When Venice conducted the commerce of the East, she supplied all the world with its products. The disadvantages of this trade were great, land carriage as well as sea, and various shipments and reshipments, yet the richness of the trade endured them all, and made her "Queen of cities--a new Tyre." The Byzantians had long before conducted the same trade by voyages up the Indus, overland communications to Oxus and down to the Caspian Sea, navigation to the Volga, transportation again across the country to the Tanais, thence to the Euxine, with a reshipment there. Precious indeed must be the trade which can flourish amid all these obstacles! As facilities of intercourse with the East, however, increased after the discoveries of the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English, we find the European trade with Asia prodigiously augmented. In the best days of Venice (A. D. 1400) this trade did not exceed 20,000,000 ducats, or require above 600 ships of 600 tons each. Whereas, including America now, according to a report made to Congress, by Mr. Breese, and adding for increase since his dates, and value of ships engaged, the whole commerce of the East with all the world, annually, may be estimated at 300,000,000 of dollars, requiring 2,000 ships. TABLE I-Statement of the number of vessels, amount of tonnage and crews, which entered and cleared at the ports of the following countries from and to ports beyond the Cape of Good Hope and the Pacific. The number of vessels employed in trade beyond the Cape of Good Hope is estimated at 2,000, of the value of $60,000,000. Passengers to and from Bombay and England annually, about 4,000, paying from 5 to 900 dollars each, and occupying from 40 to 50 days.* .$158,862,220 7,581.295 $86,452,358 Extra baggage $15 per hundred pounds. English mails to Bombay and China $2,000,000, making $4,000,000 expended annually in passengers and mails to the East. Now there can be little doubt that the trade with eastern countries is us ceptible of almost unlimited extension, were their dis *This of course is by the overland route by Gibral- tance lessened one half, or two thirds, and the tar, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, the Red Sea, etc. In a time of travel reduced in a similar propor late number of Chambers's Miscellany is described the route, thirty-nine or forty days, and the expense tion. Many new products would then endure £120, $600, from Southampton to Bombay. transportation which are now too perishable or bulky. The travel also would be increased. ( terward, Cape Horn. These were far from In truth there would be added millions and presenting the much desired advantage. No sooner had Cortez been securely estabhundreds of millions of eastern consumers. The Sandwich Islands are but in their infancy. lished in Mexico, than he commenced anew He wrote to the There are a million and one half Polynesian the search, with the greatest minuteness, Islanders; Celebes contains 3 millions; and throughout all the coast. Java 5 or 6 millions, who export $30,000,000 emperor: "I have received information as annually to Holland. Sumatra, with a popula- well of the riches of the country, as that, in tion of 2,000,000, exports 30,000.000 pounds the opinion of many navigators, there exists a spices. Borneo, with 3 to 4 millions, exports strait leading to the opposite sea." He writes gold, tin, antimony, and diamonds. The Phil- again: "Should we, with the Divine assistippines have 3,500,000, producing sugar, cof-ance, so hit upon this strait, that the navigafee, indigo, hemp. Singapore is the centre of tion from the spice countries (the East Indies) Indian trade; India contains 184,000,000 in- to the kingdom of your majesty would behabitants, including Cabul and Affghanistan, come excellent and shorter, so much so that Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Ceylon, etc., with it would be two thirds less than the present a commerce of $150,000,000 annually. Aus navigation, and without any danger to the tralia is an infant, but promising, colony. ships in going or coming," etc., etc. The Spaniards appeared, at last, satisfied Russian America, now unimportant, Manchoo Tartary, and the great Sanghalin river, 4,000 in this quarter, and sent out expeditions to miles long, connecting with Pekin; Japan, northwest of America, in the hope of greater with 50,000,000 people and the richest pro- success there. In one of these was explored ducts, now almost closed to commerce; China, 360,000,000 inhabitants, on the coast 274,000000, with its Chang-hee, or Shang hai, at the mouth of the mighty Yang-tsee-keang, 4,000 miles long, the Mississippi of China. Can it be imagined that these vast regions, so densely populated, have already reached the acne of their foreign trade, or is it not plausible, when better systems of intercourse are opened, jealousies removed, and civilization extended, that trade with