MY RECEPTION AT THE INDEPENDENT HOTEL--A CRUCES TABLE
D'HOTE--LIFE IN CRUCES--AMUSEMENTS OF THE CROWDS--A
NOVEL FOUR-POST BED.
The sympathising reader, who very likely has been laughing heartily at
my late troubles, can fancy that I was looking forward with no little
pleasurable anticipation to reaching my brother's cheerful home at
Cruces. After the long night spent on board the wretched boat in my
stiff, clayey dress, and the hours of fasting, the warmth and good
cheer of the Independent Hotel could not fail to be acceptable. My
brother met me on the rickety wharf with the kindest welcome in his
face, although he did not attempt to conceal a smile at my forlorn
appearance, and giving the necessary instructions about my luggage,
led the way at once to his house, which was situated at the upper end
of the street. A capital site, he said, when the rest of the town was
under water--which agreeable variety occurred twice or thrice a year
unexpectedly. On our way, he rather damped my hopes by expressing his
fears that he should be unable to provide his sister with the
accommodation he could wish. For you see, he said, the crowd from
Panama has just come in, meeting your crowd from Navy Bay; and I
shouldn't be at all surprised if very many of them have no better bed
than the store floors. But, despite this warning, I was miserably
unprepared for the reception that awaited me. To be sure, I found
Cruces as like Gorgona, in its dampness, dirt, and confusion, as it
well could be; but the crowd from the gold-fields of California had
just arrived, having made the journey from Panama on mules, and the
street was filled with motley groups in picturesque variety of attire.
The hotels were also full of them, while many lounged in the verandahs
after their day's journey. Rude, coarse gold-diggers, in gay-coloured
shirts, and long, serviceable boots, elbowed, in perfect equality,
keen Yankee speculators, as close shaven, neat, and clean on the
Isthmus of Panama as in the streets of New York or New Orleans. The
women alone kept aloof from each other, and well they might; for,
while a very few seemed not ashamed of their sex, it was somewhat
difficult to distinguish the majority from their male companions, save
by their bolder and more reckless voice and manner. I must say,
however, that many of them adopted male attire for the journey across
the Isthmus only, as it spared them many compliments which their
husbands were often disposed to resent, however flattering they might
be to their choice.
Through all these I pressed on, stiff, cold, and hungry, to the
Independent Hotel, eagerly anticipating the comforts which awaited me
there. At length we reached it. But, rest! warmth! comfort!--miserable
delusions! Picture to yourself, sympathising reader, a long, low hut,
built of rough, unhewn, unplaned logs, filled up with mud and split
bamboo; a long, sloping roof and a large verandah, already full of
visitors. And the interior: a long room, gaily hung with dirty
calico, in stripes of red and white; above it another room, in which
the guests slept, having the benefit of sharing in any orgies which
might be going on below them, through the broad chinks between the
rough, irregular planks which formed its floor. At the further end, a
small corner, partitioned roughly off, formed a bar, and around it
were shelves laden with stores for the travellers, while behind it was
a little room used by my brother as his private apartment; but three
female travellers had hired it for their own especial use for the
night, paying the enormous sum of L10 for so exclusive a luxury. At
the entrance sat a black man, taking toll of the comers-in, giving
them in exchange for coin or gold-dust (he had a rusty pair of scales
to weigh the latter) a dirty ticket, which guaranteed them supper, a
night's lodging, and breakfast. I saw all this very quickly, and
turned round upon my brother in angry despair.
"What am I to do? Why did you ever bring me to this place? See what a
state I am in--cold, hungry, and wretched. I want to wash, to change
my clothes, to eat, to----"
But poor Edward could only shrug his shoulders and shake his head, in
answer to my indignant remonstrances. At last he made room for me in a
corner of the crowded bar, set before me some food, and left me to
watch the strange life I had come to; and before long I soon forgot my
troubles in the novelty of my position.
The difference between the passengers to and from California was very
distinguishable. Those bound for the gold country were to a certain
extent fresh from civilization, and had scarcely thrown off its
control; whereas the homeward bound revelled in disgusting excess of
licence. Although many of the women on their way to California showed
clearly enough that the life of licence they sought would not be
altogether unfamiliar to them, they still retained some appearance of
decency in their attire and manner; but in many cases (as I have
before said) the female companions of the successful gold-diggers
appeared in no hurry to resume the dress or obligations of their sex.
Many were clothed as the men were, in flannel shirt and boots; rode
their mules in unfeminine fashion, but with much ease and courage; and
in their conversation successfully rivalled the coarseness of their
lords. I think, on the whole, that those French lady writers who
desire to enjoy the privileges of man, with the irresponsibility of
the other sex, would have been delighted with the disciples who were
carrying their principles into practice in the streets of Cruces.
