798 



cent, (ascensos ; 604 ft 8 in 8 U , Castille measure ; 

 descensos : 470 ft l ia 7 n ), the surface of the lake 

 of Nicaragua was found to be elevated 134 ft . 

 7 in l u above the South Sea. But the lake is 

 88 ft 6 in deep; so that its bottom is still 46 

 Castillian feet above the level of the South Sea. 

 The Rio Panaloya, by which the lake of Leon 

 communicates with the lake of Nicaragua, 

 presents a bar (salto) of from 25 to 30 varasT 

 (According to M. Ciscar, 1 vara castellana = 3 

 feet of Burgos = 0.429 1 .) This document does 

 not mark the direction and the extreme point 

 of the line of levelling, its object being only the 

 determination of the height of the lake ; it does 

 not appear to be hitherto proved that the ridge 

 of partition has every where the great elevation 

 of 85 toises ; and that between Realejo and 

 Leon, the gulph of Papagayo, or that of Nicoya, 

 and the lake of Nicaragua, there exists no de- 

 pression of soil, no transversal valley fit to re- 

 ceive the waters of a canal of great navigation. 

 In the survey made by the commandant of the 

 castle of Omoa, Don Ignaicio Maestre, and the 

 engineers Don Joaquim Ysasy, and Don Jose 

 Maria Alejandro, it was affirmed that the lake 

 of Nicaragua has no natural communication 

 with the South Sea; it was observed at the 

 same time, that the mountainous land ( aspero 

 y montuoso ) , between the Villa of Grenada, and 

 the port of Culebra. renders all communication 