them will be augmented two or three fold, reaching, perhaps, in the aggregate, five to eight millions of dollars? Instead of two thousand travellers visiting the East, per annum, in such a contingency, would not the number reach nearer twenty thousand, which, at half the present rates of travel, would realize six or eight millions of dollars? The question occurs again, how can we connect ourselves with the l'acific by a route so advantageous, in every respect, as will enable us to command, if not to monopolize, its commerce, and augment it in the manner indicated? And this brings us to a historical consideration of the various projects, past and present, looking to a connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the search of a western and shorter pas sage to India, Columbus discovered the American continent, as the Portuguese had skirted along Africa and doubled the Cape for an eastern passage. The Portuguese rested in their brilliant discoveries, and in the wealth which they brought. Spain, on the contrary, still sought the nearer route, and explored the American continent in the hope of finding some strait or channel through it to India. She sought in vain in the extreme north; about the Isthmus of Panama; along the Mexican coasts, and throughout the extent of all South America; finding, however, the Straits of Magellan, and ultimately, though_long_af-| the Gulf of California, and in another Friar Marcos asserted the discovery of regions, which no one afterward could find, northwest of Mexico, beyond 35° of latitude, abounding in gold, silver, precious stones, and a civilized population!* The final conclusion was that no navigable passage existed south of the latitude of 40°, and soon, says Mr. Greenhow, the Spanish policy maintained, “the discovery of any passage, facilitating the entrance of European vessels into the Pacific, would be deleterious to the power and interest of Spain in the New World."† About the middle of the sixteenth century, a direct commerce was opened between the Spanish East India possessions and Mexico. For the first time Europeans crossed the Pacific in direct voyages from Asia to America, Large ships, called galleons, sailed annually from Acapulco to Manilla in the Philippines, and to Macao and China, laden with precious metals and European merchandise; in return for which they brought back silks, spices and porcelain, for consumption in America, or for transportation over the Atlantic to Europe; while an extensive trade, in articles equally valuable, was carried on between l'anama and the various ports of Peru and Chili." The English now appear upon the theatre; and, jealous of the lucrative branch of commerce which has sprung up, the buccaniers, under Drake and Cavendish, infest the waters of the western world. To this period may be traced the ingenious fictions of a passage to the northwest, through the continent, so long credited and known, even upon the maps, as the Straits of Anian, or of Fuca. Between the years 1600 and 1760 the search was continued, with various interest, and resulted in the discovery of Baffin's Bay and Was this California? + Vide Spark's La Salle. Hudson's Straits. Near the close of the eighteenth century, the English, Spanish and American navigators made frequent expeditions to the northwest, and their respective discoveries became a question of keen and lively interest and discussion but lately, in the settlement of the vexata questio of Oregon. The English chapter exhibits the results of Alexander McKenzie, one of her citizens, who traversed British America, from Canada to the Pacific, being in search of an inland route across the continent. The Sieur de la Salle entertained the idea, as his dispatches will show, that, by following the Mississippi to its sources, a communication could be had with the waters of the Oregon and the Pacific, and the commerce of the East commanded by France, through her province of Louisiana.* the most glowing accounts of the expedition, the scenery and aspect of the country, even from the pens of delicate females. The rigors of the climate and the rainy season have been greatly exaggerated. 2. NICARAGUA. This lake is situated between 11° and 12° north latitude; its extent is large, and its navigable waters are carried to the Caribbean sea by the river San Juannavigable during the rains, according to McCulloch, throughout its whole extent. Four to twelve feet water is always afforded in the Rio Juan, and it is proposed to improve its navigation, or to construct a canal from the Lake Nicaragua, which is adapted to ships of largest burthen, to the Pacific, fifteen and three fourths miles, through a country elevated, in general, not more than nineteen feet. The level of the lake is one hundred and thirtyThomas Jefferson, two hundred years later, four feet above the Pacific, and the difference and soon after the Louisiana purchase, follow-in level