OCR Text |
Show 48 taking out boats from here, and rowing them up the river, 1 should think it -vvould be a hopeless attempt. Hardy boatmen from our south-western States, who are accustomed to a much similar mode of travel on their rivers, would probably be able to accomplish it; but in that burning and unhealthy climate, for young men fresh from the North, unacquainted with the dangers of such navigation, and aU unacclimated, to attempt such a feat would be madness indeed. Let us, however, suppose the journey completed, and our adventurers safely arrived at CRUCES. He may new congratulate himself on having achieved the most toilsome part of his journey, and but twentyone mil~s of land route intervenes between him and the glorious Pacific Ocean. Crucef» is a small village, situated on a plain, immediately on the banks of the river which here are high and sandy. Gorgona, the othe; landing place, is a few miles below Cruces, and is likewise a small village, very similar to Cruces-in fact, all South American villages resernble one another very much. From these two points, both about the same distance from Panama, there are roads to that city which roa ds u~1.t e about nine miles from it. Starting f' rom ei-ther po1nt, he commences his JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTJ'fMUS. The usual n;tethod of performing it> is on horse or on mule-back, with another mule to carry the baggage, and a muleteer who acts as a guide. The road is a mere bri· die path, and as the rains on the Isthmus are very heavy and there is more or less of them all the year round, th~ mud-holes and swampy places to be crossed are very numerous. Those who, here in New York, talk gaily of a walk across the Isthmus, a& if the road were as plain 4H and easy as some of qur macadamized turnpike~ would alter their tone a littltt, could they see the road ~s it is. . As for shooting game on the route, the same difficulties present themselves as on the river, viz: the wild beasts and reptiles with which the bush, or monte, as it is there te:med, abounds, besides the great risk of ]osing oneself 1n the woods. Certainly, wild pheasants, guinea. hens, parrots, ffi;lCa\vs, and a variety of splendid birds unknown in these latitudes, do abound in the \Vild~ there ; but the difficulties in hunting them, are such as make it impossible for any save the native Indians to fol~ low it with any success. The most rational, and, indeed, the only safe plan ior the sri-anger to pursue, is t~ carry his provisions with him. ,.fhat is the plan univer- · sally adopted by the natives, "\\·ho would look on any one as insane, were he to propose to depend on chance gamefor his meals on the journey. !lam, biscuit, sausages, preserved meats, and such kinds of portable provisions, are the best to carry. As for walking from Cruces to Panama, in case mules are scarce, the feat is by no means impossible, provided the traveler arrives in Cruces in good health, and has but little baggage. It might easily he done \\ ith the assi5tance of a guide ; but let no sh·anger, unacquainted with the language ..and new to such countries, att~n1pt it without a guide. Having, then, fairly started from Cruces, either on horse or on foot, after a toilsome journey of some eight or ten hours, the savannah of Panama is at last reached, and the sight of the broad and glittering Pacific Oceao, and the white towers of the Cathedral of Panama, which are seen at _ the distance of about four miles from the city, give the now weary traveler assurance that his journey will short· ly end ; and another hour's toil brings hitn to the suburbs of the famed City of Pana1na. |