JnhnJ^^i^uJ' ## #f •* •« #9 A^ii 9« f A^t A#«« '«i^ •« C.M.N.Y.A.Sc. Around the Caribbean and i^^,.^ Across Panama •2-, Boston ^Ut/-^a^ ^'"'"'a. y*» c rj'l — r^ 1 — r- 1 '^^ r—i 1 — g — ^—ft — ^ — ^^ -hi A 4 — m — ..J ^ -fi^^5 \ 1- ?r""ir"F 4-^ ■ ^r c r -^ ' '^ LJ M (In the musical notation, as here given, the endeavour has been made in the arrangement to render the death chant as it sounds when the Indians are singing together in discord and in irregular time according to their custom. The 171 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN air is the monotone accented chant as it sounds when sung by one Indian as a solo.) This was an addition to my collection of material, but I was no nearer getting away with it all. The Indians grinned complacently, and even came to look at the specimens, but touch them — not for anything. That evening An- tonio the King returned, and I thought my troubles were over, but I am sorry to say that Antonio was very drunk. I was still in his favour, and though now all the Indians cowered before him, I had nothing to fear. He neither approved nor disapproved of my specimens, and even apologized for his condition, blaming it all on the Christians, as he called the white men, who talked so fair but would not trade till they had given them drink, and then when the In- dians were happy and careless made unfair ex- change, and sent them home almost empty handed. Then he looked away to the wood- lands with sad, drunken eyes, saying over and over : " I am not a King, I am not a King, or they would not do this." Antonio said he could not order the men to carry my things; it was theirs to do or not 172 . AND ACROSS PANAMA as they pleased. Only for himself he could say I might take them ; that was all he could do. That night I sent the Governor a letter, tell- ing him of my difficulties and asking his aid, and next morning three soldiers with a number of mules appeared at my house, much to my surprise, and said that the Governor had sent them to help me. The Indians looked on in amazement and fear, but made no objection; then, while the specimens were being packed on the mules, Antonio the King came, saying : " I ride beside you, and Josecito has gone to ride on before you." As we went through the jungles in silence, we frequently met with bands of armed Indians who, on seeing the King, followed, but did me no harm, and presently a goodly company had gathered together, escorting me on through the woods. After a time we stopped, and the King said : " I go no further. We are now near the Governor, and he is against me." Then, extend- ing his hand, he said, as I grasped it : " Good- bye, come again; I love you much." Then all the Indians left us, and I soon reached the gov- ernment buildings, where there was nothing to do but to express my deep thanks to the Gov- 173 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN emor, who would not allow me to pay for the mules or the soldiers. Before leaving that country I met a Sukia who had come to the government buildings, and to test what I knew of the farewell chant to the dead, I sang it for him, and the surprised, angry look on his face, as he demanded where I had learned it, gave me assurance that I had not been misled, and that it was in truth the death chant of the Talamancas. 174 AND ACROSS PANAMA CHAPTER XVII. UP THE ATRATO RIVEE IN COLOMBIA After a few days I left Sipurio, and spent a little time examining the jungles and rub- ber forests of Northern Panama. Rubber is not so abundant in those regions as formerly, but the lands are magnificently rich, the streams clear and pleasant, and the mountain- sides cool and healthy. Everywhere young rub- ber-trees were coming up through the woods, and if a system of forestry were established, and maintained, all the jungles would soon become abundantly productive of rubber; but at present the search is so eager, and unre- strained, that before a young rubber-tree reaches the period of seeding, it is girdled and killed. Under such a system, rubber is fast disappear- ing from both Costa Rica and Panama. After acquiring some lands for the company 175 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN I represented, I returned to Port Lemon, and presently took a steamer for Cartagena, Colom- bia. The voyage was for two days only, and, arriving at the ancient capital of Spain in America, I found myself in an interesting old city, where the streets were narrow and the ancient buildings rich in memories of Spanish colonial grandeur ; all enclosed by a great stone wall, which in former days made this city the impregnable stronghold of the early Spanish rulers in America. Cartagena is not large, and in a few hours all the points of interest can be seen, and, after that, time and the sultry air hang heavily. For a few days I wandered about the city and surrounding country, and then took passage on a dilapidated little steam-tug, en route for the Darien regions, where I expected to make a series of explorations. I was impressed with the necessity for re- strictions in regard to passenger service in dan- gerously