CHAPTEE XIII. 



Inter-communication between the Atlantic and Pacific — Advantages to 

 Commerce — To the Growth and Prospeoity of the Pacific States- 

 New lines of Steamships — Their effect in meliorating the Condition 

 of Mankind. 



The subject which more than all others has called 

 the attention of the public mind to the consideration 

 of the Isthmus of Panama, is that of inter-communi- 

 cation at this point between the Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans. Since the acquisition of California, the ne- 

 cessity for some better means of transit has become 

 much greater than ever, and may be deemed abso- 

 lutely essential to the commercial interest of the 

 whole world. But this is not a necessity of the pre- 

 sent time merely, suddenly springing up, and liable 

 to be superseded hereafter ; but on the other hand, 

 so open to the eyes of the world have been the ad- 

 vantages to be derived from connecting the two 

 oceans by a railroad or ship canal, that, as early as 

 1827, General Bolivar caused the country to be sur- 

 veyed, in order to ascertain the most practical route ; 

 and since then, the English and French governments 

 have done the same, and the subject has been elab- 

 orately discussed by Baron Yon Humboldt, Louis 

 Napoleon Bonaparte, and many others, of less dis- 

 tinction, but perhaps of equal judgment ; but it has 



