In 1832, there were 4,181 white inhabitants, and 4,895 blacks,total population 9.081. Of horned cattle there were 1,528 head,-sheep 228, and goats 199.

In 1826, the births were 299,-the deaths 219. Increase in the year 80.

Arrow-root made 18,174 lbs. Colonial revenue 10,000l. per annum. Max. heat 84° Fah., in June, min. 59° in February; winds northwest 4, north-east 3, south-east 2, S.S.E 1, east 1, south-west 1,—but this is for one year only. A register for at least twenty-five years is required, and I hope one has been kept at the dock-yard.

There are 1,500 convicts employed at the dockyard.

EXCURSION TO THE LAKE OF NICARAGUA UP THE RIVER SAN JUAN.By Mr. George Lawrance, Assistant-Surveyor of H.M.S. Thunder, Com. E. Barnett, in March, 1840.

(Continued from p. 188.)

Tuesday 17th.-At daylight we roused the Ramas, who were looking very stupid after their debauch, launched the canoe, and paddled to the Isletas; a group of islands lying off Grenada, which appear to have been thrown up by some violent eruption, as indicated by the immense detached blocks, rent and huddled together in the wildest disorder. But whatever may have been their origin they now present a most beautiful picturesque appearance, ornamented with many graceful trees growing in the interstices of the rocks, and overrun in all directions with luxuriant vegetation.

The high hill of Grenada towering over these islelets, by which we were land-locked on every side, produced a striking effect. We landed to breakfast on one of the most inviting of them, where we saw, as on most of the others, a solitary resident. We then threaded our way through this labyrinth of islands, and steered for the south end of Zapatero with a moderate, but short unpleasant sea; and sounded as we went, in six and nine fathoms.

At noon we stopped, being prevented proceeding to Nicaragua by the wind, which was blowing fresh, and dead against us; but at five P.M. the wind having moderated, we again embarked, and steered close under the western shore of Zapatero, where it is high and thickly wooded. This island is not inhabited, but in the season it is visited by the people of Grenada for the convenience of fishing. Its western hill is bare and barren having recently been cleared away by an accidental fire; its geological aspect resembles that of the Isletas.

At sunset we passed between this island, which is distant from the main about a mile, and entirely composed of stratified rock, dipping at an inclination of 15° to 20° from the horizon, thickly overgrown, and at present visited by a few fishermen. A plain seems to extend across the isthmus from the south side of the Grenada mountains as far as the eye can reach, and the island of Zapatero, forms with the main, an excellent harbour.

Wednesday 18th.-At five A.M. we launched, and steered along shore

for the road of Nicaragua, against a short chopping sea, which made ws very wet and uncomfortable. I was rather surprised to find in a I ke where the prevailing winds at north and north-east are seldom very strong, how soon its surface becomes ruffled; such however we experienced to a degree that not only incommoded us, but often threatesed our little vessel with no small danger: the Padrone told us in crossing from Muerta to Grenada, that in all his trips in large bongos he had never before steered that course, but always kept close under the lee of the north shore; we for the sake of expedition preferred the former, as being the most direct.

The coast eastward of the Zapatero channel is low, with a straight line of beach, where the average height of the trees may be about seventy feet, and the soil appears to be most prolific. The soundings since we left Tahaja were from five to six fathoms,

At 9 A.M. we passed Palmata Point, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, and in the course of half an hour more landed on Nicaragua beach, and sent the Padrone to the town for horses, in order that we might lose no time in waiting upon the authorities.

This beach is composed of disintegrated quartz and argillaceous earth, straight, and lined with trees of fifty and sixty feet high, completely intercepting the view of the town, which is only about three and a half or four miles off. Here, as at Grenada, we saw lots of "lavanderas"

washing clothes.

By the time we had obtained our sights, Pedro, the Padrone, had returned with a couple of horses, on which Mr. Scott and I mounted forthwith, to pay our respects to the Gefé Politico, not forgetting to take with us our letters of introduction to Senors Ruis and Mongalo. After an hour's ride up a very gradual ascent where the road is tolerably good, and hedged in on both sides by a penguin (Bromelia) fence. We reached the town, and first called at the house of the former, but finding him absent on an excursion to the Pacific, we waited upon the other, who received us with the greatest politeness, and at our request took us to the chief official, whom we met not in his own house, but in a neighbouring shop, dressed in anything but the garb of so high a functionary.

