CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE REPUBLICS COMPOSING IT; A SKETCH OF THEIR
HISTORY; AREA AND POPULATION.--SNAKES, LIZARDS, AND OTHER CREEPING
THINGS.--COSTA RICA AND ITS REVOLUTIONS.--A PRESIDENT WHO COULDN'T
READ.--HONDURAS AND ITS RESOURCES.--VISIT TO TEGUCIGALPA.--YUSCARAN AND
ITS MINERAL WEALTH.--UNFORTUNATE FINANCIERING.--INTERESTING SOCIAL
CUSTOMS.--INTEROCEANIC CANALS; THEIR PRESENT STATUS.--THE NICARAGUA
CANAL; SURVEYS, ESTIMATES, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE; PROBABLE
ADVANTAGES TO THE WORLD'S COMMERCE; TERMS OF THE CONCESSION; ESTIMATED
COST, REVENUES, AND SAVING OF DISTANCES.--FAREWELL TO MEXICO.--THE END.
After completing their description of the ruined cities of Yucatan,
Frank and Fred looked around for something new to occupy their
attention. They were not long in finding it.
"I wish we could extend our journey to Central America," said Fred.
[Illustration: IN A CENTRAL AMERICAN FOREST.]
"So do I," answered his cousin, "but I'm afraid Doctor Bronson would not
consent. His plans do not include a journey farther south than Yucatan,
and besides, I don't think he would relish the idea of making a trip
through a region where the comforts of travel are as limited as they are
between here and Panama."
They sounded the Doctor on the subject, but did not receive any
encouragement. His arrangements were such that he was to be in New York
by a date that would make it impossible to accomplish the proposed
journey.
The youths cheerfully assented to the situation, and consoled themselves
by collecting a fair stock of information about Central America and
entering it in their note-books; Frank said this was the next best thing
to seeing the country for themselves.
[Illustration: GOVERNMENT PALACE, SAN JOSÉ.]
"Central America," wrote Frank, "is about 900 miles long, and varies
from 30 to 300 miles in width. It extends south about eleven degrees
from the eighteenth parallel of north latitude, and is therefore
entirely in the tropics. The geographers give it an area of 175,000
square miles, and a population of something less than three millions,
the greater portion being native-born Indians. The whites and creoles
are nearly all of Spanish descent, as the country was conquered and
occupied by the Spaniards soon after the Conquest of Mexico."
Fred suggested that a census of the snakes, lizards, birds, and beasts
of Central America would give a large population, as it was known to
abound in those things to a very liberal extent. He declared in advance
that he would not accept the office of animal census-taker, as he had
understood that the serpents were numerous and dangerous, as is the case
in tropical countries generally.
"I was reading this morning," said he, "of a snake of the constrictor
species that was killed close to a hacienda where the writer of the
narrative was stopping. It was fourteen feet long, and not unusually
large of its kind. The people of the hacienda said it was fortunate that
the creature had been despatched, as it would quite likely have killed
one of the children; and they related many stories about babies being
swallowed by these serpents.
"The same traveller, Mr. Wells, tells about a ceremony that he witnessed
where a tamagasa, one of the most deadly snakes of Central America, was
burned alive in the public square of a village. Two natives had found
the snake basking in the sun; one threw his poncho over the reptile
while the other held its head to the ground with a forked stick till its
mouth could be sewed up, so that it could do no harm. The snake was
about three feet long. The ceremony took place in the evening, and the
village priest pronounced a malediction upon the creature before it was
consigned to the flames. No remedy is known for the bite of this
serpent, nor for that of the taboba, another venomous product of Central
America."
"To go on with the country," said Frank, when Fred paused at the end of
his snake story, "we will remark that Central America comprises five
republics which are independent of each other, Costa Rica, Honduras,
Guatemala, San Salvador, and Nicaragua. Down to 1823 they were colonies
of Spain; in that year they formed themselves into a federal republic of
States and declared their independence. They continued thus until 1839,
when they dissolved their federation and became independent of each
other. Since then they have united again on two or three occasions, but
have not remained so for any length of time. Several attempts at a
federation (one of them in 1888), have resulted in nothing. Now and then
the republics have wars among themselves, but the rest of the world goes
on as if nothing had happened, as the moon did when the dog barked at
it.
"The governments of the States of Central America are republican in
form, modified by revolution and assassination; happily these
modifications are not applied as frequently nowadays as in former times,
but they are by no means unknown. To show how revolutions are started
and how they sometimes turn out, let us take a page from the history of
Costa Rica."
[Illustration: CENTRAL AMERICAN LODGINGS.]
Thereupon Frank read from "The Capitals of Spanish America" the account
of how the Government of that republic was overthrown, and a new one
established in 1871. Substantially it was as follows:
The Congress of Costa Rica had caused a railway to be surveyed from
ocean to ocean across the State. It was necessary to seek foreign aid
for the construction of the line, and the two banking houses at San
José, the capital city, were rivals for the appointment of Government
agent to negotiate the loan.
