NICARAGUA. 



River, and across the lake to Virgin Bay, at 

 which point the headquarters were estab- 

 ished. The party was here divided ; one half, 

 under Lieutenant Noel, taking the Sapoa 

 route ; and the other, under Lieutenant 

 Rhodes, taking the Child route. Both left 

 Virgin Bay about May 1st, continuing the 

 work until about the 9th of June, when it be- 

 came necessary to stop, owing to the heavy 

 rains which fall on the isthmus in that season. 

 During these five weeks, a thorough survey of 

 Child's route was made, and two supplement- 

 ary lines were run in connection with it. 

 Child's route commences at the mouth of the 

 Las Lagas River, which runs into the lake on 

 its western shore, and continues across the 

 isthmus, following its course to Brito, on the 

 Pacific. The main feature sought for by the 

 expedition was the lowest elevation on either 

 route, and on Child's it was found that the 

 highest elevation was about 45 feet, while on 

 the Sapoa route the lowest elevation found 

 was about 700 feet. The great essential for 

 the proposed canal lay, therefore, in the Child 

 route. That of Sapoa is one continuous range 

 of mountain-peaks, without a gap anywhere. 

 The contrast between the two routes was so 

 apparent, and so much in favor of the Child 

 route, that the labor of the expedition, after a 

 comparison of the surveys of both, was easy. 



In seeking still further for the lowest eleva- 

 tion, that part of the expedition which had 

 charge of the Sapoa route proceeded up to the 

 northern part of the lake. Lieutenant Leutze 

 commanding in place of Lieutenant Noel, and 

 commenced a survey of the Ochomogo route, 

 following the bed of the river of that name. 

 They had scarcely gone six miles when the 

 heavy rains set in, and rendered further prog- 

 ress impossible. 



This part of the expedition then returned to 

 Virgin Bay, where they were joined by those 

 who had been along the Child route, about the 

 14th of June, and the entire expedition left 

 Virgin Bay on the 22d, arriving at Greytown 

 on the 3d of July. The next day they em- 

 barked for Key West on board the Kansas, 

 and arrived there on the 14th, bringing with 

 them Senor Bernard, the minister to the 

 United States from Nicaragua, who was on 

 ,his way to New York. 



The subject of the projected interoceanic 

 canal gave rise to a somew T hat angry contro- 

 versy between the Governments of Costa Rica 

 and Nicaragua, the cordial relations between 

 which republics were already soured by a de- 

 cree issued by the authorities at San Jose", 

 prohibiting the further extraction of India- 

 rubber from the national forests by Nicara- 

 guans. It was suggested to the Nicaragnan 

 Government that, by way of reprisal, the ex- 

 portation of cattle from that republic should at 

 jonce be suspended. More and more exacer- 

 bated, the authorities of Costa Rica declared 

 null and void a treaty which had been con- 

 clnded some time before between the two re- 



NICHOLSON, WILLIAM C. 595 



publics. President Guardia now invited the 

 President of Nicaragua to a personal confer- 

 ence on the subject; but, although the result 

 of the meeting appeared likely to be an early 

 and amicable arrangement, a certain evident 

 reserve on the part of Nicaragua foiled all at- 

 tempts to bind the two countries for the com- 

 mon weal. Nicaragua not only wants the 

 canal to be made through her own territory, 

 but, in order to s'ecure that advantage, at- 

 tempts to push Costa Rica, in the line of limits, 

 as far back as possible from the border of the 

 lake and the margins of the river San Juan, 

 and also would like to take back Guanacaste. 

 When the wish exists reciprocally between 

 two neighboring nations to come to a good 

 understanding on the important question of 

 limits, and one in which the whole world is 

 interested, like that of an interoceanic ship- 

 canal, there would be no need to fall back on 

 legal technicalities, based on the uti possidetis 

 issued by Spain as far back as 1574, or any 

 other antiquated records of territorial division 

 suitable for the governors and captains-gener- 

 al of the time. 



It is, at all events, very doubtful whether 

 any part of the Mosquito coast can be fash- 

 ioned into a suitable harbor for the entrance 

 to the canal on that side, even if its practica- 

 bility in other respects were regarded as cer- 

 tain. Capitalists would be apt to hesitate be- 

 fore embarking their funds in an enterprise 

 dependent upon a treaty with Nicaragua, and 

 unfavorable to the interests of Costa Rica. 



A treaty of commerce and navigation was 

 concluded between Nicaragua and Italy. 



The streets of the city of Nicaragua were to 

 be lighted with gas, the cost of which was to 

 be paid by a gas-tax imposed upon the citizens. 



A band of Jesuits, seventy-six in number, 

 expelled from Guatemala, took refuge in Nica- 

 ragua, and endeavored to establish themselves 

 at Managua. 



On the 6th of October an attempt was made 

 to overrule the elections by mob law ; but the 

 Government troops succeeded in quelling the 

 disturbance. 



On the island of Omotepe similar riots took 

 place, produced, it was reported, by the ques- 

 tion concerning the Jesuit refugees. Some 

 other villages had likewise been the scene of 

 election excitements. 



But, spite of these and other perturbations 

 of a like character, the desire on the part of 

 the people of the republic for peace and prog- 

 ress grows apace, and the civil rule of the 

 Government becomes daily more efficiently 

 and more earnestly supported by the citizens. 



NICHOLSON, Commodore WILLIAM CAK- 

 MICHAEL, U. S. N., born in Maryland, in 1800 ; 

 died in Philadelphia, July 25, 1872. He was ap- 

 pointed a midshipman in 1812, and was on 

 board the President, commanded by Decatur, 

 in the desperate action off Long Island, and, 

 having been surrendered to the British fleet, 

 was carried to England and not released until 



