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A

SUCCINCT VIEW

OF THE

IMPORTANCE AND PRACTICABILITY

OF FORMING

A SHIP CANAL

ACROSS THE

ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 

By H. R. HILL. 

_LONDON:_

WM. H. ALLEN, & CO. , 7, LEADENHALL-STREET. 

1845. 

W. LEWIS AND SON, PRINTERS, 21, FINCH-LANE, LONDON. 

ADVERTISEMENT. 

The following observations were thrown together as the result ofcommunications with several gentlemen locally acquainted with theIsthmus of Panama, and who expressed to the writer their astonishment, that amidst the numerous undertakings, of more or less utility, whichscience has realised in our time, one so important to the wholecommercial world, so easy of accomplishment, and so certain to beproductive of ample remuneration to the undertakers, as a Ship Canalthrough that Isthmus, had not been taken up. The idle objection, thatif practicable it would not have been left unattempted for the lastthree hundred years, they considered, would have no weight in an agein which we have seen accomplished works that in our fathers' time, nay, even within our own memory, it would have been considered madnessto propose, --witness steam-navigation and railways. It is not twentyyears since Dr. Lardner, the author of a popular work on thesteam-engine, then supposed to be a most competent authority, declared in his lectures that the application of steam-navigation tothe voyage across the Atlantic was a mere chimera. So it has been withrailways. Would not any man who fifty, or even twenty years ago, hadpredicted that the journey from London to Exeter would be accomplished_in five hours_, have been deemed a fit tenant for Bedlam? To contendthat because a great undertaking has remained unattempted for a longseries of years, _therefore_ it is impracticable, is to put a stop toall improvement. At the suggestion of the friends before referred to, the writer is induced to print the following pages, with the hope ofdrawing to the subject of which they treat the attention of themercantile and shipping interests. If they awaken an interest in thesubject in those quarters, they will not be thrown away, and he isfully convinced that the more the subject is examined the strongerwill be the conviction of the practicability of the undertaking. 

 _23, Throgmorton Street_, _February, 1845_. 

A SUCCINCT VIEW, &c. 

From the first discovery of the American continent down to the presenttime, a shorter passage from the North Atlantic to the Pacific oceanthan the tedious and dangerous voyage round Cape Horn has been adesideratum in navigation. During the dominion of old Spain in the NewWorld the colonial policy and principles of that jealous nation, towhich Central America belonged, opposed insurmountable obstacles toany proposal for effecting this great object; but the emancipation ofthe Spanish Colonies, and the erection of independent States in theirstead, has broken down the barrier which Spanish jealousy had erected. The rulers of these states are not devoid of discernment to perceivethat the exclusion of European Nations from the shores of the Pacificwould be productive of immense injury to themselves, and that bymaking their own territory the high-road to the countries which arebecoming important marts for the commerce of Europe, they are bringingwealth to their own doors, and increasing their own politicalimportance. 

In this, as in most other cases, individual and general benefit gohand in hand; for it cannot be doubted that were such a communicationbetween the two Oceans made through Central America, it would prove ofincalculable utility to all nations engaged in maritime commerce, --andsooner or later it will unquestionably be opened. This would be theshortest route from Europe, North America, and the western coast ofAfrica to every part of the western coast of the New World, toAustralia, New Zealand, the numerous islands of the Pacific and theeastern coast of Asia, [1] as will be seen by a glance at the outlinemap of the world on Mercator's projection annexed to this pamphlet. The advantage of a Canal of sufficient size to allow large vessels toproceed through the Isthmus is therefore obvious. 

But by whom is this work to be undertaken? the question is certainlynot a British one alone, although the British Trade would deriveimmense benefit from its solution: it is a question in which the wholecommercial world is more or less interested. 

There must be either a combination of governments formed to defray somuch each of the expense, or the work must be accomplished by a JointStock Company of individuals, who will indemnify themselves for theiroutlay by levying tolls upon those who avail themselves of thecommunication. As to such a combination of governments, the difficultyof procuring a sufficient grant of public money opposes a greatobstacle to the realization of any such project. 

To private enterprize chiefly then it must be committed; yet it mayreasonably be expected that such countenance and support as thegovernments of the principal maritime powers can give, will be readilyyielded to any association that will undertake the work. 