The defeated banker was, like his rival, an Englishman (married to a
Costa Rican lady), and the capital of his bank was English. In revenge,
and with a view to business, he determined to overthrow the Government
and set up one of his own.
To this end he negotiated with a cowboy named Thomas Guardia, who had
made a reputation as commander of a small force of cavalry in a war with
Nicaragua, to head a revolution, under promise of money and position.
The army of the republic comprised about 250 men, and they were easily
overcome by Guardia, who assembled half that number of cowboys and rode
suddenly into San José one morning, capturing the whole place by
surprise. It was one of the "revolutions before breakfast," to which
Central America is accustomed.
[Illustration: BANANA PLANTATION IN COSTA RICA.]
Guardia imprisoned all the Government officials who did not run away,
and appointed himself Dictator. Among the fugitives was the
constitutional President, and therefore it was necessary to hold an
election for a new President, Guardia being made provisional President
until the election could be held. The English banker, who had started
the revolution, named his father-in-law as the candidate for President,
and it was expected that he would be elected without opposition.
Guardia concluded, from his experience as Dictator, that it was not a
bad thing to be President, and when the election came off he ordered his
officers to secure the position for him, and leave the banker's
father-in-law out in the cold. He was unanimously elected; 2000 votes
were cast in a population of 200,000, and Guardia received them all.
He was unable to read or write when he became President, but he was a
man of decided ability, called wise counsellors to aid him, did
everything he could for the advancement of his country, and altogether
made an excellent ruler for the little republic.
[Illustration: DON BERNARDO DE SOTO, PRESIDENT OF COSTA RICA.]
The present President of Costa Rica is Don Bernardo de Soto, who was a
favorite of Guardia, and is a man of good education. He graduated at the
college in San José, and completed his studies in Europe; and since his
elevation to the high office he has shown ability and intelligence in
the management of public affairs.
During their investigation of Central America the youths met Mr. Wilson,
of New York, an old friend of Doctor Bronson's, who had just returned
from a visit to Honduras. He readily replied to all the questions that
were propounded by Frank and Fred, and his answers may be summed up as
follows:
[Illustration: GEN. LUIS BOGRAN, PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS.]
"I found Honduras very interesting," said Mr. Wilson, "and was sorry
that I could not remain longer. The country seems to have great promise,
as it is exceedingly fertile, and the mountain regions contain great
quantities of gold and silver. All tropical fruits grow there in
abundance, and there might be a large product of coffee and sugar. At
present the exports consist chiefly of cattle, mahogany, hides, and
rubber, of a total value of about two millions of dollars annually, and
the imports are nearly as much. The expenses of conducting the
government are not far from one million dollars a year, sometimes
exceeding the revenue, and sometimes falling below it.
"Honduras has been unfortunate financially," continued the gentleman,
"as it contracted a loan in England for building a railway across the
country from ocean to ocean, and the greater part of the money went into
private hands and not in the most honest way imaginable. Twenty-seven
million dollars' worth of bonds were negotiated in London, under the
guarantee of the Government, and all that the country has to show for
this large amount of money is about sixty miles of poorly built railway.
Since 1872 the interest on this loan has not been paid, and probably it
never will be; in the negotiations the Government and the purchasers of
the bonds were deceived, and the country never obtained more than a
small fraction of the benefit that was promised.
[Illustration: TEGUCIGALPA, CAPITAL OF HONDURAS.]
"Negotiations are now going on for wiping out the debt by issuing new
bonds for a part of it, and creating a new loan by which the
Interoceanic Railway can be completed and other railways constructed.
The President of Honduras, General Bogran, is a man of great enterprise,
and has done much for the country since he took possession of his
office. His predecessor had built a fine boulevard from the capital part
way to the Pacific coast, but from that point there was only a
mule-track, the same that had been there for three hundred years.
General Bogran made a contract with some American engineers to build a
wagon-road from the coast to the end of this boulevard, and another from
the capital, Tegucigalpa, to Yuscaran, the centre of the principal
mining district."
[Illustration: STREET IN YUSCARAN.]
"Please tell us about the mines of Honduras," said Frank, as Mr. Wilson
paused for a moment.
"Certainly, I'll do so with great pleasure," was the reply. "Honduras
was the first part of the main-land of North America visited by Columbus
and his companions, and as soon as Cortez had completed the conquest of
Mexico and established himself firmly on its soil he proceeded to the
subjugation of Honduras. From the time of the Conquest down to 1820 the
mines of Honduras yielded enormously of gold and silver; the Government
took as its share twenty per cent. of the gross product, and whenever a
district proved to be unusually rich the King acknowledged the
good-fortune by 'decorating' the place. This was a much more economical
proceeding than reducing the taxes or granting a sum in money for public
improvements.
"Perhaps you don't understand me," said Mr. Wilson, as he observed a
puzzled expression on the faces of the youths. "When I was at
Tegucigalpa I examined some old documents in the Government library, and
came upon one containing the following paragraph:
"'The flourishing state of the mining interests and the large returns
they brought the Crown influenced the King, so that on the 17th day of
July, 1768, there was given to the _pueblos_ (villages) of San Miguel,
Tegucigalpa, and Heredia the honorable title of _villas_ (cities).'
