THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL. 195 



150 feet, so that the canal could have been on the 

 level. The author's figures were, however, given 

 without anything to support them, and were directly 

 contradicted by other explorers ; and it was only in 

 order to show its absolute impartiality that the Com- 

 mission thought right to examine his project. 



When all was done, two projects alone were before 

 the Commission : one for making the canal through 

 Nicaragua, the other through Panama. 



The first, which was the less costly, as it was esti- 

 mated to involve an expenditure of 32,000,000, while 

 the latter was to exceed 40,000,000, was at the same 

 time more limited in its scope, and longer in point of 

 distance and time. The objections to it were its six- 

 teen locks, its reaches, which the vegetation of the 

 tropics would cover with terrible rapidity, its works 

 of art, which the slightest shock of earthquake might 

 destroy, and the care and deliberation which the 

 handling of so much delicate apparatus would entail. 

 There was nothing of this kind to apprehend with the 

 Panama Canal, which was a fourth shorter than the 

 other in point of distance and a third in point of time, 

 while it did not entail any works of art, or set any 

 limit upon the number of ships which could pass 

 through it in the twenty-four hours. This was surely 

 sufficient to justify the decision of the Technical 

 Commission. 



Upon the proposal of the engineers of the Suez Canal, 

 the Commission decided by a large majority against 



