plans for the great
canal. It was chosen in 1876 in Washington, President Grant determining
upon it after many years of investigation. Read in "Panama," by
Bunau-Varilla, of this period. Mention also the three interesting towns
connected by railway, and the great plantations near them.

Honduras is a remarkable place in many ways; describe its capital, with
its law courts, its university and schools of industry; also the
wonderful mines, so few of them developed.

British Honduras is by no means so interesting; but its form of
government should be noticed. One curious little fact is that it is
recorded that one year all the pine trees on crown lands were sold to an
American for a cent apiece.

Salvador is a wild, mountainous, picturesque place, situated in a
district which volcanoes constantly threaten. Its main city, San
Salvador, has many buildings of note.

Costa Rica has a history of absorbing interest. Its great wealth of
minerals, trees, pearl fisheries and other resources early made it
famous in Spain. Its climate is delightful, its population mostly
foreign, education is free, and there is complete religious liberty.
Discuss what causes the difference between this republic and some of the
others.

III--PANAMA AND THE CANAL

Panama, the little republic of only ten years, is sufficiently important
commercially to be noticed, yet its fame will always rest upon its great
canal. Clubs should give a number of meetings upon this subject, for it
is of world-wide interest, and the future of South America, and largely
our own, is closely connected with it.

The early dream of such a canal should first be followed out from its
inception till the time of the formation of the early company by De
Lesseps in 1881, through the failure of this with its disastrous
financial effect in France. New plans were made which were to enlist the
help of Russia, but these failed also. Study the idea of the Nicaraguan
canal, its abandonment; the negotiations with Colombia; the treaties
made; the difficulties with the different South American countries; the
recognition of Panama by the four great powers; the ratification by the
Senate of the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, the making of plans for the
canal on different lines, and, last, its actual beginning.

Here there should be a paper on the physical conditions at Panama, the
deadly climate, the yellow fever, the malarial mosquitoes, the lack of
sanitation, and all that was carried