There are several considerations which point out the present as themost auspicious moment for attaining the object in view. The profoundpeace with which Europe and the whole civilized world is now blessed, the abundance of capital in the money market, the present low rate ofinterest, and the difficulty of finding investments, are all favorableto the raising of the necessary funds; the immense strides whichscience has made in overcoming natural difficulties, once deemedinsuperable, add to the means of accomplishment, while the growingimportance of British Colonies in and about New Zealand, theinevitable impulse that recent events must give to the China trade, [2]and the efforts of all maritime nations to make establishments in thePolynesian Islands will render the Canal a certain source of profitand honor to those who will aid in its formation. 

Several parts of the Isthmus of America have been proposed for thecommunication between the two seas, such as the Province of Nicaragua, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, &c. ; but invincible obstacles occur in allthose localities, while on the contrary the Isthmus of Panama isbeyond doubt the most favorable point, according to the opinion of allthe scientific and practical men who have visited that part of the newworld. [3] We shall proceed, therefore, to describe that Isthmus asfar as is necessary for the present purpose. 

The Isthmus of Panama[4] may be considered as extending from theMeridian of 77° to that of 81° W. Of Greenwich. Its breadth at thenarrowest point, opposite to the city of Panama, is about thirtymiles. The general feature of the Isthmus on the map is that of anarc, or bow, the chord of which lies nearly east and west. It nowforms a province of the republic of New Granada. 

It may appear strange, yet it is now well known to be the fact, thatalthough the small width of the Isthmus was ascertained soon after thediscovery of America, its natural features remained entirely unknownfor three hundred years. Robertson, in his History of America, statesthat the Isthmus is traversed in all its length by a range of highmountains, and it was reserved for our scientific countryman, Lloyd, who surveyed the Isthmus in 1828 and 1829, by direction of Bolivar, then president of the Republic of Colombia, to dispel the illusion. From his observations, confirmed by more recent travellers, it is nowascertained that the chain of the Andes terminates near Porto Bello tothe east of the Bay of Limon, otherwise called Navy Bay, and that theIsthmus is, in this part, throughout its whole width, a flat country. It was also long supposed that there was an enormous differencebetween the rise and fall of the tide in the Pacific and AtlanticOceans on either side of the Isthmus, and that the opening of acommunication between the two seas would be productive of danger to alarge portion of the American continent. It is now, however, ascertained that the difference of altitude is very trifling, not morethan thirteen feet at high water. [5] The prevalence of these errorsmay have tended, in combination with Spanish jealousy, unhealthinessof climate on the Atlantic side, the denseness of the forests, and theunsettled state of the Government for some years after the Spanishyoke was shaken off, to prevent the undertaking now proposed frombeing seriously considered. 

Panama is the principal city on the Isthmus. Its site has been oncechanged. When the Spaniards first visited the Isthmus in 1512, thespot on which the old city was afterwards built, was already occupiedby an Indian population, attracted by the abundance of fish on thecoast, and who are said to have named it "Panama" from thiscircumstance, the word signifying much fish. They, however, werespeedily dispossessed; and even so early as 1521, the title andprivileges of a city were conferred on the Spanish town by theemperor, Charles the Fifth. In the year 1670, it was sacked andreduced to ashes by the buccaneer, Morgan, and was subsequently builtwhere it now stands. 

The position of the present town of Panama is in latitude 8° 57' N. ;longitude 79° 30' W. Of Greenwich, on a tongue of land, shaped nearlylike a spear head, extending a considerable distance out to sea, andgradually swelling towards the middle. Its harbour is protected by anumber of islands, a short distance from the main land, some of whichare of considerable size, and highly cultivated. 

There is good anchorage at each of these islands, and supplies ofordinary kinds, including excellent water, which may be obtained fromseveral of them. [6]

The city of Panama was, in the 17th century, a place of greatimportance, but has gradually sunk into comparative insignificance. The policy of the present Government of New Granada is to restore thiscity to its pristine importance, and for this reason, one terminus ofthe intended Ship Canal should be at, or as near as conveniently maybe to, this position. 

The natural obstacles to be overcome in forming a Canal betweenPanama, and the _nearest point_ of the opposite coast, which is theGulph of San Blas (likewise called the Bay of Mandingo), render itexpedient to select a position west of that line, and the happycoincidence of two navigable rivers, traversing the low lands to thewest of Porto Bello, the one falling into the Atlantic, and the otherinto the Pacific Ocean, which may either form part of the navigation, or be used to feed the Canal, renders that part of the Isthmus themost eligible for this purpose. The rivers alluded to, are theChagres and the Rio Grande. 