"A decree of that sort is exactly like conferring a decoration on an
individual," continued the gentleman. "It costs nothing to the giver,
and makes the recipient proud of his distinction, at least that is
supposed to be the purpose of a decoration.
[Illustration: OLD BRIDGE AT TEGUCIGALPA.]
"To show you how rich were the mines of Honduras, let me instance the
Guayabilla mine in the Yuscaran district. It is about fifty miles east
of Tegucigalpa, and near the line of Nicaragua, at an elevation of 3250
feet above the sea-level. In the old days the ore was so rich that the
owners of the mine did not reduce any that yielded less than sixty
dollars per ton, and after the mine was deserted $60,000 was obtained
from it by a gentleman who now lives in the country. From 1812 to 1817
the King's fifths from this mine amounted to $400,000, so that in five
years the product of the mine was $2,000,000. In 1837 the mine had been
worked to a depth of 300 feet, when the miners were impeded by water.
Accordingly they prepared to abandon the mine, and did so by removing
the pillars for the sake of the ore they contained. Of course the mine
caved in soon after the pillars were removed, and the same was the case
with other mines that were similarly maltreated."
Fred asked Mr. Wilson how many productive mines there were in Honduras
during the time of its occupation by the Spaniards.
"As to that I cannot say exactly," was the reply, "but at a rough
calculation there were not fewer than fifty in the Yuscaran district
that were once active and paid royalties to the King. In the Choluteca
and Tegucigalpa districts there were fully 100 mines, so that we may
safely count 150 in all. Under the enlightened policy of President
Bogran Americans and other foreigners have interested themselves in the
mineral wealth of Honduras, and several of the mines are now being
operated with modern appliances, which give promise of great results.
Some of them are producing ore in such quantities as to fully justify
their former reputation. Under the old system there was no arrangement
for getting rid of superfluous water and foul air. Modern pumping and
ventilating machinery has been adopted, and the old annoyances that
hindered operations or suspended them altogether will be of
comparatively little consequence."
"Please tell us something about Tegucigalpa, the capital city," said
Frank.
[Illustration: STATUE OF MORAZAN, TEGUCIGALPA.]
"It received its name," said Mr. Wilson, "from two Indian words
signifying 'mountain of silver.' It is about 3000 feet above sea-level,
and eighty miles from the seaport, on the Bay of Fonseca. It has
15,000 inhabitants, its houses are of adobe, and the streets narrow and
paved with stone. The most interesting structures are the cathedral and
an old bridge over the Rio Grande, the latter consisting of seven
massive arches that appear to be as strong to-day as when first erected.
In the public square there is a bronze equestrian statue of Francisco
Morazan, who is honored as the liberator of Central America, as Bolivar
is of South America. He was born in Honduras in 1799, was foremost in
the war of independence, became President or General-in-chief of the
Republic of Central America in 1835, was exiled in 1840, and
assassinated in 1842."
"His history is not unlike that of the majority of patriots in Spanish
America," remarked Frank, as Mr. Wilson paused.
Frank then asked about the people and their customs. Mr. Wilson said
they were not materially different from those of other Spanish American
countries. The dress of the natives is practically the same as that of
the natives of Yucatan, while that of the higher classes follows in a
general way the fashions of Paris. "While I was at Tegucigalpa," said
he, "I attended a fashionable ball, which was quite a social event, as
the President and his Ministers were there. The gentlemen were in
evening dress, as they would have been at a ball in New York, and the
ladies were robed as for an evening reception in Paris or London.
"Upon entering the salon each guest was presented with handsomely
painted egg-shells by servants who carried them about on trays. These
shells were filled with gold and silver tinsel. Gentlemen broke them
over the heads of ladies whom they wished to favor with their
attentions, and the ladies did likewise towards the gentlemen. Nearly
all the ladies and some of the gentlemen carried atomizers filled with
perfumery. When one found an atomizer aimed at his face it was the
proper thing to stand firm, receive the spray without wincing, and then
join in the laugh which followed. The effect of the egg-shells and
atomizers was to make the party very sociable and agreeable and break
the ice of formality."
Mr. Wilson was called away at this moment, and consequently the talk
about Honduras came suddenly to an end.
[Illustration: BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE NICARAGUA CANAL.]
Then the youths turned their attention to Nicaragua, and especially to
the proposed ship-canal which is to make use of Lake Nicaragua for a
part of its route. On this subject they questioned Doctor Bronson, and
received the following reply:
[Illustration: PROFILE OF NICARAGUA CANAL.]
"The idea of an interoceanic canal originated soon after the Spanish
Conquest. In 1550 Galvo, a Portuguese navigator, presented a plan for
such a canal, and pointed out four possible routes, those of Darien,
Panama, Nicaragua, and Tehuantepec, and it is a singular circumstance
that no other routes have been discovered since his time. The world's
commerce then and for more than 200 years afterwards was not sufficient
to justify the construction of a canal, and the first step towards such
a work was taken in 1779, when Lord Nelson seized the mouth of the San
Juan River, in Nicaragua, as a preliminary to the control of the river
and lake, and the opening of a water-way across the isthmus.
