The Isthmus Line to the Pacific [pp. 259-266]

The Isthmus Line to the Pacfle. 263
acted of the merchandise over these two routes.
The Tehuantepec road, supposing both to be
run on a strait line, is 95 miles the longer, and
a ton of American merchandise to pass this road
would have to pay $9 50 per ton more than the
Panama road would exact of it. A tax of $9 50
per ton upon American commerce for ever for the
mere advantage of shortening temporarily the
time for passengers bound hence to California,
for one week, would, it appears to me, be paying too dearly for a little time. For when the
rail road is built across from the Mississippi, no
one from South America bound to California will
think of going by the way of Tehuantepec. A
tribute forever to Mexico of $9 50 per ton on
commerce, the extent of which cannot be foreseen, for the privilege of saving seven days for
seven years or there away in the time to and from
California! Why, sir, this is a tax far more onerous and odious than the famous Chinese " Cumshaw" which had from time immemorial been
exacted of all "Barbarian" ships, and the abrogation of which was hailed with so much delight
on both sides of the Atlantic. Its abrogation is a
prominent article of the China treaties both with
the States of Europe and America; and it, with
the free ports, is considered as the chief good
which has resulted from the wicked war of England upon China.
At this rate of 10 cents, a ship carrying 1,000
tons of merchandise would have to pay $9,500
more to get her cargo across Tehuantepec than
she would to get it across Panama. Few indeed are the cargoes that can pay such a " Cum
mill and ninety-eight hundredths of a mill (1.98)
as the average rate per ton per sea mile for the
transportation of merchandise across the ocean
under canvass.
The average distance which a vessel under
canvass has to accomplish, from New York to
Lima, may be taken in round numbers at 13,000
miles (sea,) which, at 1.98 mill per ton per mile
gives as the average rate of freight thence $25 74.
To satisfy you as to the degree of confidence
due this estimate, I may remark that since making it out I have consulted a gentleman who
has been engaged for many years in the Lima
trade. He informs me that until Guano was introduced as an article of commerce, the usual
rate of freight from New York to Lima was between $25 and $30 per ton.
Guano pays heavy freight. Vessels that go
there are now certain of a return cargo, and the
outward rates at present rule at $15 the ton, equal
to 1.15 mill per ton, per sea mile.
This rate I adopt for the following comparative estimates as to the cost of the transportation
of a ton of merchandise from New York via
Cape Horn, Tehuantepec and Panama. The
distance to be accomplished under canvass is
stated at 4,300 miles via Tehuantepec and 3,700
via Panama.
Cost by Sea,
Rail Road,
Total sea and lat
Via Cape Horn. Tehuantepec. Panama.
$15 00 4 94 4 25
13 90* 4 40
nd, $15 00 18 84 8 65
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s~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~m * U5W LttilLlIUlJ Vo rlt~UU U{ JU t~UO~UUI~~sU ~~ ali
shaw" as this.v
shaw" as this. another we may safely assume the average value
The charge at 10 cents the ton a mile would of it to be $2 50 per ton.
be, via. Panama, 44 miles-$4 40; via. Tehu- The passage around Cape Horn is three months
antepc, 13 mils-$1390- ig; $ 500 The passage around Cape Horn is three months
antepec, 139 miles-$13 90-difference $9,500. longer than it is across the Isthmus, and it is
The site of Panama is quite as convenient to the therefore proper to charge the Cape Horn route
market ways over the Pacific as Tehuantepec. with the interest on $250 for three months, which
But little is due therefore to any advantages, to wh c
a' ~~~at 81x per cent 13 $3 7-5 —making the whole cost
be gained by the one over the other on account around Cape Horn $18 75or 9 cents less than
of a more central terminus on the Pacific side. b a pe n 7 or than
by Tehuantepec, and $10 20, more than one
Let us now see whether such merchandise asbvThatpcan 120moehnoe
Let us now see whether such merchandise as hundred per cent greater than by Panama. From
is usually sent around Cape Horn to the South this statement it appears that we may go and
American market s, could afford to pay the ex- come with our merchandise via Panama with
pense of portage over either of these two routes
less freight than we can now go, outward bound
across the continent.
The space allotted on board ship to a ton of a le a ape r n
,. ~~~~~~The average length of a voyage under canmerchandise is 40 feet. Estimating the average
rate of freight on cotton to Europe at one cent
rate of freight on cotton to Europe at one cent * $13 90. In consequence of the greater distance across
the pound, and 1,350 pounds as occupying the Tehuantepee,, a rail road there for obvious reasons could
space of a ton, and the average distance across afford to charge a smaller rate of freight per ton per mile,
the Atlantic, from the cotton ports at 3,500 sea than a shorter road. Suppose 20 per cent less. This would
miles, we have 3.86 mills as the average rate of make the freight over the Tehuantepee road to be $11 12,
freight of cotton per ton per sea mile under can- and including the sea voyage $16 06, or nearly double the
vass. But cotton pays the freight both ways, for Panama route. Deduct $2 78 from the Tehuantepee esti russ...u. otton'ays thfremates and you will obserse that Panama has greatly the
the ships which take it generally come empty. advantage as to cost, to every point mentioned in the estiFrom this estimate and explanation we get one mate.
The Isthmus Line to the Pacifie.
263