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gation, the winds are more favorable, and the canal would terminate in 

 a section the most fertile and populous of any on the western coast of 

 North America. 



These routes will pass the entire length of Lake Nicaragua, and, by 

 means of the Rio Tipitapa and a short section of canal, ascend thence to 

 the lake of Managua, through the Lake Managua, and thence by canal 

 to the Pacific by one of three routes: 1st. By the left shore of Lake 

 Managua to the small port of Tamarinda; 2d. By the same shore to the 

 well known port of Reaiejo; and, 3d. By the upper shore of Lake Mana- 

 gua to the Lstero Real, debouching into the magnificent bay or gulf of 

 Fonseca, or Conchagua. It is probable that all these lines from l.ake 

 Managua to the sea are feasible, but a minute survey can only determine 

 which is best, 



TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES. 



Before proceeding further it is necessary to refer briefly to the geograph- 

 ical and topographical features of the State of Nicaragua. These are 

 somewhat remarkable. If an accurate map of Central America existed, 

 it would exhibit in this State a separation of the great chain of the Cor- 

 dilleras into two divergent ranges, of less general height than the great 

 ridge itself, and Iiaving occasional partial interruptions. This divergence 

 takes place in the northern department of Segovia, one branch extending 

 due southeast towards the Atlantic. Its outposts come down to the very 

 shore, and form the prominent landmarks upon that coast. The range 

 itself iritersects the San Juan river about fifty miles above its mouth. 

 Upon its northern base, and nearly parallel to it, flows a large and long 

 stream, the Rio Escondido, better known in the maps as '^BUiefields 

 river." All the streams upon the other side of the range fall into lakes 

 Managua and jNicaragua or into the San Juan river. This range resumes 

 its course upon the southern shore of the San Juan, but now bears nearly 

 due south, connecting with the Pacific range in the elevated regions of 

 Costa Rica. 



The Pacific range follows the general direction of the coast, sometimes 

 rising into lofty volcanic cones, but generally sustaining the character of 

 a high ridge, in places subsiding into low hills and plains. This range 

 preserves a nearly uniform distance from the sea of from ten to twenty 

 miles; consequently there are no considerable streams falling into the 

 Pacific for the extent which it continues. It unites, as I have already 

 said, with the eastern range in Costa Rica. The course of this range 

 seems to have been the line of volcanic action, and extinct craters and 

 beds of lava are to be met at short intervals throughout its length. The 

 lofty cones of the Viejo, Santa Clara, xlcosusco, Momotombo, Momobacho, 

 and Ometepec, not to mentien many others, may be regarded as belong- 

 ing to this range, and are prominent landmarks and form remarkable 

 features in the landscape. 



The two ranges of the Cordilleras, here referred to, form, with their 

 slopes, a great interior basin, not far from three hundred miles long by 

 one hundred and fifty broad, consisting in great part of broad, beautiful, 

 and fertile plains. The waters of this wide region fall into the lakes 

 already named, of which the San Juan river is the only outlet. Many of 

 the streams flowing into these lakeS; especially from the north, are of 



