National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03

that the locality selected for the construction
Of the American lnter-oceaniC canal shall be
the very best that the field affords, and the
circumstances Of our necessities and our posi-
ton require that this shall be determined by
the lmperiuus dogma that the route which Ii
best Tor the United States must be best for
the world. Tho route VI the proposed canal,
besides geographical position, should, II pos
slblc, be through u locality capable Of develop
Ing local population, wealth, trade aud agri-
culture, for thOsc, In themselves, would be a
prOtcctorato and guardian Of the great work,
and would provide sufficient supplies, repairs,
and other necessities TO passing navigation,
which, In localities less favored or more re-
mote, could only DO secured ut great expense
and under certain conditions. Points with
less favorable geographical position must
present either much leHs practical difficulty
In accomplishing and maintaining the work,
or II must he apparent that there, the work
once accomplished, would be Of character
vastly more convenient to shlp-iransit. The
comparative narrownsss Of the land-barTier
at Panama and Dnrieu naturally warrants the
Inference that there II could most readily be
pierced.
Consequently, during the last few years
nearly the whole lsthmns In that quarter has
been examined by scientific expeditions sent
by our Government, and almost every point,
reported to possess peculiar advantages, has
been more or less explored. The results,
though certainly not such as the world had
reason TO expect from the favorable reports
Of the earlier but superficial and transient OK
plOrcrs, or the suggestions Of both Spanish
and local tradition, are certainly far better
and surer than any heretofore obtained. But
nothing short of complete success will Justify
us In pausing In our investigation until every
possible route Of the whole Isthmus which
Separates the two oceans shall have been sutll-
ciontly explored. II In the more southern
and narrow parts Of the lsthmus the proper
local and typographical advantages iOr tue OK
ccuton Of the work cannot he found, the
claims Of the routes which are geographically
nearer the United States should be thoroughly
explored, since, though necessarily OF greater
length, they lie more directly In the pathway
Of our commerce and development, and the
mere obstacle Of greater length Of canal may
he moro than overcome, II II shall appear that
II can there be constructed without Cucoun-
tcrlng serious engineering difficulties, and
that the advantages and probable requisites
heretofore alluded to, and even the labor and
materials requisite In the execution OF great
engineering work can there be found.
Commander Sclfrldge, who conducted the
previous surveys Of the lsthmus Of Daricn, Is
now engaged In completing the final cNplOra-
ton Of that Isthmus between Panama aud the
shoulder OF South America.
Recent information fayOrs the examination
Of the valley Of the river BOjuya, lying some
ten miles south Of, and, In general parallel to
that Of tho river Napipi, already examined.
This completed, the entire lsthmus lying south
and east Of the line Of the Panama railroad
will have been sufficiently examined to estab-
lish the relative difficulties OF constructing q
ship-canal, az well Us the lines lying further
south, between the river Atrato and the
Pacific Ocean.
The expedition TO Nicaragua, destined fOr
similar purpose, Is engaged upon the work
assigned to Il. An unlimited water-supply,
at a summit Of tO6 feet above the moan height
Of the ocean. presents too favorable feature
to fOrcgO q close examination OF the whole
region. Difficulties, stated In the report OF
the chief Of the Bureau Of Navigation, delayed
the progrcss Of this survey; nevertheless d
location from Lake Nicaragua to BritO, on
the Pacific coast, IA found to 10 more favor
able than any hitherto known.
These two expeditions will probably clost
the surveys and explorations Of all the pos
sihlc routes Of that part of the American
lsthmus.
Ain a former report from this Department
YOU were acquainted with the result Of the
typographical surveys made upon the summit
and the photographed surveys OF both coast
Of the Isthmus Of Tchuantepec, by the expo
dltion under command Of Captain Il. W
Shufcldt, whose report in detail, with accom-
panying maps, has been printed by order o
Congress.
recommend, for the reasons suggested
| that the appropriations for these surveys bi
continued until every practicable line ha
| been surveyed and the whole subject inyes
| tigated, to the end that we may have tn
| complete knowledge and exhaustive infOTma
ton without which II is impossible to sett
finally and wisely this great problem Of ma
tiOnal development.