Through Senor Mongalo, I stated to him the object of our visit, and requested permission to cross over to the Pacific, at which he appeared to be highly flattered, and without a moment's hesitation, replied, that we were at liberty to go where we pleased, and make what observations we thought proper. Delighted with this courteous reception we took our leave, and after requesting our worthy interpreter to furnish us with horses and a guide, all ready equipped by 10 o'clock next morning, we returned to our lodging on the beach. Before we retired to rest, we got the altitude of three stars north of the zenith, the same we observed at Grenada, which gave the difference of latitude 28′ 26′′ south.

Thursday 19th.-At daylight the weather was fine, and wind E.S.E, when I observed for the true bearing of Ometape (the result being N. 62° 17′ E.). At 9h. 30m. A.M. our mules arrived, not velocipedes, but we afterwards found them very sure-footed animals: the saddles of uncouth shape and rude material, but with the aid of a sheep's skin

thrown over all they were soft enough, and rather too comfortably Our guide presented a grotesque figure, rigged out in a partycoloured jacket of the gayest colours, great jack-boots with spurs, and stirrups of most whimsical make, and unreasonable dimensions.

After completing all our preparations, we took our departure from the beach, slowly wending our way towards the town of Nicaragua, on the road to which, I observe there are several houses constituting a scattered village, where there is a church named St. George. The town of Nicaragua stands upon an elevation of about one hundred feet above the level of the lake; its houses, similar to those of Grenada, are all of one story, those formerly belonging to the old Spaniards are substantially built of stone with capacious door-ways, and gloomy grated windows; the more modern ones of lighter material and construction, in fact, many of them are little better than mud huts. I saw but two churches, the largest of which is situated in the square opposite the guard-house, but neither have any pretentions to grandeur. The town of Nicaragua is said to contain 6,000 souls, all of whom are a mixed race of Spaniards and Indians to the utter exclusion of whites. For the first three miles the road is tolerably good, and the land partially cleared, with here and there a house to enliven the scene, but all beyond is a wilderness; the soil appeared parched and indicated a long absence of rain.

At noon we came to a small stream. Here we discovered that our only weapon of defence a pistol, which Mr. Scott had lashed to the pummel of his saddle was missing, but as time to us was of more importance than powder and shot, we left it behind, trusting that it might cast up on our way back.

Proceeding at a slow and steady pace, we rode through a forest of lofty trees thickly interwoven with gigantic creepers and spidendral plants, which appeared to be almost impenetrable on both sides of the road. The silence of the woods was only disturbed by the occasional discordant scream of a maccaw or parrot. At length we emerged from this agreeable" contiguity of shade," and came to a plain covered with short grass, and studded with clumps of calabash trees, (the crescentia) where we surprised a few deer. Here at times we had a good view of the peaks of Ometape and Madeira, towering over the trees and producing a very fine effect. The country through which we rode was one continued Savanna, and only wants a decent road to make it very agreeable, but owing to the deep fissures, caused by a long continuance of dry weather under a powerful sun, we found some difficulty to get along without stumbling.

The ground gaping for moisture reminded us that we were thirsty, and our sapient guide, no doubt sympathising with our feelings readily understood us, when we directed him to take us to the nearest spring, which after going two miles out of our way, we had the mortification to find was completely dried up, and we had to retrace our steps. His stupidity in taking us thus far became too apparent, when we found that we were within the same distance of a farm-house or cattle pen, called Quocoti, where we shortly afterwards arrived, and drank our fill of delicious milk and water.

Resuming our course which now lay over a rugged plain, where the

path could hardly be distinguished, our hopeful guide became so perplexed, that after "backing and filling" a few times, he candidly confessed that he was at a ne plus ultra, and pleaded as an excuse that he had not travelled across the isthmus " por muchos anos." With the assistance of Scott's Spanish we explained to him that it would be prudent to return to the farm-house, in which opinion he appeared to acquiesce, but had some secret misgivings whether he should be able to find it. In this dilemma we consulted the compass, and after a deal of traverse sailing, at length managed to hit upon a path which led to the house, where we were greeted by the inmates with a hearty laugh, our guide looking very sheepish and ashamed at being the cause of it.

The day being now far advanced, and our journey not more than half complete, the end of which I was anxious to accomplish before dark, we thought it advisable, instead of blundering along after this stupid fellow, who had already served us so many tricks, to engage another guide. The only one we could find at this place was a fine little boy, who volunteered to conduct us to Port San Juan, if his father, who seemed reluctant, would allow him to go. After some persuasion, expressed as well as our imperfect knowledge of the language would allow, we gained the paternal consent, on condition that we brought him back the following day, and for his services all he demanded was six reals, equal to three shillings.

