112 THE ISTIIMUS OF PANAMA. 



Soutli Pacific Ocean, and yet not avoid that greatest 

 of all difficulties, tlie want of an adequate supply of 

 water to feed the canal at the summit. But the 

 greatest objection of all is the distance. We are 

 every day being taught, practically, that the shortest 

 routes are in thelong run the cheapest, although at 

 first more expensive in their execution, even on rail- 

 roads wdiere the speed is so great as to lessen the 

 reality of distance ; yet how much greater still will 

 be the loss in a ship canal, where the progress of 

 ships through must necessarily be very slow. 



The task of lifting a steamship or merchantman 

 over this country, at an elevation of two hundred and 

 twelve feet, and a distance through, of two hundred 

 and sixty-four miles, would be found a very for- 

 midable one, at least; but I have no doubt all 

 these considerations were fully appreciated by Mr. 

 Baily. 



Another route, or rather a deviation from this, is 

 receiving some attention at the present time. It 

 takes in its course the River San Juan to Lake Ni- 

 caragua, and from thence across to its south-west 

 coast, a distance of sixty miles, and then over the 

 high ridge to the port of San Juan del Sur, on the 

 Pacific Ocean, a distance of seventeen miles, making 

 in all one hundred and sixty-seven miles. The highest 

 elevation to be attained between Lake Nicaragua 

 and San Juan del Sur, according to Mr. Baily, is five 

 hundred and eight feet, and consequently the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining water to feed a canal is greater 

 than that of the other. Another author, Galisteo, 



