THE PROPOSED APPROXIMATE PRELIMINARY LOCATION.

Starting at Peña Blanca, the proposed location ascends the left bank of the Río Sapoá to its junction with the Río de los Pozitos, crossing without difficulty the Cabalzeta, Las Vueltas, and Sonsapote. Ascending the Pozitos, a heavy gradient is required to attain the plains of Sapoá, which afford an almost level road-bed as far as Santa Rosa, when some development and a steep gradient are necessary to make the descent to a crossing of the Río Tempisquito, which calls for a viaduct about 800 feet in length. From this point on to Liberia there are no difficulties worth mentioning. The distance from Peña Blanca to Liberia is 52.5 miles (84.49 kilometers). The estimated cost for grading, masonry and bridges is $1,167,430, an average of $22,236 per mile ($13,817 per kilometer). Continuing from Liberia, the proposed location along the Pacific Slope maintains a general southeasterly direction towards Bagaces until the valley of the Potrero is reached, whence the line swerves to the right and proceeds down that stream to near Bebedero; then, running eastwardly, it crosses over to the valley of the Higuerón and descends its right bank to near the mouth; thence, closely following the shore to the mouth of the Guasimal, the line deviates a few miles from the coast and running in a general direction parallel thereto, crosses the Punta Arenas and Esparta Railroad near Robles, and, soon afterwards, the Río Barranca. An ascent to the Cumbre Salina is next made, the line following the coast except at those places where the projecting spurs come boldly down to the shore. In such cases, the ridges are crossed at natural inland passes, and finally, the Río Savegre is reached, at a distance of 157.5 miles (253.47 kilometers) from Liberia, the estimated cost for grading, masonry and bridges being placed at $3,820,000. The mouth of the Savegre was the furthest point east reached by the line of survey of Corps No. 1, connection there having been made with the initial point of Corps No. 2, which explored, as already indicated, the balance of the route through Costa Rica into Colombia.

Starting at Boca Savegre, also called Boca del Portalón, for the reason that the two streams unite their waters before emptying into the Pacific Ocean, the location proposed by Corps No. 2 closely follows the shore-line to near the mouth of the Río Diquís, at Punta Mala, whence it turns inland, striking the Diquís about three miles above Pejivalle, thence ascends the stream, via Palmar and Lagarto, to Paso Real. At this point the valley of the Río Brus, a tributary of the Diquís, is entered and followed in a southeasterly direction to near its source, and continuing in the same direction over a divide, the Río Golfito, claimed as part of the boundary between Costa Rica and Colombia, is next crossed at a point about 150 miles (241.40 kilometers) from the Río Savegre. The cost for grading,

masonry and bridges is estimated at $3,353,487, an average of $22,356 per mile ($13,892 per kilometer). The distance across Costa Rica from Peña Blanca to the Río Golfito is, therefore, 360 miles (579.36 kilometers), and the total distance from Ayutla across the five republics of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica to the Río Golfito is 1,043 miles (1,678.53 kilometers), of which 211.3 miles (340.05 kilometers) are practically constructed, leaving 831.7 miles (1,338.48 kilometers) to be built at an estimated cost of $17,154,517 for grading, masonry and bridges.

CHAPTER VII.

SOUTH AMERICA.

I.

ORGANIZATION AND JOURNEY OF CORPS NO. 2 TO ITS FIELD OF OPERATIONS.

Corps No. 2 was organized in the United States, and at the outset consisted of the following persons:

MR. WILLIAM F. SHUNK, Engineer in Charge.

MR. ROBERT BURGESS, Assistant Engineer.

MR. WILLIAM J. O'CONNELL, Topographer.

MR. JAMES PARKER, JR., Assistant.

MR. THOMAS F. DEMPSEY, Rodman.

DR. FREDERICK N. OGDEN, U. S. Navy, Surgeon.

To this party was assigned the survey of the country from Quito, Ecuador, northward through Colombia and the Isthmus of Panamá, until connection should be made with Corps No. 1 coming southward from Guatemala.

Being fully equipped, it sailed from New York on the 10th of April, 1891, for Guayaquil, Ecuador, which point was safely reached on the 21st of the same month, after a short voyage of 11 days. Having been handsomely entertained at this point by the Governor of the province and the United States consular officers, it proceeded to Quito, a distance of about 270 miles, and there received from the general Government of Ecuador every courtesy and attention. The details of these acts of interest in the work contemplated by the Commission will be found amply set forth in the reports of Corps No. 2 and No. 3.

Commencing at Quito, in the beginning of June, the field-work was prosecuted without interruption northward via Ibarra and Tulcán into the Republic of Colombia, and proceeding via Pasto, the head of the Cauca Valley was reached near Popayán, and the stream followed downward past Cali and Cartago to Paso de Caramanta, whence the survey was carried to Medellín. From this point