168 THE NICARAGUA CANAL. 
his name a symbol and surety of success, to cast in his 
fortunes with them. There was left them only to use 
that name to form a great canal construction company, 
which should purchase from them, at a great price, the 
concession they had obtained from Columbia for a song. 
To do this no time was lost. An international confer- 
ence was held at Paris, under the auspices of the Paris 
geographical society, in May, 1879, for the purpose of 
deciding upon the best locality for an interoceanic canal. 
With seventy-four French members devoted to de 
Lesseps’ interests and ideas, and but sixty-two of other 
nations ; witha ‘‘ technical’? committee and sub-com- 
mittees crowded with Suez canal engineers, with a pro- 
gramme specially arranged to prevent general discus- 
sion,—with these precautions it is not surprising that, 
amid the sturdy protests of such world-famous engineers 
as Sir John Hawkshaw, of such special experts as Ad- 
miral Ammen and Engineer Menocal, the conference 
should vote with enthusiasm for a sea-level canal be- 
tween Aspinwall and Panama. 
The conference ended, a great company was soon 
formed ; and de Lesseps at its head, by his reputation 
and his marvelous energy, soon had the needed millions 
at his disposal, and began the work which we are now 
watching to-day, 
As to its progress: The expenditures are represented 
by something over one hundred fifty millions of dol- 
lars; while M. de Lesseps claims from twelve to four- 
teen per cent. of the excavation completed, and unpre- 
judiced engineers claim only six to eight per cent. com- 
pleted. He holds that the time already occupied, five 
years, has been so well spent in preparation, that three 
years more will complete the work. Neutral parties of 
intelligence announce that it will be impossible to com- 
plete it before the year 1900, even under most favorable 
circumstances. But the circumstances cannot be favora- 
52 
