THE RIO SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA.*

BY

CIVIL ENGINEER R. E. PEARY, U. S. N.

Two thousand miles from New York Harbor, and eight hundred miles southwest from a steamer rounding the eastern end of Cuba, there empties into the Caribbean Sea a river which, from its physical characteristics, its history and associations, and its inevitable. future, is unique among the rivers of this hemisphere; the Rio San Juan de Nicaragua.

That Nicarao, Diriangen, and the other caciques whom Avila in 1522 found reigning west of Lake Cocibolca (Nicaragua) were aware of the existence of this river seems probable; but that there were ever villages along its banks or that these chiefs knew more about it than the vaguest rumors, is very doubtful.

Even after its discovery, the absence of history's mordants, gold and blood, has left the story of the river for years scarcely less vague and uncertain than before.

When Columbus in his fourth and last voyage doubled Cape Gracias a Dios, on the 14th of September, 1503, he sailed directly south along the coast, about sixty-two

* Not having had time or opportunities for access to original documents, the historical notes in the following paper are drawn principally from Lévy's "Nicaragua," Squier's "Nicaragua," and Irving's "Voyages of Columbus."

The remainder of the paper and the charts are based upon the work of the various Government Expeditions from 1871-1884, and the writer's personal experience in the Expeditions of 1884-85 and 1887-88.

R. E. P.

leagues, and on September 16th anchored near a copious river. A boat sent in for wood and water was swamped on the bar when returning to the ship and lost with all on board. In memory of this event Columbus named the river Rio del Desastre.

Leaving this river he continued for several days along the coast, until on the 25th of September, with his ships nearly disabled by storms, he anchored between a small island and the mainland in a delightful and commodious situation. "Immediately opposite, at a short league's distance was an Indian village, Cariari, on the bank of a beautiful river. The country around was finely diversified by noble hills and forests, with trees of such height that Las Casas says they appeared to reach the skies."*

October 5th the fleet left Cariari, and after sailing twenty-two leagues to the eastward entered Almirante Bay at the western extremity of Chiriquí Lagoon. Both Cape Gracias á Dios and Almirante Bay retain their names to the present day and are well-known places.

The intermediate localities above mentioned are doubtful.

Twenty-two leagues northwesterly from Almirante Bay falls very near to Port Limon, Costa Rica, and sixty-two leagues south of Cape Gracias á Dios brings us about half way between the mouth of Bluefield River and Monkey Point. Between the points thus located is a stretch of coast one hundred and ten miles in length. Some writers have supposed the Rio del Desastre and the San Juan to be the same. Lévy however considers the Rio Grande de Matagalpa to be the Rio del Desastre, and places Cariari at the mouth of the Rio Rama. * Irving's Voyages of Columbus.