The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-18 00:00:00

THE ISTHMUS OF CENTRAL AMERICA.
ThQ spartrn.snt‘ of the Royal G.ovraohiesl SoeiPfy
were un Monday evening Litt, 0g.L.0 civadtu kriill iii.
audience eager to listen to the discussion on Captain
Fitzroy's interesting paper on the Isthmus of Central
America. The American and Prussian Ministers,
the Hon. Abbott Lawrence, and the Chevalier Bunsen
were elected Fellows of the society, and his Royal
Highness Prince Carl Ludwig Eugene, of Sweden
and Norway, was elected an honorary member.
Lieutenant-Colonel LLOYD believed that Captain
Fitzroy had disposed of the Tehuantepec and Nicara-
gua lines, and he for one could say nothing in their
favour. The interests of this country were, how-
ever, strongly and naturally directed towards the
Panama line, and opposed to those of the United
States of America, whose policy was to ob-
tain the most direct communication with
California. He disagreed from the author of
the paper in his statement respecting the want of
water in Panama, as in the last Admiralty survey
which he held in his hand, at a mile and a-half's dis-
tance from the very gates of the city he found there
were four fathoms of water, at one mile's distance
three fathoms, and two fathoms within three quer
ters of a mile. Besides this, there were secure
places of anchorage for the largest ships among the
adjacent islands; and at Toboga, particularly, there
were eight to ten fathoms. With such a tran-
quil sea, and the advantage of a tide ebbing
and flowing 22 feet or more, where could a better
site be chosen for a great canal ? His friend (Cap-
tain Fitzroy), who was not the man to be frightened
at the imaginary dangers of Navy Bay or the Bay of
Manzanilla, during his circumnavigations of the globe,
was not wont to be so fastidious in the choice of a port
as now, when examining at a distance such anchorages
as Navy Bay or the Bay of Manzanilla. The small bay
of Chagres, too, would afford shelter to steamers draw-
ing 12 feet of water, while the river up to the Rio Tri-
nidad was all that could be wished for. The Isthmus
abounded in every material necessary for the con-
struction of a ship canal, excepting metals•—lime-
stone of several varieties, claystone, flint, ironstone,
&c. The timber was, perhaps, unequalled in its
variety and quality. Even in 1822 the population of
the Isthmus was more than 100,000 ; and in one
canton (Los Santos—a fair sample of Panama)
there were 21,000 inhabitants, occupying 4,956
houses, and possessing 39,721 head of cattle,
9,000 horses, with an abundant supply of
fish, poultry, grain, and vegetables. When
he looked at the map of that wonderful country, and
considered the advantages offered to mankind by a
water communication, the formation of which would
be attended by perhaps fewer difficulties than the
construction of the Caledonian Canal, he did feel
astonishment that up to the present moment so little
had been effected. A nation which had so long
taken the lead in great enterprises should not be
eclipsed upon the greatest, and he urged upon the
Royal Geographical Society the propriety of taking
up this subject with earnestness and vigour.
Mr. E. HOPKINS concurred with the observations of
Captain Fitzroy on the Tehuantepec and Nicaragua
lines, but was convinced that many of the objections
to these might be made against the Atrato route.
The Panama Isthmus was not only the narrowest,
but also the lowest land dividing the two oceans. It
was true that no good ports existed either at Chagres
or at Panama ; but, notwithstanding this objection,
such were the facilities for quick transit, that passen•
gers, specie, and light goods passed this way in prefer-
ence to any other route. A good substantial road
from Gorgona to Panama, and the removal or deepen-
ing of the bar at the mouth of the Chagres, would be
the first steps necessary. In due time, and with in-
creased means, a strait could be made through the
narrow baud which divides the river Chagres from
the river Grande. A strait required no locks, masonry,
nor ports at the mouth. Deepened by the tidal
currents of the ocean, assisted by mechanical means,
vessels would pass through with the ebb or flow of the
Pacific tides. He remembered while in the country
that canoes had been dragged from the head of the
Atrato to the river San Juan, but canoes had also been
drawn over many other passes in the Isthmus of
Darien. Mr. Hopkins finished by alluding to the
neck of land situated between the Bogana and the
Gulf of San Bias, the latter being well adapted for
shipping, the former a magnificent stream, and having
a very low pass in the intervening ridge well worthy
of consideration.
Mr. MAOQUEEN'S observations were made in so low
a tone that it was exceedingly difficult to follow them.
He compared the various lines suggested, and referred
to his own summary on the Isthmus of Central
America, published in 1838, as corroborated in some
essential points by Captain Fitzroy.
Mr. FYLER inquired of the author what depth of
water there was at the mouth of the lltrato, and like-
wise further up its course ? how he would deepen the
mouth of the river ? and what depth of water was
found in the Naipi? From the replies to which
questions, Mr. Fyler inferred that the Atrato route
had been recommended upon insufficient grounds.
