OVER THE ISTHMUS.--A PROFITABLE RAILWAY.--ISTHMUS FEVER.--TROPICAL
TREES, FLOWERS, AND ANIMALS.--SIGHTS IN PANAMA.--THE CATHEDRAL.--A
STROLL ON THE BEACH.--THE PARADISE OF CONCHOLOGISTS.
[Illustration: MAP OF THE PANAMA RAILWAY.]
Next morning our friends arranged to leave for Panama by the regular
train. Just as they were about starting from the hotel they were met by
the manager of the railway, who invited them to occupy the directors'
car, which was to be drawn by a special locomotive, and would follow the
train an hour or more later. They accepted the invitation, sending
their baggage by the train, with the assurance that it would be found
at the station at Panama on their arrival. The directors' car afforded
superior facilities for seeing the objects of interest along the route,
and, besides, they were to be accompanied by the manager, and also by
the official who had been of such practical assistance on the previous
day.
They were joined by some of the officials connected with the
construction of the canal, and altogether the party was a most agreeable
one. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that when the canal company was
organized it was deemed advisable to have command of the railway in
order to facilitate the work. A controlling interest in the line was
bought by the canal company, and it is fair to suppose that the owners
of the shares received a good price for their property.
"The Panama Railway has been the most profitable thing of the kind in
the world," said the Doctor, "or, at any rate, one of the most
profitable I ever heard of. The managers have generally kept their
affairs as much as possible to themselves, and would, doubtless, assure
you that they had lost money by their investment, which is often the
case with men who have a remunerative business of any kind. The local
fare over the line between Aspinwall and Panama was established at
twenty-five dollars, and remained at that figure for nearly twenty
years. Twenty-five dollars for a ride of forty-eight miles, or more than
fifty cents a mile! Thousands of passengers were carried over the road
every month, and every thousand passengers meant twenty-five thousand
dollars to the railway. At one time the steamships were carrying
steerage passengers from New York to San Francisco for eighty dollars,
including the transit of the Isthmus; the steamship company thus
received fifty-five dollars for carrying a passenger five thousand five
hundred miles, including his board and lodging for twenty-three days,
while the railway company received almost half as much for carrying him
forty-eight miles, lodging him four hours in rickety cars, and giving
him no board whatever.
[Illustration: CROSSING THE ISTHMUS IN 1849.]
"But bygones are bygones," continued the Doctor, "and if any traveller
disliked the price of the railway journey he had the privilege of going
by the old route. This involved a tedious journey up the Chagres River
by bongoes or native boats as far as Gorgona, and a ride thence over the
hills and through the mud to Panama. The riding was done on the backs of
mules, as there was no wagon-road; travellers were often obliged to pass
the night in the open air, as there were very scanty accommodations in
the few villages along the road; a week or more was generally consumed
in the trip; the prices of everything were exorbitant; and the tourist
generally reached the end of his journey feeling very much as if he had
been passed through a patent wringing-machine. Not a few fell ill and
died on the way, and many a fevered sufferer in California, years
afterwards, could trace the beginning of his ills to his exposure on the
Isthmus. 'Isthmus fever' became known almost as a distinct malady, and
it was often very difficult of cure. It is pretty well forgotten now,
thanks to the rapid transit afforded by the railway. Under all the
circumstances, the enterprising men who constructed this road deserve
every cent they received from it; it has saved thousands of lives to the
population of the United States and other countries, and has added
materially to the commercial facilities of the world. It was built under
many discouragements, and the energy displayed in its construction was
worthy of a liberal reward."
[Illustration: A BONGO.]
They rolled merrily over the track and in a little while had passed
Gatun Station, and the point they visited in their excursion to inspect
the work on the canal. They wound among the low hills and along the
bank of the Chagres River, catching pretty views here and there, and
passing several unimportant stations without stopping. One of the
officials pointed out the cottage which was the favorite residence of
Mr. John L. Stephens during his connection with the railway, and also a
gigantic tree which has long been known as "Stephens's tree." Other
objects of interest were indicated, and there was not an idle moment in
the whole journey.
[Illustration: BRIDGE ACROSS THE CHAGRES RIVER AT BARBACOAS.]
The railway crosses the Chagres River at Barbacoas, where there is a
fine bridge, which has withstood the shocks of that capricious stream in
a manner that reflects creditably upon its builders. A little beyond
Barbacoas they met a train bound eastward, and waited a short time on a
siding to enable the locomotive and its burden to get out of the way.
