DEDICATION. 



V 



the governments of several states in favour of 

 a plan for effecting steam navigation on the 

 western coast of America. Having obtained 

 these, he came to England to form a British 

 company sanctioned by a royal charter, and I 

 have reason to believe that his project will be 

 crowned with success. 



His plans appeared to me ably and accu- 

 rately stated^ and are consistent with the im- 

 pressions I received myself in those countries. 

 Feeling the advantages which must accrue 

 to the commercial world from the establish- 

 ment of steam communication along the 

 whole western coast of the Americas, parti- 

 cularly if it could, hereafter, be combined 

 with railroads or canals across Central Ame- 

 rica or the Isthmus to unite the two seas, 

 I determined, with Mr. Wheelwrights assist- 

 ance, to bring his observations as well as my 

 own on the same subject, more under public 

 notice. The promotion of these views is, I 

 am convinced, calculated to produce inestimable 



