The Claytor-Bulwer convention relating to the construction of a ship-canal between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at Nicaragua, which the United States are proposing to be abrogated, was signed as fur back as May, 1850. Its terms may therefore not he readily Lorne in mind, but in effect it provides: that in the event of the caval lizing mare neither the government of Great Britain nor the United States will ever obtain or maintain any exclusive control over it, or occupy, fortify, or culonisse, or assume, or exercise any dominion over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part of Central America.
Further, the parties agreed that, in the event of the canal being made they would guarantee its neutrality, and the security of its capital. Having regard to the period which has elapsed since the convention, the seventh paragraph has a curious sound about it, for it says that in view of the fact that no time should be lost in commencing the canal, both governments give thole support to such persons as may first offer to commence the same with "the necessary capital and in accordance with the principles of the convention, which, furtheruy equality of treatment for the subjects and citizens of all States using the canal.
In connection with the making of the canal some statements by Mr. Francis L. Stuart, one of the engineers of the Nicaragua Canal Commission, who has recently returned to Washington, have a timely interest. He says that between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific ocean there is only one feasible route, and that extends from Brita harbour inland. The distance is about seventeen miles. The depression in the hills back of Brivo establishes this, unquestionably, as the only locality that would serve the purpose of canal. The greatest altitude between Brita and the Luke is almost 140 feet. Once ut the luke ships would have free navigation for many miles. From the point where the canal enters the luke to the point where the lake empties into Sin Juan river the distance is seventy miles. For fifteen miles on the east and one mile on the west the lake would have to be dredged. There is an average depth of ten fathoms the balance of the way. The greatest. depth found was 200 feet, Which makes the bottom of the lake ut such places below the sea level. The surface of the lake is 108 feet above the sen level. The san Juan river flows from the lake into the Carribean sea through ape proximately 124 miles of country. For a considerable distance it is confined to a valley by parallel n hills, and through this section of the country the canal would have to follow the course of the river, although not necessarily all of its wi Leaving the alley the river winds through a broad plain, reaching the at Greytown. Through this sandy ry are several proposed he gues on to say, "have surveys of the on alley and the entire plain, and with of these data the Commission will and recommend the best_plan. lity the Commission's recommendation will provide for the running of the canal in a din line xeress the plain at. its shortest. dis tance from the mouth of the valley. In one' important particular the report of the Commission will be " surprise to those who have attempted to decide for themselves what the proposed Nicaragua canal would cost. We have found that all previous estimates are excessive in xn astonishing degree, for the reason that they were embraced on improper information. The cost of cutting through the seventeen miles of hilly country between Brita and the Inko will be much less than previously estimated. Previous commissions have assumed that the work would be through solid reck. Our borings show that the material is mostly clay. We found very little rock. Previous commissions have added from 20 to 50 per cent to their estimates for incidental expenses. This in is too great. The present Commission, with its exact data, can come very close to the probable cost, and will add not more than 10 per cent for incidental
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.