The coast along the Caribbean Sea from the Bay of Candelaria to the Bay of Mandingo, does not present a single harbour for large vessels. It is lined by a continuous series of small keys, or rocky islands, lying from half a mile to a mile from the continent. The inner passage thus formed is full of coral rocks and reefs, but the water is so clear that they are easily seen and avoided in the day-time, and it affords a safe anchorage during the prevalence of the north western winds (from December to April), as the swell of the sea is broken by the islands. The first harbour which occurs on this coast is that of Puerto Bello, or Vele, which is about 2 miles long, and on an average 1000 yards wide. It is of considerable depth, and, being surrounded by high hills and mountains, affords excellent and safe anchorage for vessels ; but though it once was a place of great trade, it is now rarely visited, on account of its excessive unhealthiness. About 20 miles farther west is the Bay of Limones, or Puerto de Naos, now best known as NAVY BAY, which has an entrance 5 miles wide, free from danger, is several miles deep, and affords secure anchorage for 300 vessels. A few miles farther west is the deserted harbour of CEIAORES. Farther westward there is no harbour, except those afforded by the Chiriqui Lagoon.
The harbours on the shores of the Pacific) are all within the Gulf of Panama. The opening of this Gulf is between Punta Francisco Salano on the continent of South America and Puuta Mala, where it is about 150 miles wide, which breadth it preserves for about 10 miles northward, when it begins to contract. • In the northern and narrower portion of the gulf there is a group of islauds, called Archipelago de las Perks, on account of the pearls which were formerly procured in the adjacent sea in great abundance, and still are obtained to a con siderable amount. The largest of these islands, called Isla del Rey, rises to a considerable elevation. Most of the rivers which fall into the gulf admit vessels of considerable burden. They have indeed bars across their mouths, on which there is rarely more than 2 feet of water at low tides, but as the tides here rise 18 feet, the bars may be passed at high-water, and inside of them the harbours are deep. The rivers most visited by vessels are the Panora, about 18 miles east of the town of Panama, and the Rio Grande, which enters the sea about 2 miles west of that town.
Great additional interest has heen imparted to Panama by the con di-action across the Isthmus of the railway connecting the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The great commercial advantages likely to be afforded by a ship canal, which .should connect the two oceans, and so shorten the voyage from the ports of Europe and the United States to the ports on the Pacific, China, &o., early directed attention to the narrow neck of land which connects North and South America. The Isthmus of Panama was one of the first places which suggested itself, but the belief that it was traversed by the chain of the Andes, seemed to interpose an almost insuperable obstacle to such a work. Humboldt, as may be remembered, suggested
the Gulf of Darien as the most likely place ; while others looked rather to the west, and saw in the Lake of Nicaragua and the Rio de San Juan a line marked out as it were by nature for the purpose. In 1827 however, Bolivar, president of the republic of Columbia (of which Panama then formed a department), directed Mr. Lloyd, au English engineer, to survey the country, not apparently for the pur lease of forming a canal, but with a view of improving the communi cation across the Isthmus. His report showed how difficult the formation of a ship canal would be, but he pointed out how excellent a harbour was the unfrequented Bay of Limones, or Navy Bay, a few miles east of Chagres, and how readily a short canal might be cut through the low country from it to the navigable river Chagres. That river would then be ascended to its junction with the Trinidad River, and the latter to a place which appeared well adapted for the formation of wharfs and landing places, thence he proposed to form a railway to Panama or Chorrera. Subsequent events destroyed all hope of any such scheme being carried out by the government, while however feasible it might appear, it hardly presented sufficient promise of success as a commercial enterprise to induce foreign capitalists to undertake its execution. But the remarkable discoveries of gold first in California and subsequently in Australia, again called attention to the subject, and the project of an Atlantic and Pacific Canal or railway was eagerly canvassed. Mr. Lloyd's survey was remembered and its general correctness verified; but as rapidity of transit was now the chief desideratum a company was formed in New York for construct ing a railway quite across the Isthmus and nearly over the.routo which he had indicated ; and American and English capital was freely embarked in the undertaking. A town named Aspinwall was founded in NAVY BAY, and this was made the starting point of the railway on the Atlantic? side: Its Pacific terminus was fixed at PanamiL The works were commenced in 1850, but their progress was greatly Im peded by the difficult character of the country through which much of the line pewit, and the insecurity of life and property owing to the revolution in New Granada. [Saw GRANADA.] But the enter prise was conducted with energy and persereranoe, and all difficulties were overcome. The first section was opened in 1850; a second portion in 1852 ; at the close of 1853 about 83 miles were in operation ; and by the end of 1851 the whole was completed. The lino was formall7 opened for traffic on the 28th of January, 1855. Its entire length ut about 50 miles; the summit level is only 250 feet above the level of the sea ; and the entire cost has been about 1,400,0001.