between the two oceans is twenty or ing the idea of La Salle, dispatched Lewis twenty-two feet. For a canal, there must be and Clarke on an expedition to the northwest, one mile of tunnel, and two miles of deep cutby the way of the Mississippi, to find, if posting through volcanic rock, and also a great sible, a route of commercial communication to number of locks. Mr. Bailey, under direction the Pacific.t of the state of Nicaragua, made a survey in 1837-8, and estimated the cost of a canal at about $30,000,000. So much, then, for the history of this interesting subject, and now for the various projects of our own day, toward the accomplishment of the same great end. They are either, I. By CANAL, or II. By RAILROAD. Of each there are several routes proposed, with various degrees of merit, which it is our present purpose to examine. And first, as to canals. These are, 1. By the Isthmus of Panama, or Darien. 2. By the Lake of Nicaragua. 3. By the River Atrato, from the Gulf of Darien. 4. By the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Others, less practicable, were proposed by Humboldt, but we shall consider now only those of Panama, Nicaragua, and Tehuantepec. 1. PANAMA. This is the narrow neck of land connecting the two Americas; in the province of New Grenada; between the parallels of 8° and 11° north latitude; varying in breadth from twenty-eight to forty-eight miles, and with a population of 7,200. The Andes afford many gaps, or passages, and the country presents no insurmountable obstacles to a canal, which it is estimated may be built for $40,000,000. The late conquest of California has given an interest to Panama, far greater than it has previously had. Lines of steam ers constantly ply from northern ports to Chagres, on the Atlantic, and other lines from Panama, on the Pacific, to San Francisco and Oregon. Little difficulty is found by passen. gers over the isthmus, who are conveyed more than half the way in canoes. We have seen *Vide Sparks' La Salle. + Lewis and Clarke's Expedition, Vol. I. 3. TEHUANTEPEC. The Rio Guascecualco has its mouth in the Mexican province of Vera Cruz, seven hundred miles from the mouth of the Mississippi river. The route across the isthmus follows the course of the river as far as Tarifa, at which town a canal or railroad will begin, passing into the western lakes which are discharged into the Pacific. The width of the isthmus in this part is one hundred and thirty-five miles, and its central mountainous chain exhibits a depression in the line of the route. For twenty-five miles a plain is formed, whose streams flow north and south. There are passes or gates here, such as Chivola and Tarifa The northward streams enter the Guascecualco—the southern, the Chiapa, which is discharged in the lake east of Tehuantepec, on the Pacific. We have before us the survey and charts of Moro, appointed in 1832 surveyor under Garay, who had obtained the right of way from Mexico, for fifty years, and the property in all the lands for thirty miles on either side-the pas sage to be opened to all nations, and considered neutral ground. The Spanish engineer conceives the whole extent of the Guascecualco may be rendered navigable by artificial means, and without exorbitant cost. He proposes also to remove the bar on the Pacific entrance, and estimates the whole expense of the caual 85,000,000 francs-less than $20,000,000. The late Vice President, George M. Dallas, strongly advocated the Tehuantepec route, in an able and elaborate paper, and suggested the importance of a clause in the treaty of peace with Mexico, securing to us for ever the right of way. The Mexicans, it is understood, would not listen to this: though it is likely, as they can never hope to make the improvement themselves, they would, upon some more suitable occasion, readily make the concession. In regard to the canal communication it is difficult to pronounce an opinion. The Americans would never undertake it, we think, unless-which is hardly to be expected, at least for half a century-the territories were ours, or unless an overland communication across our present possessions were found impracticable. Would the British? And this, too, must depend upon the chances of our railroad, as above hinted at. If that succeeds, of course the Isthmus canal would be unnecessary, and we opine that one would require as long to build as the other. But this is anticipating. When the American continent becomes as densely populous as Europe, these, and many other connections, may all be in successful operation together. Let us now pass to the various projected railroad routes across the continent. They are: 1. Across Panama-the Aspinwalls'. 2. Across Tehuantepec-Mr. Hargous'. 3. Tampico to Mazatlan. 4. Natchez to Mazatlan--Mr. Patterson's. 5. Galveston to San Diego-Gen. Houston's. 6. St. Louis to San Francisco--Mr. Benton's.