528 



Monthly Review qf Literature, 



[May, 



It appears also from the report of Mr. 

 Robinson, that the Spanish government 

 knew two centuries ago, that during the 

 rainy seasons, when the valleys of Choco 

 were overflowed, canoes passed with pro- 

 duce from one sea to the other. 



The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the 

 province of Oaxaca, is connected with the 

 Mexican Gulf by the river Guasacualco, 

 and by the river Tehuantepec, whicli flows 

 into tlie Pacific. This last river has its 

 source not more tlian thirty miles from tlie 

 Guasiclcwalp. Tlie continent here is tlie 

 narrowest, being only forty-five leagues be- 

 tween the oceans. The contiguity of the 

 sources of the Huasacualco and Chinialpa 

 induced the celebrated Count Revillagigedo 

 to institute inquiries, and order surveys of 

 this isthmus. Don Antonio Biicarelli sent 

 Don Augustin Cramer and Don Miguel 

 del Corral to examine this isthmus ; and 

 their report was not unfavourable. Tliey 

 did not sutticiently consider the nature of 

 the labours, which renders this route not 

 more feasible for mercantile purposes than 

 any of the others, as the mouth of the Te- 

 huantepec, as a port, has been but little 

 used since the end of the sixteenth century, 

 on account of its dangerous bar. 



If ever a canal should be cut, it will, we 

 thhik, be through the Isthmus of Nica- 

 ragua. The river San Juan is said to iiave 

 at least twenty feet of water over the bar, 

 and to be navigable to the lake. This is a 

 very doubtful point ; and the river must be 

 surveyed before any oiiinion could be given 

 of its capacities. The space of land be- 

 tween the lake and the South Sea is nar- 

 row, being not more tlian twelve or fifteen 

 miles. It would be determined, after a 

 careful survey, whether tlie entrance into 

 the great South Sea should be into the 

 Gulf of Papagayo, or into that of Nicoya, 

 or to pass through the Lake Nicaragu.i 

 into the lake of Leon, and through, in or 

 by " the aid of its waters," into the port of 

 Ria Lexa. This part of the country is but 

 little known ; from all the information 

 yet gained, this last plan apjiears the most 

 likely to succeed, tliough all are fraught 

 with natural obstacles, and even if these 

 could manifestly be overcome, the political 

 question of the right would be as ditficult 

 to settle. 



The supposition that the waters of the 

 Atlantic are higher than those of the Pa- 

 cific wants confirmation : and even if they 

 are, the dirterence is so little as to be of 

 no moment whatever. The author's re- 

 marks on this ]ioint are very good, and 

 embrace some informi! tic. i on the measure- 

 ment made of the height of the waters in 

 the Red Sea by the French engineers. 

 The part of this book which relates to the 

 winds and weather of the Isthmus of 

 Darien is very \'aluable, and should be read 

 by every nautical man visiting these distant 

 regions. But we must conclude with say- 



ing that Mr. Pitman has produced ati in- 

 teresting and useful work, and appears to 

 feel enthusiastically the results to which 

 the completion of this vast design would 

 lead, and to be desirous that England should 

 have the glory of occupying her money and 

 her industry in fulfilling a scheme which 

 would benefit her and the whole world. 



Lessons in Criticism to Win. lioscoe, 

 Esq., ijx. (Jic. ; and with Further Lessons on 

 Criticism to a Quarterly Bevicwer. By the 

 Rev. William Lisle Bowles. — Literary 

 controversy is very seldom carried on be- 

 tween the combatants according to the 

 laws of good breeding and common sense. 

 It is the general opinion that authors belong 

 to the " irritabile genus"; it is our opinion 

 that four-fifths of mankind belong to this 

 genus. In society, oppose, successfully or 

 not, the opinion of another, and, unless 

 high breeding jirevents him, he will shew 

 his teeth, and growl, and bark, and snap ; 

 and, not being inclined to rate your under- 

 standing fairly, will not be so ready to 

 encourage favourable imjiressions of you. 

 If the reader doubts the truth of this opi- 

 nion, let him consider what the causes have 

 been for most of the sanguinary persecu- 

 tions of whole bodies of men, and they will 

 be found to be ditferences of opinion ; let 

 him then remember with what difficulty, 

 time, and labour, the deeply-rooted opi- 

 nions, however absurd, of mankind are 

 overcome. Even the promoters of science 

 have surtered fantastic cruelties : and in 

 matters of controversial divinity the cha- 

 ritable influences of the Christian precepts 

 have been most eminently displayed by burn- 

 ings and inquisitions. If the controversies 

 among the sectarians of the last age were to 

 be examined with care, we verilybclieve that 

 a more comj)!ete dictionaiy of the vulgar 

 tongue could be compiled from them than 

 the present work of Grose. If an appendix 

 should be required, the pamphlets connect- 

 ed with the subject of this notice might be 

 useil with great benefit to the compilers. 



Mr. Bowles has been ill used, and goaded, 

 and stung, and ridiculed almost jjast bear- 

 ing ; yet we regret that he did not follow 

 the advice of " a friend of most eminent 

 literary talents, who recommended me (3Ir. 

 Bowles) to publish only this one instance 

 of your honourable uealing in the news- 

 papers, as a reason for declining any con- 

 test witli a person capable of such de- 

 ception." 



If Mr. Bowles is justified in using this 

 language to Mr. Roscoe, there can be no 

 doubt of his having lost himself in con- 

 descending to refute, in a sarcastic and 

 abusive volume, all the attacks made on 

 him as an author and a gentleman. In 

 society no man calls out a black-leg, or 

 would think of putting himself on a footing 

 with a man who had duped him out of 

 money, or committed any act for which, if 

 it coiJd be legally brought home foiling, lie 