The delay gave an opportunity for a brief excursion into the tropical
forest, which came close up to the railway, as it does for the greater
part of the distance between Aspinwall and Panama.
[Illustration: MEETING A TRAIN.]
Frank and Fred were accompanied by one of their new friends, who seemed
to be well versed in the botany of the country. The first tree to meet
their gaze was a palm, and while they were noting its peculiarities
their guide told them there was no place in the world where so many
varieties of the palm could be found together as on the Isthmus. "There
are," said he, "twenty-one different species of palm-trees; I am
informed that three or four more have been found in the vicinity, but I
have not seen them. From one of the well-known varieties is extracted
the palm-oil of commerce; another produces a sweet sap from which the
natives distil a wine they use freely as a beverage; there is the 'sugar
palm,' from which sugar is made; the 'sago palm,' which produces sago,
but of a quality inferior to that of the Malay Archipelago; the 'ivory
palm,' which supplies vegetable ivory; the 'cabbage palm,' whose stalks
resemble the cabbage in appearance and taste; and the 'glove palm,' from
which bags for holding grain or kindred things are readily obtained.
Houses, weapons, domestic utensils, and many other things are made from
the leaves, stalks, fruit, bark, or wood of the palm, and the tree is
quite as necessary to the existence of the natives of the Isthmus as is
the bamboo to the inhabitants of tropical Asia."
[Illustration: THE SINGING HUMMER.]
It was impossible to penetrate far into the forest, owing to the network
of hanging and creeping plants that blocked the way, and the youths were
not long in realizing the difficulties encountered by the surveyor who
laid out the line of the railway. Their guide described many of the
vegetable growths that were visible, and the number was so great that
Frank was fairly bewildered with them. So he called attention to the
birds darting among the thick foliage, and asked about the animal
kingdom of the country.
[Illustration: THE HUMMING-BIRD AT WORK.]
"There are birds, beasts, reptiles, and insects here in great number,"
was the reply. "There are parrots of several kinds, some of which will
learn to talk while others will not; there are toucans, with enormous
beaks especially designed for the disposal of fruits; humming-birds of
gorgeous hues and hardly bigger than bees; and there are orioles,
trogons, tanagers, and other birds whose names are only known locally
or in scientific works. There are wild turkeys and grouse among the
hills; the latter are shy and not easily taken, and the hunter is always
at a disadvantage on account of the thickness of the shrubbery; the
tapir abounds in the low ground and marshes near the rivers, and his
flesh is not unlike pork in taste and appearance. You have already seen
monkeys, and if you could go into the forest a dozen miles from the
settlements you might see hundreds of them in a single day. They go in
large parties oftentimes, and whenever they make a raid on a banana
plantation they destroy in a few hours the labor of a whole season.
There is a tradition that in the old days the natives used to serve up
monkey flesh to the California emigrants under the name of 'opossum.'
The opossum is found here, but he is not easily taken, and a man from
the States would have no hesitation in eating its flesh, though he might
seriously object to dining on monkey.
[Illustration: THE IGUANA.]
"Besides the animals I have mentioned," he continued, "we have the
ant-eater, peccary, sloth, deer, cougar, bear, and tiger-cat; the
peccary is also known as the 'wild hog,' and is closely allied to the
tapir. There is a lizard called the _iguana_, which is sometimes five or
six feet long, and is as delicious as lobster or chicken; its eggs are
much prized by the natives, and frequently seen in the markets.
Americans who come here are generally chary of eating iguana, because it
is a lizard; we have got over this difficulty by naming it 'Panama
lobster,' and thus silencing all objections. There's a great deal in a
name."
[Illustration: A CENTIPEDE.]
The youths admitted the evident truth of the assertion. Suddenly, Frank
espied almost under his feet a crab about the size of a half-grown
chicken, and asked if it was a "Panama beetle."
[Illustration: A SCORPION.]
"Not exactly," replied their guide, with a smile. "It is a land-crab,
which is very abundant on the Isthmus, and considered an excellent
article of food. It is rapacious, like the crab generally, and comes
fearlessly into the presence of man in search of a breakfast. These
crabs devour the flesh of animals, and will often reduce a horse or ox
to a heap of polished bones in a few hours. It will be well for you to
tread carefully on the ground in the vicinity, as you never know when
you will encounter a scorpion, tarantula, or centipede, or even a
venomous snake. Occasionally we find large serpents of the constrictor
species, but they are not as dangerous as the smaller reptiles and
insects. The tarantula is a sort of hairy spider, quite pretty to look
at, but so venomous that his bite causes death in a few hours. The
natives have a belief that if a tarantula simply walks over the flesh
without biting there is left a poisonous trail which causes rheumatic
and other pains, lasting for years or perhaps for a lifetime. Catch one
of these spiders and show it to a group of natives, and they will run
shrieking away from you."