* 7. Lake Michigan to Oregon and San Francisco-Mr. Whitney's. 8. Memphis to San Diego, Monterey, or San Francisco. Of these, the first four are either wholly, or in part, through foreign territory, and the remainder entirely through our own. We take them in order. 1. PANAMA RAILROAD.-At the last session of Congress considerable excitement prevailed in regard to the proposition of Mr. Aspinwall and others to construct this road, on consideration of a contract from government, to carry the mails, troops, and government stores, for ten years, at $250,000 per annum. The road to be guaranteed complete in three years, and to charge Americans no more than $8 each, for passage, and $8 per ton, freight. These rates to be reduced after the first five years to $5 each, and three fourths of the road to be owned by citizens of the United States. Able speeches were made in the Senate, by Messrs. Benton, Douglass, Clayton, Webster and Dayton, in advocacy of the scheme, and by Downs, Niles, Allen, Butler, Davis and A memorial was presented, at last Congress, to carry the mail between these two points by express, on the part of W. A. Bradley, and others, and reported on by Mr. Bell and Senator Rusk. We read, also, in the Railroad Journal, the memorial to Congress, of Bayard, praying aid in constructing a railroad from St. Louis, intersecting the Rio Grande, Red and Gila rivers; and one from Dennis Keenan, Jr.. proposing a railroad and magnetic tele graph, from Point Isabel, Texas, to the Pacific. Truly is this an age of enterprise. Foote, in opposition. We give some extracts from the debate, as possessing great interest. Mr. Benton said: It is therefore a tempo 66 rary road for us--not temporary for other nations-but for us it is a temporary road across the Isthmus of Panama, as a step toward the accomplishment of this great design which Mr. Jefferson conceived, and for the accomplishment of which I have been collecting information and studying details for thirty years; and I intend at a proper time to bring in a bill, with those details, for commencing the location and construction of the road. With this explanation of my views of the projected route across the Isthmus of Panama, that we are to use as a temporary route, it will be seen that the first thing we have got to do is to go about it at once-to do it immediately, or the whole object is lost. I am for no permanent road outside of my country. I am for no perma nent road for America, either across the Isthmus of Darien, Tehuantepec, or any where else. I am only for a temporary measure, with respect to any route, sir; but I take that one which can be got first, and which will answer our purposes better than any other. If we undertake to institute comparisons between different routes, even if we have a legal and political right to do so, why, sir, the very object for which I want a road outside of our country is lost. I want it, sir, directly. I want it for present use; and if we have to wait, why, sir, we may as well throw up the whole, and wait for our own. I have no idea, sir, of doing any thing permanent outside of our country-no idea of going into expenses, or bargains, or arrangements, which are to keep me outside of my own country one moment beyond the time that we are able to finish our road." Mr. Webster said: "I have a strong disposition to think the measure is a proper one. The extraordinary circumstances of the country call for it. There is nothing in those circumstances likely to make them so short-lived and temporary, as that within a year or two, or any number of years, we may justly apprehend and consider that this work will not be necessary; and I repeat again, that if there were a proposition at the same time for the other work, if it were in as advanced a state as this, and we were to have but one, I should give the preference to the other; and I fully believe both are to be accomplished, and still other modes of communication are to be established across our own territory, without any occasion to enter the territories of other coun tries." Mr. Clayton said: "This is to be an American road. It will have that character abroad, do what you may. American citizens are intrusted with the construction of it. Well, if this work is to be, and be called an American work, I desire that it should be a road worthy of the American name; and, in my opinion, the American government should, very manifest that it is to be the most profit. within its constitutional sphere, aid, as far as able route for the investment of capital on it can, individual enterprise in making a road the face of the earth. There is to be nothing worthy of the American character. I do not like it. It is to transcend every other rail want a road attempted there by individuals road that has been constructed. And what, and carried on by piecemeal, commencing with then, are you doing? It is a contribution on a railroad of a few miles, and perhaps ending the part of the