The town of Chagres, at the mouth of the river of the same name, isabout thirty-two miles west of Porto Bello (Puerto Velo); it issituated on the north bank of the river, which falls into theCaribbean Sea. The harbour formed by the mouth of the river havingbeen greatly neglected, has been much choked up; but it would beunnecessary to incur the expense of improving it, for Navy Bay, calledalso the Bay of Limon, lying immediately to the eastward of Chagres, is a large and spacious harbour, being three miles wide at the mouth, and having sufficient draught of water for the largest ships in theBritish Navy. The river Chagres approaches within three miles of thehead of this Bay; the ground between is a dead level, [7] and allwriters agree that, the difficulties of the harbour being surmounted, there is abundance of water in the Chagres. It is, therefore, proposedeither to cut a Canal from Navy Bay to the Chagres, and then to ascendthat river as far as its junction with the river Trinidad, and aftertraversing a part of the latter, to construct a canal which shallconnect the Trinidad with the River Farfan, a branch of the RioGrande, and to proceed by that river to Panama; or should the Bay ofChorrera, which is laid down in the plan, be deemed a preferableharbour, to branch off to that bay; or to make the Canal across thewhole width of the isthmus, from the Bay of Limon to that of Panama, using the rivers Trinidad, Farfan, and Bernardino, and other streamswhich cross the line, for the supply of the Canal. 

The plan annexed to this pamphlet will exhibit the two lines, and thereader will perceive that a small Lake, called the Lake of Vino Tinto, may, if the first proposal is adopted, be made available, and solessen the extent of the Canal. If the Rivers are used as a part ofthe Navigation, the distance between that point of the River Trinidadat which the Canal would commence, as shewn in the plan, and the pointwhere the Farfan ceases to be navigable, is only 25 miles, and thereis no high land intervening, the chain of the Andes terminatingseveral miles to the eastward of the valley of the Chagres, as beforementioned. If the other plan be adopted, the length of the Canal willbe 58 miles. 

Although at first sight it may appear to be a work of supererogation, to carry the Canal over that part of the Isthmus which is traversed bynavigable rivers, it is by many engineers considered preferable informing a Canal, to use the rivers in its vicinity only for thepurpose of supplying the Canal with water, and not as a continuationof the inland navigation, on account of the variation in the depth ofrivers from floods, or other accidents. Which of these two courseswould be most expedient in the present instance, may be safely left tothe determination of the engineer selected to carry out theundertaking;--it is sufficient to know that _either is practicable_, and that the expense of cutting the Canal the whole width of theisthmus would meet with a corresponding return to the undertakers. 

The principal difficulty anticipated in the execution of the work, arises from the unhealthiness of the climate on the Atlantic side ofthe isthmus--a difficulty to which the writer is by no meansinsensible. It has, however, been exaggerated, and by properarrangements may be surmounted. The causes of this unhealthiness arechiefly the swampy state of the ground on the Atlantic side of theIsthmus (which the Canal itself, acting as a drain upon thesurrounding country, will greatly tend to remove), and the malariaengendered by the closeness of the woods, and by the accumulation ofdecayed vegetable substances, which the opening of the country, incidental to the formation of the Canal now proposed, and the roadafterwards adverted to, will tend to alleviate; and after all, thosewho have visited this part of the Isthmus, concur in stating that themortality in the low lands about Chagres is principally owing to theimprudence of the Europeans visiting the country, in exposingthemselves to the night dews by sleeping in the open air, andindulging in habits of intemperance. [8] If an association were formedfor carrying out the work now projected, one of the first cares of themanagers should be to erect huts or barracks for the protection of theworkmen against exposure to the weather, and the appointment of amedical officer, who should be entrusted with sufficient powers toensure obedience to his regulations. 

If the industry of the native population could be depended upon, therewould be no want of labourers inured to the climate, but the inertnessof the natives renders it inexpedient to rely upon them alone;although, working in conjunction with Europeans, and stimulated bytheir example, and by the love of gain, their services may, no doubt, be made available. There is, however, no difficulty in collecting fromthe Southern States of North America a sufficient number of Irishlabourers inured to a tropical climate, as was lately clearly shewn bythe formation of a railway at the Havanna, which was almost entirelyconstructed by this class of men. 

