The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-10-23
Unknown, nor is the distance between the OPP

unknown; nor Is the distance between the op-
posite shores yet ascertsincd with any degree
OF accuracy. The navigation of the Rio Chagre,
which would form part of the commune alton, is.
sides. very difficult and hazardous. From all
that he could learn. Mr. Irumbollt is inclined
to think that the project could be effected only
ON small scale, and by means of system OF
locks and tunnels. 6. Another plan has lately
beeni proposed TO the Spanish government. 1t
IS to dig canal, from the blight of Cupica, near
Cape Corientes, through Land of no great eleva
tioil, and only fifteen or twenty miles in length,
to the navigable stream Of Naipi, that falls be
low the village OF Z:tara, into the river Atrato,
Which again discharges its waters into the
Guiph oil Darieh. 2. But, as we noticed in a
preceding article, a communication. on dimi-
nutive scale indeed, has already been opened
across the American. continent. In the year
1888, very active monk, rector of the village
OF Novita, caused his flock to cut a small canal
IN the torrent OF Raspadura, which connects the
San Juan with the rivuiet of Quito, one of the
branches of the Atrato Canoes, laden with
cocoa, have, after copious rains, actually passed
from the one sea to the other, a distance Of at
least ESQ miles. The CITY of Lima is not
more than two or three days journey from the
river Guallsga, which falls into the Marasnon
II a road were, therefore, traced from that ca
ptai, across the chain of the Andes, goods
could, after short portage, be conveyed by
water over the whole extent of the continent.
from the coast of Peru, to the shores of Brazil
IL mas been supposed that an inlet exists about
the Goth degree OF south latitude, connecting the
Suiph OF ST. George with the Archipelago of
Cnsyamapu. This conjecture appears, however,
W oe unsupported; but, on the west side of the
on;.neh., the hrth OF Aysen pene,rates far into
the interior, where it receives a small river
Humboldt has fixed the geographical position
OF near three hundred capital points in the Spa-
hish settlements The results were all calcuia
Yea oy Oitmanns, an able mathematician. from
series OF observations, carefully repeated, wbe
.ner ny heiP Oh thermometers, or from eclipscs,
occuiauons, and lunar distances. corrected
sometimes by azimuths, or the bearings of re-
mote conspicuous objects. 1t would appear that
even the best and latest charts of America. are
stiii' IN many cases, wonderfully inaccurate
4 nus Arrowsmth represents Mexico as 80 mi
nutes farther north, and 10 more westerly than
us true position. The same able and xDerien.
ecu uenheator' likewise errs in the longitude If
Acapulco, by an excess OK SO minutes I'VE NAV
remark IN general, that the old programmes
were accustomed TO great exaggerstion in the
esumating OF longitude. India was 6uurnd
many degrees farther east than its real place a
mistake which, il is well known, suggested ~
columbus the bold idea Of sailing to that seduc
I've country oy western course. Since the first
~; Oh America, the extent Of the Allan.
uc mas been gradually reduced to narrower I;
mits. AA'io"ef IL
!, Inc lofty chain of the Andes, running a,ono
uaS western coast OF America, extends On bo,b
sues Oh ina equator, to near the 3Otb degree M
latitude. II IS OF unequal height; sinking. ;n com.
parts, to oo0 feet from the level of the sea and
leSrla'i points, towering above the clouds. 10
an elevation OF almost four miles. The coIoss.I
Chimborazo lifts its snowy head RI an .i.,,''Sa
which would equal that of the Peak of Tener;f:.
though placed on the top of Mount E,no III,
medium height of the chain under the eoua,or
may be reckoned al Ia, 900 feet, while tbst %
the APPS and PyreBees hardly exceeds 5000 -
IT'S oreaath is ProportIonally great, being sy,v
alnes a. o.ilto' ana $50 or 200 in Mexico, and
some districts OF the Peruvian TERRITORY. This
stupendous ridge is intersected, in Perm and
New Grenada, as we have seen, by frequent
cie1ts or raylnes, OF amazing depth bnt 10 tbe
north OF the isthmus of Panama. IL soften, do,n,,
by degrees, and spreads out into the vast eleva.
teo pam OF Mexico In the former provinces,
accoroihgy, the inhabitants are obliged to travel
on horseback or on foot, or even to be carried nm
the backs of Indians whereas carriages drive
with ease through the whole extent of New
Spain, from Mexico to Santa Fe, along a road oF
more than 1900 miles in length
The equatorial regions of America exhibit the
same composition Ofrock that we meet with in
other parts OF the globe. The only formations
w1icn huneoiut could not discover in his ira
vels, were those of chalk, roestone. erav wake
the topaz rock of Werner, and the COMPOUND Of
serPentine with granular lime stone. which &C.
ours in Asia Minor Grs7ite constitutes in
South America, the great basis which supports
the other formations above il lies eneiss. pext
comes micaceous scbist, and then primitive
schist. Granular limestone, cblorite schist. and
primitive trap, OFTEN form subordinate beds in
the gnelss and mcaceous schist, which is very
abundant, ana sometimes alternates with SER
pentine and fienite. The high ridge of the An.
des IS every where covered with formations Of
porphyry, basalt, phonolite and greensboro: and
these, being often divided into columns. that
appear, from distance, like ruined castles.
produce very striking and picturesque effect
AT the bottom OF thoae huge mountains, occur
two different kinds OF limestone the one with
tehclous base, enclosing primitive masses. and
sometimes cInnabar and coal the other with a
caicareous base, and cementiDg together the
secondary rocks. Plains of more than 500 GOO
square miles are covered with an ancient deposit
OF limestone, containing fossil wood and brown
iron ore On this rests the limestone of the
hgher Alps, presenting marine petrefactions at
vast ele'auon Next appears a lamellar gyp~
sum, appropriated with sulphur and salt above
this, another calcareous formation, whitisb and
homogeneous, but sometimes C ayernous Ag,in
occurs calcareous sandstone, then lamellar pyp-
sum mixed with clay and the series terminates
with ealcareous masses involving flints and horn
stone
But what may perplex some geoIogists, is the
singular fact noticed by Humboldt, that the So.
condary formations in the New World have such
enormous thickness and elevation Beds of coal
are found IN the neighborhood Of Santa .Fe g. $50
rect ABOVE the level OF the sea and even at the
height of Ia zoo, near Huanuco. in peru. The
plains of b. sota, although elevated 9, 600 feet.
are covered with sandstone, pvDsnm. sf,eII
lime stone, and even. in sorne rorts Iii, IT