by the boats of H M.S. Virago, which were despatched from the Savaua in seai'ch of them. Immediately after our an-ival, Dennis of Sassardi, Patterson of Carti, a young man named Robinson, who st3'led himself Secre- tary of State to Caloga, the old chief at Rio Diablo, in San Bias Bay, and some other Indians fi-om Can'eto, &c., came on board, and, after a short pow-wow, gave their consent to our landing- ixnd surveying the comitry. On the 24!tli of January we landed on the west side of tho Point of San Fulgencio, where Captain Hollins had already caused a well to be dug. The party consisted of Mr. Gisborne. Lieutenant St. Jolm, Lieutenant Preston, and twelve sailors ot the Espiegle; Captain Jaureiguibery, Lieutenant de Vaisseau Oron, and twelve of the crew of the Chimere; Dr. Edwards, assistant surgeon of the Espiegle ; Col. Codazzi, engineer of tlie New Granada Government, and myself. A short path througii the bush behind the point brought us to the sand-beach ot Caledonia Bay ; after walking along which for a mile Ave arrived at the mouth of tlie Aglaseniqua, over which the surf breaks; and half a mile further to the south-east, at the mouth of the Aglatumati, or Caledonia River, where there were five abandoned lints and a few canoes. In both these rivers there is alwny excellent water. From this point the engmeer (instead of takinsj;- as I had always advised, a -compass course through the busli- notching the trees with a machete' as he went, first to the wcst^ ward, into the pass through the Cordillera, and then south) guided tlie party up the river to its junction with a largo tributary from the cast, where we found two abandoned huts m a cacao plantation, at Avhich we stopped that night. The ncN (Iny, January 25, continuing to follow u]) the river, wading i * Oucc out of the pass, the course i.-? S.AV.