and the padrone a doubloon; they are fed by the owners of the boat, and consume an immense quantity; the passage for persons ascending is from fifteen to thirty dollars, which includes a small quantity of luggage.

These men will when ascending, commence at daybreak, and row for the whole day, exclusive of two hours about noon. When they leave the settlement they strip themselves completely, and never dress again except at night, until they arrive at their destination. The usual draft of the boats, which are flat bottomed, is when loaded, about eighteen inches, and they cost more than 1000 dollars each.

As a mode of conveyance this river may be made available, and would if the goods were intended to be carried across the continent by boats alone, answer the purpose admirably when a canal shall be cut, from either the lakes of Nicaragua or Managua, to the Pacific. But as for sailing ships or steamers leaving one ocean and entering the other by this route, I hold it to be impossible, the river as a natural stream being much too shallow, and from its fall and the nature of the country, it could hardly ever be canalled to a depth sufficient to carry up any vessel drawing more than eight feet water, or over 200 tons, and vessels under that tonnage could only be adapted to the coasting trade.

The several channels into the river from the harbour, (of which there are three), have only a depth over the shoal which is in front of them, and extends from the west extreme of the town towards Point Mandeville, of or a fathom, whilst in the river there is from 1 to 2 fathoms water. About this shoal and on it are many drift trees, which coming down the river ground on it, and become the nucleus of future islets, extending the delta in a gradual but sure manner, until it will block up the port, and the mouth of the river will open in some other place.

From the rapidity of the currents (Sept.) the whole of the surface water of the harbour was fresh, and used by us for washing clothes. Anywhere inside the bars of the Delta, good water may be procured, but strongly impregnated with Sarsaparilla, and much better may be got at any of the wells in the town, as it filters through the sand, and any impurities that it may have had are detained there.

For more than twenty miles above the mouths of the river, the country is so low that it all forms a nearly impassable swamp, and is the rendezvous of many birds, monkeys, and wild cats. On the solid shore to the north-west there are many wild hogs, and agouti, whilst in the harbour, the Delta, and Lagoons, are numerous alligators, sharks, and numbers of fish, the shallows literally swarming with them. The quadrupeds are very difficult to come at from the impenetrable bush, and the alligators are too many to trust any vulnerable part out of the water, so that success in hunting can only be insured to one experienced in the art and knowing the country. Even then great risk is run from the bite of many deadly snakes which infest the wood and long grass; these are the whip, blood, and other snakes, all of them very small but certain death to any one bitten by them.

The guana is also here inoffensive as in any other part of the world, and equally good to eat if any one likes them.

Of the birds that were shot here during our stay, there were many species of condors, toucans, pigeons, snipes; parrots and parrokeets, paddy bird and grass coot or speer wing, but the jungle is so thick and dangerous from snakes, that it is not advisable to go far in it: during the season of the norths many ducks resort here.

Skins of tigers, lions, or puma, and mountain cats may be bought from settlers, from two to four dollars, and they measure from head to the root of tail about four feet.

There are many plants both parasitical and independent growing, that are

to me rare and strange, but from my much regretted want of botanical knowledge, I cannot describe them. The most singular, and indeed it is a weed, is the sensitive plant; it is even more than a foot from the ground, and has a leaf like the fern of two inches long, and when the stalk or any part of the branch is touched the leaves close, and from a bright green turn a decayed brown, the branch droops and the whole plant appears to decay. This is always when any strange articles touch it, but the rain affects it not, and a small species of black wasp, or fly which feeds on their bark or stalk, only in their movements cause the end of every leaf to close, and in about ten minutes open again. In treading upon it the whole patch will turn immediately from green to brown. It bears a small white flower without sense or smell. In one place there is a plantation of cocoa-nut trees which bear so well that out of one of the young nuts we obtained more than a pint of milk.

The only trees we saw, and of any use were the eboe and the bastard mahogany. The first we cut down near the head of Shepherd's Lagoon, and the other we found a drift log on Point Arenas. The eboe is very hard, and its nut affords an excellent oil for the hair. The young trees make very good knees for boats, but being excessively heavy, not floating, would not be so good for building; these nuts are good food for hogs, and by lying in wait for them near any of these trees when they bear, you are nearly sure of a shot.

There is another property said to belong to this tree, that if any part of the trunk is well lighted it will burn to a tinder or charcoal, from the oily nature of the sap. The bark is thin and smooth, very like beach, the leaf is like the English bay. The whole of the other trees near this place are, from growing in a wet soil, so sappy that they are not fit for even firewood till well dried.

On Point Arenas and at the embouchure of the Delta are many logs that would be useful, the timber being seasoned, though the outside may be decayed. Wild oranges, limes, and guavas are plentiful, but any other fruits that are not known ought to be shunned as there are some that are poisonous.

The soil is a mixture of dark sand and a rich black earth, capable I imagine of bearing anything suitable to this parallel, and if drained, which it may be to the west of the town, of many other articles; the difficulty is in clearing the bush. The beaches are all a dark sand mixed with small stones evidently the deposit of the river, and the bottom that is occasionally thrown up by the norths.

