NICARAGUA. 



553 



The value of the exports during the same 

 period is exhibited in the following table : 



The tobacco crop in Masaya was unusually 

 abundant in 1872, iind the planters, encouraged 

 thereby, began early in the following year to 

 take measures to secure a like favorable result. 

 The tobacco of Jalapa is reputed to be equal 

 in flavor to the finest Copan of Honduras; and 

 it brings $22 per quintal for the first quality, 

 and $11 for the second. 



Owing to a continued drought throughout 

 the winter, a general failure of the other crops 

 was apprehended. 



Congress assembled on January 7th, and 

 President Quadra delivered an address, the 

 most important subject of which was the pro- 

 jected interoceanic canal across the territory 

 of Nicaragua. " The grand project of opening 

 an interoceanic canal through the American 

 isthmus," says the President, ''has attracted 

 of late a larger share of public attention than 

 heretofore. The United States Government 

 has sent an exploring commission to our ter- 

 ritory, and the results of their labors are, so 

 far, very flattering. The Government of Ni- 

 caragua has used every means in its power to 

 promote the development of the project, and 

 furnished the commission with all possible 

 facilities for the prosecution of that survey. 

 The American Government has expressed its 

 satisfaction with the friendly sentiments of 

 our country; and, if the ultimate results of the 

 reconnaissance prove equal to our present 

 hopes, there is little doubt of the consumma- 

 tion on our soil of that stupendous work in 

 which the whole commercial world is so deeply 

 interested." 



It would appear from the report of Mr. A. 

 G. Menocal, chief-engineer of the expedition 

 under Commander Lull, that the Nicaragua 

 lake would be a necessary, and even a favor- 

 able element in any project for a ship-canal 

 across the republic ; necessary, on account of 

 its position ; and favorable, by reason of its in- 

 considerable elevation above the sea, affording 

 an extensive summit-level, a saving of distance 

 in the proposed canal, and an inexhaustible 

 supply of water for the working of both branch- 

 es of the latter, to the Atlantic and Pacific re- 

 spectively. The first object of the expedition 

 was, therefore, to seek a suitable route from 

 the lake to the Pacific, which could be accom- 

 plished by proceeding in a northwesterly direc- 

 tion up the Estero de Panaloya to Lake Mana- 



gua, and from the northern point of this last 

 to Fonseca Bay, through the valley of Leon. 

 Instead of the bay just named, Realejo, or any 

 other port on the Pacific coast, might be chosen ; 

 or, by cutting direct from Lake Nicaragua 

 across the Department of Rivas to some point 

 on the Pacific. The branch from Lake Nica- 

 ragua to the Atlantic might lie through the 

 San Juan River as far as navigable, and be con- 

 tinued by an artificial canal. Of three routes 

 surveyed for the western branch, that from the 

 mouth of the river Del Medio, at the lake, to 

 the port of Brito is 16 miles in length, and 

 its highest point 134 feet above mean high 

 lake. The navigation of the lake itself em- 

 braces a distance of 56 miles from the mouth 

 of the river Del Medio to San C&rlos at the 

 issue of the river San Juan, the outlet of the 

 lake. The eastern branch of the route, ex- 

 tending from San Carlos to the harbor of 

 Greytown, is in length 108 miles, 63 of which 

 being in slack-water navigation, by the river 

 San Juan, and the remaining 45 miles by an 

 inland canal. It is proposed to make the San 

 Juan River navigable by means of four dams 

 with short canals around them, in each of 

 which will be a lock some 10 feet in lift. In 

 Brito, a harbor would be made by means of 

 a break-water, and there ships would at all 

 times find safe and commodious anchorage. 

 The harbor of Greytown being at present in- 

 adequate to receive large ships, owing to the 

 sediment from the San Juan River, it is pro- 

 posed to restore it to its former state by 

 a breakwater and by dredging, after having 

 turned the river off by the river San Carlos. 



Excellent building-materials may be found 

 in abundance and at convenient distances 

 from the proposed routes. The country is 

 opened and settled, particularly in the western 

 sections ; and the climate along the whole lino 

 of the projected canal is very good. 



In the opinion of the chief-engineer, the 

 magnitude of the enterprise, and the favor- 

 able conditions of the country, would induce 

 immigration to such an extent that the im- 

 provement of the country would necessarily 

 tend to facilitate the work, and in a measure 

 diminish its estimated cost. 



By the Rio del Medio line, 181-,-J^ miles in 

 length, the cost of construction is estimated as 

 follows : 



Western branch $21.069 775 



Middle, or lake branch 715,668 



Eastern branch 25,021,314 



Harbor of Brito 776,518 



llarborof Greytown 918,625 



Total $49,122,785 



Adding twenty-five per cent, for contingent 

 expended...! . 12,280,696 



Grand total $61,408,481 



Commander Lull says, in his report to the 

 Government, that from 3,000 to 5,000 labor- 

 ers would be furnished by Nicaragua and the 

 neighboring states. 



By act of Congress, under date February 9, 



