HIE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. Ill 



canal, and such only, I apprehend, will be found 

 suited for its purpose, and repay the governments 

 that shall construct it. 



The route across, or rather through Nicaragua and 

 its lakes, has received considerable attention and 

 been reported upon favorably for the construction of 

 a ship canal. 



The whole length of this route, as stated by Mr. 

 Baily, who surveyed it some years since for the Go- 

 vernment of Central America, is two hundred and 

 sixty-four miles ; ninety of which are on the river San 

 Juan, ninety on Lake Nicaragua', twelve on the 

 River Tipitapa, between Lake Nicaragua and Me- 

 nagua, or Lake Leon, which last is thirty-five miles 

 more, and the remaining twenty-nine miles to be a 

 land-cut between Menagua and the port of Realejo. 



Mr. Baily calculates Lake Nicaragua to be one 

 hundred and twenty-eight feet above low water on 

 the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Menagua twenty-nine 

 feet higher than Lake Nicaragua, and above this an 

 elevation must be attained of fifty-five feet, between 

 Lake Menagua and Realejo, making a summit level 

 of two hundred and twelve feet above the Pacific 

 Ocean at low water. 



What the advantages of this route are, I have never 

 yet been able to ascertain. The distance to Califor- 

 nia would be shortened, but it is doubtful whether 

 anything would be saved in time, over that by the 

 way of the Isthmus of Panama, in consequence of the 

 greater length of the canal, while it would be in- 

 creased to the still more important countries in the 



