28 
conceived the idea of a lucrative speculation by means of a 
road over the Isthmus, to supply Spain with the spices of the 
East Indies and the products of such new regions as he ex¬ 
pected to discover. 
II. 
Towards the end of the seventeenth century Dampier, 
speaking of the Coatzacoalcos, said—“ This is one of the prin- 
“ cipal rivers of this coast; it is not half the breadth of the 
“ Tabasco river, but deeper. Its bar is less dangerous than 
“ any on this coast, there being fourteen feet of water, and but 
“little sea: within the bar there is much greater depth, and 
“ a bed of soft oasie ground.” * * * * “ This river hath 
“ its rise near the South Sea, and is navigable a great way 
“ into land, especially with boats or small craft.” 
III. 
The oldest amongst the documents of greatest importance 
which have been obtained, is the narrative of a voyage of dis¬ 
covery which the engineer, Don Augustin Cramer, governor 
of the castle of San Juan de Ulua, performed in 1774, by 
order of the Viceroy, Don Antonio Maria Bucareli. His 
report, although so brief as scarcely to occupy one sheet of 
paper, is nevertheless a proof of sound judgment, and of the 
professional views of a man of great capacity. 
After his arrival at the isthmus, by the gulf of Mexico, he 
commences with this important notice :—“ The bar of the 
“ river Coatzacoalcos has on it at half-tide, 24 palms of water, 
“ excepting a very small portion of its length, on which there 
" are only 18 palms.” 
“ These soundings correspond with those taken on the first 
“ survey, and afterwards by me ; for which reason, and as fre- 
“ quent soundings taken by the present pilots during the last 
“ thirteen years agree with them, it may be inferred, that the 
“ said bar is permanently in the same state, or that if any 
“ variation occurs, it is so inconsiderable that it has escaped 
" notice.” 
“ After passing the bar, the river is six to eight fathoms 
“ deep.” 
