is a fine Bay, which received the British 74 gun-ships in
1740, and at the other extremity is the famous harbour of Panama."

_J. A. Lloyd, F. R. S._

"It is generally supposed in Europe that the great chain of mountains,
which in South America forms the Andes, and in North America the
Mexican and Rocky Mountains, continues nearly unbroken through the
Isthmus. This, however, is not the case: the Northern Cordillera
breaks into detached mountains on the eastern side of the province of
Veragua. These are of considerable height, extremely abrupt and
rugged, and frequently exhibit an almost perpendicular face of bare
rock. To these succeed numerous conical mountains rising out of
Savannahs and plains, and seldom exceeding from 300 to 500 feet in
height. Finally between Chagres on the Atlantic side, and Chorrera on
the Pacific side, the conical mountains are not so numerous, having
plains of great extent interspersed, with occasional insulated ranges
of hills of inconsiderable height and extent. From this description it
will be seen that the spot where the continent of America is reduced
to nearly its narrowest limits, is also distinguished by a break for a
few miles of the Great chain of Mountains, which otherwise extends,
with but few exceptions, to its extreme northern and southern limits.
_This combination of circumstances points out the peculiar fitness of
the Isthmus of Panama for the establishment of a communication
across._"

_Philosophical Transactions, 1830, Part I., p. 65._

"Should a time arrive when a project of a water communication across
the Isthmus may be entertained, the river Trinidad will probably
appear the most favourable route. The river is for some distance both
broad and deep. Its banks are also well suited for wharfs."

_Philosophical Transactions, ibid, p. 66._

"The river, its channel, and the banks, which, in the dry season,
embarrass its navigation, are laid down in the manuscript plan with
great care and minuteness. It is subject to one great inconvenience,
that vessels drawing more than 12 feet water, cannot enter the river,
even in perfectly calm weather, on account of a stratum of slaty
limestone, which runs at a depth at high water of fifteen feet, from a
point on the main land to some rocks in the middle of the entrance of
the harbour, and which are just even with the water's edge; which,
together with the lee current that sets on the south