The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-18


TEHUAsfEPEc RAILRoAp.-We have been
favored with the following extracts from letters
received from Mr.. Trastour the engineer sent
on the Isthmus to examine the Pacific shore in
search OF q suitable harbor His mission APP
pears to have been eminently successful; and il
the tirst Impressions conveyed by Major Barnard
OF the nature of the work to be done OH the
land receive confirmation when he shall have
completed his examination, this favorite project
OF our citizens will be presented under an AS
pect that cannot fail to invite the confidence OF
capitalists every where We await, with impa-
tence, the advices which will be brought by the
return of the Alabama. They will be six or
eight weeks later, and will be of more deci-
ded tone than the officers engaged in the survey
have thought it prudent to assume.--lN q. Della.
LA VENrosA, December II, 1850.
hasten to inform you, that ut the southern
coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, at the
Ventosa, | have found an excellent harbor
where vessles of all sizes will find good ag1
perfectly safe anchorage.
THE Ventosa is a bay situated twelve miles
southeast of the town of Tehuantepec; the APP
proach to it from the CordilIeras is an uninter-
rupted plan ; but it is necessary to cross the
Tehuantepec river, the depth of which va
ries, according to the season, from two to four
teen feet; the mean width of the river is 1000
feet The river narrows at different points, of
fering several sites suitable for bridge.
The bay of the Ventosa is large and shell
tered Its shores present an extent OF 5000
feet; vessels can enter and depart with the wind
in any direction. 1t is much safer harbor than
Vera Cruz; in this latter port, during the
northers, the communication between vessels
and the shore is interrupted
At the Ventosa norther Of great violence
ragged from the 18th to the 18th of this month,
and the sea, to my great surprise, was scarcely
agitated. We passed across it in all directions,
and continued our soundings without difficulty.
The waves of the ocean could be seen at a dis
lance of six or seven miles, and not nearly as
heavy as those of the Gulf
We also witnessed the effect Of the south
wind which prevailed on the Sd and 4th of the
month, and Notwithstanding its violence, the
waters of the bay were tranquil, and we went
about in our boat without trouble.
The bottom Of this bay is in general COM
pact sand, quite suitable for good anchorage
but on the western side there is a bottom where
this sand is mixed with clay, forming the best
holding ground possible. This part is 2700 feet
long by 1900 wide, forming an oval In this
spot the least depth is 26 feet the greatest sc
feet; almost every where -43 to 30 feet This
part of the bay forms the best and most sheltered
anchorage.
Our soundings were commenced on the goth
November and finished on 18th December They
were made step by step, repeated several times
on different days with the minutest care and
most scrupulous accuracy. One boat, "Ameri-
can COMMITTEES" was used in sounding out to a
distance of ten miles the depth gradually in
creases. This table gives you the result of the
soundngs:
tho diafanao &c