[Illustration: A SECTION OF THE CANAL.]
"Very soon after Lord Nelson's action a Spanish exploring expedition
arrived at the mouth of the San Juan, and the complications arising
between the English and Spanish Governments prevented any active
operations towards the making of the canal. In 1823 the President of
Nicaragua opened negotiations with the Government of the United States
with that object in view, but nothing was accomplished. In 1826 the
Government of Mexico made a preliminary survey of the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec to ascertain the possibility of a canal across it, and two
years later the Government of New Grenada permitted a survey of the
Isthmus of Panama for the same object. In 1844 Nicaragua gave a
concession to a Belgian company, which accomplished nothing; and in the
same year Louis Philippe authorized a survey of the Isthmus of Panama.
[Illustration: RIVER SAN JUAN AT TORO RAPIDS.]
"In 1849 an Irish adventurer published a book in England in which he
declared that he had crossed and recrossed the Isthmus of Darien several
times, and that there would be only three or four miles of deep cutting
for the entire distance. On the basis of this book, some English
capitalists sent an engineer, who made an equally rose-colored report
that resulted in the formation of an English company, with a capital of
$75,000,000. The engineer does not seem to have crossed the isthmus at
all, and only penetrated a few miles into the interior. The Darien route
was explored by Lieutenant Strain, of the United States Navy, in 1854,
who demonstrated that the reports of the English engineer were
'conspicuously inexact,' and a canal would cost very much more than his
estimates.
"In 1849 negotiations between the Government of Nicaragua and our
Minister to that country led to the formation of an American company, of
which Commodore Vanderbilt was a stockholder, with the object of making
a canal by the Nicaragua route. Col. O. W. Childs and a staff of
assistants surveyed the route, but the enterprise was broken up by the
filibustering expedition of Walker, 'the gray-eyed man of destiny,'
which caused the Nicaraguan Government to revoke the concession.
[Illustration: STREET IN GREYTOWN.]
"From this time onward the interest of Americans in the canal project
continued active. Several exploring expeditions were sent out by
individuals and associations, Mr. Frederick M. Kelley, a wealthy New
Yorker, sending out four expeditions, and spending $125,000 out of his
own pocket. Between 1870 and 1875 the United States Government sent out
nine expeditions for the survey of canal routes between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans, and altogether a valuable amount of information was
gathered on the subject.
"In 1876 Lieut. Bonaparte Wyse obtained a concession from the Government
of Colombia for a canal at Panama. His concession was transferred to M.
De Lesseps, the famous builder of the Suez Canal; and you know all about
the history of the Panama Canal, as it has been recorded in the daily
newspapers and other publications.
[Illustration: EL CASTILLO, SAN JUAN RIVER.]
"An impartial consideration of the various reports upon the surveys of
all the routes has shown that the most favorable one for a ship-canal
from ocean to ocean is that across Nicaragua. This was the decision of a
commission appointed by President Grant, and consisting of Commodore
(since Admiral) Daniel Ammen, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, Gen.
A. A. Humphreys, Chief of the United States Engineer Corps, and Mr.
C. P. Patterson, Superintendent of the Coast Survey. Briefly, their
report said: 'The Nicaragua route possesses, both for the construction
and maintenance of a canal, greater advantages, and offers fewer
difficulties from engineering, commercial, or economical points of view,
than any one of the other routes shown to be practicable.'
"Careful scientific surveys have been made of the Nicaragua route. The
first was in 1872 and 1873, by Commander Hatfield and Commander Lull, of
the United States Navy; and the second, in 1880, by Civil Engineer A. G.
Menocal, also of the United States Navy. In 1884 the same officer, with
several able assistants, made another survey; with all the figures and
descriptions of the different surveys, the nature of the work to be
accomplished in cutting the canal can be readily understood."
For further information Doctor Bronson referred the youths to the
printed reports of Mr. Menocal and Commander Lull, which he had in his
possession, and also to articles in _Harper's Weekly_ and _Harper's
Magazine_. Frank and Fred made a careful study of the subject, and the
substance of what they learned may be set down as follows:
The route of the proposed canal will be entirely through the State of
Nicaragua, except for a small part of the eastern division, where it
will be on the south bank of the San Juan River, which is the dividing
line between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The latter State has agreed to
all the conditions named by Nicaragua in its concession to the American
company that is undertaking the work, so that the question of boundary
will not interfere with the enterprise.
In March, 1887, a contract was signed with the Republic of Nicaragua by
a representative of the Nicaragua Canal Association of New York,
securing to the association the exclusive right of way for the
construction of a ship-canal between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The company is allowed two and a half years from the date of the
contract for beginning operations; it has a grant of 1,000,000 acres of
land, and immunity from taxation and all imposts of every kind for a
period of ninety-nine years. It is believed that the entire work will be
completed and the canal made ready for the passage of ships within six
years from the commencement of the dredging and digging.
