THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL. 173 



the writer of these lines may be pardoned for recall- 

 ing with pride how the year 1869 marked the realisa- 

 tion of a scheme which was desired by the Pharaohs 

 of the sixtieth century before Christ, of a work which 

 the men who built the Pyramids and drained Lake 

 Mceris were unable to accomplish. 



A like work is now being undertaken upon the 

 American continent, upon the narrow neck of land 

 which divides North and South. The idea is not a 

 new one, for while America was discovered in 1472, 

 and Balboa ascertained the existence of the Pacific 

 Ocean in 1513, an attempt was made to unite the 

 two oceans in 1514. "When the Spanish adventurers 

 ascertained that there was no natural passage between 

 the Atlantic and the Pacific, they conceived the idea 

 of cutting a canal through the spurs of the Cordilleras. 

 Just as it is certain that nature abhors difficulties and 

 encourages their overthrow, so it is certain that the 

 maritime trade of the globe ardently desires the 

 creation of a navigable zone which will enable it to 

 make the tour of the world, getting rid of the circuit 

 of Cape Horn as that of the Cape of Good Hope has 

 has already been got rid of. 



The creation of a canal to unite the Atlantic and 

 the Pacific having given rise to much discussion, I 

 have thought it interesting to summarise what has 

 been said on the subject. 



