Isthmus of Panama. History of the Panama railroad; and of the Pacific mail steamship company. Together with a traveller's guide and business man's hand-book for the Panama railroad and the lines of steamships connecting it with Europe, the United States, the north and south Atlantic and Pacific coasts, China, Australia, and Japan

Front matter

ajarnell Ittittctaita Slihrars

CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION

CHINA AND THE CHINESE

Introduction

Pursuant to a resolution offered by the Hon. Henry Clay, of Kentucky, in the Senate of the United States, in the year 1835, the President, General Andrew Jackson, appointed- Mr. Charles Biddle, formerly of Philadelphia, then of Tennessee, as a commissioner to visit the different routes on the Continent of America best adapted for inter-oceanic communication, and to report thereon, with reference to their value to the commercial interests of the United States.

Mr. Biddle, accompanied by Dr. Gibbon, of Philadelphia, sailed from that port for St. Jago de Cuba, to gain preliminary information regarded to be important. Thirty years ago there existed few conveniences for an approach to the Isthmus of Panama. An. occasional packet then plied between St. Jago de Cuba and Kingston, in the Island of Jamaica, and from thence some small vessel of the British navy conveyed a monthly mail to Chagres, which there crossed the Isthmus to the city of Panama for distribution on the Pacific coast. Mr. Biddle visited and remained for several months at these different points, in order to approach the objects of his mission with the best information attainable from merchants or travelers who had interests on the proposed routes or knowledge of their peculiarities. After gaining what information he was able at these points, Mr. Biddle proceeded to Chagres, then the only Atlantic port of the Isthmus, and pursued his journey up the Chagres Eiver to Cruces, the head of boat navigation, making careful observations of the country through which he passed, with the view of its possible selection as the proposed rail-

Vlll INTEODUCTION.

way route. FrOm Cruces tlie party traveled on mulebaok to the port and city of Panama, which at this time was in a thoroughly dilapidated condition, maintaining a merely nominal trade with the neighboring Pacific ports, and even this wholly by means of foreign ships. The object of Mr. Biddle's visit being made known to the leading citizens of Panama, every facility was aflEbrded by them for advancing his enterprise. The people of Gorgona cut a new road through the woods to communicate by portage with the head of the Eio Grande, which opens into the Pacific north of Panama. His varied means of information soon persuaded Mr. Biddle of the great importance of this route to the commerce of the United States, as weE as to that of the Continents of America on each-ocean, and Europe.

After a residence of several months in Panama, he decided to accompany the senators and members of Congress from the two provinces of the Isthmus to the seat of the national government at Bogota. Don Jos6 Obaldia, one of the representatives, exerted himself actively in promoting the enterprise, and was ef&ciently aided by the others. The perfect acquaintance of Sefior Obaldia with the English language enabled him to be of nauch service to Mr. Biddle, which, together with his acknowledged influence among his countrymen, as well as with foreign residents at Bogota, certainly aided greatly in effecting the final arrangements.

Mr. Biddle had decided before he left Panama to offer propositions to the government of New Granada for a decree authorizing a company to construct a railroad across the continent through the Isthmus. A small Peruvian schooner conveyed the travelers to the mouth of the Buenaventura Eiver, some 500 miles south of the Isthmus. Light canoes, manned by Indians, negroes, and boatmen of mixed blood, conveyed the party, with their servants and baggage, to the base of mountains near the Pacific, over which all were obliged to be carried in bamboo chairs on the backs

INTRODUCTION. ix

of Indians, over almost perpendicular passages entirely inaccessible to mules. After several weeks of slow movement through a beautiful but thinly -settled country, the travel-worn and weary adventurers reached the city of Bogota. General M'Afee, of Kentucky, then Charge d' Affaires of the United States, promptly received the Americans into his house, and assisted to promote the views of Mr. Biddle, who at once proceeded to frame an application for a railroad privilege across the Isthmus of Panama, and which, without loss of time, was offered to the attention of the Congress by the representatives from the States of Veragua and Panama. After protracted delays, a law or decree finally passed both houses of legislation, making large grants of public lands, and conveying many important privileges to certain citizens of the United States in the event of their establishing a railroad across the Isthmus at Panama. The decree was regarded as sufficiently favorable to incline-the capitalists of the United States, Europe, and New Granada to promote the success of the undertaking.

Mr. Biddle left the capital with an official copy of the decree granting the right to build a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama. After descending the Magdalena Eiver to Carthagena, he reached the United States during the eventful year of 1837, at a period when a monetary crisis had deranged every facility or disposition for such an investment. Mr. Biddle considered the advantages of the Panama route to be superior to all other routes between the two oceans. He regarded his success in New Granada sufficient to warrant him in omitting farther investigations. The visit to the Central American and Tehauntepec routes was abandoned, although he was urgently solicited to undertake an inspection of both. Mr. Biddle died soon after his return from the Isthmus, without making any official report to the government.

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