The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-04 00:00:00

SAN FRANCISCO AND THE TEHUAN-

TEPEC ROUTE.

(From the Daily Hews' Correspondent.)
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19.

On my arrival at Acapulco I found the steamer
Oregon (the pioneer boat on the Pacific side of the
Tehuantepec route) already waiting sixty hours
there for the up-mail boat from Panama to take on
her passengers, and carrying seven days' later
European and American news. Successful as the
first trip has been, there is no doubt whatever but
that it will be eclipsed for the future when the orga-
nisation a:iong the route is completed. In fact it was
merely a trial trip made in anticipation of the
regular opening of the line, and the long delays
which occurred at the different stages of the
journey will be most materially curtailed when the
contemplated arrangements are all carried into
effect. The opening of this route is hailed here as
an established practical and most gratifying fact,
and one that must recommend itself to every
settler or dweller on the_ Northern Pacific coast,
whether living under the protection of the stars
and stripes, the union jack, or the Russian eagle
—for it not only will be the speediest mail
route, but will afford the most expeditious line of
transit for passengers. As to the transit of mer-
chandise, however, I fear the shoal and open nature
of the harbours on the one side and the other will
debar it from being employed in that respect, save
for those classes of valuable and portable goods which
can bear the imposition of heavy freights. Passen-
gers for California or British Columbia can leave
New Orleans five days after the sailing of the mail
steamer from New York for Panama, and catch the
connecting boat on the Pacific side at Acapulco ;
but when the Tehuantepec Company get their own
boats round they will also achieve a further gain in
time thence to San Francisco or Victoria of three
days more, making together a total of eight days,
or about one-third the contract time by the present
United States mail route. Under these circum-
stances, of course, the British mails for British
Columbia, instead of going down to Panama, will
be carried by the intercolonial boat of the oyal
Mail Steam Packet Company's service taking
Havannah, Vera Cruz, and Tampico line, when,
with a very inconsiderable extension of her trig,
she can touch at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos
River (the entrance of the Tehuantepec route), de-
liver her bags there, and thus come in for all the
advantages of the new route. One of the passengers
who joined us at Acapulco, a man of exceedini,
intelligence, gave a most alluring description of the
Isthmus trip, describing the country as most 'pie.
turesque and inconceivably rich in agricultural
resources. The British consul at Acapulco, who
went down to Manatitlan (twenty miles up the
river) to witness the inauguration of the line,
received English news there only sixteen days old,
it having been telegraphed down to New Orleans
after the arrival of the Cunard steamer at New
York. The Tehuantepec Company are about lay-
ing wires across that Isthmus ; and in order to
protect them from the hostile interference of the
natives—who are all Roman Catholics—they intend
having all the posts made in imitation of a cross, an
experiment which was found to answer admirably
in the southern portion of the Californian state,
where the jealous and inimical Mexican inhabitants
would have otherwise torn them all down ; but not
only did the device protect the telegraph, but it
tended to spread about an improved idea and opin-
ion of the forms of Christianity entertained by the
ruthless American invader, who was previously re-
garded as little better than a mere heathen barba-
rian. The time, under all the disadvantages in the
experimental trip, was as follows :
New Orleans to Manatitlan (20 miles up the
Coatzacoalcos)
Manatitlan to Suehil (at the head of the
riv,r navigation)
Suehil to Ventosa (tin harbouronthe Pacific) 55 „

147 „
but when coal is supplied for the river steamer in-
stead of green wood, it is estimated that the trip
up can be easily made in 12 hours, and the down
one in seven, while the overland space can be
readily compassed in 24 hours as soon as the road
is sufficiently graded for carriage travel, a consum-
mation which may be looked for in a few months ;
but when the contemplated railway is constructed,
space and time will be proportionately annihilated.
This communication will go by the new route. Such
was the feeling in favour of it in this city imme-
diately on the arrival of the late mail, that all the
places the agent could venture to dispose of were
secured in a few hours. I send you an extract, which
clearly exhibits in facts and figures the relative
and respective merits of the various competing
lines which can be relied on, and will no doubt be
of interest in the present and prospective state of
our relations with the Northern Pacific, both on its
eastern and western shores. As to telegraphic com-
munication, less than 12 months will bring San
Francisco and Victoria within 24 hours of Europe,
for within that period the wires will have been laid
across the plains, and it is to be hoped we shall ere
then have the Atlantizt cable of a permanent and
utilitarian character at fall and constant work.
" The table shows various distances correctly
estimated on the shortest lines, i.e., great circles of
tne globe, or when lend intervenes from Cape to
Cape on the coasts. The whole is expressed in nau-
tical miles, and the distances on the Atlantic side
include also the land travel across either isthmus
quite to the Pacific shore, and accountis also taken
of the distance down the Mississippi from New
Orleans.

" The day's run of a steamer is taken at 230
miles, and in estimating the time, allowance is
made for coaling on the long voyages, and for
transhipment at either Isthmus, according to its
advantages, when the plan of improvement is
completed.
" With these explanations, the table is herewith
given, and following the table, some remarks on the
present condition and use, and projected improve-
ments of the three great lines, and their capacity
for improvement, not only by the works of each
Isthmus itself, but in the approaches to it :

ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE.

Miles. Days.

From New Orleans across Isthmus of Tehu-

antepec to Ventosa
From New Orleans across Isthmus of Nica-

956 41

ragaa to San Juan del Sad 1,430 7
From New Orleans across the Isthmus of
Panama to Panama 1,453 61

From New York v;a Tehuantepec to Ve-Itosa 2,053 91
From New York via Nicaragua to San Juan
del Sud _ 2,182 101

From New York via Panama to Panama 2,015 91

ON TIIE PACIFIC SIDE.

From Ventosa; Isthmus of Tehuantepcc, to
San Francisco

From San Juan del Sud, Isthmus of Nica-
ragua, to San Francisco
_ _