Any deficiency of labourers, it is considered, could easily be drawnfrom the mining districts of Cornwall, from Ireland itself, or fromScotland, or the North of England. 

The next consideration is the expense of constructing a Ship Canalacross the Isthmus, and the probable returns. The estimates which havebeen made, and of which the result is given below, suppose the Canalto be cut through the whole width of the Isthmus, from the Bay ofLimon to that of Chorrera, and they include a large outlay forimproving the harbours formed by the two bays. 

The first item that would occur in an undertaking of the same nature_in this country_, would be the purchase of the land. Here a greatadvantage presents itself in the present enterprise; for theGovernment of New Granada, fully appreciating the permanentadvantages to be derived to the state from the execution of a work, which it is unequal to accomplish by its own resources, has repeatedlyoffered to grant the land required, for 60, 70, or 80 years, accordingto the magnitude of the works, free of rent, or burdens of any kind, and to admit the importation, free of duty, of all materials andprovisions necessary for the undertaking. 

EXPENSES. 

 The expenses of cutting the Canal, and of the direction and management of a Company constituted for that purpose, up to the period of the opening of the Canal have been estimated at[9] £1, 713, 177

 But if it be deemed expedient to raise two millions, in order to provide for any unforseen casualties, the difference will be 286, 823 ---------- Total outlay £2, 000, 000

RETURNS. 

From information derived from official sources in England, France, andthe United States of America, it is estimated that the tonnage ofvessels belonging to those countries and to Holland, trading incountries to which the Canal through the Isthmus will be the shortestvoyage, amount to 799, 427 tons per annum; and there can be no doubtthat the opening of the Canal would create a great extension of tradeto the South Seas, as well as induce the owners of many of the vesselsnow using the navigation by the Cape of Good Hope to prefer theshorter voyage through the Isthmus; and when we add to thisconsideration, the fact that the above calculations do not include thevessels belonging to Spain, Sardinia, the Hanse Towns, and othernations of minor importance as maritime powers, but possessing in theaggregate a trade not altogether inconsiderable, nor the traffic thatmay be expected to flow to the Pacific from the West Indies, theBritish Colonies in North America, and the countries on the north eastcoast of South America, the tonnage of vessels that will be attractedto the Canal may be fairly estimated at 800, 000 tons. 

 A tonnage duty of $2 per ton, on 800, 000 tons will produce $1, 600, 000, equal, at 4s. 2d. , to £333, 333

 Allowing a deduction for the annual expenses of a sum much larger than will probably be required, say 40, 000 -------- There will remain a Balance of annual profit of £293, 333

This in turn will give upwards of 14-1/2 per cent. Profit on the aboveoutlay of £2, 000, 000. 

The Isthmus has recently been surveyed by M. Garella, an eminentFrench Engineer, whose opinions will be found in the extract from the_Moniteur_, contained in the Appendix. He was employed to make thesurvey by the French Government, and his official Report has not yetbeen made public. He differs in several material points from M. Morel, another French gentleman, who is stated to have lately surveyed theIsthmus;[10] but if the formation of a canal should be undertaken byan English company, the parties engaged in the enterprize woulddoubtless be guided by the English engineer whom they would employ, inthe selection of the most eligible line, while the labours of hispredecessors would greatly aid him in his survey. 

As subservient to the grand project of a Ship Canal, an improved roadacross the Isthmus has been projected. The abundance of hard wood tobe found on the spot, would furnish a cheap material for converting itinto a tram-road. The expense has been estimated by French engineersat £40, 000 sterling, and the returns, even according to the presenttransit of goods and passengers across the Isthmus by the miserableroad now existing from Cruces to Panama, would, at a very moderatetoll, be enormous on that outlay. 

APPENDIX. 

The following Extracts from Authors who have treated of the Isthmus ofPanama will tend to illustrate the subject of the foregoing pages. 