Led on by our Muchacho, we again pursued the uneven tenor of our way, at a brisk pace, our quondam guide bringing up the rear at such a distance that we were often obliged to "heave to" for him, much to our annoyance, but to the great amusement of the young one. In the course of half an hour's ride the road began to be more rugged, leading over and between very steep hills, so much so, that had our mules not been very sure-footed animals, and used to such travelling, our necks would certainly have been endangered in crossing the mountain passes, where the road was almost blocked up by fallen trees, rocks, &c.

These mountains are all thickly wooded, but not much overgrown with bush. From the summit of one more clear than the rest, whose height I roughly estimated at 800 feet, we had a delightful view of the Pacific to the westward, distant in a direct line about three miles, and the peaks of Ometape and Madeira rising out of the lake to the eastward.

The range of hills to the southward are, I should think, two or three hundred feet higher than this. Here we saw monkeys in plenty of the Coaîta or Ateles species, exhibiting feats of agility for surpassing anything I ever saw performed by those of the old world; their long, powerful, prehensile tail enabling them to make the most astonishing leaps from branch to branch, and to hang suspended while they chattered to us with almost human expression. A few wild cattle and deer occasionally came across our path, the former looking defiance, the latter no sooner seen than off.

Having rested our mules, we descended by an abrupt and rugged path, and then threaded our way through the vale of Volga, along the beds of dried-up mountain torrents, one of which our little guide called the Rio Volga.

At 6h. 15m. we found ourselves all at once on the shores of the

Pacific, in a little cove called El Cacola, where we found nothing in the shape of human habitation, but fell in with a gang of fishermen and a few women, from whom we got a drink of water, but for want of sufficient knowledge of their language, gained no information. The beach in this cove is entirely composed of pulverised sand-stone without a trace of iron.

Here we would gladly have remained for the night, ourselves and mules were so knocked up, but the youngster having found out his mistake, told us that we had still another league to travel; accordingly we again mounted, and after another hour's ride through a gloomy wood, at last reached Port San Juan, the ultima thule of our journey, after having been more than nine hours on horseback. The people of Nicaragua say the distance is only seven leagues, but taking into account all our deviations, we may fairly say that we had travelled three miles over as bad a road as ever was trodden by man or beast.

Having been informed that people occasionally resorted to this place for change of air and sea bathing, we expected to have found a few huts near the beach, but we saw nothing of the kind, and the only human being we met with was an old fisherman, who gave us a scanty supply of water; on the way however from El Cacola, we saw the glimmering of lights at a distance, and may, therefore, infer that there is a village in the vicinity.

In the course of the night we were enabled to get three excellent single sights on each side of the meridian, the mean of which we subsequently found gave a very satisfactory result. We also obtained the latitude by difference of altitude, making this place 11° 46' south of Nicaragua, but all our endeavours to obtain equal altitudes were frustrated by the impossibility to set the instrument for want of a good light. Friday, 20th, 4 A.M.-Having now obtained the ultimate object of our expedition, we sent the guides for the mules, and in the mean time we employed ourselves reconnoitering this bay, which I at once recognized as the scene of Mr. Bailey's operations, he having shewn me his plan at Grenada; it certainly does not merit the name of port, being ittle more than a large cove, distinguishable from that of El Cacola, by its having near the centre of the beach a swamp which communicates with the sea, and when the tide ebbs, all has the appearance of a running stream of fresh water. The rise and fall of tide is, I think Mr. Bailey told me about twelve feet.

THE SYMPIESOMETER.

Audax at sea, Feb., 1841. SIR. Having frequently heard the remark that the Sympiesometer was too delicate, often falling without any apparent cause, I was induced on a late passage from the Cape, to keep a register every three hours, of the respective height of the barometer with it. It was not long before I discovered that the sympiesometer fell more on an increase of temperature up to 80' than the scale corrected, and from 80 to 90 rose; thus for example, at a temperature of 50° the sympiesometer was +40 hundredths, at 70° + 20 at 80° or 82° equal, and at 90° it was -20. This will easily be proved by noting the difference between a barometer and sympiesometer, and then placing a candle sufficiently ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 4.-VOL. FOR 1841.

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