<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /><div class="pagetext">
</noinclude>HARPER'S
NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.
NO, LVIIL-MARCH, 1855.— VOL. X.
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TAMP SCKNK,
DARIEN EXPLORING EXPEDITION,
under command or limit, isaac c. strain.
BY J. T. HKADLEY,
[Having from the first become deeply interested in the
Darien Exploring Expedition, and afterward doubly so in
the fate of Lieutenant Strain, I was very anxious to
know its history. Subsequent acquaintance with Lieuten-
ant Strain, ripening into a warm friendship, enabled me
to gratify this desire. With that grew the wisli to make
the facts public. At my request, therefore. Lieutenant
Strain gave to me his private report to the Secretary of the
Navy, whose permission to use it was cheerfully granted,
ttfso the journals kept by both parties, together with the
book of sketches made by the draughtsman. Interesting
interviews with Lieutenant Maury and civil engineer Air.
Avery, have enabled me to add many details not incor-
porated either in the report or the journals. For any per-
sonal matters relating to Lieutenant Strain I solely am
responsible, as well as for any special praise bestowed on
him. I know it would be his wish that I should speak of
Uim personalty as little as possible; but I have thought it
best to look only at the truth and interest of the narrative,
and make every other thing subservient to these.]
|~T is not necessary here to speak of the im-
J- portanee to the whole civilized world of a
ship canal across the Isthmus of Darien, nor
of the different survevs that have been made.
[The route of the following; Expedition, begin-
ning in Caledonia Ray and ending in Darien
Harbor, had not been passed over since 1788.
and was a term incognita. In 1849, an Irish
adventurer published a book, which went through
several editions, in which he declared that he
had "crossed and recrossed it several times and
by several tracks," and that only " three or four
miles of deep cutting" would he necessary for a
ship canal the entire distance. Aroused by this
report— which proved to be a mere fiction — Sir
Charles Fox and other heavy English capital-
' ists took uj) the subject, and sent out Mr. Gis-
i borne, a civil engineer, to survey the route. He
I pretended to do so. and also published a book.
! mapping down the route, and declaring that it
i was only u thirty wiles between tidal effects" and
the "summit level one hundred ami Jiffy feet."
An English company was immediately formed
with a capital of nearly $75,000,000.
Without following the progress of this scheme
in England and on the Continent, it is neces-
sary, in this connection, to state only that Mr.
; Gisbome's favorable report resulted in enlisting
! England, France, the United States, and New
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year
District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Vol. X. — No. 58. — E *;
S05, by Harper and Brothers, in the Clerk's Office ol the <noinclude><references /></div></noinclude>
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