COSTA EICA. 



295 



districts petitioned the Central American Government to be annexed to Costa Rica 

 until order could be restored. But the arrangement bas been maintained, and is 

 now officially confirmed by treaty between the conterminous states. 



But in the San Juan basin on the Atlantic side, the conflict became more 

 serious ; here the river is a natural highway of trade between the two republics, 

 so that any frontier excluding Costa Rica from this outlet for her produce would 

 have deeply affected her interests. The treaty of 1858, ratified in 1888 by the 

 arbitration of the United States president, definitely settled this question, assign- 

 ingf to Costa Rica the right bank from the delta to within three miles of the 



Fig. 129. — One of the Theee Ckatees of Poas. 



fortifications of Castillo ; then the line is deflected eight miles south and east of 

 this place, beyond which it follows all the windings of the river and of Lake 

 Nicaragua at a distance of two miles to the mouth of the Rio de la Flor, which 

 enters the Pacific a little north of Salinas Bay. 



On the side of Colombia the southern frontier is clearly indicated by the long 

 promontory of Punta Burica projecting into the Pacific, while on the north or 

 Atlantic coast, Costa Rica claims Chiriqui Bay and its islands, including the 

 Escudo de Yeragua off the coast. On the other hand, Colombia claims not only 

 the whole of Chiriqui Bay, but even that of the Almirante as far as the Boca del 

 Drago. The question has been submitted to the arbitration of Spain ; but in such 

 matters diplomatic records are of less consequence than the wish of the jjoople. 