[Illustration: EXHIBITING A TARANTULA.]
The whistle of the locomotive put an end to the conversation, and
recalled the young naturalists to the train. Fred observed a native with
one foot bandaged across the toes, and asked what was the matter with
him.
"Probably jiggers," was the reply.
"And please tell us what jiggers are?"
"Its native name is _chigoe_," answered their guide, "and this has been
anglicized into 'jigger.' Its scientific name is _Pulex penetrans_; it
is a species of flea which deposits its eggs in the human body,
especially under the skin of the foot or the nails of the toes. Its
presence is indicated by a slight itching and subsequently by a
membranous sac, like the head of a pin. This sac can be removed with a
needle or by washing the feet with tobacco juice; if allowed to remain
it causes an ulcer, and the victim will quite likely lose his toes. It
is necessary to keep close watch to one's feet, and wash them frequently
with strong soap or decoction of tobacco."
[Illustration: HILLS NEAR THE RAILWAY.]
Natural history gave place to more immediate matters as the train passed
one of the points where excavations for the canal were going on. The
scene was a repetition of that at Gatun, and needs no special
description, but it naturally led to further conversation upon the great
enterprise which was intended to unite the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Fred asked how it happened that a canal through the Isthmus connecting
North and South America was being constructed by Frenchmen and with
French capital?
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING HOW OCEAN ROUTES ARE SHORTENED BY THE PANAMA
CANAL.]
"For the very simple reason," the Doctor answered, "that Americans were
unwilling to risk their money in the work and the French were ready to
do so. The final surveys were made by Lieutenant Bonaparte Wyse of the
French navy, and the expense was paid by French capitalists. M. De
Lesseps, whose name has become known throughout the world for his energy
in making the Suez Canal, caused an international congress to be
assembled at Paris in 1879; this congress decided in favor of the
present location, and for a canal without locks. Under his leadership
the company was formed, and the work is going on as you see it.
"It is quite likely that diplomatic questions will arise concerning the
use of the canal by the great nations of the globe; meantime, we need
not disturb ourselves about it, but wait patiently for the day when
ships will be able to pass from ocean to ocean. To understand the
advantages to commerce which will result from the construction of the
canal you have only to look at this map and observe the difference
between the proposed routes for ships and those which are at present
followed."
The Doctor unfolded a map which we give on page 53. While Frank and Fred
were glancing at the routes marked upon it, Dr. Bronson read the
following array of figures:
Miles.
The distance from New York to Sydney, Australia, _via_ Cape
Horn, 12,870
The distance from New York to Sydney, Australia, _via_ Panama 9,950
------
In favor of Panama 2,920
The distance from New York to Honolulu, Sandwich Isl., _via_
Cape Horn 13,560
The distance from New York to Honolulu, Sandwich Isl., _via_
Panama 6,800
------
In favor of Panama 6,760
The distance from New York to Hong Kong, _via_ Cape Horn 17,420
The distance from New York to Hong Kong, _via_ Panama 11,850
------
In favor of Panama 5,570
The distance from New York to Yokohama, Japan, _via_ Cape Horn 16,710
The distance from New York to Yokohama, Japan, _via_ Panama 10,220
------
In favor of Panama 6,490
The distance from England to Sydney, Australia, _via_ Cape of
Good Hope 12,828
The distance from England to Sydney, Australia, _via_ Panama 12,730
------
In favor of Panama 98
"Between England and Sydney they don't save much distance," Fred
remarked; "but on all the other routes there is a great difference in
the figures. We will all hope for the speedy completion of the canal,
and on the opening day we'll fling our hats in the air and cheer as
loudly as possible in honor of Ferdinand De Lesseps."
[Illustration: BASALTIC CLIFF.]
