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</noinclude>DARIEN EXPLORING EXPEDITION.
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THE COUNCIL.
On the morning of the 20th, the party was
early afoot — and while waiting for some provi-
sions and other articles for which they had sent
to the Cyane, Strain endeavored to obtain a view
of the valley above by opening a path to the
summit of a hill on the right bank of the river,
near its mouth, and some knowledge of their
route by sending a party to cut up the left bank
of the river. Here, as he from the top of this
hill swept the mountain-range with his glass,
the first feeling of doubt and misgiving arose
within him, for in an unbroken chain that range
stretched onward till it abutted on the sea,
showing nowhere the depression indicated on
the maps.
This little band of explorers, as they boldly
struck inland and began to traverse the intricate
forests of the tropics, presented an interesting
spectacle. Officers and men were all dressed
alike in blue flannel shirts, with a white star in
the collar, blue trowsers and belt. The only
distinction between them was, the latter wore
bine caps without a front-piece, while the for-
mer had Panama hats, and pistols in their
belts. These caps were stuffed with tow, which
afterward served an admirable purpose in kin-
dling fires. A spy-glass strapped to Strain's
shoulders distinguished the leader. The order
of march was single-file — the leading men car-
rying a macheta (cutlass) or ax to clear the way.
The others followed, each carrying a blanket,
haversack, carbine, cartridge-box, and forty
rounds of ammunition. It being necessary that
the men should be well armed, not much ad-
ditional weight could be imposed upon them.
Strain, an old woodman and explorer, thought-
fully put a linen shirt under his woolen one.
anticipating the want of linen with which to
dress wounds. That shirt afterward did good
service to his wounded, lacerated men.
Taking the bed of the Caledonia river — drag-
ging a single canoe after them until the shal-
lowness of the stream compelled them to abandon
it — they pushed vigorously up the Pacific slope,
and near sunset reached a large island in the
river. Following a path, they found deserted <noinclude><references /></div></noinclude>
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