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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 edition. Excerpt:...existed, and that the river might readily be made to answer every desirable purpose. It will however be found to be the most difficult part of the whole enterprise; not less on account of the insufficiency of the ' river for ship navigation, than on account of the climate. It should be observed, before dismissing this portion of the subject, that the rapids in the river are not formed by the simple aggregation of rocks, but by the interposition of beds of hornblendic and very solid rock, in their natural position, or uplifted by subterranean forces. Mr. Baily inclines to the opinion that these beds, or some of them, have been upheaved at a comparatively late period, by volcanic agency. Amongst the reasons which he gives for this opinion, is the following: "In further corroboration of this hypothesis may be cited an incident that occurred in 1648, in which year a Spanish brigantine, from Carthagena. de las Indias, arrived at Granada: after discharging her cargo and taking another on board, she started on her return voyage, but on proceeding down the river, it was found to be so obstructed at a certain point that the passage was impossible; she was consequently taken back to Granada, the cargo was relanded, and the vessel laid up at a place near by, called the Isletas, where, after lying some years, she was broken up. ' Protests and documents confirmatory of this fact are still existing in the municipal archives of the city. There is indeed no record extant of violent earthquake, nor extraordinary volcanic explosion, having happened at that period; yet the possibility of the event just supposed need not be rejected as purely imaginary, in the face of the historical evidences there are of the rising of Monte Nuevo, near...