Panama Volume 3; a personal record of forty-six years, 1861-1907

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...Isthmian surveys. A company was at once formed, with M. de Lesseps at its head, and called La Compagnie Generale du Canal Oce-anique de Panama. On December 30, 1879, M. de Lesseps, accompanied by his wife, three children, and a large party, including several engineers of note, arrived at Colon from Paris. Preceding events had caused much excitement on the Isthmus; and when this party arrived there was considerable public enthusiasm. As one of a committee of reception, I went on board the steamer to welcome the distinguished gentleman and his associates, through whom the fortunes of the Isthmus were to be established upon a basis of pure gold. As is customary in such cases, there were speeches, followed by the informalities and cordialities of welcome. M. de Lesseps responded very pleasantly, wearing the diplomatic smile for which he was noted. He was then over seventy years of age, but was still active and vigorous: a small man, French in detail, with winning manners, and what is called a magnetic presence. When he spoke, the hearer would not fail to be convinced that whatever he said was true, or at all events that he believed it to be true. Thus, during the reception and the conversations which followed, he would answer every inquiry in regard to the canal in the readiest and most amiable manner, and would invariably conclude with the assertion: "THE CANAL WILL BE MADE!" As an instance, the question was asked: "What will be done with the Chagres River?" To which he immediately replied, as though the subject had been fully considered and decided upon: "It is the intention to turn the upper river into the Pacific Ocean, thereby relieving the lower valley of all danger of floods." He added, "This can be done without great e...