weak steamers. In most countries the little boat in which I was travelling would have been condemned and sold for old junk, but in South America she was allowed to go to sea, 176 AND ACROSS PANAMA though whether she would ever come back was a very serious question. On the way the ma- chinery broke down several times, and once or twice her position became really dangerous, and during the whole voyage the situation was serious. We ran pretty well out to sea, though the water was quite rough. Once, when the wind was at its height, I noticed two white specks on the horizon, which seemed to be rapidly ap- proaching. Presently I saw that they were Indian canoes, nothing but shallow dugouts, yet, managed by the Indians, they were skimming over the waves like birds, till I wondered at the dexterity with which they were handled. One afternoon we turned toward the land, the captain looking anxiously ahead, and I no- ticed that the men, too, were peering at the water as if in fear, and I saw one cross himself reverently, after the manner of the country. I asked him why he did this, and he replied " Because, senor, there are many dead here " How so? " I asked. " The Needles," he said. " Don't you know about them? " " No, tell me." 177 5 9> AROUND THE CARIBBEAN " They are sunken rocks, with long, sharp points, out here for miles northward of Eagle Point; but they just show their tips above water. Wait and you will see." A few moments later there was slight dis- turbance in the water, and a wave curled up and foamed over. " That is one," he said, " but it seldom shows itself. There are others further on." Presently he pointed and said, " Look there." I saw a ripple of foam circling around a wave, then suddenly a number of long black points seemed to rise up out of the water and stealthily disappeared again. Then a wave curled up where they had been and the water was all quiet once more; then they rose up again, as if to menace the ship, and then mysteriously disappeared. A bit of foam marked the spot for one instant, and the sea was calm, without even a sign that there was danger. So far as I could see toward the north, there were points in the ocean where the waves rose up at times, and foamed over, making a truly dangerous place. A relieved look in the faces of the crew told me when the danger was past, and then in about half an hour we 178 AND ACROSS PANAMA rounded Eagle Point and were coasting along the eastern shore of the Gulf of Darien. That night we anchored, for fear of collision with drifting logs, and, after the relief of a quiet night, made an early start, the captain hoping to get his boat over the bar at one of the numerous mouths of the delta of the Atrato River before the tide ran down, though the rise and fall was insignificant. As we approached the land, a scene of desolation unfolded itself to our view. In this country it rains so fre- quently that it is always expected, and now a steady downpour came falling with disconso- late persistence from the leaden skies of the morning. Then we ran close to a swampy shore, where plants struggled against the encroaching waters, and dead trees stood gaunt like skeletons. From among the uncertain growth a flood of yellow water came pouring, and the next instant we bumped up against the bar, slid over it, and were in one of the outlets of the delta of the Atrato, and then we made our way cau- tiously toward the main river. Presently we reached it, and the sweeping torrent was a fit- ting demonstration of the volume of water which can accumulate in a country where a clear day 179 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN is rare, and the sun is considered worthy of remark when its rays penetrate the ever-threat- ening clouds. Progress was slow against such a heavy cur- rent, the little steamer made frequent stops to take on wood, and we always tied up for the night. Frequently, while taking wood, the men uncovered snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and centipedes; and their possible presence in the wood taken on board was a constant danger, yet the men gave little heed. They were careful not to touch a snake, but had little regard for the poisonous insects, though they were some- what cautious if tarantulas were about; but scorpions and centipedes were scarcely noticed. At one wood-pile the men called me to see a black, or crab-scorpion, as they called it, which was, they said, as dangerous as any snake. It was a strong, illy-proportioned insect; the claws and body were heavy and broad, while the tail was short and stubby, looking strangely out of proportion. I held it down with the point of my machete, and it began to rain blows on the blade with its sting till the steel resounded from the attack. Then I crushed the ugly thing, and found it was incased in a shell, hard almost like 180 AND ACROSS PANAMA that of a crab, though the ordinary scorpion is soft, with scarcely any protection. The men said that these crab-scorpions were rare, and sometimes years would pass without one being seen ; which was fortunate, for otherwise it would be a dangerous