Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-06-15

onger than the time for which it is so paid.
EXTRACT OF A LETTER
From, Baron ALEXANDER DE HUMBOLDT to DIR.
+. G. FLUGEL, at Lelpsic.
TRANSLATED FROM THE sERMAN
I hasten, my respected Doctor, TO express 70
YOU nv best thanks in few lines only, (being en-
1aoed since Yesterday in all the horrors OF reno
Val from Po.sdam to Berin) for the very interest,"
ing Journey of Emory. and for GLLIss's notices on
the Determination Of The parallax in Chill and on
the astronomical Longitude Of Washington. had
already written specially 70 New YORK for Enjoys
report.
For an antediluvian like me, who is attached
with his whole soul to the New Continent through
the color of his opinions and his knowledge OF the
beautiful country,
it is refreshing and gratifying to follow the rapid
and magnificent development of scientific spirit
in the United States, and to have to acknowledge
the participation Of the Governmentin three years
expedition TO Chill, undertaken because Professor
in Marburg desires it, and nobody listens to him in
Europe. .
We are indebted for excellent labors in hypso-
metry, astronomy, botany, and geognosy, to FIRE.
MONT, Emory, WIsLIzENUs, Lieuts. ALBERT and
BAcHE. of the fine coast survey, and to the crcum-
navigation of CHARLES WILKES.
In nay Aspects of Nature" vol. II, PIP. 3es-392,
have used earnest language on the possibility OF an
oceanic canal over the Isihmus of Panama. May
those words at last find an echo in North America,
and be diffused through the newspapers. They
can be read in English in Mrs. Sabine's transla-
ton of Humboldt's Aspects of Nature" vol. II,
D. 3I9, "Points in ,ohich the examination has
been ,eglecfed." **
With great respect, l am your most obedient,
8 A. HUMBOLDT.
BERLIN. Dec. %, ls49.
PROM THE "AsPEcrs NATURE" VOL. II, r. 3l9
As the taking possession Of considerable part west
coast Of the New Continent by the United States Of North
America and the report of the abundance Of gold in New
California, (now called Upper California have rendered
more urgent than the formation of communication be-
tween the Atlantic States and the regions Of the West
through the Ishmus Of Panama. feel it my duty call at
tention agsn the circumstances that the shortest
shores of the Pacific which shown by the natives
Alfonso Martin de Don Beito in the eastern part of the
Ishmus, and led to the Gofo de San Miguel. We know
that Columbus Vda del Amante por Don Fernando Colon,
cap 90) sought for "esrecho de TERRA fme and In
the official documents which possess Of the years 1905
and 1907 and especially 1914 mention is made Of the de-
sired openng ahertura and of the pass paso) which
should lead directly the Indian land Of Spices Having
for than forty years been occupied with the subject Of
the Of communication between the two seas, have
constantly both in my printed works and in the different
memoirs which with honorable confidence the Free States Of
Spanish America have requested furnish urged that the
Ishus should be examined hypsomecaly throughout its
entire length, and especially where in Daen and in the
iphospable former Provincial de Buguete joins the
tinen Of South America and where between the Aato and
the Bayo Cupca Con the shore Of the Pacfc the mountain
chain Of the Isthmus almost entirely disappears (see in my
Atlas geographque physique de Ia Nouvee Espagne,
p lv in the Atlas de la Relation histoique, pl and
XIII; Voyage Regions equinoniales du Nouveau
Continent It. III, ll7-54; and Essai poitique sur e
Ragaume de la Nouvee Espagne T. +, ID edit. 1925, p
2o2-24s.)
General Bolivar my request, caused levelng
of the Ishmus between Panama and the mouth of the Rio
Chagres be made in 1928 and 1929, by Lloyd and Fall
mare philosophical Transactions Royal Society Lon
don for the year $780, 596s) Other measurements have
since been executed by accomplished and experienced French
engineers and projects have been formed for canals and rail
ways with locks and tunnels but always in the direction of
meridian between Porto Beo and Panama, to the
west towards Chagres and Cruces Thus the most impor
ta points the eastern and southeastern part the sthmus
have remained unexamned both shores So long this
part not examined geographically by of exact but
easily attained determinations Of latitude and longitude by
chrOnome,es well hypsometcay, in the confirmation
of the surface by baomerc of elevation
long consider that the statement have repeatedly made and
which now repeat in ls49, will still be true viz s'rhat it
is yet improved and quite premature pronounce that the
Ishnus does not admit Of the formation Of Oceanic Canal
( canal with fewer locks than the Caedonan Canal
permitting at all the passage Of the going
ships between New York and Liverpool the hand and
Chill aud California on the other.
On the Atlantic side (accordng examinations which the
Direction Of the Deposo hdrogeco Of Madrid have enter.
ed their maps since lsO9) the Ensenada de Mandinsa
penetrated deeply towards the south that appears to be
only four five German geographical miles, fifteen to an
equatorial degree H. I6 20 English geographical mle
from the coast Of the Pacific the east of Panama On
the Pacific side the Istbmns is almost equally nened by
the deep Colo de San Miguel which the Rio Tuyra falls
with its tributary river the Chuchungue (Churhuague)
Inns last named sream in the upper part Of its course APP
proaches within l6 English geographical miles Of the Allan
tic side OF the lshmus the west of Cape Tiburon For
more than twenty years have had inquiries made from me
on the subject OF the problem of the Ishmus of Panama BY
associations desirous Of employing considerable pecuiary
means but the simple advice which have given has never
been followed Every scientifically educated engineer knows
that between the tropics even without
tions) good baromerc measurements he hoary variations
being taken into account) afford results which are well as
ured to be less than from 10 to 80 French or rs 10 9s Enc
Pish feet Il would besides be easy establish for few
months the two shores two xed corresponding
Ftaon and compare repeatedly the portable instruments
Employed in preliminary levellng with each other, with
those at the fixed stations Let that par, be particularly
mined where, near the continent Of South America, the
Operating mountain ridge sinks into hills. Seeing the i'm
ortance Of the subject the great of the world
L.