244 



description given of it by the engineer Cramer, 

 who enjoyed a high reputation, it appears that 

 it would require neither sluices, subterra- 

 nean galleries, nor the use of inclined planes. 

 It must not, however, be forgotten that no 

 barometric or geodesic levelling has been 

 hitherto executed in the territory comprised 

 between the ports of Tehuantepec and San 

 Francisco de Chimalapa ; between the sources 

 of the Rio del Passo and los Cerros de los 

 Mixes. By glancing on the map I have 

 sketched of those countries, we may conceive 

 that the difficulty of this enterprise, which the 

 government of Mexico is about to undertake, 

 consists less in tracing the canal, than in the 

 labours necessary to render the Rio Chimalapa 

 navigable for large vessels, as well as the seven 

 rapids of the Rio del Passo, from the ancient 

 emharcadlre, on the north of the forests of 

 Tar i fa, to the mouth of the Rio Saravia, near 

 the new embarcadere de la Cruz. It is to 

 be feared, that, on account of the breadth of 

 this isthmus (which is more than 38 leagues)* 

 the windings and the beds of the rivers will 

 oppose obstacles to the project of opening a 

 canal of sea navigation appropriated for vessels 

 trading to China, and the north-west coast of 

 America ; it would, therefore, be of the highest 

 importance to establish a line of navigation for 

 small craft, or to improve the road by land^ 