[Illustration: VIEW ON LAKE NICARAGUA.]
The length of the canal will be 170 miles from ocean to ocean. Of this
distance there will be 130 miles of navigation on Lake Nicaragua and the
San Juan River, leaving only forty miles for excavation or cutting. The
surface of Lake Nicaragua is 110 feet above the level of the sea, and to
reach or descend from this elevation there will be four locks between
each end of the lake and the ocean from which it is separated. The lake
is 110 miles long by 35 wide, and is a beautiful sheet of water in a
basin 8000 square miles in extent. The plans are for locks 650 feet long
and 65 feet wide, which will float any ship now in existence.
[Illustration: MOZO IN FULL DRESS.]
For convenience of description we will suppose the canal to be in three
divisions, eastern, middle, and western. The eastern division begins at
Greytown, on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the San Juan River, and
extends to the Arroyo de las Cascades, a distance of nineteen and
one-half miles. This division contains sixty-three per cent. of the
excavation required for the whole canal; it will include the digging of
a channel through the low lands of the coast, and then through rising
ground and hills, where locks must be made to raise the canal to the
level of the lake.
At the end of the eastern division a dam across the San Juan River will
fill the channel of that stream to a depth sufficient for the passage of
sea going vessels, and also create a lake, or basin, where ships may
pass each other, and also halt for repairs if any are needed. In some
places the river must be dredged to reach the requisite depth, but these
points are not numerous or difficult. The river is 1000 feet wide, so
that ships will have plenty of room for moving either way, and there
will be about eighty-three miles of river navigation from the dam to the
lake.
On Lake Nicaragua the distance from the head of the San Juan River to
the beginning of the western division is fifty-six and one-half miles,
and here there is abundant depth of water except in one place where some
rock-blasting and dredging will be needed.
Rio Lajas, on the western shore of the lake, will be the end of the
middle, or navigable, portion of the canal, and the beginning of the
western division, which extends seventeen and one-quarter miles to the
Pacific Ocean. On this division ships coming from the east will descend
by four locks, while those from the west will rise by the same means.
The last of the locks, the one nearest the Pacific, will have a varying
depth to accommodate itself to the rise and fall of the ocean tide,
which is about nine feet. The entrance of this lock will be of a funnel
shape, and a port will be formed by throwing out jetties on each side of
the little bay of Brito, and converting it into a secure harbor.
At the eastern end of the canal jetties will be thrown out in the same
way to form a harbor at the mouth of the San Juan River close to the old
harbor of Greytown, which has been partially filled by the sands brought
down by the river, and has a depth of only twenty-one feet at its
entrance. The current of the river will be utilized for washing out the
entrance of this harbor, just as that of the Mississippi was utilized by
Captain Eads for deepening the passes of the great "Father of Waters" at
its mouth.
Frank and Fred made careful note of the above, and then asked Doctor
Bronson how much it was expected the canal would cost, and how the
profits had been calculated.
[Illustration: FORT SAN CARLOS.]
"The estimates of the engineers," was the reply, "place the cost of the
whole work at $60,000,000 in round figures; some of them make it ten or
twelve millions less, but as estimates nearly always fall short of the
actual cost, we will suppose that the figures are $100,000,000. I think
it is safe to say the canal can be built for that amount of money."
"How does that compare with the Suez and the Panama canals?" Fred asked.
"The cost of the Suez Canal was $100,000,000, and it has been a very
profitable enterprise. Double that amount of money has been expended on
the Panama Canal, and only one-fourth the work is done; even if it
should ever be completed, the revenues cannot be sufficient to pay a
good dividend on the cost after deducting the running expenses. The
Nicaragua Canal will have a great advantage over the one at Panama, for
the reason that the latter is in the region of equatorial calms, while
the former is within the sweep of steady winds. Consequently the Panama
Canal will be of little use for sailing-ships, and they would all be
attracted to the Nicaragua route."
[Illustration: NATIVE BOATS, LAKE NICARAGUA.]
"What is the estimate of the amount of business of the Nicaragua Canal,
and the revenues from it?" queried Frank.
"I can best answer that question," replied the Doctor, "by quoting from
a writer in _Harper's Magazine_. He says the wheat trade between our
Pacific coast and Europe requires a million tons of shipping, and as
each ship must pass twice through the canal, this trade alone would be
two millions of tons a year. The coasting trade between the Atlantic and
Pacific ports of the United States would add another million tons, and
the tea trade between Europe and China and Japan, the guano and nitrate
trade of South America, the whaling trade of the Pacific, the wool trade
between Australia and Europe, would altogether bring the business of the
canal up to five or six millions of tons a year. At two dollars a ton,
the toll that is charged by the Suez Canal, there would be a revenue of
ten or twelve million dollars without considering the growth of the
world's commerce from year to year. It is estimated that the running
expenses and repairs to the canal would not exceed half a million
dollars annually, so that there would be a good profit on the outlay of
$100,000,000."