matter to handle wood and produce in that country. Our progress was slow, and there was little to attract one's attention in the monotonous series of mud-banks, swamps, and jungles. After a few days' travelling, higher ground appeared, and a little further on we came to a forlorn-looking city called Quibdo; a little town where the native gold-washers come to sell their product, and a few merchants do a thriv- ing business, trading goods for gold-dust. From here I took a canoe two days up the river, and established headquarters at a village called Lloro, and, on arriving, engaged two faithful guides, strong, daring men, who promised to go with me anywhere I might desire. Soon I learned that their word was good, and that they were ready to go wherever I might direct, and as to my money, I never gave a thought for its care, and didn't lose a cent. Yet these splendid specimens of men were 181 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN denounced and excommunicated by the Church, and the elder said, when I employed him, " There is only one thing : if we meet a priest, we must run and hide till he has gone." They readily consented to tell me how this was. For a long time in that country there had been no priests, but one day a number came to establish a mission, and within a few months had gotten themselves thoroughly hated. The people had customs of their own which the priests immediately condemned, perhaps not without reason. One such custom was a civil marriage, or contract before witnesses, which had been considered sufficient. The priests said this was a sin of heresy and a direct crime against ecclesiastical law; and ordered all peo- ple to appear before them at once, that they might perform the religious ceremony accord- ing to the rites of the Church. The people were quite willing, as they did not wish to do wrong ; but when they were informed that each man on his marriage would have to pay sixteen dollars they began to doubt the sincerity of the priests ; and some people said openly that all the priests wanted was the sixteen dollars. Many of the 182 AND ACROSS PANAMA people did not have the money, and this brought on the trouble. My two men had not been married in the Church, and considered themselves, their wives, and their families entirely respectable, as their mothers and fathers had been before them; and the remarkable spectacle was presented of priests as persecutors, not as friends and counsellors, but as men trying to use the force at their command to secure an end. The people did not object to the end, only to the price, which some of them did not have, and they naturally inferred that it was the price, and not the end, that the priest was seeking; because, where the money was not forthcoming, arrests fol- lowed with beating, or other punishment, even though the man was quite wilhng to be married according to the ecclesiastical law. No doubt it was all a mistake. When a man said he had not the money and could not do as the priest advised, the priest probably thought he refused the rites of the Church, and when the priest spoke of a reasonable charge for the ceremony, the people, not being accustomed to ministrations from the Church, thought the re- quirement was for the money only, misunder- 18S AROUND THE CARIBBEAN standings and contention resulting. The only inconvenience that I suffered was because of my mackintosh, which the people took for a priestly garment, and on my arrival at a village where I was not known, many of the people took to the woods, and valuable time was lost before they could be persuaded to return. 184 AND ACROSS PANAMA CHAPTER XVIII. THE WILDERNESS OF THE CHOCO COUNTEY From Lloro I started on a series of explora- tions, and with my two faithful guides I trav- elled for miles among the lowlands and moun- tains of the Choco country, a region some three hundred miles south of Panama. Many days were spent in long canoe voyages up strange rivers, where torrents of water went crowding and chafing along against their wooded banks. It rained frequently, but many days were clear, and, secure with faithful guides in an unknown country of strange uncertainties, I thoroughly enjoyed my explorations. Frequently we met other parties in canoes, who were all curiosity to learn about my affairs and the object of my visit. My men always answered that they did not know, usually replying, " He's a stranger, go- 185 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN ing here and stopping there, just as he fancies, travelling like a crazy man ; perhaps he is one." Whether they thought it policy not to tell of my examinations in regard to the gold deposits of that country, or whether they really thought I was not of sound mind, I do not know, but their peculiar care of me was perhaps suggest- ive. Once when we were on one of the smaller rivers, my chief guide, Profanio, called my attention to the trunk of a great tree which had fallen high above our heads across a ravine. It was worn smooth by the feet of animals that made it their regular track between the hills, and I was told that here, any