326 



MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. 



Unfortunately, the roadstead offers bad anchorage during the prevalence of 

 the north winds, when large vessels prefer the more sheltered waters under 

 Taboga Island 11 miles farther south. According to the general plan, the 

 interoceanic canal was to be continued between embankments or sea-walls as far 

 as the little group of islets where begins the five- fathom line. This anchorage 

 is already connected by a deep channel with the mainland. 



Fig. 148.— Colon. 



9rn^p 1 : 4G,0'"'0. 



79°55' 



West, or Greenwich 



-79'53' 



Depths. 



Reefs exposed at 

 low water. 



to 16 

 Feet. 



16 to 32 

 Feet. 



1,100 Yards. 



During the Spanish régime the only line of communication between the two 

 oceans was a simple mule-track crossing the isthmus northwards to Puerto Belo 

 on the Atlantic side. This old seaport, whose fortifications are now overgrown 

 with a forest vegetation, has sunk to the position of an obscure hamlet occuj^ied by 

 a few hundred negroes who do a little trade with Colon, Colombia and Jamaica. 

 The harbour is commodious, deep and well sheltered, but the district is extremely 

 unhealthy owing to the want of circulation caused by the surrounding heights. 



