The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-08-15
NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Haswelfs Mensuration.
French on Bible Revision.
Manual OF the Brooklyn Common Council.
Catalogue of Masonic Books.
Dinsmore's Railway Guide for August.
REPORTS on the Georgian Bay Ship Canal.
The North American Journal of Homeopathy.
American Merchant, and Emersons Magazine for
August
for July.
ply topography, Climate, Population, Resources,
Productions, Commerce. Political Organization,
Aborigines, &C.; comprising chapters on Honduras,
9 Rs1;s salvador ts Neangaa Costa RIGA Guatemala
the Honduras interoceanic Railway BY f. G.
Squer, formerly Charge dAffaires of the United
States to the Republics of Central America. New
York: Harper & Brothers.
The limited scope of Mr.. Squier's Notes on Gen.
trail America" &C., published in 1856, notwitbstand
ing that it was the then most extensive work on the
subject, induced him to extend it, and this volume
IS the result of his labors. 1t presents a complete
view of all the geographical political and general
information available to the author from his extended
personal Investigations, aided by number of scen-
tlfc gentlemen whom he called to his assistance,
and thus affords the most perfect record extant of
Central America as it IL.
The growing necessity for safe and speedy routes
of transit these States is daily directing aten
ton to them, and every atom of information con-
corning them is therefore of enhanced value. Aside
from this interest," and from its pertaining to the To-
cality near which Columbus first set foot upon Ame
ca, to speak generally, the work is highly inter.
esting in its geographical descriptions history, sta
tistcs maps and Illustrations, all of which are ar
ranged with SrrunulOus car and ra0act credt
upon the author and his aids The work will IN.
doubtedly tend in a great measure to enlarge the
views of many concerning these States, and remove
the idea that their significance is entirely secondary
The main interest, however, centres in the ques.
lion of the transit routes.
Mr.. squier tells that as early as 1910 but thirty
eight years after the landing of Columbus on the con-
tinent, the city of Comayagua, the capital was
founded, with the intention of obtaining an easy
means of communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific, and that in 1866 petition was made to the
King of Spain to change the route of transit from
Nowbre de Dos and Panama to Puerto de Caballos
and FoBseea, for the latter Of which routes Mr.
Squier is much in favor, and the defeat of which
at that time he attributes to the wars in which
Spain soon after became involved. He enters into
an elaborate description Of the proposed Honduras
railway by the valleys of the Humuya and Toasco-
ran, with the central plains of Comayagua, as well
OF the respective termini, concluding that
tteir combined advantages are insiperabIe
by any other route. He gives a table of the grades
OF the Baltimore and Ohio, Baltimore and Susque
hanna, Boston ana Albany, New York and Erie, the
proposed fehuantepec and the proposed Honduras
railroads, and makes out much the lowest grade for
Honduras. He contends that everything is favora.
be for the construction of the road, and gives the
following tables of distances, estimating the Hon.
duTas route by land to Florida and by steam TO
| Puerto Caballos:-
sRoM LIVERPOOL SAN FRANCISCO, rouuHSG AT JAMAICA.
va ranAma
va Nicaragua I'Iz0
Wa Iehsuntelc
hOnJcrns s,3-V
PROM NEW York TO SAN FRANCISCO.
Ns Pauama.
VA Nichrbgrs
Via Ienuaniepec..
Wa houdOrM 3slEi
He computes the difference between the Honduras
nd Panama routes at five days, and gives map OF
The courses of the great West India hurricanes show
hat the Honduras route crosses but two while the
others cross the track of half dozen. We canno
iortear giving the following prophetic paragraph
TRANSMISSION OF IsrELLlGEScE-A PRoPHgcY.
LET consider for a single moment the relations
n respect Of transmission OF intelligence which the
Trop0sed work would open mp. take a for granted
hat me AhGntic Telegraph triH be lad docn ,chttn
he present year and thus put London IN, may say,
instantaneous communication with every part Of the
United States with the far of prairies and the south
,rumost capcs of Florida. From the point last
named 20 Havana Is but $50 miles. To continue the
connection thence go the Bay of Foncsca, II will be
My necessary 10 construct $50 miles OF telegraph to
Cape San Antonio, 27D miles Of submarine cable
thence 10 the British establishments ut Belize, 40
miles Of submarine telegraph thence TO Puerto Ca.
talos and 200 miles Of land telegraph to the Bay Of
Fonesca. = In other words, 10 would put
london within eight days Of San Francisco, six days
II Calao, ten days Of Valparaiso, and thirty-ive
days Of Australia"
II ia a curious fact that the prediction should be
nldlled so nearly TO the date of its publication. We
,an only add that the appearance Of works of this
kind though occasional, Is most redeeming evidence
Of the fitness Of at least some Of our foreign ap.
pointmeuts; and Mr. Squier has benefited both his
osn country and that of his temporary residence by
rs publication.
A CycLoPspn OF COMMERCE. edited by j. Smith
Homans, &c. Harpers, New York, 1862
This work fills void which has long been felt.
The only comprehensive works on commerce and
commercial navigation which have been accessible
% our mercantile community have been English
books, written by English men, for English readers,
I'd from an English point Of view. Without excep
ton they have all been lamentably defective in re-
sect 10 American trade. The work Of Mr.. Romans
he first and the only work we have seen whi,h
intans all the information which the American
nerchant needs. In IL viii I've found all that "a &C
,lrate. and Of general value In the works of McCul
ch and the other commercial encyclopedias; in
addition IL contains elaborate articles. full Of valu-
able satisfies on every branch Of American produc
;on agriculture. manufactures, industry, commerce
and navigation. IL may be considered a general
and thoroughly reliable summary of the commercial
movement of the United States. We have examined
and tested some Of the long tables Of figures which
4, contains without detecting single error. All
that IL is important the merchant should know, in
tslaton TO prices quantities exported and imported,
~,dnetion here and elsewhere CONSUMPTION AZ