514 SPANISH AMERICA. 



dent of the republic, presiding at its open- 

 ing. A plan of constitution was reported by 

 the committee of legislation, on the 3d of 

 July; and on the 30th of August the con- 

 stitution itself was published. 



Thus was constituted the republic of Co- 

 lombia, which comprises the north-west sec- 

 tion of the immense peninsula of South Ame- 

 rica, including the Isthmus of Panama; — 

 bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, 

 on the south by Peru, on the east by the 

 British possessions of Essequibo and the 

 back settlements of Brazil, and on the west 

 by the Pacific Ocean and the republic of 

 Guatemala; having two thousand miles of 

 sea-coast on the Atlantic, and one thousand 

 two hundred on the Pacific, — containing a 

 superficies of nine hundred thousand square 

 miles, being of seven times greater extent 

 than the British Isles ; and comprising the 

 following departments and provinces, viz. 

 the department of Orinoco, containing the 



