236 



THE DARIEN SHIP CANAL. 



lakes to its month, vrherc a Ijriilge can he placed Tvitliout intcrfoing 

 ■with the navigation. And also at that point no less than 1,.59,'5 miles of 

 continuous railway, now in operation with a very iusigiiiticaiit exfe|i- 

 lion, from New York, Boston, Portland and Quebec, arrive on the south 

 shore of the river opposite to Montreal, a city containing 60,01)0 inh.ibi- 

 tants. On the nortlieru shore, the railwavs either in progress or com- 

 pleted, including the western section of the Grand Trunk, number 

 aheady 967 miles exclusive of projected lines. The completion of this 

 link IS essential to the satisfactary and economical workingof the Grand 

 Trunk Radway ; and it has thcrcfure lieen incorporated with the entire 

 line. It will be constructed according to the plans and nnder the 

 supenntcudcnce of Robert Stevenson, C. E., (who is about to visit 

 Canada for this purpose,) and Ale.xander McKenzie Ross, Esq., C. E.. 

 and tlie structure will be of that substantial character which a work of 

 such magnitude requires. 



For the bridge an ample allowance of capital is made and the work 

 has been provisionally contracted for with Messrs. Poti>, Brassey Belts 

 and Jackson, on the estimate framed by Messrs. Ste\-eusou and Rosfi. 

 J he Act authoi-izmg the construction .of this bridge by the Grand 

 Trunk Radway Company, is now in progress through the Canadian 

 Parliament, under the sanction of the Government. 



The western section of the Grand Trunk Line extends from Montreal 

 to foronto, 34o mdcs, and from thence to Samia, 172 miles. Contracts 

 have been executed, with tlie approval of the Government aud the 

 JJoard of Railway Commissioners in Canada, with the eminent Eun-lish 

 contracting hrni of Messrs, Peto, Brassev, Betts aud Jackson, for the 

 construction of the section to Toronto, 345 miles, from Quebec and Trois 

 Pistoles, 155 mdcs; and the Graud Junction, 50 miles; aud with the 

 CanadiaucontractingfirmofC. a Gzowski& Co., and from thence to 

 baruia, 17o miles. 



The conditions of these contracts are for the construction of a fii-st 

 classsingle track railway, with the foundations of all the large struc- 

 tures sufficient for a dou()le line, equal in permanence and stability to 

 any railway m England, including stations, sidings, workshops, aniple 

 rolmg stock, and every requisite essential to its perfect completion, to 

 the satisfaction of the Canadi m Goveinment 



By means of the arrangements entered into with the contr.actors the 

 prop:-ietors of the Grand Trunk hue are assured tliat, for the capital 

 stated they wiU secure the delivery of the whole railway, fuUy equip- 

 ped and completed in every respect, aud fiee from any furthe/ charges 

 whatever. "^ ° 



The western section of the Grand Trunk commences at Montreal .and 

 proceeds westward througli the towns aud villages of Lacliiue, St. Clair 

 bt. Anne, New Longueil Lancaster, Charloltenburgh, Cornwall, Osna- 

 bruck. WiUiamsburgh, Port Hope, Bond Head, Bowmanville Whitbv 

 i ickermg bearboro' to the City of Toronto, which city contains 36,000 



At Toronto it meets the Great •Western Railway, leading through 

 Hamilton and the southrcu parts of the western peninsula of Canada to 

 Uctroit ; a connection, of which the value may be judged from the favor- 

 able position in which the Great Western Railway of Canada now 

 stands m London This hue itself forms a continuation of the Trunk 

 ine, although under a diftereut company, for240 miles, now approach- 

 ing completion. The Trunk road aLso here connects with the Northern 

 Kaih-oad to Lakes bimcoe and Huron, 90 miles, to be finished during 



This section occupies the important position of connecting the chief 

 emporia of Eastern and Western Cauali.., the cities of Mo^nt real and 



through the towns already enumerated ; and it also p.asscs llirouHi its 

 Provinc'e!^ ' ■"'" ''" '""'' ^^^"'""^ ^"'^ ^^^'''^^^ district of the 



rilkJ'pfrtw T"''n^ '^°™"''' }? ^'"■"''' P'-'Ssess through the town 

 Milages of Weston, Brampton, Georgetown, Act,,,, R,»-k«-oo,l (J, 



Berlin, J cterburg, Hamburgh to Stratford wli.re 'il is i ,- ,/.< i 



proposed line from Goderi,-h, 45 miles (for wl,irl, Clii.", llll;l Vr,s 

 already rai.sed by mumcip.il subscriplicu), Iheiu-e Uu'.u..], ,„■ 

 Downie, Fullarton, Blanchanl, Usborne Ridduli.li II ,v „Mn . 

 wick, and Plympton, to the outlet of Lake Huron, ainl 1 1,',' „ ,.;',■,, 

 tremity ofllie Province at I'ortSarnia ; the whole coursi' uf Hr. M,, 

 ing through the finest section of Western Can.-ida, a district ah> 

 pcjpled, aud most rapidly advancing in population aud weallli. 



It will therefore be seen tliat the weslc;n sivll,,i, ,,r Ihr C.nu,] T 



of'jj:il(m!(mn";n;i''"'u-Hh'a|"^im^ 



and wlHch, with a Uuiitcd excx|th,n, must lin.f in the Grmd t 

 npiiw'li':!i"'"'?'"-'''l'"''' '""StdM-eet, aud cheapest intercourse ; h: 

 ncitJiei local raib-oads nor canals to compote with. 



[1853 



; and 



u-lph. 



