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of knowledge, and the just appreciation of 

 human interests. If I abstain from discussing 

 political events that are so distant, it is to avoid 

 flattering my reader with ideas of the free en- 

 joyment of what yet exists only in the wishes of 

 some men interested in the public good. 



The lake of Nicaragua and the Rio San Juan 

 do not, as it has been affirmed in some ancient 

 works, belong to the territory of New Grenada; 

 the lake is separated from the Columbian terri tory 

 of Veragua by Costa-Rica, the most southern 

 province of the ancient kingdom of Guatimala, 

 Placed in a country thinly peopled, especially 

 towards the east, and almost on the confines of 

 the two independent states of central, and 

 southern America, the great works which must 

 be established for the junction of the two seas, 

 will have no military defence but from Porto- 

 bello and Carthagena, two fortresses to the 

 windward of Castillo de San J uan de Nicaragua* 

 There is indeed a road by land, from Guatimala 

 to Leon, but the distance is more than 135 

 leagues. In the present state of things, it is 

 less the strong places than the misery of the 

 country, its want of culture, and the force of 

 vegetation, which from Darien to the 10th 

 and 11th degree of north latitude, have ren- 

 dered unavailing the invasions of an enemy who 

 disembarks suddenly on the eastern coast. In 

 treating this important question, I cannot rest 



