52 The Humming Bird. 



It is much more probable that having lost much of bis faith 

 in the possibility of the completion of the work by the Inter- 

 national Panama Company, directed in Paris, he made up his 

 mind to go to Chicago and there to confer with the american 

 Government or with the american Capitalists with the inten- 

 tion to pass, with them, a preliminary treaty valable imme- 

 diately after the caducity of the one passed with the Panama 

 Company, if this should come to happen. 



But in this, I foresee a difficulty, which, if my memory is 

 not failing me, prevents either M. Raphael Nunez, the Ame- 

 ricans or any other to come to a satisfactory conclusion, 

 without the assent of the Panama Company, first obtai- 

 ned. 



During my stay in the United States and in Panama, I 

 have known some of the high personalities who directed at 

 that time the Panama Railway Company, and when the 

 Commission presided by M . Wyse Bonaparte came to Panama 

 in 1876-1877, I was there as t said before, and I spoke many 

 and many times with the Directors and Inspectors of the 

 Panama Railway G°, and I remember, as if it was only a few 

 days ago, that all these gentlemen always told me that no 

 Canal could be made for sixty leagues, above or under the 

 line of the railway, without the assent of the Company. 



That was the chief reason why, after selecting the actual 

 site for the Canal, baron de Lesseps was compelled to buy the 

 Railwa} r Company, purchase which 1 have always considered 

 as the best stroke of business made by the Panama Canal 

 Company. 



Actually, the Panama Canal Company is the owner of the 

 Railway with all its charges and privileges. Therefore no 

 one can continue the works of the Canal without the assent of 

 the Panama Canal Compagny, first obtained. 



For my part, I shall defend this point to the last, and I hope 

 that the majority of the Panama Share and Bond holders 

 will support me in this revendication, if it was necessary. 



It is possible that the Panama Canal Company will have to 

 abandon all its properties, machinery, etc., existing at Panama, 

 but no one can compel the said Company to loose ils rights 

 without a very substantial compensation, and it is to obtain 

 the said compensation, if it should come to that, that I put 

 myself entirely at the disposal of the Panama Title hol- 

 ders. 