Meantime the train had left the valley of the Chagres River and was
ascending among the hills towards the summit level, two hundred and
sixty-eight feet above the ocean. Many of the hills were sharply
conical and showed that they were of volcanic origin; high embankments
and heavy cuttings followed each other in rapid succession, and at one
point the road wound round the side of a hill composed of basaltic
crystals about twelve inches in diameter and eight or ten feet long. It
was explained that this was one of the few instances in the world where
basaltic columns were found in any but upright positions: at Fingal's
Cave, in Staffa, the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, and the Palisades of
the Hudson they are upright, but on this hill of the Panama Isthmus they
are in all sorts of positions, and indicate very clearly that there has
been a great convulsion of nature since their formation.
The _Cerro de Los Bucaneros_, or "Hill of The Buccaneers," was pointed
out. It receives the name from the fact that from its summit the
buccaneer, Morgan, had his first view of ancient Panama in 1668, and he
encamped at the base of the hill on the night before his attack upon the
city.
[Illustration: PANAMA IN THE DISTANCE.]
Soon after passing this memorable hill the city of Panama was visible in
the distance. Entering the railway station, they came to a halt, and in
a few moments Frank and Fred were gazing on the waters breaking on the
beach just outside the spacious building. A long pier jutted into the
bay at the end of the station; a steamboat was being laden there with
freight, intended for one of the large steamers grouped together two or
three miles away. Dr. Bronson explained that the bay of Panama is quite
shallow for a long way out, and only boats of light draft can come close
to shore. The canal company is dredging a channel from the deep parts of
the bay up to the shore, which will form an approach to the mouth of the
canal, when that work is completed. The tide rises and falls about
fifteen feet on the average, varying with the season and the phases of
the moon; and consequently a lock will be necessary at Panama to prevent
the formation of a current through the canal.
The mouth of the canal is at La Boca, some distance from the railway
station. Engineering reasons caused the selection of this spot, as it
possessed considerable advantages over the railway terminus. It is the
intention of the company to dredge out a large basin near La Boca, where
ships can lie in safety while waiting their turn to pass through to the
Atlantic Ocean. Until this basin is completed, the anchorage for large
ships will be in the vicinity of the islands where the Pacific Mail, and
other large companies, have their docks and coaling-stations.
[Illustration: STATION AT PANAMA.]
Our friends found their baggage at the station; they had telegraphed for
accommodations in the principal hotel of Panama, and the runner of the
house was waiting to meet them. Confiding their baggage to his care,
they proceeded at once to the establishment; breakfast had been served
in the directors' car during the ride from Aspinwall, and consequently
they were ready to start at once to look through the city. We are
permitted to make the following extract from Frank's note-book:
[Illustration: CATHEDRAL AT PANAMA.]
"Panama contains about eleven thousand inhabitants, and is very
substantially built of stone. There is nothing particularly attractive
about it, but it is quaint and interesting; the houses are built with
court-yards, in the Spanish style, and you might easily imagine yourself
in a part of Cordova or Cadiz, or even in Madrid. The cathedral is a
fine building for this part of the world, though it would not be
regarded as of much account in any prominent city of Europe. The bells
are old and not very tuneful; they are rung at frequent intervals,
beginning at an early hour of the morning, and it is not advisable for a
nervous traveller to take lodgings in the immediate vicinity of the
venerable building.
"The city is in north latitude 8° 57', and received a royal charter from
King Charles I. of Spain, in 1521. 'Panama' is an Indian word which
means 'a place abounding in fish;' the old city was about six miles
northeast of the present one, which dates from 1670. Old Panama was
destroyed in 1668, by Morgan, the buccaneer, and for a long time the
present city was known as 'New Panama,' to distinguish it from its
predecessor.
[Illustration: RAMPARTS, WITH OLD CANNON.]
"The builders of the new city surrounded it with strong walls as a
defence against invaders, but these walls have been allowed to go to
ruin. They would be of no use against modern artillery, as a few cannon
could batter them down in half a dozen hours. In many places, bushes and
trees grow among the stones; at one time the inhabitants were allowed to
help themselves to building material from the walls, but the practice
was not long continued. Originally the walls were from twenty to forty
feet high, with battlements and towers at frequent intervals; they cost
so much that the Spanish government wrote to the commander of the city,
and wished to know 'whether the walls were builded of silver or of
gold.' We saw some of the cannon that were sent from Spain for the
defence of the walls; they have not been fired for many years, and would
probably explode at the first attempt to use them.
"We went along the principal street, looking into the cathedral, which
is probably two hundred feet long by a hundred and fifty in width, and
is divided in the interior by four rows of massive columns which
support the roof. It contains numerous shrines and altars; the floor is
of brick, and when we entered it was being swept by half a dozen
dark-skinned natives, one of whom offered to show us through the
building. We declined the proposal, as there did not appear to be much
worth seeing, and our time was limited.
