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C. Trautwine, Civil Engineer, and author of some excellent books on engineering who has just returned from exploring a canal route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, by way of the, rivers Atrato and San Juan, .in New Grenada South America, reports that the canal mentioned by Humboldt, as having been executed a long time since, by a native priest, really never existed. Canoes are, even at ,the present day dragged across the interven ing isthmus between the two rivers, but no water communication has ever been effected. I r. Trautwine also spea i-s : ,;bly of the route by the river Napipi. He, however, re presents all the region to the east and south of the Atrato as abounding in gold . which , is washed by the natives from the sands of all the streams whi ch flow into the Atrato, from the east ; and expresses his belief that the gold veins of the Cordillera mountains, in which those streams have their rise, are fully as rich as those of Caliiornia. The geological features of the mountains of both regions, he says, are similar. The gold placers, or wash ings are not confined to the beds of streams, but, according to Mr. Trautwine's representa tions, it is only necessary to remove an upper stratum of vegetable earth, in order to arrive at the gold bearing gravel over the whole country.
