No. 284.

Mr. Nelson to Mr. Fish

No. 373.]

Sir: I herewith enclose a copy and translation (A and B) of a communication from Mr. Fernandez, the chief of the commission of engineers appointed by the Mexican government to co-operate with the United States surveying expedition on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which was addressed to the minister of public works.

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS H. NELSON.

B.

Mr. M. Fernandez to minister of public works

Commission for the Exploration of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec:

As I had the honor to state at the time to your ministry, I awaited the return of Mr. Fuertes, the chief engineer of the American commission to Chivela, to begin our surveying operations, in accordance with the instructions given me at my departure from the city of Mexico.

On the arrival of Mr. Fuertes, I learned from him that the river Ostuta is not available as a canal-feeder, and that it was necessary to make a survey of the Coatzacoalco River, as the only stream remaining for that purpose.

After surmounting various obstacles which had prevented Mr. Fuertes from making that journey, on account of the lack of co-operation on the part of the authorities and inhabitants of the village called Santa Maria Chimalupa, the members of the Mexican commission, along with the American engineers, set out from Chivela for that village. Other difficulties delayed our departure from that place until the 19th of February, when we again started, and with great difficulty reached, on horseback, the river Blanco, a tributary of the river Coatzacoalco, and from this point we followed up the left bank on foot, since the nature of the ground does not admit of any other mode of traveling.

In some portions of its upper course the Coatzacoalco runs between high banks, forming rapid and powerful currents; but as we ascended we could see that its bed became gradually wider and the falls of less height, but without any great diminution of the volume of water, as we found no other important tributary above the river Blanco, and it would seem that the river continues thus, with little variation, throughout most of its upper course.

Two measurements of the volume of water, made at 8 and 12 kilometers above the confluence of the river Blanco, exhibited 30 cubic meters per second, a quantity which has been estimated sufficient to feed the canal.

We were then on the left bank of the river, about 34 kilometers to the east of Santa Maria, and the barometer showed that the water level was nearly the same as that of Chivela, when the Indians of Santa Maria Chimalupa refused to go any further, and returned to their village, obliging us to go back from lack of provisions. We had obtained, however, one important result, namely, to have ascertained that the river Coatzacoalcos can supply enough water, and at a sufficient height to feed the canal, [Page 631] since it is confidently believed that a little farther up the river a level higher than the plain of Tarifa will be reached without any considerable diminution of the volume of water.

In order to ascertain the exact figures and the means of conducting the water in the most economical and convenient manner, Mr. Fuertes has started again for the river, with a part of the American commission, to perform the necessary operations. Meanwhile I shall proceed with the commission under my charge to explore the rivers Chicapa and Ostuto, which we have not yet surveyed, and we shall then return to the Coatzacoalcos.

I have also the honor to inform you that the exploration of the southern lagoons has been commenced by the officers of the American war steamer sent for that purpose.


M. FERNANDEZ.