[Illustration: WATER-CARRIER AND NATIVE WOMAN.]
"In the plaza or square in front of the cathedral there were little
groups of people, a few on horseback, but the most of them on foot.
There were a few women whose veils of rich lace showed that they
belonged to the upper classes, and others, more numerous, who wore the
_reboza_ or mantle of the descendants of the aborigines. There were
water-carriers mounted on mules, and on each side of every mule was a
couple of kegs of water, with a sprig of grass or a bunch of leaves
stuck into the opening on top. Panama has no system of public
waterworks, and the inhabitants are supplied from house to house, in the
manner of two hundred years ago. The occupation of a water-carrier is
said to descend from father to son; nobody gets rich at the business,
but it affords a living to a good many people.
"There were many natives riding, or leading mules laden with garden
produce from the neighborhood, and also other natives who were their own
beasts of burden, and carried baskets or bags on their heads. There were
priests in flowing robes and shovel-shaped hats, some hurrying along as
if on important business, while others were idling among the people, and
evidently enjoying themselves. The cathedral is on the western side of
the plaza, and on the southern side is the _cabildo_ or Government
House, corresponding to our City Hall. It is a plain building of stone,
two stories high, and with wide porticoes or balconies on both stories.
Here all the business of the city is conducted.
"On the other side of the square there were several plain-looking
buildings, with dwellings on the upper stories and stores below; some of
them were old, while others were new, and there were two or three gaps
where nothing but ruins was visible. Panama has suffered severely from
fires. It was almost entirely destroyed in 1737, but was quickly
rebuilt, as its business was then prosperous. In 1784 there was another
serious fire, and since 1864 there have been three extensive
conflagrations whose traces are still visible. The gaps around the plaza
are the result of these later disasters.
[Illustration: GATE OF THE MONKS.]
"We crossed the plaza and continued on to the _Postiga de las Monas_, or
'Gate of the Monks,' which is crowned by a watch-tower, and leads
through the ruined wall to the beach. A woman and child were sitting
under the shadow of the gateway, and people were coming and going, on
foot or in the saddle. When we reached the beach the tide was out and
there was a large expanse of coral reef visible; it was alive with
crabs, shrimps, cuttle-fishes, and other marine products, and we picked
up lots and lots of shells of curious form and color. It is a splendid
place for conchologists, and if the sun had not been so hot we would
have stayed there an hour or two.
[Illustration: RUINS OF CHURCH OF SAN DOMINGO.]
"We came back through the gateway, and met one of our late companions of
the train. He took us to see the ruins of the Church of San Domingo,
which was built soon after the founding of the city, and burned more
than a hundred years ago. In its time, it was the finest church in
Panama, and was said to possess a great store of silver and gold images
and other treasures.
[Illustration: REMARKABLE ARCHWAY.]
"Dr. Bronson was anxious to see a remarkable arch which was said to
exist in the ruins of the church, and our friend offered to point it
out. We passed among the walls, which were thickly overgrown with vines
and bushes, and finally came to the archway. It is forty feet long, and
has a perpendicular radius at the keystone of only two feet; it is made
of brick, and is said to be a wonderful piece of work. Our friend said
he had never heard of anything like it, and that many architects
passing through Panama in the last twenty years had seen and admired it.
"Some of the bells of the church were lying where they fell at the time
of the fire, and others were hung upon timbers a few feet from the
ground, where they could be rung as in the olden time. Our guide told us
an interesting story about the way these bells were made and given to
the church.
"Soon after Panama was founded, the Queen of Spain invited the ladies of
her court to come and bring whatever money they could afford, for the
founding of the Church of San Domingo. She gathered a large amount,
which was used for building the church. When the time came to prepare
the bells, people of all classes were invited to make donations, and
witness the operation of casting. They came in great crowds; the queen
threw in handfuls of gold, the ladies and gentlemen of the court did
likewise; the poor contributed silver or copper, and so the amount of
metal in the crucibles increased. Then the queen threw in the golden
ornaments that she wore; her ladies did the same; the excitement became
great; rings, bracelets, and other valuables--many of them precious
relics or family heirlooms--were contributed to the pious work, and thus
the bells for the church in the New World were made. Their tone was said
to be of the purest, and they are held in great reverence by the priests
who have them in charge. High prices have been offered for these bells,
but invariably refused."
[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH.]