232 



TEHUANTEPEC. 



succession, beginning with the most northerly, 

 the isthmus of 



Tehuantepec* 



This would unite the gulf of Mexico to the 

 gulf of Tehuantepec in the Pacific, by a canal 

 made to join the sources of the Chimilapa with 

 those of the Rio del Passo, which empties itself 

 into the Guasualco. 



If this scheme were realized, it has been cal- 

 culated that the navigation from Philadelphia 

 to Nootka Sound and the mouth of the Columbia 

 river, which by Cape Horn is now 5000 leagues, 

 would be reduced to 3000 only ; but Humboldt 

 thinks the breadth of the isthmus, which at 

 this point is 38 leagues, added to the windings 

 and rapids in the rivers, would render this under- 

 taking very difficult of completion. It is utterly 

 out of the question to make it under any cir- 



* I have thought it interesting to illustrate the memo- 

 randa I made on the spot by a general map of South 

 America, annexed to the First Volume, and by a reduced 

 map of a survey of the Isthmus of Panama, published 

 by Mr. Lloyd, annexed to vol. ii. 



