stward, into the Pacific, come within the short distance of 20
miles of each other. _Secondly_, The channel from the Gulf of Dolce,
which communicates with the Gulf of Mexico, to the southward of
Honduras or the Balize, to Trinidad, situate on a bay in the Pacific,
to the north of Point Remedios. The distance of the Gulf of Dolce to
the Pacific, at the point just mentioned, is 60 geographical miles,
with the advantages of the courses of rivers which bend their courses
to the opposite oceans. But if it is correct that the River Balize is,
as it has been stated to be, navigable upwards in its course to a
distance of 200 miles, then it must penetrate so deeply into the
continent, that its sources must approach to points still nearer to
the Pacific than the Gulf of Dolce, or its tributary streams. It is
doubtful, however, if any canals could be cut in either of the lines
mentioned, because the land rises very considerably, forming in the
central parts what is denominated Table Land, and is in general
studded with ridges and high volcanic mountains, while the ports on
either shore are neither very commodious nor of safe approach. There
has been of late years also a tolerable good road constructed in the
first-mentioned line, which will tend greatly to facilitate the
communication from sea to sea, so far as the interests of Mexico are
immediately concerned.

These points adverted to are the only probable channels of (p. 087)
communication to the northward of the River St. Juan and Lake
Nicaragua, which, like the last-noticed line, are situated in the
territory of the Republic of central America, the capital of which is
San Salvador. For reasons which will subsequently be adduced, the
consideration of this important position is left until those points in
the Isthmus of Panama and Darien have been particularly noticed and
examined.

The first points to examine are those which are situated to the
southward and eastward of Panama, and which are immediately connected
with, and contiguous to, the Gulf of Darien. These are as follow:--In
the province of Choco, famous for its gold mines, there is a ravine
called Rapsadura, extending between a head branch of the River St.
Juan, which, after a course from N. E. by N. to S. W. by S., falls
into the Pacific in lat. 4 deg.5' N.; and the river of Quito, one of the
head branches of the River Atrato, which flows in nearly a due north
course into the Gulf of Darien. Through the ravi