The Culebra Cut commences near Bas Obispo--from this place--where the Chagres River enters Gatun Lake, the cut extends for nine miles, to Pedro Miguel. All between here and Gatun will be under water. The drawing was made at the bottom of the cut, and the various levels on which the excavations are made may be seen. The dirt trains, one above the other, are loading up from the steam shovels on each side of the old river bed in the centre. The machinery for shifting tracks and unloading trains is wonderful, but not very picturesque. [Illustration] XII IN THE CUT AT LAS CASCADAS This drawing shows the cut and gives from above some idea of the different levels on which the work is carried out. It is on some of these levels that slides have occurred and wrecked the work. The slides move slowly, not like avalanches, but have caused endless complications; but Colonel Gaillard, the engineer in charge, believes he will triumph over all his difficulties--which include even a small volcano--there is a newspaper story--but no earthquakes. [Illustration] XIII THE CUT FROM CULEBRA At this point the cut is far the deepest at the continental divide, and here the French did their greatest work, and here this is recorded by the United States on a placque high up on the left-hand bare mountain face of Gold Hill. The drawing was made looking towards Pedro Miguel. [Illustration] XIV STEAM SHOVEL AT WORK IN THE CULEBRA CUT This beast, as they say down there, "can pick up anything from an elephant to a red-bug"--the smallest thing on the Isthmus. They also say the shovel "would look just like Teddy if it only had glasses." It does the work of digging the Canal and filling the trains, and does it amazingly--under the amazing direction of its amazing crews. [Illustration] XV THE CUT--LOOKING TOWARD CULEBRA This is the most pictorial as well as the most profound part of the cut. Culebra, the town, is high above--some of it has fallen in--on the edge in the distance--on the left. The white tower is an observatory from near which the lithograph No. XIII of the cut was made. The drawing is looking toward the Atlantic. The engineer of the dirt train--the smoke of which is so black because the engines burn oil--climbed up to see what I was at, and incidentally told me he was paid $3,600 a year, had a house free and two months' holiday. It is scarcely wonderful he has little interest in home, but the greatest pride in "our canal," and his only hope was to be "kept on the job" and run an electric locomotive for the rest of his life. [Illustration] XVI THE CUT AT PARAISO