ations of Europe. Ever since their acquisition of Louisiana, a
general spirit of enterprise has directed a large portion of their
population towards the head waters of the Mississippi and Missouri--a
spirit which impels a daring and thrifty race of men gradually to advance
towards the north-west. Captain Clark's excursion in 1805, had for its
object the discovery of a route to the Pacific by connecting the Missouri
and Columbia rivers, a subject on which, even at that early period, he
expressed himself thus:--"I consider this track across the continent of
immense advantage to the fur trade, as all the furs collected in
nine-tenths of the most valuable fur country in America, may be conveyed
to the mouth of the Columbia river, and thence shipped to the East Indies
by the 15th of August in each year, and will, of course, reach Canton
earlier than the furs which are annually exported from Montreal arrive in
Great Britain."

This extract will suffice to show the spirit of emulation by which the
citizens of the Union were, even at so remote a period, actuated in
reference to the north-west coast of America--a spirit which has since
manifested itself in a variety of ways, and in much stronger terms. The
distance overland is, however, too great, and the population too scanty,
for this route to be rendered available for the general purposes of
traffic, at least for many years to come. The North Americans have,
therefore, turned their attention to other points offering facilities of
communication with the Pacific; and the line to which they have usually
given the preference is the Mexican, or more northern one, across the
isthmus of Tehuantepec, situated partly in the province of Oaxaca and
partly in that of Vera Cruz. The facilities afforded by this locality have
been described by several tourists; but supposing that the river
Guassacualco, on the Atlantic, is, or can be made navigable for large
vessels as high up as the isthmus of Tehuantepec, (as to deep water at the
entrance, there is no doubt,) still a carriage road for at least sixteen
leagues would be necessary. The intervening land, although it may contain
some favourable breaks, is nevertheless avowedly so high, that from some
of the mountain summits the two oceans my be easily seen. The obstacles to
a road, and much more so to a canal, are therefore very considerable; and
a suitable and corresponding outlet into the Pacific, besides, has not yet
been discovered.

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