New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-07

Mr. rorsyths scheme of taking some fifteen
millions from the Treasury Of the United States on
q sort of general mortgage Of the Mexican terri
tory. to be shared between manufacturers of Mexi-
can claims and the Mexican Government, has fallen
through; but the object aimed at is still persevered
n and certain parties are IN busy search for some
pretebse or other upon which this money may be
got
Among other things, the project is revived of the
purchase, by cur Government of the Isthmus of
Tehusntepec, which is put forward as of great
value from the opportunity it is alleged to afford for
a cheap and speedy communication with CalIfOrnis
and Oregon. The fact 10, however, that for any
such purpose the Istbmus is Of very email value,
since It lacks both on the Atlantic aud Pacific side,
the essential requisite of safe and convenient hsr
bors for the purpose of embarkatlon and transhp-
mtnt Those who propose to make use of this
Isibmus as a meals of transit would supply the
want of harbor on the Gulf side by en- erng and
ascending the River COatzacOacos. This river is
without any shelter at its mouth, and enters d.
rtctly into the open sea. 1t has also dan
gerous bar which at all times makes the river
inaccessible TO vessels Of greater draught than
twelve feet, and during part of the year scarcely
accessible to any vessel. 1t was indeed pretended
by the Spanish surveyors who first examined this
route that the bar had from twenty TO twenty
three feet Of water. But the official survey by
Commodore Perry, published by our Government,
shows but twelve fee. Of water the BAR aud that
only in channel not etdiDg hundred and fifty
feet IN width, outside Of which the water shoals
rapidly to eleven ten and nine feet. Some
subltqusnt surveys, made with direct view to the
use of the route for tronsit purposes, make the
gr. atest depth at high water thirteen feet whe at
neap tides there is only eleven feet. Nor s
this the worst of it. The nOrthers, which
prevail from November 10 April at intervals
of week OF so, have here their greatest
force and influence; and it is the united
testimony If nautical mep, familiar with helocslisy,
that neither steamers nor Any oher vessels, except
Of very light drsught, could cross the bar upon
which the sea breaks during their prevalence.
Upen the Pacific coast matters are, if possible,
still worse Here there is no port at all, and re-
huAntepec, according to Humboldt gives its name
to the hurricanes which blow from the northwest
with excessive fury. The name Of VensOsa, or the
Windy, gwen to the bay on that slde expresses the
character Of the roadstesd, which, beside being
thus exposed to teupes!s, is also very shallow.
Such is the character Of the harbors on both
SIDES Of the Isshmus Of Tehuantepec, as az
certained by actual survey, and set forth 10
numerous reports and Official documents. This
total want Of barbors renders the route to
great degree useless as means Of transit be
tween the two oceans. II more American money,
whether that Of individuals or that Of the Govern.
nent, il to be spent upon opening new Isthmus
routes it is TO be hoped that Tehuan'efee will not
be selec ed the scene Of operations. At least
would be desirable TO have some distinct accounts
Of the carriage road across the Isthmus, Of which
we have bad occasional puffs all winter in the
New Orleans pipers, but which recently seems to
have sui K out e sight.