He then advocated the Sapoa and San Carlos lines, in
support of which he quoted the survey by Mr.
02rsted, of Copenhagen.
Mr. TRELAWNY SAUNDERS expressed great Wis.
faction at the interest taken by the society in this
great question, and trusted that a practical result
would ensue.
Captain MooßsoM, R.E., expressed the opinion of
the illustrious Von Humboldt, with whom he
had lately discussed this important question
during nearly three hours at Sans Souci, read ex-
tracts from the reports just received from the Swedish
engineer Greiff, in favour of the facilities offered
by the Atrato and one of its mouths (the Coquito) to
navigation, and quoted the testimony of Lieutenant
Wood, R N., a Government surveyor, lately on the
spot. After a most careful examination, he (Captain
Moorsom) could not but agree with the opinion of
Von Humboldt, " that this district comprised within
the 6th and 9th parallel of north latitude, or between
Capica Bay and the Gulf of San Miguel, was the
most fit for the construction of a ship canal."
Dr. CULLEN (who had traversed a large portion of
the Isthmus) indicated the part of the Isthmus about
San Miguel Gulf,—between it and Caledonia Bay,
as most advisable for railway or canal operations, and
asserted the ample harbourage of Darien and San
Miguel.
Mr. O'Goamaes referred to Moro's survey of Te-
huantepec and its vicinity, which he advocated as one
of general rather than local interest,—speaking of the
vast and increasing trade of the Mississippi Valley
when compared to our own interests in the question.
" What is a port ?" asked Mr. O'Gorman ; "is not
a river with a sufficient depth of water a port ?"
Captain FITZROY said, previously to the attempt to
draw up a summary of opinions on the great geogra-
phical question—which be had done at the request of
the secretary, and not from any personal interest—
he had, of course, studied everything accessible in
London. Among these the survey by Morn,
executed under the patronage of Garay, had
not been overlooked ; and it was from that very
survey that he had formed his opinion adverse
to the route by Tehuantepec, not only on ac-
count of its length and the want of good ports, but
also because the summit level being nearly 700 feet
above the level of the sea. By a good harbour, Cap-
tain Fitzroy meant a place on which a number of
ships could remain in security, well sheltered in
all weathers, and not merely an anchorage or road-
stead. Ships could not sail into a canal di-
rect from the open sea. There must be a
place in which the necessary preparations shall
take place to land passengers, or (if a railway) to
discharge cargo, if not, indeed, to take a regular turn
of admission. The conditions of this problem
appears to be, "Given two ports as near each other as
may be, to find the best line between them." Good
ports are indispensable. The Atrato line was recom-
mended for a canal as offering fewer obstacles under
existing circumstances than any other, as far as pre-
sent information goes. The waggon-road from
Portobello to Panama is recommended by the British
Consul, and also by the Crown Surveyor of Jamaica,
after personal investigation made recently. Captain
Fitzroy concluded by mentioning that a list of the
authorities upon whom he had founded his summary,
was attached to his paper.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK

(From the Report of the Registrar-General.)
The mortality of London, which in the last week
of November declined to 861 deaths, and in the sub-
sequent week rose to 1,004, now exhibits a further
increase of considerable amount. The deaths regis-
tered in the week ending last Saturday were 1,090-..
a number which is greater than that of any cor-
responding week of the ten years )640-9, with four
exceptions—namely, in 1844, when a week of
unusually low temperature (the mean not exceed-
ing 28 deg.), was fatal to 1,201 persons; in 1846,
when the deaths were 1,163, that week being
also marked by low temperature; in 1847, when the
deaths rose to 2,416, at that time influenza being
epidemic ; and in 1848, when they were 1,130, fever
then prevailing to some extent, and cholera having
appeared. Last week has carried off an unusual
number of aged persons (those of 60 years and up-
wards) ; and the increase over the previous return is
principally caused by bronchitis and pneumonic, or
inflammation of the lungs. In the last three
weeks the increase of bronchitis appears from
the numbers returned as follows, 64, 88, 114 ;
that of pneumonia is shown by 67, 86, 113, while
the mortality from phthisis in the same periods
has been more uniform—namely 96, 113, and 116
deaths. The greater activity of smallpox lately has
been noticed ; in the present return it numbers '24
fatal cases (nearly the same as, in the preceding), of
which four occurred. to persons above 20 years of age.
Liss,on-grove, in Marylebone, is still distinguished by
its ravages ; five additional cases. (all exceptomi being,
described as " variola, natural") were registeredin the
week. With reference to a case in St. Clement Danes,
the registrar remarks, that " the father of the de-