The New York herald., 1879-08-11
THE PANAMA CANAL.
SAN MIGUEL, Azores. June 20.

SAN MIGUEL, Azores June 2O 1879.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
You who are SO earnestly interested in the inter.
ocean canal routes across the Isthmus or Central
America and which has been decided upon by the
Paris International Congress via Aspnwsll and Pan
anna, &C., should take into consideration the winds
and routes thence for sailing vessels the ports OF
Pacific for. with the exception Of the Napipi outlet
Panama and Panama Bay is the shortest route by
reason OF prevailing or favorable winds to Califor-
mia, China and Chile than any other. including
Tehuantepec. have started, with the exception OF
being in or near the parallel Of more constant winds
but this route IL Objectionable simply from the fact
that all the steamship lines and their passengers
and freight converge to Panama and Aspinwall to
avail themselves OF the present railway.
We will suppose ship from New York via canal
to Panama eighteen or twenty-five days). bound to
San Francisco. She should proceed down the bay
course southeast and south by esst keeping along
the coast to cross the Equator in the parallel Of from
degrees to degrees south should reach the south
east trades then stand west to the lon
gtude of from lle degrees to lao degrees
Tor tho northeast trades to San Francisco;
the average passage should be about thrtyfve days.
has made several trips from Payta anu Callao Peru.
to san Francisco twenty mine. thirty-two aud
thirty-eight days in a dull sailing ship
tempt n passage drect--thst Is. by trying to work
their way, or northwest. north OF the Equator,
as thy would only encounter light winds. calnis and
currents between tho coast of Central America and
to line drawn from Cape st. Lucas to Longitude 1l2
degrees west the Equator. II becamed
twenty days 200 miles south OF the above an
English steam frigate was forty days from Panama
direct TO the sandwich Islands, though she steamed
nine days from Panama to get through this calm
space.) Now, whether canal entered the Pacific
via Nicaragua Tehuantepec. a sailing vessel at
tempting to reach California; China or south America
from eltner OF these outlets, especially Ia the
mer months, would be bafiled about and becalmed
In this (Ses of Cortis thirty forty days and
would barely get west of Cape st. Lucas Ihave known
passages of from sixty Ave seventy days from San
Salvador and Costa Rlca 60 san Francisco. rne re-
turn trip from California 10 Panama canal to the
United states has yet to be determined at least by
sailing vessels. have tried both routes--ins
(that ~, from Cape ST. Lucas of about south
east by east to the western terminus ut Panama Bay
and on. keeping more west. by the latter passage
We were lO2 days via Panama to Csllso.
Peru. Again. later under steam and sail,
inshore. or along the coast lin summer). we wero
about sixty five days to Panama. Contcnding against
light head winds and current OF nearly two Knots
II IN probable wint passage from Ssn Francisco to
Panama would bo preferable, by sailing direct from
Cape b. Lucas Dut the sea of Cortcs at this
In the reverse OF calm--on1y q succession of very
heavy squalls and occasional norther you near
the coast OF Central Amercs rom abreast Tehuan-
tspec to the Gull Of Fonsica).
"UNlrED STATES NAVY"