Fred asked what saving of distances would be effected by the canal.
[Illustration: CENTRAL AMERICAN HACIENDA.]
"Between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States," was the
reply, "the saving would be 8000 or 9000 miles over the Cape Horn route.
From New York to ports in Asia and Australasia there would be a saving
of 500 to 3000 miles over any route except by Suez, and between Europe
and Japan sailing-vessels will save 3000 miles by taking the Nicaragua
route. There can be no reasonable doubt that the world's commerce will
be greatly benefited by the opening of the proposed canal, and in a few
years we may see it operated to its full capacity, of every year passing
eleven thousand ships from ocean to ocean."
Fred was ready with another question, but before it was put a friend
called to tell them that a steamer for Havana and New York had just
arrived at Progreso, and would leave in a few hours.
Nicaraguan canals and all other Central American subjects were dropped,
and preparations immediately made for departure. Already their farewell
calls had been made on friends and acquaintances at Merida, baggage was
quickly in readiness, they were at the station in ample time for the
train, and before sunset were on the deck of the steamer, which speedily
put her machinery in motion, and steamed away to the eastward.
[Illustration: BIRDS OF NICARAGUA.]
And so ended the tour of the Boy Travellers in Mexico. The land of the
Aztecs and Toltecs disappeared in darkness and distance, and when
morning dawned only sea and sky were visible from the deck of the
vessel.
"Wonder what country we will see next?" said Fred.
"Quien sabe?" was the laconic reply.
THE END.
INTERESTING BOOKS FOR BOYS.
* * * * *
BOUND VOLUMES OF HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE for 1887, 1888, and 1889.
Handsomely Bound in Illuminated Cloth, $3.50 each. _Bound Volumes for_
1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, _and_ 1886 _are out of stock_.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN MEXICO. Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to
Northern and Central Mexico, Campeachy, and Yucatan. With a Description
of the Republics of Central America and of the Nicaragua Canal. By
THOMAS W. KNOX. Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN AUSTRALASIA. Adventures of two Youths in a Journey
to the Sandwich, Marquesas, Society, Samoan, and Feejee Islands; and
through the Colonies of New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland,
Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. By THOMAS W. KNOX. Copiously
Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS ON THE CONGO. Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey
with Henry M. Stanley "Through the Dark Continent." By THOMAS W. KNOX.
Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. Adventures of Two Youths in a
Journey in European and Asiatic Russia. With Accounts of a Tour across
Siberia, Voyages on the Amoor, Volga, and other Rivers, a Visit to
Central Asia, Travels among the Exiles, and a Historical Sketch of the
Empire from its Foundation to the Present Time. By THOMAS W. KNOX.
Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN SOUTH AMERICA. Adventures of Two Youths in a
Journey through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentine
Republic, and Chili. With Descriptions of Patagonia and Tierra del
Fuego, and Voyages upon the Amazon and La Plata Rivers. By THOMAS W.
KNOX. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST. By THOMAS W. KNOX. Five Parts.
Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00 each. _Parts sold separately._
PART I. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO JAPAN AND
CHINA.--PART II. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO SIAM AND
JAVA. With Descriptions of Cochin-China, Cambodia, Sumatra, and the
Malay Archipelago.--PART III. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY
TO CEYLON AND INDIA. With Descriptions of Borneo, the Philippine
Islands, and Burmah.--PART IV. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A
JOURNEY TO EGYPT AND PALESTINE.--PART V. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS
IN A JOURNEY THROUGH AFRICA.
THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN" to the North Pole and Beyond. Adventures of
Two Youths in the Open Polar Sea. By THOMAS W. KNOX. Profusely
Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $2.50.
HUNTING ADVENTURES ON LAND AND SEA. By THOMAS W. KNOX. Two Parts.
Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $2.50 each.
PART I. THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA.
PART II. THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD.
BY CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN. Seven Volumes. Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth,
$3.00 each. _Volumes sold separately._
THE STORY OR LIBERTY.--OLD TIMES IN THE COLONIES.--THE BOYS OF '76
(A History of the Battles of the Revolution).--BUILDING THE
NATION.--THE DRUM-BEAT OR THE NATION.--MARCHING TO
VICTORY.--REDEEMING THE REPUBLIC.
COUNTRY COUSINS. By ERNEST INGERSOLL. Illustrated. Square 8vo,
Illuminated Cloth, $2.50.
FRIENDS WORTH KNOWING. Glimpses of American Natural History. By ERNEST
INGERSOLL. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00.
THE WONDER CLOCK; or, Four-and-Twenty Marvellous Tales being One for
each Hour of the Day. Written and Illustrated with 160 Drawings by
HOWARD PYLE. Embellished with Verses by KATHARINE PYLE. Large 8vo,
Ornamental Cloth, $3.00.
PEPPER AND SALT; or, Seasoning for Young Folk. Prepared by HOWARD PYLE.
Beautifully and Profusely Illustrated by the Author. 4to, Illuminated
Cloth, $2.00.