THE NAVIGATOR ISLANDS.
| In February last Commander X. W. Mead
made, In the Narragansctt an extended cruis
among the islands Of the South Pacific ocean
In the course Of which he visited the grOu
| known Us tho Navigator or Samoan islandi
which lies northeast Of Australia, and almOs
north OF New Zealand, and consists Of nin
Islands, the largest Of which Is called UpOlu
These Islands arc capable of producing i
abundance cotton, sugar and all the Ordinar
tropical productions They arc inhabited b
q fine, muscular race, mostly ChrlstianiZct
and Of a higher order Of Intellect and cultiyi
ton than almost any natives OF the PAClt
Archipelago The Island Of Tutuila, thong
by no means the largest, Is the central islnnt
and possessing INC beautiful harbOr Of Pag
Pag0 is the key Of the group. These islant
lie directly In the track Of commerce an
steam navigation between the west coast I
America and the Islands and Ecml-cOntncn
Of the East; and the bay Of Page Page, 81
uated about midway between Honolulu al
Sydney, affords not only by far the best on
safest, but absolutely the only land-prUtcctC
harbOr among the islands Of the South II
ciRC. It's position, In relation to New ~
land, Australia, the Sandwich Islands, Il
ports of South America and the lsthmus, an
to San Francisco, makes 1t almost the nccc
sary hnrbOr for supplies, cOaling and rcpal
for all the trade and travel westward to Au
tTallu and southern Polynesia, or returni
thence to the shores Of America. Its gre
advantages for Us are to he found In the
: conditions and In the fact that II Is In the 4
= rect line Of trade from San Francisco, throul
the Sandwich Islands To the Eust; that lis |
1 cation Is plainly marked 10y the surveys Ot -
= exploring expedition and those more recent
. made; that Ii Is easy Of access, night and dn
with deep, land-lOcked habOr, well protect
! from the force Of the hurricanes which swc
. that portion Of the Pacific, and from the dn
/. gorous ocean swell resulting therefrOm.
, As an available station for cOaling and sll
/ plies for our national and commercial mari
/ In that part Of the world, It i fur tho best
I be found within sweep Of many thousa
y miles.
4 The native chiefs and people are well
/ posed, and exceedingly "nNiIus TO secure
i benefits Of our intorcUu-U, aud the recOgnlu
h and COuntenance at least Of our GOvernmc
y Acting under his general Instructions, W
ii great Judgment and skill, Commander Mica
Il entered into the most kindly relations and
"
10 these islands, exchanged the most fricn
J. courtesies with them, and seems to have
n cured their friendship nrd confidence for
N Government. He assisted them In fran
r friendly and proper commercial regulatiO
sr and procured from them a solemn and &C
ID prchenslye agreement which gives us all
ID facilities for a station for COaling and suDD
lc II needed, and invites and offers protection
every American interest, either national
nd commercial, asking nothing In return but
~ recognition and cOuntGnanCe, and TequiT
only the favorable a. lion Of our GOyernm
d. to establish and maintain our interests
IN influence In the heart of the Pacific Arch
MS ago II Is by no means the province OF
he report to discuss questions of foreign pc
M | or to present any event even of the plan
"a Interests or requirements of national G
he mcTcC, but | cannot fOrbcar to cay that II
nj are not prepared to Ignore wholly the imp
IA tive commercial needs Us well as the spleT
ia commercial opportunities Of our Pacific Sta
AT and to yield also the opening avenues of
IL nC trade to the comprehension and cOurag
nv more liberal though more remote peOI
,d- we should not neglect the opportunity
all afforded, at least To protect, II not to enc
ia age, some Of the American interests wi
les are there struggling to establish themsel
an HYDROaRAPHIC OFFICE.
by The work of the photographic Office
to progressed most satisfactorily during the
o. wear, to the full cXtcut Of the means a
to command.
Tor The Department Is grutiACd at the Gu