To appreciate the importance of such a system of navigation, and exhibit some of the advantages of the American route, it may be well to compare it with the old route, by the way of the Cape, which will still remain the principal highway to the East.

“The Englishman,” says Lieut. Maury, “meets the American in all the markets of the world with the advantage of ten days or upward. Cut through the Isthmus, and instead of some ten days’ sail or more, the scale would be turned, and we shall have the advantage of some twenty days’ sail, thus making a difference of thirty or forty days under canvas.” The distance between New York, China, India, and Australia, and the west coast of South America exceeds that by way of Cape Horn from 8,000 to 14,000 miles.

To the States lying in the great basin of the Mississippi, and to all the cities situated on its navigable waters, the gain is much greater. These parts of the continent, now secluded by their position from direct trade with the west coast of South America and the Indies, will be brought into closer commercial relations with these ports of the world. With but one transshipment, the silk, teas, spices, and fabrics of India, China, Japan, and the Pacific Islands may be landed on the banks of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio.

The following tables, taken from the Report of Lieut. Maury to the Committee on Naval Affairs, will show the sailing distance from New York and Liverpool to the principal ports beyond and around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. The distances to South and North Pacific ports are greatly reduced by the Darien or Panama route.

FROM
LIVERPOOL. 		FROM
NEW YORK.
MILES.MILES.
To Calcutta, via Cape of Good Hope 16,00017,500
Calcutta, via Cape Horn21,50023,000
Canton, via Cape Horn20,00021,500
Canton, via Cape of Good Hope18,00019,500
Valparaiso, via Cape Horn11,40012,900
Callao, via Cape Horn12,00013,500
Guayaquil, via Cape Horn12,80014,300
Panama, via Cape Horn14,50016,000
San Blas, via Cape Horn16,30017,800
Mazatlan, via Cape Horn16,50018,000
San Diego, via Cape Horn17,00018,500
San Francisco, via Cape Horn17,50019,000

The following table shows the saving of time from New York by the new route, via the Isthmus of Panama, as compared with the old routes, via Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope, to the places therein named, estimating the distance which a common trading ship will sail per day to be one hundred and ten miles, and calculating for the voyage out and home:

FROM N. Y. TODISTANCE VIA
CAPE OF
GOOD HOPE.		LENGTH OF
PASSAGE OUT
AND HOME.		DISTANCE VIA;
CAPE HORN.		LENGTH OF
PASSAGE OUT
AND HOME.		DISTANCE
VIA THE ISTHMUS
OF PANAMA.		LENGTH OF
PASSAGE
OUT AND HOME.		SAVING IN DISTANCE
OVER THE ROUTE BY
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.		TIME SAVED BY
ISTHMUS
OVER TIME BY
CAPE HOPE,
OUT AND HOME.		SAVING IN DISTANCE
OVER THE ROUTE
BY CAPE HORN.		TIME SAVED BY
ISTHMUS
OVER TIME BY
CAPE HOPE,
OUT AND HOME.
MILES.DAYS.MILES.DAYS.MILES.DAYS.MILES.DAYS.MILES.DAYS.
Calcutta17,50031823,00041813,400 2444,100 74 9,600174
Canton19,50035421,50039010,600 1928,90016210,900198
Shanghai20,00036222,00040010,400 1889,60017411,600212
Valparaiso 12,9002344,800 86 8,100148
Callao 13,5002443,500 62 10,000182
Guayaquil 14,3002602,800 50 11,500210
Panama 16,0002902,000 36 14,000254
San Blas 17,8003223,800 68 14,000254
Mazatlan 18,0003264,000 72 14,000254
San Diego 18,5003364,500 82 14,000254
San Francisco 19,0003445,000 90 14,000254
Wellington, N. Z.13,740 11,100 8,480 5,260 2,620
Melbourne, Australia 13,230 12,720 9,890 3,340 2,830

The following condensed statement, from tables carefully prepared by an advocate of intermarine canals, exhibits some of the commercial advantages depending upon the completion of the route:

Table showing the saving to the trade of the world, in insurance on vessels and cargoes, interest on cargoes, saving of wear and tear of ships, and saving of wages, provisions, etc., by using the Isthmus Canal:

United States$35,995,930
England9,950,348
France2,183,930
Other countries 1,400,000
Total yearly saving  $49,530,208