A RUN TO NICARAGUA. 347 



whom Costa Eica is now carrying on active hostilities, 

 men and munitions of war ; it appears that as a non- 

 belligerent, I am prohibited by the law of nations 

 from preventing the execution of such an operation 

 by a belligerent party. I have the honour, &c., 



JOHN E. ERSKIXE, 



Capt. mid Sen. Officer. 

 To B. S. COTTRELL, Esq., 



L . 



To B. S. COTTRELL, Esq., ) 



U. S. Consul at Greytown, V 



Dec. 24, 1856.' J 



" On ascending the river, when off the mouth of 

 the river San Carlos (which, as before stated, is a 

 tributary of the river San Juan), one of the steamers 

 was despatched to ascertain if General Jose Joaquin 

 Mora (brother to the President of Costa Eica), had 

 arrived at the embarcadero with the main body of the 

 expeditionary army ; and if so, to report the success 

 of the expedition to Greytown, so that measures 

 might immediately be taken for carrying promptly 

 into effect the second part of the plan of operations. 

 On proceeding up the San Carlos, five men, placed on 

 a raft as videttes, became so frightened by the noise 

 and appearance of the approaching steamer (never 

 having before seen or imagined the like), that they 

 plunged into the river, and were drowned in the 

 attempt to reach the bank. The steamer then landed 

 two men to cut their way through the forest to the 

 embarcadero, in order that General Mora might 

 receive timely notice that the steamer was no longer 



