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NARRATIVE OP A 



CHAPTER XVII. 



Sketch of Central America. — Bays and Harbours. — Rivers. — Lakes. — 

 Projected Canal of Nicaragua. — Mountains and Volcanoes. — Vegetable 

 and Animal Productions. — Mines. 



Having availed myself, during the brief period of my 

 stay in the city of Guatemala, of such opportunities as 

 occurred, which were not many, of obtaining information 

 in regard to Central America, I will venture to offer a 

 few remarks on this interesting portion of the western 

 hemisphere. 



The territory called Central America extends from the 

 eighth to the eighteenth degree of north latitude, and is 

 bounded on the north by Mexico and the bay of Hondu- 

 ras ; on the east by the Caribbean sea and Veragua ; and 

 on the west and south by the Pacific ocean. It may be 

 considered as a great isthmus, separating the Atlantic from 

 the Pacific, and connecting the two grand divisions of 

 Spanish America. This isthmus presents a coast-line of 

 nearly a thousand miles on either side. Its breadth from 

 sea to sea in no place exceeds four hundred miles, and at 

 the narrowest point is scarcely one hundred. 



The situation of this country is peculiarly favourable 

 for commercial intercourse with every other part of the 

 world. On the south-western side its shores are washed 

 by the Pacific ; and the whole of the northern border lies 

 open to the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Both the 

 Pacific and Atlantic coasts are indented with numerous 

 bays and harbours, of which the principal is the bay 

 of Honduras, in the latter sea, comprising the ports of 

 Truxillo, Izabal, and Omoa, and communicating with the 



