The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-16

The Atydt0 Canal Route to ne Pdctac.
The Congress Of New Grenada, a. our rea-
dsss have already been apprised, has granted
thesxclusive privilege Of constructing acanal
along this route to the Pacific. II is the most
southern Of all the proposed routes, and in
many respects, we doubt not, the most advan-
taeeous. As many Of our readers have but
little information with regard to it, we copy the
following from the New YORK Express:
The map of New Grenada shows us three
large rivers flowing northward, in parallel
lines, TO the Caribbean Sea, between the long
ridges Of the Andes. These are the Magdale-
ma, the Conca and the Atrato or Darien. the
last of which is separated from the coast OF
the Pacific by mountain range, which sinks
almost 10 the oceans level near its highest
| sources. All the ships 10 the world might
enter the noble bay of Uvaba at its mouth,
near the beginning of the Isthmus proper, and
| there anchor in 12 and 20 feet water. The
navigation is free nearly to the rivers head,
for vessels of seven and twelve feet water, ac-
cording to the season, through country OF
extreme fertility in tropical plants, and cele-
brated as the richest gold region in South
America, particularly in the provinces OF An
toquia and Choco. One OF the head streams
flows from swamp, which towards the south
also gives rise to fine river, running south
west into the Pacific, with q gentle current OF
two knots, like the Atrato, and 20 feet in depth.
The indolent, inoffensive inhabitants collect as
much gold as they want from the sand, while
nature readily yields them all the food they
| need. This stream bears the same name as
that at the eastern end of the Nicaragua route
the San Juan.
la 1873, the curate of the little town of No
vita, with the aid of his Pensioners, dug a
canal between the two streams, by which a
regular boat navigation was carried on between
the two oceans for about fifteen years, I'M
known to the world, until noticed by Baron
Humboldt.
These facts will enable every reader to per-
ceise, that the route has soU!e great and pecu-
liar advantages for line 800 miles in length.
There are no unsafe roads to eEdanger ships,
for there is fine and spacious harbor also at
the mouth of the San Juan,) no mountain
ridges nor even hills to be surmounted by
locks, no rapid currents TO be stemmed, no ex-
tensive unpeopled, reproductive regions to be
passed, and no open opposition or secret in
trgues from an unfriendly government, or a
jealous, insidious foe, studying to cOunteract
every plan for the real good of the people.
Should all the three northern lines be CON-
pleted, they would never be able to divert
much of the mass of the commerce between
the Atlantic and the Pacific from it's present
channels round Capes Horn and Good Hope.
The millions Of money invested would require
too high tolls. The Panama railroad may ever
have the preference for passengers and the
most valuable goods, but the facilities of the
Atrato route, with the very small expense ne
cessary to open it, would enable the company
to offer terms highly advantageous to the most
important branches of the commerce of Eu-
rope, Asia and America.
And the position and direction Of the Atrato
route, are highly favorable to the grand lines of
commerce between seas AMI countries. This
will be seen at simple inspection of the map
of the world. The narrow strip of land be-
tween the AtratO and The Pacific may be almost
regarded as a continuation of the Isthmus
and the noble hurbor at the mouth Of the San
Juan may be entered and left almost every
wind, while that Of Panama lies at the bottom
of deep bay, difficult for vessels to leave in
strong southerly wind. The Tehuantepec and
Nicaragua lines offer shorter routes from the
United States to California; but the Abrato is
more directly on the lines to most of the great
Pacific ports of South America, Asia, New
Holland, &C., from the West Indies, the U.
States and Europe.