■eady 



'ruiik 

 strii't 



The route traversed by the Grand Trunlc Railw.iy and its' tributaries 

 will be found set forth iu the accompanying map. 



That portion of the Great West, situate at the western extreme of the 

 basin of the St. Lawrence, has received a larger share than any other 

 portion of tlie country of the valuable addition to its riches, arising 

 trom the industry, intelligence and wealth of the hundreds of thousands 

 who, within a comparatively brief period, have migrated to these 

 regions. 



Independent of the local traffic peculiar to this section, both in pas 

 seiigers and goods, through traffic of more than ordinary extent, con- 

 sequent on Its geographical position, may be safely calculated upon. 



Not the least important branch of trafiii; will arise from the ocean 

 steamers commuuicating with England, making Portland, and here- 

 after Halifax, the port of embaikation, as the nearest and most ac- 

 cessible on tlie continent of America. 



A furlhei- and im]-)ortant consideration in connection willi Portland 

 St. Joliii's and Halifax, is that the navigation never beiiK' clii^jd l>y 

 ice, produce may on the completion of the Grand Trunk liallwav be 

 slupj3cd tlicrc wlien otherwise there would be no I'eady means of 'for- 

 warding it to Europe. 



Thus, with the exception of that portion through Nova Scotia to the 

 port ot Hahta.x, (about 150 miles,) the entire length of 1,400, both by 

 the southern route through the State of Maine, and by the northern 

 route by Trois Pistoles, is for a great part in course of construction, 

 ami the remainder will be shortly commeuced under highly favorable 

 auspices, the immediate prosecution of that portion through Nova 

 bcotia being now under the consideration of the government of that 

 province whose future interests are so largely compromised in the 

 speedy aud perfect completion of the project, as to ensure iheii- best 

 aud sti-euuous efiorts for its early accomplishment 



T/w DanmShip Canal.*— We have now before us the "Journal of 

 the Lxpedition of Inquiry," of Mr. Lionel Gisborne, C.E., the Atlantic 

 and 1 acihc Junction Company's Eugiueer, with his report in full, just 

 published by Saunders and Stanford, Charing-cross. The alinost 

 entire absence ot any correct knowledge of that narrow neck of land 

 wliicli unites the two Americas, except what has been left us by the 

 historians ot the buccaneers of the sixteenth centurv, the difiiculties of 

 mterual exploration, tlie hostility of tlie few remaining aboriginal 

 iiid.aijs, tlie attractions offered to enterprise and the introduction of 

 capital, irom its reputed mineral wealth, and the short distance for 

 niuting tno two great oceans, render ev,sry information from actual 

 clescriijtion of personal research of the most iutere'sting kind It au- 

 pe.ars certain that, up to the period of Mr. Gisborne entering on his ex- 

 pediti.m, only one Luropean (Dr. Cullen) had ever crossed the Isthmus 

 of Darien ; but there a,,pears no doubt that there exists more than a 

 Mugle locality- in this uncivilised tr.act where inquiry is hkely to be 

 rewarded with success; and Humboldt himselt; after devotin)- half a 

 century to tlie study of Ceutral America, felt thoroughly satisfil-d that 

 the Isthmus of Laiicn is superior to any portion of the ■entire neck for 

 a canal. TraTelling Ihrougl, a tropical cliinate, left entirely in a sta?I 

 of uatuie. It can easily be iiaagine.l is a ta,sk beset with dilficuUiis and 

 ctew l" 1 *''™"r^"t ^^'■■- «isborne's journal it is made tolerably 

 clear that he has not been exempt from the common lot. We a' c Inn- 

 py to find, however, he has accompUshed his task, returned iu safety 

 and ill every point he corroborates the views of Dr. CuUen, as to the 

 pi-.aoticabihty ot a ship canal without locks, as proposed by Mr. John 

 Henderson ; and that the Isthmus of Darieu is the only point where it 

 can be successiuUy carried out. In the coinmencemeut of the volume 

 the author sli.,w.s that aU writers hitherto on the Isthmus are not to be 

 relied on, appearing to vie with each otherinaseriesofcontradictions • 

 ticir nWrv.mous generally being totally inconsistent, breathing an' 

 oijslinali' and one-sided view, and their information beinn-not fcnmded 

 on |,r.s„„al ki„.wledge, but mere report. He then dcscrih.s the 

 several „tlicr pvnj,.,-|.'d routes, exposes tlu-ir total ininrartieabilitv, aud 

 endeavours .„ ,,rov,., ul v,l,i,.l, we ihiuk there is little doubt, that a 



ship canal ni.ny be r, Jwed. al the ,, art .,f the Isthmus p.unted out 



by Ir. Cullcn, :«) ft. deep al low w;!ter, 140 ft. broad at lotton m 

 160 ft. at low water surface, and cut through from sea to sea a perfectly 

 open chaiine , througli which steamers may proceed at all times, aii'd 

 sailing vessels either go with the current, which will flow alternately 

 each w.-iy, or «• lowed by steamers. With respect to a navigatim, with 



i .Vl' r r,ooool'-,o"' ■'"■'"','"" -'"•" ■'" '■«''">•'*<■ <>( £4:50l),Ul)0 in- 

 slcad ol J, 2.000,0i)0, it IS to be decidedlv objected to, as however well 



olstiuct the whole transit lor mnnths. Delay aud risk there must he 

 where such cnorrtious machinery is workeVl ; aud there cannot be a 

 doubt b ut shipowners would rather pay a higher toU to pass direct 



• Mininj'Journal. 