_Dampier, (1681). _

"Panama enjoys a good air, lying open to the sea-wind. There are nowoods nor marshes near Panama, but a brave dry champaign land, notsubject to fogs nor mists. "

_Humboldt, (1803). _

"It appears that we find a prolongation of the Andes towards the SouthSea, between Cruces and Panama. However, Lionel Wafer assures us thatthe hills which form the central chain, are separated from one anotherby valleys, which allow free course for passage of the rivers; if thislast assertion be founded, we might believe in the possibility of acanal from Cruces to Panama, of which the navigation would only beinterrupted by a very few locks. "

_The Edinburgh Review, for Jan. 1809, Art. II. Page 282. _

"In enumerating, however, the advantages of a commercial nature whichwould assuredly spring from the emancipation of South America, we havenot yet noticed the greatest, perhaps, of all, --the mightiest eventprobably in favor of the peaceful intercourse of nations which thephysical circumstances of the globe present to the enterprise ofman, --we mean the formation of a navigable passage across the Isthmusof Panama, the junction of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It isremarkable that this magnificent undertaking, pregnant withconsequences so important to mankind, and about which so little isknown in this country, is so far from being a romantic or chimericalproject, that, it is not only practicable but easy. The River Chagres, which falls into the Atlantic at the town of the same name, about 18leagues to the westward of Porto Bello is navigable as far as Cruces, within five leagues of Panama; but though the formation of a Canalfrom this place to Panama, facilitated by the valleys through whichthe present road passes, appears to present no very formidableobstacles, there is still a better expedient. At the distance of aboutfive leagues from the mouth of the Chagres it receives the riverTrinidad, which is navigable to Embarcadero; and from that place toPanama is a distance of about 30 miles, through a level country, witha fine river, [11] to supply water for the Canal, and no difficultywhatever to counteract the noble undertaking. The ground has beensurveyed, and not the practicability only, but the facility of thework completely ascertained. In the next place, the importantrequisite of safe harbours, at the two extremities of a Canal, is heresupplied to the extent of our utmost wishes. At the mouth of theChagres is a fine Bay, which received the British 74 gun-ships in1740, and at the other extremity is the famous harbour of Panama. "

_J. A. Lloyd, F. R. S. _

"It is generally supposed in Europe that the great chain of mountains, which in South America forms the Andes, and in North America theMexican and Rocky Mountains, continues nearly unbroken through theIsthmus. This, however, is not the case: the Northern Cordillerabreaks into detached mountains on the eastern side of the province ofVeragua. These are of considerable height, extremely abrupt andrugged, and frequently exhibit an almost perpendicular face of barerock. To these succeed numerous conical mountains rising out ofSavannahs and plains, and seldom exceeding from 300 to 500 feet inheight. Finally between Chagres on the Atlantic side, and Chorrera onthe Pacific side, the conical mountains are not so numerous, havingplains of great extent interspersed, with occasional insulated rangesof hills of inconsiderable height and extent. From this description itwill be seen that the spot where the continent of America is reducedto nearly its narrowest limits, is also distinguished by a break for afew miles of the Great chain of Mountains, which otherwise extends, with but few exceptions, to its extreme northern and southern limits. _This combination of circumstances points out the peculiar fitness ofthe Isthmus of Panama for the establishment of a communicationacross. _"

 _Philosophical Transactions, 1830, Part I. , p. 65. _

"Should a time arrive when a project of a water communication acrossthe Isthmus may be entertained, the river Trinidad will probablyappear the most favourable route. The river is for some distance bothbroad and deep. Its banks are also well suited for wharfs. "

 _Philosophical Transactions, ibid, p. 66. _

"The river, its channel, and the banks, which, in the dry season, embarrass its navigation, are laid down in the manuscript plan withgreat care and minuteness. It is subject to one great inconvenience, that vessels drawing more than 12 feet water, cannot enter the river, even in perfectly calm weather, on account of a stratum of slatylimestone, which runs at a depth at high water of fifteen feet, from apoint on the main land to some rocks in the middle of the entrance ofthe harbour, and which are just even with the water's edge; which, together with the lee current that sets on the southern shore, particularly in the rainy season, renders the entrance extremelydifficult and dangerous.... 

"The value of the Chagres, considered as the port of entrance forall communications, whether by the river Chagres, Trinidad, orby railroads across the plains, is greatly limited from theabove mentioned cause. It would prove in all cases a seriousdisqualification, _were it not one which admits of a simple andeffectual remedy, arising from the proximity of the Bay of Limon_, otherwise called Navy Bay, with which the river might easily beconnected. The coves of this bay afford excellent and secure anchoragein its present state, and the whole harbour is capable of beingrendered, by obvious and not very expensive means, one of the mostcommodious and safe harbours in the world. 