THE ROSE OF PARADISE. Being a Detailed Account of certain Adventures
that happened to Captain John Mackra, in connection with the famous
Pirate, Captain Edward England. By HOWARD PYLE. With Illustrations by
the Author. Post 8vo, Ornamental Cloth, $1.25.
CAMP LIFE IN THE WOODS; AND THE TRICKS OF TRAPPING AND TRAP MAKING. By
W. HAMILTON GIBSON, Author of "Pastoral Days." Illustrated by the
Author. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00.
"HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE" SERIES. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00 per vol.
THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY BROWN. Written by Himself, and Edited by
W. L. ALDEN.--THE CRUISE OF THE CANOE CLUB. THE CRUISE OF THE
"GHOST." THE MORAL PIRATES. THE NEW ROBINSON CRUSOE. By W. L.
ALDEN.--TOBY TYLER; OR, TEN WEEKS WITH A CIRCUS. MR. STUBBS'S
BROTHER: A Sequel to "Toby Tyler." TIM AND TIP; OR, THE ADVENTURES
OF A BOY AND A DOG. LEFT BEHIND; OR, TEN DAYS A NEWSBOY. RAISING
THE "PEARL." SILENT PETE. By JAMES OTIS.--THE STORY OF MUSIC AND
MUSICIANS. JO'S OPPORTUNITY. ROLF HOUSE. MILDRED'S BARGAIN, AND
OTHER STORIES. NAN. THE COLONEL'S MONEY. THE HOUSEHOLD OF GLEN
HOLLY. By LUCY C. LILLIE.--THE FOUR MACNICOLS. By WILLIAM
BLACK.--THE LOST CITY; OR, THE BOY EXPLORERS IN CENTRAL ASIA. INTO
UNKNOWN SEAS. By DAVID KER.--THE TALKING LEAVES. An Indian Story.
TWO ARROWS: A Story of Red and White. By W. O. STODDARD.--WHO WAS
PAUL GRAYSON? By JOHN HABBERTON, Author of "Helen's
Babies."--PRINCE LAZYBONES, AND OTHER STORIES. By Mrs. W. J.
HAYS.--THE ICE QUEEN. By ERNEST INGERSOLL.--WAKULLA: A STORY OF
ADVENTURE IN FLORIDA. THE FLAMINGO FEATHER. DERRICK STERLING.
CHRYSTAL, JACK & CO., and DELTA BIXBY. By C. K. MUNROE.--STRANGE
STORIES FROM HISTORY. By GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON.--UNCLE PETER'S
TRUST. By GEORGE B. PERRY.--CAPTAIN POLLY. By SOPHIE SWETT.
SAMUEL SMILES'S WORKS.
SELF-HELP.--CHARACTER.--THRIFT.--DUTY.--MEN OF INVENTION AND
INDUSTRY.--LIFE AND LABOR; OR, CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN OF INDUSTRY,
CULTURE, AND GENIUS. 12mo, Cloth, $1.00 each.
ROUND THE WORLD. Including a Residence in Victoria, and a Journey
by Rail across North America. By a Boy. Edited by SAMUEL
SMILES.--LIFE OF A SCOTCH NATURALIST: THOMAS EDWARD, ASSOCIATE OF
THE LINNÆAN SOCIETY.--ROBERT DICK, BAKER OF THURSO; GEOLOGIST AND
BOTANIST.--JAMES NASMYTH, ENGINEER. An Autobiography. Edited by
SAMUEL SMILES. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.50 each.
THE LIVES OF THE STEPHENSONS. Comprising, also, a History of the
Invention and Introduction of the Railway Locomotive. Illustrated.
8vo, Cloth, $3.00.
THE STARTLING EXPLOITS OF DR. J. B. QUIÈS. From the French of Paul
CÉLIÈRE. By Mrs. CASHEL HOEY and Mr. JOHN LILLIE. Profusely Illustrated.
Crown 8vo, Extra Cloth, $1.75.
FROM THE FORECASTLE TO THE CABIN. By Captain S. SAMUELS. Illustrated.
12mo, Extra Cloth, $1.50.
MICROSCOPY FOR BEGINNERS; OR, COMMON OBJECTS FROM THE PONDS AND DITCHES.
By ALFRED C. STOKES, M.D. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.50.
MARY AND MARTHA. The Mother and the Wife of George Washington. By BENSON
J. LOSSING, LL.D., Author of "Field-book of the Revolution," "Field-book
of the War of 1812," "Cyclopædia of United States History," &c.
Illustrated by Fac-similes of Pen-and-ink Drawings by H. Rosa. 8vo,
Ornamental Cloth, $2.50.
THE STORY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, FOR BOYS. By BENSON J. LOSSING,
LL.D. Illustrated. 12mo, Half Leather, $1.75.
THE BOY'S BOOK OF BATTLE LYRICS. By THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH, LL.D.
Illustrated. Square 8vo, Illuminated Cloth, $2.00.
GAMES AND SONGS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN. Collected and Compared by WILLIAM
WELLS NEWELL. Square 8vo, Cloth, $1.50.
THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. By LUCIEN BIART. With 117
Illustrations. 12mo, Cloth, $1.75.
AN INVOLUNTARY VOYAGE. By LUCIEN BIART. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.25.
THE CHILDREN OF OLD PARK'S TAVERN. A Story of the South Shore. By
FRANCES A. HUMPHREY. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00.
ILLUSTRATED HISTORIES. By JACOB and JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. Illustrated with
numerous Engravings. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00 per vol. The volumes may be
obtained separately; or the set complete, in six boxes, $32.00.
CYRUS THE GREAT.
DARIUS THE GREAT.
XERXES.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
ROMULUS.
HANNIBAL.
PYRRHUS.
JULIUS CÆSAR.
CLEOPATRA.
NERO.
ALFRED THE GREAT.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.
RICHARD I.
RICHARD II.
RICHARD III.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
CHARLES I.
CHARLES II.
JOSEPHINE.
MARIA ANTOINETTE.
MADAME ROLAND.
HENRY IV.
MARGARET OF ANJOU.
PETER THE GREAT.
GENGHIS KHAN.
KING PHILIP.
HERNANDO CORTEZ.
JOSEPH BONAPARTE.
QUEEN HORTENSE.
LOUIS XIV.
LOUIS PHILIPPE.
DIDDIE, DUMPS, AND TOT; or, Plantation Child Life. By LOUISE
CLARK-PYRNELLE. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, $1.00.
HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. By MARY TREAT. Illustrated. 12mo, Ornamental
Cloth, 90 cents.
TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL-DAYS. By an Old Boy. Illustrated by ARTHUR HUGHES and
SYDNEY P. HALL. 8vo, Paper, 40 cents.
TOM BROWN AT OXFORD. By the Author of "Tom Brown's School-Days." With
Illustrations by SYDNEY P. HALL. 8vo, Paper, 60 cents.
_School-Days and Oxford--in one volume._ _8vo, Cloth_, $1.50.
FRANCONIA STORIES. By JACOB ABBOTT. Numerous Illustrations. Complete in
10 vols., 16mo, Cloth, 75 cents each. The vols. may be obtained
separately; or the set complete, in neat case, $7.50.
MALLEVILLE.
MARY BELL.
ELLEN LINN.
WALLACE.
BEECHNUT.
STUYVESANT.
AGNES.
MARY ERSKINE.
RODOLPHUS.
CAROLINE.
MARCO PAUL'S VOYAGES AND TRAVELS IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. By JACOB
ABBOTT. Illustrated. Complete in 6 vols., 16mo, Cloth, 75 cents each.
The vols. may be obtained separately; or the set complete, in neat case,
$4.50.
IN NEW YORK.
ON THE ERIE CANAL.
IN THE FORESTS OF MAINE.
IN VERMONT.
IN BOSTON.
AT THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY.
STORIES OF RAINBOW AND LUCKY. By JACOB ABBOTT. Illustrated. 5 vols.,
16mo, Cloth, 75 cents a volume. The vols. may be obtained separately; or
the set complete, in neat case, $3.75.
HANDIE.
RAINBOW'S JOURNEY.
SELLING LUCKY.
UP THE RIVER.
THE THREE PINES.
SCIENCE FOR THE YOUNG. By JACOB ABBOTT. Illustrated. 4 vols., 12mo,
Cloth, $1.50 each.
HEAT.
LIGHT.
WATER AND LAND.
FORCE.
ANIMAL LIFE IN THE SEA AND ON THE LAND. A Zoology for Young People. By
SARAH COOPER. Profusely Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1.25.
HOW TO GET STRONG AND HOW TO STAY SO. By WILLIAM BLAIKIE. 16mo, Cloth,
$1.00.
SOUND BODIES FOR OUR BOYS AND GIRLS. By WILLIAM BLAIKIE. With many
Illustrations. 16mo, Cloth, 40 cents.
FAMOUS LONDON MERCHANTS. A Book for Boys. By H. R. FOX BOURNE. With
Portrait of George Peabody and Twenty-four Illustrations. 16mo, Cloth,
$1.00.
INDIAN TRAITS. Being Sketches of the Manners, Customs, and Character of
the North American Natives. By B. B. THATCHER. Illustrated. 2 vols.,
18mo, Cloth, $1.50.
STORIES OF THE GORILLA COUNTRY. By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU. Illustrated.
12mo, Cloth, $1.50.
THE COUNTRY OF THE DWARFS. By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU. Illustrated. 12mo,
Cloth, $1.50.
WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU. Illustrated. 12mo,
Cloth, $1.50.
MY APINGI KINGDOM: with Life in the Great Sahara, and Sketches of the
Chase of the Ostrich, Hyena, &c. By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU. Illustrated.
12mo, Cloth, $1.50.
LOST IN THE JUNGLE. By PAUL B. DU CHAILLU. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth,
$1.50.
[Illustration: MAP TO ACCOMPANY "THE BOY TRAVELLERS" IN MEXICO.]