government-a departure for some years to come with a plank or a mule from all the principles of the constitutionroad. I desire that the improvement should to make millionaires of the members of this go on continuously and in the shortest prac- company. That, sir, is your bill. I believe ticable time And now allow me one general it was suggested that it was an extra terriremark in regard to the sum to be expended. torial improvement. So much the worse for I would aid, as far as the constitutional me; so much the better for my argument, power of the government will enable us to but worse for my feelings. I want to imdo it, in making a road from the Mississippi prove my own country. I want to make a river to the Pacific, or a road across the Isth- railroad-one or two, if you please-across mus of Tehuantepec, as I design to aid in the valley of the Mississippi to the Pacific; the construction of the road proposed by this but I want it in our own country, it I can get bill; and whatever the cost of a passage by it. I will not object to this, if you will place canal or railroad across to the Pacific on it on a basis by which I can see that we get either isthmus may be, whether two millions, two and a half millions, six millions, twenty millions, or even fifty millions, I say, sir, that the wit of man cannot find any other mode of expending the same amount of money as much for the benefit of this country and of the whole human family. And I repeat that I do think that, in the middle of the nineteenth century, it is a disgrace to the government that nothing has yet been attempted with success to save our commerce the dangerous navigation of nine thousand miles around the cape. I take the proposition now before us because it is practicable. I would not delay the work from year to year and from day to day. If we can, by expending the sum of two and a half millions of dollars, or less, accomplish so great an object, I say, for one, that I am willing to authorize the expenditure." The objections to the bill were strongly urged that it was a contribution indirectly for internal improvements; that the monopoly would be in violation of the treaty with Grenada, making the passage free; that the amount to be paid by government would it self build the road; that the consideration offered by the company was inadequate; that it would be unfortunate for the government to be bound down so long a time to a route far beyond our own country; that the steamers to Chagres must enter the Caribbean, an enemy's sea, perhaps, and have their coal depots at Jamaica; that it is far less desirable, and not more practicable, than the Tehuantepec route, &c., &c.* Mr. Underwood said: " Now, sir, I have given you these speculations and these data, and if there be any thing in them at all, it is *It was understood that this was a mere question of time, and the Aspinwalls would build the road in ten years, whether they had the government contract or not. an equivalent for the money which we pay: bnt I will not give a cent-I am too democratic for that-by way of exclusive privileges to a favored few. With the views I have taken of this matter, based on the figures which I have read, and looking at what the government will give under this act, and what individuals must pay, it must be the most profitable investment on the face of the earth. To this bill, then, sir, I am altogether opposed. I am further opposed to it, because we have not the data upon which to act, and because I believe that this thing has taken a step which it should not have taken." 2. TEHUANTEPEC RAILROAD-This was a proposition of Mr. Hargous, of New-York, who has a grant for fifty years from Mexico to build the road-that Republic to impose no taxes upon travellers or imposts, to allow foreigners to acquire real estate and exercise all trades, except mining, for fifty leagues on either side of the road. But we adopt the words of the memorial: "From these surveys it is established that the entire distance from sea to sea is one hundred and thirty-five miles, in a straight line, and presents a wide plain from the mouth of the Guascecualco to the port of the Meza de Tarifa, a table or elevated plain on the line of the Andes, which rises to the height of six hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea, and at the distance of five miles again descends to a plain which reaches the Pacific. The summit level to be overcome is only six hundred and fifty feet. Thirty miles of the river Coatzacoalcos are navigable for ships of the largest class, and fifteen miles beyond this for vessels of light draught, leaving only about one hundred and fifteen miles of railroad to be made. It would oc cupy too much space to enumerate all the details of these surveys, and which go to show so strongly how easily a railroad can be constructed across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is sufficient to say that the abso |