THE DARIEN CANAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5457, 11 August 1879, Page 3

THE DARIEN CANAL.

Our San Francisco telegraphic intelligence) conveyed the announcement that M. l)e Lesseps, of Suez Canal fame, had stated that the inter-oceanic canal, to pierce through tho Isthmus of Panama, would be commenced on New Year's Day, and that 40,000 navvies would be engaged in the work. The great importance of the project to New Zealand will give an interest to the following particulars from Uio London Daily Telegrcqyli, which are furnished by the Paris correspondent of that journal : — A few particulars respecting the projected union of the Pacific and Atlantic. Oceans at tho Isthmus of Panama may not be devoid of interest to your readers at a moment when an International Congress is sitting at Paris to discuss the matter. First of all, there are two rivers, one flowing east, and the other west, which could be brought into communication one with the other by simply hollowing out a trench, a thing which it is said has already been done several times, so that light boats have been able to cross the Isthmus. The plan, however, which meets with the most approval is the construction of a level canal like that of Suez, and this is M. De Leaseps' idea. Others again would prefer a canal with locks, but such a system might not prove a safe one, and tho progress of vessels would necessarily be very alow and tedious. A level canal might bo partly open, partly tunnelled, and it would only increase by five millions sterling the cost of one of the best of the plans proposed, namely, that which would connect the Bay of Limon on tho Atlantic side with the roadstead of Panama. This is the pi-oject that was studied last year by the International Commission, which included among its French members MM. Wyse, Reclus, and Lacharno. The waters of the Chagres and the Rio Grande might be utilised for this canal. Then the tunnel might bo reduced to 2230 metres, though it would be more convenient to bring it to 5570 metres. A shorter route than this, however, is the one leading from the Bay of San Bias, in the Atlantic, to the roadstead of Chepillo, opposite the Pearl Islands, in the Pacific. This port on tho Atlantic side would be admirable, but on tho Pacific side sailing vessels would be exposed to very prejudicial calms. Moreover, it would be necessary to bore a tunnel 11 kilometres in length, and this is simply enormous. In spite of this, however, that would bo the cheapest route. Several other plans are also mentioned, especially one much advocated by the Americans, which would have the advantage, so far as they are concerned, of considerably shortening the journey from New York to San Francisco. This

is known as -the Nicaragua project. Starting from San Juan del Norte, or Grey Town, on the Atlantic shore, the canal would terminate at the creek of Brito, on the Pacific. It would traverse the Lake of Nicaragua, and U3e might be made of the waters of the Sau Juan, and the Rio Grande, which are not to be confounded with the rivers that bear these names in the State of Panama. Many objections are, however, made to these plans, the expense and the absence of harbors being especially noted. It will thus be seen that, the Congress has no light task before it; if only in determining the merits of the rival plans ; but if has proved fully equal to the occasion, and under its able prnsident is getting through a vast amount of work in au incredibly short apace of time. The second general meeting took place at 9 o'clock this morning, under the presidency of M. deLesseps, who opened the proceedings with an encouraging speech, in which he congratulated the members of the different commissions on the manner in which they had fulfilled their duties. He also announced that the labors of the Congress would close at the end of the week, and that a grand banquet would unite them all onco again on Monday next."