656 THE EVOLUTION OF COMMERCE. 
The day will surely come when commerce will make her last movement 
westward, when America, lying between Europe and Asia, with her 
boundless mineral and agricultural resources, her manufacturing facil- 
ities, her extended sea-coasts, will be the foremost nation and New 
York the commercial capital of the world. 
Nicaragua Canal.—F rom New York to San Francisco by land is about 
3,000 miles, by water it is about 15,000 miles, yet, notwithstanding the 
ereater distance, freight is constantly sent by water. From San Fran- 
cisco it is about the same distance by water to either New York or 
London. If awater-way could be opened across the Isthmus of Panama 
from one ocean to the other, the distance from New York to San Fran- 
cisco would be diminished more than one-half, and San Francisco would 
be over 2.000 miles nearer New York than London. The first propo- 
sition for canals connecting the two oceans was made in 1550, suggest- 
ing two routes, by Panama and Nicaragua; and explorations and sur- 
veys of both have been frequently made, and various attempts made 
for their construction. 
The success of the Suez Canal induced M. de Lesseps to undertake 
the connection of the two oceans by the construction of the Panama 
Canal, believing that the tonnage passing through it would equal that 
of the Suez Canal. This work has not been successful; the canal re- 
mains unfinished, with no prospects of completion. 
Several hundred miles north of Panama is the lowest continental 
divide; 148 feet above tide water on the Paciiic slope of this divide is 
Lake Nicaragua, connected by the river San Juan with the Atlantic; 
up this river and through this lake, some thirty years ago, was one of 
the regular ways of inter-communication, both for freight and passen- 
gers, between New York and California. 
The Maritime Canal Company and the Canal Construction Company, 
organized by Americans, have obtained concessions from Nicaragua, 
and have made surveys for canal, slack-water, and lake navigation from 
Greytown on the Atlantic through Lake Nicaragua to Brito on the Pa- 
cific, a distance of 170 miles. A harbor has been opened at Greytown 
and considerable work performed on the canal. The Panama route had 
the great advantage of an open channel from ocean to ocean, whereas 
the Nicaragua route requires several locks to cross the divide; but 
Brito is some 600 or 700 miles nearer California than Panama, a saving 
in distance that will compensate for the delay in locking. The open- 
ing of this canal will be the greatest benefit that could be conferred 
upon our commerce and shipping. 
Freights by water between New York and California are now so 
high that a large portion goes by railroad. The effect that this canal 
should produce will be evident if we consider the great difference in 
expense between land and water carriage. Rail rates between New 
York and Chicago are a trifle over 6 mills per ton per mile, while the 