 * * * * *

"By the good offices of H. M. Consul in Panama, [12] and the kindnessof the Commander of H. M. Ship Victor, I obtained the use of that shipand her boats in making the accompanying plan of this bay.... Thesoundings were taken by myself, with the assistance of the master. Itwill be seen from this plan, that the distance from one of the bestcoves (in respect to anchorage), across the separating country fromthe Chagres, and in the most convenient track, is something less thanthree miles to a point in the river about three miles from its mouth. I have traversed the intervening land which is particularly level, andin all respects suitable for a canal, which, being required for soshort a distance, might well be of sufficient depth to admit vesselsof any reasonable draft of water, and would obviate the inconvenienceof the shallow water at the entrance of the Chagres. "

 _Ibid, p. 68. _

_Extract from the Moniteur Parisien of Monday, October 14, 1844. _

"Some of the public papers in announcing the return of M. Garella toParis, have asserted that the surveys made by that Engineer on theIsthmus of Panama have led him to conclude that the formation of acanal in that Country which should unite the two oceans is impossible. This assertion is completely erroneous. The Report that this Engineerintends to lay before the Ministers is not yet completed; but theprincipal results of his voyage are already known, and which far fromhaving established the impossibility of the execution of the projectedwork, prove on the contrary that the soil of this portion of theIsthmus is not such as to threaten any serious obstruction to theperformance of a work of the kind. 

"The line which has been explored by M. Garella, seems to be about 76kilometres (46-1/2 miles) in length. Its point of termination upon theside of the Atlantic is in the Bay of Limon (Puerto de Naos) situateda little east of the mouth of the Rio Chagres, and already indicatedfive years ago by Mr. Lloyd, where there is a depth of water of 10metres (35 ft. 5 in. ), and where it will be easy to form an excellentport at a small expense. By this means may be avoided the village ofChagres, situated at the month of the river of that name, but ofwhich the real unhealthiness has been so much exaggerated, as tocreate an unfounded alarm among too many travellers. On the PacificOcean the Canal should terminate at a little bay named Ensenada deVoca de Monte, situated between Panama and the mouth of the Caimito, where there is four metres (13 ft. 1 in. ) depth of water at low tide, which, with 3 metres 20 centimetres (10-1/2 ft. ), which represent thedifference at high tide, gives a sufficient depth of water for thelargest merchant ships. 

"The rigidly exact levellings which have been taken by M. Garella, establish that the mean level of the Pacific Ocean is two metres 80centimetres (9 ft. 2 in. ) higher than that of the Atlantic, and thatthe minimum point of the chain to overcome, which will be the mostelevated point of the line of the work, is 120 metres (131 yards[13])above the height of the sea at Panama. The surveys which have beenmade, prove at the same time that the height may be reduced to 90metres (90 yards and a half) by a trench from four to five kilometres(between two and three miles) in length, which, although considerable, has nothing discouraging, considering the powers which science puts atthe disposal of the engineer. This height will render it necessary toform 30 locks at each of the declivities. 

"M. Garella is convinced, as much by his own observations, as by theinformation that he has been able to obtain upon the spot, that allthat has been said of the unhealthiness of the Isthmus has beenexaggerated. Panama is, of all the towns upon the coast of Americawhich are situated between the Tropics, the most healthy, and perhapsthe only town where the yellow fever has never appeared. The interiorof the Isthmus, through which water courses find a rapid passage, isequally healthy, and is inhabited by a robust and hospitablepopulation, which, although thinly spread over a large tract ofcountry, as in almost all the countries of Central and South America, together with that of the neighbouring countries, may amply supply thelabourers necessary for the work, in case of its execution. Chagres isthe only point where the climate has any degree of unhealthiness, owing to pure local circumstances; but this point will be avoided bythe line contemplated by M. Garella. Then in the unhealthiness of theclimate there is nothing to be dreaded for such artizans as masons andcarpenters, whom it would be necessary to send out from Europe. 

"On the other hand the soil is of wonderful fertility. The cattle, farfrom being scarce in that part are, on the contrary, abundant, especially in the Canton of Chiriqui, on the Pacific Ocean, a littleto the west of Panama. There will, therefore, be easily found withinthe country the means of provisioning a large number of workmen. 

"The exact estimate of the expense attending the formation of a Canalat Panama cannot be known until the report of M. Garella shall becompleted. But the foregoing explanations are of sufficient weight, asa decided result of his surveys, to enable us to see that, against theundeniable utility of a Canal that should be of sufficient dimensionsto allow the passage of the largest merchants' ships, we can hardlyplace in the balance the consideration of any expenses whatsoever, norquestion the long series and increasing importance of the advantageswhich must arise from it. "

 * * * * *

By way of summary: the opinion of this engineer on the possibility ofthe formation of the Canal in question, is contained in the followinglines of a letter addressed by him to the Governor of Panama, datedthe 7th July, 1844, and a few days before his departure from thatcountry, translated from the "_Cartilla Popular_, " a public paperpublished at Panama, and written in Spanish. 

