But before the event materials sufficient for the forming of a sound judgment were within the reach of all who cared to use them.

It seems incredible that men of sense, who had only a vague and general notion of Paterson's scheme, should have staked every thing on the success of that scheme.

It seems more incredible still that men to whom the details of that scheme had been confided should not have looked into any of the common books of history or geography in which an account of Darien might have been found, and should not have asked themselves the simple question, whether Spain was likely to endure a Scotch colony in the midst of her Transatlantic dominions.

It was notorious that she claimed the sovereignty of the isthmus on specious, nay, on solid, grounds.

A Spaniard had been the first discoverer of the coast of Darien.