The chief object of all the travellers seemed to be dinner or supper;
I do not know what term they gave it. Down the entire length of the
Independent Hotel ran a table covered with a green oilskin cloth, and
at proper intervals were placed knives and forks, plates, and cups and
saucers turned down; and when a new-comer received his ticket, and
wished to secure his place for the coming repast, he would turn his
plate, cup, and saucer up; which mode of reserving seats seemed
respected by the rest. And as the evening wore on, the shouting and
quarrelling at the doorway in Yankee twang increased momentarily;
while some seated themselves at the table, and hammering upon it with
the handles of their knives, hallooed out to the excited nigger cooks
to make haste with the slapjack. Amidst all this confusion, my
brother was quietly selling shirts, boots, trousers, etc., to the
travellers; while above all the din could be heard the screaming
voices of his touters without, drawing attention to the good cheer of
the Independent Hotel. Over and over again, while I cowered in my snug
corner, wishing to avoid the notice of all, did I wish myself safe
back in my pleasant home in Kingston; but it was too late to find out
my mistake now.
At last the table was nearly filled with a motley assemblage of men
and women, and the slapjack, hot and steaming, was carried in by the
black cooks. The hungry diners welcomed its advent with a shout of
delight; and yet it did not seem particularly tempting. But beyond all
doubt it was a capital _piece de resistance_ for great eaters; and
before the dinner was over, I saw ample reasons to induce any
hotel-keeper to give it his patronage. In truth, it was a thick
substantial pancake of flour, salt, and water--eggs were far too
expensive to be used in its composition; and by the time the supply
had disappeared, I thought the largest appetites must have been
stayed. But it was followed by pork, strips of beef stewed with hard
dumplings, hams, great dishes of rice, jugs of molasses and treacle
for sauce; the whole being washed down with an abundance of tea and
coffee. Chickens and eggs were provided for those who were prepared to
pay for these luxuries of Panama life. But, so scarce and expensive
were they, that, as I afterwards discovered, those hotel-keepers whose
larders were so stocked would hang out a chicken upon their signposts,
as a sure attraction for the richer and more reckless diggers; while
the touter's cry of "Eggs and chickens here" was a very telling one.
Wine and spirits were also obtainable, but were seldom taken by the
Americans, who are abstemious abroad as well as at home.
After dinner the store soon cleared. Gambling was a great attraction;
but my brother, dreading its consequences with these hot-brained
armed men, allowed none to take place in his hotel. So some lounged
away to the faro and monte tables, which were doing a busy trade;
others loitered in the verandah, smoking, and looking at the native
women, who sang and danced fandangos before them. The whole of the
dirty, woe-begone place, which had looked so wretched by the light of
day, was brilliantly illuminated now. Night would bring no rest to
Cruces, while the crowds were there to be fed, cheated, or amused.
Daybreak would find the faro-tables, with their piles of silver and
little heaps of gold-dust, still surrounded by haggard gamblers;
daybreak would gleam sickly upon the tawdry finery of the poor
Spanish singers and dancers, whose weary night's work would enable
them to live upon the travellers' bounty for the next week or so.
These few hours of gaiety and excitement were to provide the Cruces
people with food and clothing for as many days; and while their
transitory sun shone, I will do them the justice to say they gathered
in their hay busily. In the exciting race for gold, we need not be
surprised at the strange groups which line the race-course. All that
I wondered at was, that I had not foreseen what I found, or that my
rage for change and novelty had closed my ears against the warning
voices of those who knew somewhat of the high-road to California; but
I was too tired to moralise long, and begged my brother to find me a
bed somewhere. He failed to do so completely, and in despair I took
the matter in my own hands; and stripping the green oilskin cloth
from the rough table--it would not be wanted again until to-morrow's
breakfast--pinned up some curtains round the table's legs, and turned
in with my little servant beneath it. It was some comfort to know
that my brother, his servants, and Mac brought their mattresses, and
slept upon it above us. It was a novel bed, and required some slight
stretch of the imagination to fancy it a four-poster; but I was too
tired to be particular, and slept soundly.
We were up right early on the following morning; and refreshed with my
night's sleep, I entered heartily into the preparations for breakfast.
That meal over, the homeward-bound passengers took boats _en route_
for Gorgona, while those bound for California hired mules for the land
journey to Panama. So after awhile all cleared away, and Cruces was
left to its unhealthy solitude.