New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-22
junction OF the Atlantic ard Pacific
Oceans,


Oceans.
TIE interesting letter of Henry Wheaton, Etq.
our Distinguished Minister al Berlin, upon the juno
ton OF the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, published
amony the National Institute Papers, contains neny
Interesting fecr. M Napoleon Gueriea has e1-
oored the IstAmus of Panama route; ,he summit
level between the two seos presents an elevation o!
l25 rne,res the length of the proposed canal VIII De
from IS TO 80 kilnetres, and may be supplied with
water but the formation OF harbors al each end as
the country is ,hinIy peopled and labor higb will be
attended with considerable expense. Comparing this,
with the Nicaragua route, by the latter 1t would
be- about 500 kmetres, but at least three -ourtns Of
this distance is made already by the hand OF nature,
the passage being through the Lakes Nicaragua
and Leon, the descent from Lake Leon to the Pacific
would require great number Of locks, the differ
euce between these Two canals being 40 metres,
whilst good harbors could be made at both ends,
and the country between is populous. Tho route
of the 'Istbmus Tehuantepec,' is attractive from
its historical associations. The mouth Of the Rio
Huasacualco, which would form one Of the termlin'
Of the proposed canal, is delineated on rude map
furnished by the Emperor Montezuma to Cortes,
who shared equally with Columbus the great " con-
auis,ador"-the desire Of finding passage which
would shorten by twothrds the passage to the land
of soices,' then recently discovered by Vasco de
CANA. The above river did furnish TO Cortes the
means Of transporting the materials Of sbpbuildlng'
and the munitions of war; from Vera Cruz IN the d.
rection of California. The accidental discovery
in I77l Of come pieces of canuen in the castle OF
San Juan d'Uoa cast at Manila, ledto the copjec-
ture that they must have found their way thther by
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This fact induced
the Viceroy Of Mexico, Don Antonio Bucanelli, to
order survey of the Isthmus todiscover if any ma
,ural communication existed between the seas, and
if not, whether it might be possible to connect the
rivers Chimuapa and Huasacualco, by canal.
Tney found no natural communication, and lofty
ordilleras stretching from East to West but TO the
South of the village of Santa Mareda da Chimalpa,
n transversal valley, through which canal might
be constructed. No action was had upon this report
and still later survey presented the route as I'M
practicable.
A more recent and accurate survey, however, oy
Don Gse,ano Moro, shows that the legunes near
Tehusntepec have depth of water Of five or SIX
metres in the shallowest parts and that the Bocoa
Barra by which these small lakes communicate
with the sea Gun be rendered navigable are the
elevations between the rivers by any means 60 con-
siderable as before represented. The former sur
ye,s had made the summit level between the two
seas of Tarifa 1893 meues but this enormous eeva.
tioa has been reduced to 900 metres. There are
three sources for feeding the canal; the whole dis
iunce between the two ocssrs is 22O kilometres,
bu, this is reduced by the !agunes and the river
while that part OF the canal IN the
,ranss ersa valley would not be more than SO silo-
meues, and the country, though ,hinly peopled, is
healthy. This route is longer than that by Panama,
but shorter than that by Nicaragua. 1t is, then,
possible to construct The proposed canal,
and Mr.. Wheaton inciues 10 the opinion that the
Tehuan;epec route is the best. The difficulties
lie in the unsettled condition Of The South American
Republics, in the jealousy OF the swo great maritime
nations, and the insecurity Of investing capital at
remote point, in vast and expensive works. France
has led the way in liberal surveys; and il might be
possible 10 form combination, by which permanent
regulations should 5e established among CONNER
cal nations in general with respect TO the use OF
such work. so universally important. MIR. Whea-
ton considers the principles laid down by the Con-
gress of Vienna in respect to the navigation Of the
great European rivers, would be salutary in the
case of the proposed canal The possibility of this
grand work may be deemed established The next
thing is, who shall carry that into effect.
The BEAR AND THE BoAr-The New Haven
Courier thus happily hits off in prophecy, the
momentous blundcr, made by the American peo-
pie in the late election:
bear. having found boat near the shore, re-