The P an- American Railway Route. 27 



and the numerous valleys of the Amazon about 600 miles, to 

 Santa Cruz in Bolivia, or 2400 miles from Cartagena ; while a 

 branch will run up the Apurimac to Cuzco. 



This road would run for 2000 miles along the foot hills of the 

 Cordilleras, and in these mountains is probably the richest mining- 

 region in the world ; here gold, silver, copper, lead and coal 

 mines are found. The gold and silver mines do not seem to have 

 been thoroughly explored, although untold millions of the precious 

 metals have been extracted from them. These mines are gene- 

 rally in cold and treeless regions, where coal, labor and food 

 are difficult to obtain ; where freights ai'e high and machinery 

 of all kinds most expensive. This road would greatly facilitate 

 the opening and working of these mines, and not only make them 

 profitable but develop a large and lucrative traffic. 



Much of Bolivia is above the navigable waters of the Amazon, 

 and many of its provinces are now land-locked and almost 

 isolated from communication with the outer world. The 

 proposed road would cross many branches of the Amazon, and 

 thus connect with fifty thousand miles of navigable waters, at 

 least 9000 of which are above Iquitos ; and it is claimed that 

 the business from 20,000 miles of navigable waters would find 

 by this route a nearer outlet to Europe and America than by 

 Para. - 



There is every variety of climate on the route. The valley 

 of the Magdalena is sultry ; every afternoon the water grows 

 tepid, and the stones burning hot, in the sun's rays. In cross- 

 ing the Cordilleras the cool breezes of the mountains are met. 

 The road then descends into the valley of the Amazon, through 

 a rich and not unhealthy region, though it has the damp, 

 hot, climate of a tropical country, and thence passes through 

 the montaiia district, which is generally high, healthy and 

 fei'tile. 



" This country, under a wise government, is capable of sustaining 

 an iminense population and giving abundant support to such 

 a railroad ; but it is now unexplored, excepting the valleys of the 

 navigable rivers, and ' is uninhabited save by wild and savage 

 Indians, though these are not numerous. 



The route up the Magdalena may be expensive by reason of the 

 climate, but not otherwise. The road in the mountain district 

 will necessarily be costly, and also in the sierras, because it must 