The Delta is increasing and is formed in the first instance by the mud washed from the river there, by dead trees grounding upon the mud, and ultimately by these forming islets, which in time become connected, the quick vegetation of the climate assisting in a great measure to form them, retaining the moisture and turning the whole as it is into a swamp. Whenever this place arrives at any importance, the north-western shore of the harbour and round the west head of the Lagoon will be the ground for cultivation, as that part is most dry and can be drained of the heavy, excessive, and almost constant rains which occur on this coast.

The weather was described to me by Lieut. Solly, Com. H.M. schooner Bermuda, an officer who has been many years on this coast. He says, the winds from November to the beginning of March, are from the northward with frequent gales from the N.W. to N.

March and April are fine dry months, from May till August the winds are north-easterly, with heavy rains. In June and July the winds are strong from north-eastward, as much as double reefed topsails in a large ship: September and October light winds from S.W.b. W. to N.W., which completes the year.

Vessels may anchor along the coast with safety from Cape Gracias a Dios

to the Gulf of Darien; the strongest winds as they blow off or along the coast would always insure an anchored vessel going to sea.

The sea-breezes are very uncertain; sometimes there are not any for a fortnight.

We remained in the port from the middle to the latter end of September. The thermometer ranged from 84 to 79 degrees. The aneroid averaged 29.92 to 30 10 and barometer from 29.90 to 3002, rain every day some time or the other in the twenty-four hours, and feel of the air damp and unwholesome. Everyone in the town, about 237 souls, have had the fever in the course of the year: the heaviest rains appear to precede the moon's passing the meridian by about five or six hours. This may be incidental, but so they have been during our stay.

In January and February from the paucity of rain up the country, the water of the river is clear and the whole port averages a foot less water.

The rise and fall of tide is about one foot, high water at full and change at one o'clock. There never is an inward stream, the current being constantly out to the N,N.W., for about two miles and then merging into the S.S.E. current of the coast.

The Lagoons are three in number, namely Shepherd's, Freeman's, and the Barca. They are formed from the draining of the adjacent country, and are from a fathom to 13 in depth. They abound in alligators and in the Barca are many of the sea cow. The animals like a seal are easily harpooned by the natives, and the beef is not to any one hungry bad, although it has little if any taste. These Lagoons are on the western bank of the stream, and the highest (Barca) not more than six or seven miles above the settlement. This lagoon is much the largest, and during rain immediately discharges its super

abundant waters.

Labour is not easily obtained. The usual price for a labourer is from 3s. to 4s. per diem; mechanics more in proportion to the abilities; carpenters being in the most request. The natives may sometimes be found, but their indolence leads them to discontinue their exertions as soon as they can procure a few dollars to live on for a month or two; these men are very useful in clearing the bush and most skilful in canoe work.

In April a number of the natives from Blewfields go down the coast in their small canoes to catch the hawk's bill turtle, for the tortoise-shell, and they return in the latter end of September. They sold at the settlement when they called on their voyage up, about 50lbs. at four dollars per pound, half in govas, half in money. There is also a good deal of indigo, but not much cochineal, and sugar is occasionally brought down from the interior, which if refined would prove excellent. In fact the only articles in request up the country appear to be hardware, cottons, earthenware, and woollen manufactures; but as all these people live simply, and the climate being genial, their wants are very few.

JAMES BODIE, Master of H.M.S. Indefatigable.

THE FREAK'S HURRICANE.-Pacific.

[The following valuable narrative by Capt. Simpson, showing what appears to be the recurring of a storm in lat. 19° 28′ N., long. 138° 44' E., is reprinted from the Sidney Shipping Gazette, as a valuable addition to the information already obtained on the nature of storms. The commanders of ships cannot be too particular to follow the example of Capt. Simpson, and to send for publication detailed accounts of the storms they encounter, with their own

observations. The hurricane which is here described, proves that seamen should never fail to watch the indications given by the barometer, and that a gale may occur in summer.]

Brig Freak, Hong-Kong, July 18th, 1850.

1. Sunday, April 28th.-We passed the Marian Group, between Tinian and Saypan, when the north-east trade hauled to southward of east, at intervals so far as south-east by east, and occasionally blew strong in squalls, the weather gloomy.

2. During the several passages I have made in this locality, through the north-east, I have invariably found, that the further the trade blew from the northward, the finer the weather and lighter the trade. In the present instance it was the contrary; the wind freshened as it southed.

3. From the 28th, to the morning of the 1st of May, the wind rather increased, the weather continuing hazy. The barometer was steady, rising and falling with the atmospheric tides, averaging about 29.80.

4. May 1st, noon.—A fresh gale, variable, from E.b.N., to E.b.S., with light rain and dark gloomy weather. Barometer 29-75, rather lower than usual at this hour. I did not apprehend at one time, anything more than a fresh gale for a few hours, and hesitated whether I should take in one reef or two. I, however, took in the two. At noon our position by account was 19° 28′ N., 138° 44′ E. No observations.

