170 REPORT OF BOARD OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS, PANAMA CANAL.

 Since the opening of the Suez Canal to navigation the company has never ceased to enlarge and deepen the sections. The section contained in the narrowest part of the canal has to-day a depth of 10 meters (32.80 ft.) and a bottom width of about 30 meters (98.42 ft.), and M. Quellennee will tell the Board of the efforts made by the company in order to obtain in the future, in a limited exit, a depth of 10.50 meters (34.44 ft.) and a bottom width of 50 meters (164.04 ft.).
 Should it be necessary in order to determine the dimensions of the Panama Canal to take into account the exigencies of navigation we must not lose sight of the fact that navigation must shape its tools, the steamers, to conform with the sizes of the ports and canals.
 Therefore it seems that with all the practical information available on this subject the minimum dimensions to be given to the canal can be easily determined, so that, in accordance with the law, it will not only afford free transit to the largest vessels now afloat but, better still, to those of the future.