242 THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



the Chagres. Or from the same point to 

 Panama;, without proceeding to Chorrera at 

 all^ which would make the whole length of the 

 railway twenty-eight miles. 



The mouth of the Chorrera is ten statute 

 miles from Panama^ and that river is both deeper 

 and navigable for a greater distance than the 

 Rio Grande ; but the Rio Grande is navigable 

 for vessels of small tonnage^ I am informed^ to 

 the point of its junction with the river Hondo. 

 There is sufficient water over the bar at its 

 entrance into the sea at high tide^ and good 

 anchorage within. It would probably be neces- 

 ary to bring a canal from the Obispo or 

 Mandinga^ to the point where the Rio Grande 

 and Hondo join. By this means the canal 

 would not exceed seven miles in length from 

 the Mandinga to the Rio Grande^ and would 

 be less than ten if the junction was formed 

 from the Obispo nearer the Chagres to the 

 same point of the Rio Grande : probably the 

 last operation w^ould be the most eligible of 

 any. Engineers, however, ought to be em- 

 ployed to survey more accurately the various 