5. At 1h. 30m. P.M., a most curious phenomenon was observed, which I did not see. The mate gives the following description of it:-The sky was entirely white with light hazy clouds; suddenly to the W.S.W. the clouds rose, leaving a bright clear sky for a considerable height above the horizon. The mate reported it to me, but before I could get on deck, it was clouded over again. It was like the rising and falling of a gigantic curtain.

6. P.M. The breeze increasing from E. b.S., the sea rising; light vapoury clouds flying to the westward, a dense mass of clouds to east and south-east all dark hazy vapour.

7. On one occasion when the vapour lifted a little, I observed in the upper stratum of clouds to the eastward, about thirty degrees above the horizon, some dark slate-coloured cirri, apparently stationary, lying east and west. A little higher above the horizon, and more to the southward, I saw others lying north and south, showing there must have been in the upper air, two different currents of wind, at right angles to each other, and not far apart.

8. The wind increasing from east and E.b.N., and more sea; I observed the heaviest did not come in the direction of the wind, but from about S.E.b.E. At 4 P.M. barometer 29.67.

9. At sunset, blowing a fresh gale, with a heavy sea.

10. At midnight, the barometer still falling, at 29-50, blowing very hard at times; due east, with a heavy sea; making scudding, deeply laden as we were, very dangerous. I now began, for the first time, to suspect we were approaching a cyclone, or rototary storm. From the rules given by scientific men, the centre bore from us south; and, in our present position, the probable track of the storm would be to the north-west. I had been steering west since noon, and with this course, presuming the storm was travelling to north-west, we should be nearing it at an angle of 45 degrees, I considered it therefore, prudent to heave-to on the starboard tack, which would be the coming up tack as the storm progressed and passed to the westward of us. I was borne out in my conclusions that the storm was going to north-west, by the fact that we had run so many hours to the westward without altering the bearing of the centre. I accounted for this circumstance, by our having run on the above angle with the course of the storm; but the making the same quantity of westing, supposing us to be going eight or nine knots due NO. 5.-VOL. XX. 2 N

west, the storm must have progressed eleven or twelve on a north-west

course.

11. Taking all these circumstances into consideration, I hove to. I could not scud longer. The sea was so fearfully heavy, I expected some monster sea would have swept our decks and disabled us. It was about 1 A.M., when getting sails well secured, we hove to on the starboard tack, the main-topsail split in clewing up, but we managed to pick up the fragments. Our top-gallant yards were still aloft, but the wind increased so much that it was impossible to send them down. I was not prepared to encounter a hurricane at this season, and in our position.

12. May 2.-From midnight the barometer falling steadily about 0·25 in the four hours; it stood at 4 A.M., at 29-40. The wind, since heaving to, steady at E.b N., heading N.b.E.; drift a mile and a half an hour. Both wind and sea increasing rapidly.

13. Shortly after 4 A.M., blowing a hurricane; from 4 to 6 A.M., the barometer oscillating 005. At 6 there was a decrease of wind, and the barometer rose 0·05.

14. I had now hopes that the wind had blown its heaviest, but at 8 A.M., the barometer fell to 29.30, and the hurricane continued with increased violence. The sea was awful; the masts were bending like twigs, I expected them to go every minute.

15. The barometer still falling, at noon stood at 29 22, equivalent to 0:02 per hour, since 8 A M. Shortly after noon, the horses I had on deck were drowned in the lee-scupper, and one washed overboard. The quarter-boat, which we had taken in on deck, filled, and split. Found the brig making no water, and behaving well, proving herself an excellent sea boat; the combings of the main hatch were very frequently under water.

16. From noon to 3h. 50m. P.M., barometer 28 87, having fallen 0 035, a tenth per hour.

17. Between 2 and 3 P.M., we had the strength of the cyclone. The foretop-mast, and main-top-gallant-mast were broken sheer off by the force of the wind, and most of the sails well furled blew adrift and went to pieces. The spars going, relieved the vessel much. The force of the wind at this time was beyond description. I could never have believed it could have blown so hard.

18. The wind remained steady to a point from midnight till noon, when it began to haul to the northward, and was E.N.E. from this time till night. The wind veered a point an hour, it then became steady for a time at N.N.W. The strength of the hurricane we had from about N.E.b.N., when its centre was bearing S.E.b.E.

19. After noon when the wind began to veer, I found to my surprise, that we were on the left or north-west quadrant of the circle, and that it was to north-east astern of us. The track of the storm when at its height, must have been N.E.b.N., had it been going more to the northward we should have had the strength of the wind, when the centre bore north of us.

20. At 4 P.M., the barometer was stationary at 29-87. From that time it began gradually to rise, and the violence of the hurricane to decrease. At 8 A.M. the barometer was at 29-08; at midnight 29-26; at 4 A.M. on the 3rd, at 29-45; at 8 A.M. 29 55, at which time the wind had moderated to a strong breeze, which gradually died away, and the barometer rose to its usual height.

21. I have my doubts, which you will most likely be able to solve, as to the track of this storm. I am still under the impression, that on the 2nd, at noon, it was going to north-west; and that we were approaching on the angle before mentioned, when it must have taken a course to the north-east.