THE PANAMA CANAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4977, 27 September 1887, Page 3

THE PANAMA CANAL.

AMERICAN CAPITAL TO COMPLETE. A leading merchant of Aspiwnall has stated to a San Francisco correspondent : — " The canal is not being pushed forward as rapidly as it ou'ht to bo. Lack of funds may partly account for this fact, but in reality, mismanagement has played a notable part in retrograding this great work. Right from the start things went askew. Millions of dollars worth of machinery was shipped out from Belgium, only on its arrival to bo found utterly useless, and they had to coma to the American market to get what they wanted. Then a lot of lazy Frenchmen were sent out aa ofticers to tho Company, whose main efforts seomed to be directed to drawing fat salaries, living like lords, and having a general good time. The confidence in DeLes3epa' managerial ability has been a good deal shaken. Of late, it is true, they have tried to mend matters a little, and for the present a rigid system of economy prevails. It is only the easiest portion of the construction that ha 3so far been built, the heavy work ha 3 yet to be done. The idea that the canal will be completed in 1888, as originally asserted by DeLesseps, is entirely exploded, and it is a serious problem when it will be finished. The feeling among many is that American capital, backed by tho usual Yankee pluck and energy, will ultimately come to the rescue, and then thero will be some chance to know when tho work will be finished. A great many Americans are employed as engineers, etc., and the American Dredging Co., composed entirely of Americans, has done some excellent work. The laborers are mostly negroes from the West Indies and Liberia. They get as much as 75d01s a month. White men could not stind the work. They experimented with Chinamen, but after a short trial they were glad to get rid of the Mongolians The climate is not quite as bad as haa been represented, but nevertheless it is trying enough ; and anyone going there must be prepared to take desperate chances : a very few weeks will soon lot them know. The fevers prevalent are bilious fever, malarial fever, and yellow fevec ; the latter often means death at very short notice. Still quito a number of people get through the Biege and manage to live there many yearß. Those who drink are generally the one 3 that drop off first. Very few married men bring their families, but owing to the largo pay they get they can support them at home, besides if so inclined they can make a good saving in a few years. Respectable women are therefore a rarity on the Isthmus, The demi-monde though ia well represented, notably Spanish women being predominant ; their motto ' a short and a merry life,' especially as to the short owing to the climate, is thoroughly exemplified.