At present, the naval stations, both of the United States and Great Britain, in the Pacific, are established at Valparaiso. Orders from London to the British Pacific squadron have, therefore, not only to traverse the Atlantic, but nearly the whole western coast of South America to reach their destination. Now, as nearly all the points on the Pacific where the services of national vessels would be required lie not only to the northward of, Valparaiso, but to the north of the equator itself, it follows that vessels assigned to any specific duty would be required to sail back over the line which their orders had traversed, and, in case of sailing vessels, be subject to weeks of detention in passing the latitude of calms and variable winds. Thus, if a steamer were selected for duty, say at Acapulco, on the coast of Mexico, her orders would have to go 2880 miles out of the way to reach her in Valparaiso, and the vessel afterward would be obliged to sail 3480 miles to arrive at her destination! The time between the issue of the order and its execution, under no circumstances could be less than 45 days. Let us imagine the Bay of Fonseca, which has every facility for the purpose, to be fixed upon as a naval station in the Pacific, and the telegraphic communication complete. In such event, orders issued from Washington or London would be able to reach the Pacific squadron within a single day, and, in the supposed case of a vessel destined to Acapulco, be executed within four days from their issue. And what is true of Acapulco would be true, in equal proportion, in the discharge of whatever service might be required of a squadron in the Pacific, whether on the western coast of America, the eastern shores of Asia, or at the isl ands of the Pacific. Hence may be deduced, and fair Z z ly, the importance of the proposed work in a governmental and executive point of view. XVII. COMMERCE OF THE PACIFIC. In the chapter on the proposed Nicaraguan Interoceanic Canal I have enumerated certain countries on the Pacific with which commerce would be facilitated by the construction of railways or canals across Central America. The actual trade with those countries, passing round Cape Horn or across the Isthmus, carefully calculated for the year 1854, presents the following aggregates, which have since been largely increased: In other words, the commercial values which took this direction in the year 1854 amounted to a grand aggregate of $154,880,000. This is exclusive of the Australian trade, of which but a little more than $2,000,000 in value passed by the routes in question. I shall not here discuss the probabilities of the trade of the British Australian colonies taking a direction across Central America, but content myself by saying that, exclusive of gold, the imports and exports of these colonies, collectively, for 1855, amounted to the following totals: The commerce of California now, of course, constitutes the largest item in the aggregate of trade with the ports of the Pacific. But, leaving California and Oregon aside, we find that the commerce of the United States alone, with these ports, rose from 626 vessels of 244,000 tons, in 1849, to 1856 vessels and 957,500 tons in 1854; and that its imports and exports increased, in the same period, from $17,001,320 to $33,963,000, or about 100 per cent. Although the gold of Australia does not now flow across Central America, yet I have included its annual and aggregate product in the following table, as a possible, if not a probable future contribution to the traffic of that railway across the Isthmus which shall best meet the requirements of commerce: We see that gold was discovered in California in 1848, in which year the production was $60,000, rising in 1855 to $64,540,000. It was discovered in Australia in 1851, in which year its production was $4,555,665, rising in 1855 to $57,500,000. The production for 1856, in both countries, it is estimated, will show a considerable increase on these aggregates. The gold crop of California will necessarily pass over Central America, in its direct and inevitable voyage to the great commercial centres of the worldNew York and London. But this is not the whole amount of treasure which must take the same direction. The bullion of Chili, Peru, Ecuador, and the West Coast of Mexico, not to mention the present considerable and the prospective large contribution from Central America itself, will go to swell the precious aggregate. Taking the latest official returns, and, in their default, the best estimates, we get the following annual contributions to the metallic wealth of the world from these comparatively unnoticed sources. Chili (1854, estimated), silver and copper $12,000,000 5,250,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 1,000,000 6,000,000 Mexico, West Coast (1854), gold and silver. These figures are rather below than above the fact, but nevertheless show that the product of the precious metals on the western coast of the American continent, and of which the natural flow is by the speediest and safest route across Central America, amounts annually to upward of $95,000,000, or £19,000,000, or nearly twice the average amount of bullion in the Bank of England. Let us now recapitulate the annual value of that commerce which the proposed railway would, to a greater or less degree, accommodate, and which is interested in its construction: Aggregate general commerce with the princi pal Pacific ports, exclusive of Australia $154,880,000 Commerce of Australia (1855) 78,590,000 Australian gold (1855). Total. 57,500,000 $290,970,000 To say nothing of the mails, there is another im portant element to be considered in this connection: I mean the passenger traffic between the seas, between Great Britain and Australia, and between the United States and California. Number of Passengers going from the United Kingdom to the Australian Colonies. The arrivals and departures at San Francisco via the Isthmus of Central America have averaged for the past three years, 69,521 per annum. This number is irrespective of the passengers for Chili, Peru, and the Pacific ports generally, who would probably swell the aggregate to upward of 80,000. XVIII. ESTIMATED REVENUES. In respect to the revenues of the proposed road, it must always be remembered that its construction is required by an existing travel and commerce, adequate not only for its support, but to give a large return upon the capital invested in it. The positive and immediate sources of revenue are, passengers, the public mails, transportation of bullion, express freight, and general traffic, in all of which there is a constant and rapid increase. The value of these items may be suf ficiently gathered from the previous paragraphs on the "Commerce of the Pacific." But there are other considerations connected with the project of opening a railway through Honduras, and among them, the fact that the country itself has *This class of passengers is always proceeding, without reference to the others. It is impossible to say how many return from Australia annually. |