162 THE NICARAGUA CANAL. 
tured by the natives. And thus another touch of inter- 
est is added to the adventurous record of this man of 
ordinary name and extraordinary life. 
The strait was indeed an idea difficult to surrender. 
It ought to be true, they said. The seas are so close 
together for a thousand miles. Commerce between 
‘‘Cadiz and Cathay’’ so greatly needs it. It must be so. 
That it should not be, was, in the words of the writers of 
that day, ‘‘ repugnant to the interest of humanity.’* The 
‘‘secret of the strait’’ must be disclosed. 
Not alone in history are these ardent enthusiasts. In 
every age some will be found. In our own day we have 
seen two men of brilliant parts gazing upon the map of 
Central America with the eyes of conquerors. The one 
saying ‘‘I perceive how useful to commerce would bea 
canal at Panama. Therefore nature must have intended 
one. Therefore, nature did intend one and I will 
dig one. And now, that being decided I will enquire 
as to how much digging there may have to be done,”’ 
what mountains to remove, what torrents to control. 
Another, also with map on knee, says: ‘‘I perceive the 
commerce of the Mississippi, issuing into the’ gulf of Mex- 
ico, opposite the isthmus of Tehuantepec. How natural 
and simple to traverse the gulf, and crossing the isth- 
mus, to proceed to our Pacific states. Nature clearly 
contemplated this location fora transit route. I will 
utilize it. And now, with that settled, let us see what 
obstacles to remove, what serious difficulties to surmount. 
Let us see whether in fact nature did contemplate this 
location as a transit route.’’ As in the former time, 
these gentlemen know what nature ought to have done, 
and therefore know she has done it. How much this 
false knowledge of the one has cost the people of France 
can now be approximately estimated. We have yet to 
learn at what cost the people of the United States will 
acquire the same valuable though bitter experience. 
46 
