COSTA RICA. 269 



whence they saw a continuous ridge, commencing at the 

 volcano and terminating near to where the Serapique 

 is navigable on a regular decline for perhaps seven or 

 eight thousand feet down to near sea-level, giving a fall 

 for the whole distance of about half an inch in a yard, 

 or in railway parlance 1 in 70 ; for this was what was 

 in Trevi thick's head, that his steam-horse should carry 

 where the mule could not, and that miners and machinery 

 should be so taken to his mines from the Atlantic, giving 

 those who chose an opportunity of continuing their rail- 

 way journey to the Pacific. 



The writer has heard Trevithick describe the ex- 

 cursion as lasting three weeks, through woods, swamps, 

 and over rapids ; their food, monkeys and wild fruit ; 

 their clothes, at the end of the journey, shreds and 

 scraps, the larger portion having been torn off in the 

 underwood. 



Mr. Thomas Edmonds also listened to Trevithick's 

 narrations, some of which he gives in the following : 



" In 1 830 I frequently saw Trevithick at the house of 

 Mr. Gittins, at Highgate, a schoolmaster, with whom were 

 two boys that had accompanied him from Costa Rica, called 

 Montelegre. Before Captain Trevithick no European had adven- 

 tured on or explored the passage along the river from the Lake 

 Nicaragua to the sea. In the adventure he was accompanied 

 by Mr. J. M. Gerard, a native of Scotland ; two boys of Spanish 

 origin going to England for their education; a half-caste, as 

 servant to Mr. Gerard ; and by six working men of the country, 

 of whom three went back, after helping to remove obstructions 

 in the forest through which the first part of the journey was 

 undertaken. The risks to which the party were exposed on 

 their passage were very great: they all had a narrow escape 

 from starvation, one of the labourers was drowned, and Captain 

 Trevithick was saved from drowning by Mr. Gerard. The in- 

 truded passage was along the banks of the river. To avoid the 