 * * * * *

"I am nevertheless partly able to satisfy your just and naturalimpatience, in announcing to you that a Canal across the Isthmusbetween the river Chagres, and a point of the coast of the PacificOcean, in the environs of Panama, is a work of very possibleexecution, and even easier than that of many Canals which have beenformed in Europe. "

_M. Morel. _

The author has been furnished with the following summary of theopinions of M. Morel, who has been a resident for some years atPanama. M. Morel is stated to have surveyed the whole line of countrydestined to be appropriated to a road, as well as the ground throughwhich a Canal might be opened, and as the result of his surveys andobservations, he is reported to state--

1. That the width of the Isthmus of Panama, in _a direct line_, doesnot exceed 33 miles. 

2. That the chain of mountains which incloses the country terminatesprecisely between Chagres and Panama, and forms a valley, which iscrossed in all directions by numerous streams. 

3. That besides those streams, four rivers of more importance, theChagres and Trinidad, which flow into the Atlantic, and the Farfan andRio Grande, which discharge themselves into the Pacific, in theimmediate vicinity of Panama, can be made available. 

4. That the soundings of the River Chagres show its depth to be from16-1/2 to 22 feet, to its junction with the river Trinidad, the tidebeing felt for four miles up the last named river. The breadth of theChagres is 220 feet from its mouth to the Trinidad. 

5. That it becomes only necessary to unite these rivers by a Canal, the length of which would not exceed 25 miles, and which would beabundantly supplied by the numerous streams already mentioned. 

6. That the land through which this Canal is to pass, is almost on alevel with the sea, the highest point being 36 feet, thus presentingnone of those serious difficulties which generally attend a work ofthis description. [14]

7. That the country abounds with the necessary materials for building, such as free-stone, clay, lime, and wood. 

8. That there can exist no fear of a scarcity of labourers andworkmen, from the number who have already been enrolled by thegovernment of New Granada, which amounts to 4000 and upwards. 

9. That the objection which has often been started against thepossibility of forming a water communication across the Isthmus ofPanama, founded on the difference supposed to exist between the levelsof the two seas, is totally at variance with the natural state ofthings, the tides rising to different heights at Chagres and atPanama, thus placing the Pacific sometimes above, and sometimes belowthe Atlantic. 

Lastly, M. Morel remarks, that Baron de Humboldt, the celebratedGeographer, M. Arago, the eminent Astronomer, F. R. S. , and CommanderGarnier, of the French Brig of War, "Le Laurier, " have proved that ifthere be any inequality of height, the average difference of levelcannot exceed one metre (about one yard English). 

POSTSCRIPT. 

Since the foregoing pamphlet was in print, an Article has appeared inthe Morning Chronicle of the 16th May, 1845, in which it is alleged, upon the authority of an Article in the _Journal des Debats_, that M. Garella has given in his Report to the French Government, and that hereports in favour of the practicability of the scheme, but that hefound the lowest elevation between the two oceans to amount to, from120 to 160 metres, and that this being, as he says, too great anelevation for a Ship Canal, he proposes an enormous Tunnel capable ofallowing Frigates to pass through--that he thinks from examination ofthe soil, that a Tunnel of 100 feet in height above the surface of theCanal will be practicable, and might be made with a reasonable outlayof money; and that the length of the Tunnel would be 5, 350 metres, andthe expense of it about 44 millions of francs (£1, 760, 000). 

It is impossible to read this statement without feeling a strongsuspicion that, for some object which does not appear, it is the wishof the French Government, or those who have put the statement forth, to deter others from embarking in the formation of a Canal across theIsthmus of Panama; for the recommendation of a Tunnel of 5, 350 metres(about three miles) in length, and 100 feet in height, is not onlypreposterous in itself, as applied to a Ship Canal, but is wholly atvariance with M. Garella's own letter to the Governor of Panama (antep. 26), and with the statement of his opinions in the Article in the_Moniteur Parisien_ (ante p. 23), which Article is believed to havebeen written by himself. It is true that M. Garella, being a MiningEngineer (_Ingénieur des Mines_) may have a partiality forsubterraneous works; and this refection provokes the observation, thatit is singular that the French Government should have selected, forthis very important survey, an Engineer of Mines (however eminent inhis department), rather than one experienced in the formation ofCanals, when it had so many of the latter at command. 

