Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Practicability of a Ship-Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by Way of The Isthmus of Darien

This fascinating volume reflects numerous months of intensive jungle explorations led by U.S. naval officer Thomas Selfridge between 1870 and 1873. Selfridge was at the head of several expeditions across Panama (the Darien Isthmus) in an attempt to locate the ideal course for a Trans-Oceanic Canal – connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific across America had been a global priority since the first discoveries of Columbus. While a more favorable route was eventually selected over those trailblazed by Selfridge, the information obtained by him and his men was helpful in narrowing down the possible options. The report (a battered copy) was authored by Selfridge and includes 250 pages; offering a narrative, tables of data, several illustrations, and general observations. Seventeen folding maps (only sixteen are referenced in the index) are included, providing a detailed overview of the arduous routes taken. Published in Washington, D.C. by the Government Printing Office in 1874.