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SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XII. No. 296 



spirit with which the change in the commercial routes was ac- 

 cepted. Venice made no attempt to use the Cape route, and did all 

 she could to prevent others from taking advantage of it : England, 

 though by a natural instinct she opposed the construction of the 

 canal, was one of the first to take advantage of it when opened, 

 and, so far as the carrying-trade is concerned, she has hitherto suc- 

 cessfully competed with other countries." 



It is hardly possible to imagine what the effect of the American 

 canal will be. Its influence is likely to be undervalued in Europe, 

 as it will undoubtedly far more benefit the United States than Eu- 

 ropean states. It will undoubtedly cause a revolution of the East- 

 ern carrying-trade, and wrest from England's hand the profit ob- 

 tained by distributing many Eastern goods Oi'er Europe and 

 America. 



The importance of geography, and more especially of commercial 

 geography, has recently been emphasized by many English writers, 

 and nowhere has this science more ably been advocated than in C. 

 W. Wilson's address, from which we quoted above. If this science 

 is important to England, it is even more important to us who have 

 to develop the unknown resources of our vast territory. There 

 can be no doubt that from an intelligent pursuit of this science great 

 benefits would accrue to the welfare of our country. 



THE LOCATION OF THE NICARAGUA SHIP-CANAL. 



The result of the surveys for the final location of the Nicaragua 

 Canal, just completed by the Nicaragua Canal Construction Com- 

 pany, are highly satisfactory, and confirm with marked precision 

 the great advantages, in both a financial and engineering point of 

 view, claimed for the route recommended after the survey of 1885. 

 Limited time and insufficient force for extensive field-work made a 

 portion of that survey preliminary in its character; and, while the 

 route selected was regarded as perfectly practicable, yet there were 

 important details of construction and possibilities for improvements 

 which could only be definitely settled by a more exhaustive e.xamina- 

 tion of the newly traversed ground. 



It has been the object of the last surveying expedition to elimi- 

 nate all those doubtful elements, and to perfect the final plans for 

 the work, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, before the scheme is 

 finally presented to the public by the promoters of the enterprise. 



.The work accomplished is highly creditable to the Construction 

 Company. No expense or personal efforts have been spared to 

 bring out the whole truth ; and the detailed drawings representing 

 the entire route, the geological specimens, the results of many bor- 

 ings of the ground, and much other valuable information bearing 

 on the subject, now in possession of the company, bear testimony 

 to the sound and honest intention of the promoters of this great 

 enterprise not to go before the public until they are fully prepared 

 to answer all questions, and to show with unusual accuracy the 

 probable cost of the entire work. 



The recent surveys extended over the whole ground ; and after 

 discarding those routes, or portions of routes, possessing the least 

 merit, the whole force of the expedition was concentrated on those 

 two presenting the greatest facilities for the construction of the 

 canal. The difference between these two routes was confined to 

 that portion extending from Greytown to the dam at Ochoa, there 

 being no difference of opinion as to the best location between this 

 latter point and the Pacific. Two routes had been suggested from 

 Ochoa to Greytown, — one, the result of the survey of 1885, and 

 called the ' upper route ' on account of its striking feature of 

 extending the summit or lake level across the basin of the river 

 San Francisco and the ' eastern divide ' to within a short distance 

 of Greytown ; the other, or ' lower route,' the result of the survey 

 of 1872-73, extending through the lower valleys, and in close prox- 

 imity to the river San Juan, to the divergency of the stream San 

 Juanillo, an outlet of the San Juan River, and thence by a direct 

 line to Greytown. Both routes have been re-examined and located 

 with the same care, and with that precision which seems to control 

 the work of the company ; and a careful comparison of the results 

 obtained shows the superiority of the upper route. 



As now finally adopted, the location does not differ in general 

 direction, controlling features, or total length, from that of 1885 ; 

 but the last, more minute surveys have established beyond a doubt 



