130 THjS STATE Of COLUMBIA. 



mountains, and the table-lands of the interior. These local 

 circumstances are too often overlooked in considerations on 

 the future fate of the Spanish colonies ; they communicate 

 a peculiar character to some of those countries, the physical 

 and moral analogies of which are less striking than is com- 

 monly supposed. Considered with reference to the distri- 

 bution of the population, the two provinces of New Grenada 

 and Venezuela, which have been united in one political 

 body, exhibit the most complete contrast. Their capitals 

 (and the position of capitals always denotes where popu- 

 lation is most concentrated) are at such unequal distances 

 from the trading coasts of the Caribbean Sea, that the town 

 of Caracas, to be placed on the same parallel with Santa-Fe 

 de Bogota, must be transplanted southward to the junction 

 of the Orinoco with the Gruaviare, where the mission oi 

 San Fernando de Atabapo is situated. 



The republic of Columbia is, with Mexico and Guate- 

 mala, the only state of Spanish America which occupies at 

 once the coasts opposite to Europe, and to Asia. From 

 Cape Paria to the western extremity of Veragua is a dis- 

 tance of 400 sea leagues : and from Cape Burica to the 

 mouth of Bio Tumbez the distance is 260. The shore 

 possessed by the republic of Columbia consequently equals 

 in length the line of coasts extending from Cadiz to Dant- 

 zic, or from Ceuta to Jaffa. This immense resource for 

 national industry is combined with a degree of cultivation 

 of which the importance has not hitherto been sufficiently 

 acknowledged. The isthmus of Panama forms part of the 

 territory of Columbia, and that neck of land, it traversed 

 by good roads, and stocked with camels, may one day serve 

 as a portage for the commerce of the world, even though 

 the plains of Cupica, the bay of Mandinga, or the Bio 

 Cbagre, should not afford the possibility of a canal for the 

 passage of vessels proceeding from Europe to China,* or 

 from the United States to the north-west coast of America. 



When considering the influence which the configuration 

 of countries (that is, the elevation and the form of coasts), 

 exercises in every district on the progress of civilization 

 and the destiny of nations, I have pointed out the disacU 



* The old vice-royalty of Buenos Ayres extended also along a small 

 portion of the South Sea coast. 