It is difficult to conceive that the writer of the letter to theGovernor of Panama, and of the Article in the _Moniteur Parisien_ canbe sincere in recommending a Tunnel; and the conclusion isirresistible, that if the Article in the _Debats_ has any foundationin the forthcoming Report, it is a stroke of policy on the part of theFrench Government, to discourage an undertaking which its own subjectshave not sufficient enterprize to accomplish, and which it wouldobject to see executed by other nations. 

In the present state of the question, it may not be immaterial toremark, that on a comparison lately made by an English Engineer of Mr. Lloyd's levels, with the survey alleged to have been made by M. Morel(the accuracy of which is necessarily impugned by M. Garella, if heasserts that an elevation of 120 metres must be overcome), it appearsthat the levels ascribed to M. Morel, very nearly agree with those ofMr. Lloyd, and are substantially corroborated by his survey. 

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The reader will remember that to discover a more direct passage toIndia than the voyage round Africa, which the Portuguese were thenexploring, was the object of Columbus' voyage which led to thediscovery of America, and the present proposal is to realize theproject of that great navigator. The name of "Indies" was given to hisdiscoveries, under a belief that he had actually reached India, a namestill preserved in our "West Indies. "--_Robertson's America_, bookii. , vol. I, pp. 70 and 124-5, (edit. Of 1821). It may well exciteastonishment that more than three centuries should have been allowedto elapse before the full accomplishment of this great man'sundertaking. 

[2] The intelligent observer of passing events will not fail to see inthe "signs of the times" indications that the day is not far distantwhen the important Empire of Japan will follow the example of China, and throw open its harbours to European commerce--a consummationdevoutly to be wished--and which the present expedition to thoseshores, under the command of Sir Edward Belcher, is likely toaccelerate. 

A more immediate development of commercial enterprise cannot fail toresult from the opening of a Ship Canal through the Isthmus of Panama;viz. , _a direct trade_ between the West India Islands, English, French, and Spanish, and the countries which have been named. Fromthis consideration, the West India proprietors and merchants, whoseproperty in those colonies has been of late years so much depreciated, are deeply interested in the success of this undertaking. 

[3] The opinions of writers who have visited the locality, will befound in the Appendix. To those of Mr. Lloyd, who was sent by Bolivarto survey the Isthmus in 1827, in particular, great weight is due. 

[4] It was formerly called the Isthmus of Darien, but that name hasfallen into disuse among all persons who have any intercourse withthat part of the globe, though still preserved in some of the atlases. 

[5] J. A. Lloyd, F. R. S. , Philosophical Transactions of the RoyalSociety of London, 1830, Part I. Pp. 62, 63. 

[6] J. A. Lloyd, F. R. S. , Geographical Society's Transactions, vol. I. 

[7] J. A. Lloyd. See Appendix. 

[8] The writer has conferred with several gentlemen who have visitedthe Isthmus, and who agree in this opinion. 

[9] It may be here stated that the Caledonian Canal, and the Canalfrom Amsterdam to Niewdiep, the two most expensive Ship Canals whichhave been made in Europe (and which approximate in magnitude the Canalnow projected), were formed at a much less expense per mile than hasbeen allowed in this estimate. 

[10] See Appendix, page 26. 

[11] Probably the Farfan. 

[12] Malcolm MacGregor, Esq. 

[13] The Canal of Languedoc is at its highest point 600 feet above thelevel of the sea. --_M'Culloch's Commercial Dict. , Art. Canals. _

[14] It may be possible to reconcile the apparent contradictionbetween the fact here stated by M. Morel, and the report of M. Garella, by mentioning that the latter suggests the propriety ofcarrying the Canal over a hill 120 yards high, and thus shortening itslength, rather than to adopt M. Morel's line of survey along the flatand low lands, which is the longest of the two. 

THE END. 

W. LEWIS AND SON, PRINTERS, 21, FINCH-LANE, LONDON. 

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Transcriber's Notes:

The transcriber made these changes to the text to correct obviouserrors:

 1. P. 21, propably --> probably 2. P. 29, impunged --> impugned