188                          FOREIGN     RELATIONS.

pointments, however, have not discouraged her; she has remained unshaken
in her
belief that the interest of the world at large will one day cause the powerful
band to
be uplifted which is to open communication between the two oceans.
   The United States, that enterprising nation which has the gift of accomplishing
 what it designs, and which has the genius and the power to thrust aside
all obstacles
 that stand in the way of great things, have doubtless inspired the men who
control
 their destinies, and who will, beyond a doubt; satisfy their noble aspirations.
   This Government has sent various exploring expeditions to examine the
routes by
 which the work was considered practicable. This shows the lively interest
with
 which this matter is regarded at the present time, and furnishes evidence
that it will
 hereafter receive the consideration that it deserves.
   In view of the many facts now in possession of the public, which it is
unnecessary
 to repeat here, the expeditions which have Visited Nicaragua are satisfied
that they
 have found the route marked out by nature.
 If Nicaragua would be gratified to see the canal constructed through the
territory
 of any nation on this continent, inasmuch as they are all her sisters, and
the benefits
 accruing from such a work would be enjoyed more or less by all, her gratification
would
 of course be greater should the territory selected Ite her own.
 The engineers who have examined the Nicaraguan isthmus have seen that there
are
 no serious obstacles in the way of the enterprise, and although their observations
were
 confined to the line of the canal, they nevertheless gained a clear idea
of the elements
 of wealth in which that favored region abounds; still, a short description
will not be
 superfluous, for the benefit of those who have not visited the country and
of those who
 may have become or who may desire to become directly interested in the matter.
 I.-The healthfulness of the Nicaraguan coast, on either ocean, could not
be greater
 than it is. It is exceptional, because the coasts of tropical countries
on this continent
 are for the most part sickly. At San Juan del Norte, Cape Gracias, Corinto,
and San
 Juan del Sir, families, both native and foreign, have been living for many
years, and
 have never found it necessary to emigrate on account of diseases prevailing
in those
 places. When the journey to California was made via Nicaragua, hundreds
of thou-
 sands of persons crossed that isthmus, and, notwithstanding the delays rendered
neces-
 sary by a defective transit, the health of travelers was never known to
suffer from epi-
 demics. This statement will be vouched for by the various exploring expeditions
 which this Government has recently sent to Nicaragua. The many persons composing
 the same have had a good opportunity to appreciate, during the performance
of the
 long and painful tasks allotted to them, the incomparable salubrity of that
delightful
 climate, which is cooled and purified by a constant breeze.
 Along the river San Juan this salubrity is to be wondered at when we consider
that
 its banks are covered with the most luxuriant vegetation. Hundreds of hueros,
or
 rubber-hunters, penetrate those dense thickets, being engaged the whole
year round
 in extracting that gum, the trade in which, such is its abundance, keeps
many per-
 sons, both natives and foreigners, at San Juan del Norte, there being not
a few who
 with this one article have amassed considerable fortunes. These intrepid
developers
 of the country's wealth, whose life is passed in the midst of privations
and hardships,
 enjoy the most perfect health.
 It would be superfluous to speak of the interior of the country, where the
climate is
 the most delightful that can be desired. Americans and Europeans who live
there can
 best testify to the truth of this statement. However little knowledge one
may have
 of that region, the excellence and variety of its climate will be readily
perceived, the
 northeast wind blowing there during the entire year, and the country extending
from
 the fertile plains of the Pacific to the elevated table-lands which overlook
the Atlantic
 on the north.
 II.-The Central American states, like almost the whole of America, are very
moun-
 tainous, and the various mountain-chains and their branches intersect each
other in
 every direction. Nicaragua alone is there an exception in this respect.
Four of its
 departments, Rivas, Granada, Leon, and Chinandega, the principal ones as
regards the
 development of their agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, are level,
especially
 the one first named, which comprises the isthmus proper, and which has always
been
 considered as the most suitable locality for the, canal.
 The Andes range of mountains, so lofty throughout its whole extent, is broken
in
 Nicaragua, as if Nature had designed to remove this great obstacle, leaving
the rest of
 the work only to be accomplished by the skill and labor of man.
 III.-The materials which would be required for the construction of the work
are
 found in inexhaustible quantities in the departments referred to. The white
and
 brown lime found in the numerous pits which they contain, is of so excellent
a quality
that mortar made from it is not inferior to Roman cement. Commander Edward
P.
Lull, U. S. N., and Mr. Aniceto G. Menocal, civil engineer, both distinguished
explorers
of that isthmus, were surprised at the solidity of sundry very old edifices
built with
this material, and have brought Specimens of it to this country for the purpose
of
submitting them to scientific examinations.'