night, wildcats, panthers, and jaguars could be shot as they passed across the log. It seemed a pity that I could not stay to have a shot at them, but I had come for other things, and left the place behind me with some regret. That same night we camped well up the river, having forced the canoe as far as it would go. We had to contend for our camp, a rude hut built in the woods, with a swarm of red ants, and after considerable trouble got the place free of them. 186 AND ACROSS PANAMA Then we fixed our beds and were soon enjoy- ing a thorough rest. I was just dozing off when I was awakened by a strange noise in the woods, something like the vibrations of a cord against a drumhead mingled with a hissing sound, at times almost a deep whistle. Then I heard an old man who was with us say, " Companions, did you hear that? " " Yes," said Prof anio, in a sleepy voice, " it isn't coming here." " Don't be too sure. Hark, there it is again." " I'm not afraid," was the answer, but I no- ticed that Profanio was sitting up, looking anx- iously in the direction of the sound. " Is the boat where we can make it away easily ? " said the old man, getting up. " Keep still," said Profanio, " or you will have it after us." " Better see that the Senor is awake, and ready, if we have to go." Profanio got up softly and said to me, " We may have to run for the boat if it comes nearer. Are you ready ? " " Yes," I rephed; " what is it? " " A barabosa, don't talk," and he went softly to his place. 187 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN For a few minutes we heard that strange sound a little distance from the camp, and then it began to go further away, and finally it was lost in the distance. " It's gone ; I knew it wasn't coming," said Profanio, though I could tell by his voice that he was glad of it. " It was only for the Senor," said the old man ; " he did not know what to do." Then I sat up in my hammock and said, " Profanio, what is a barabosa ? " " A big snake as large around as my arm," answered the older guide. "Is that all?" I said. " Yes — and it is enough. The bite is so bad that none of our remedies can cure it; and if it meets a party in the woods it will come and fight and certainly bite some one before it is killed. It is like a rattlesnake more than any other, but has a horn where it ought to have rattles. When they threaten to come into camp, we usually take to the canoes, but to-night it was not angry and did not come." It was not long after this when I heard the two men sleeping soundly, and after listening for awhile to all the strange, murmuring sounds 188 AND ACROSS PANAMA of the deep woods, I fell asleep myself, and forgot that there was any such thing as a barabosa, and even now I am rather doubtful about it. Another day, while we were going up a larger river, the men began telling me of great mon- sters, living in a black hole where the water was so deep that no one knew how far away the bottom was. Both of the men insisted that it was true, and said that the animal had been seen, and at times they caught smaller specimens. They said that to fall into the water where the big ones were living was sure death, and that several people had been killed by them. They called the animal the quicharo, and said that it was neither fish nor alligator; that they were found from two to even twenty feet long, and were remarkable principally for a great oval-shaped head and rounded jaws set with enormous teeth. That in place of feet it had two flippers; that the widest part was just back of the head, and that the body tapered abruptly to the tail, which was not especially prominent. All the upper part of the body, they stated, was covered with rough plates, that gave it the appearance of a great brown log 189 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN when on rare occasions it was seen floating on the surface of the water. The smaller speci- mens, they said, were good to eat, but that after the plates grew the animal was all soft inside, and went to water or soft pulpy material after being caught. Presently we came to the point where the biggest quicharos were said to live. It was a strange, mysterious-looking place, a great, round pool of dark water surrounded by rocks, with rapids just above it. I looked over the side of the canoe and won- dered what might be the real basis of their be- lief in this strange animal ; no doubt something, but probably not at all as described. I was beyond the reach of the light of modern sci- ence, and here the people still believed in their fancied creations, and to them the world is still peopled with monsters ; a mystery must take some form of expression, and is gradually built up into a figure, perhaps the exaggeration of some well-known species. I made a great many small inquiries about this quicharo, and everybody seemed to know of it, and in general the descriptions all agreed with the outlines as given; and it may be that 190 ^4^ AND ACROSS PANAMA in the deep pools of water, to the south of the swamps of the Darien region, a fish something like the sturgeon attains great size. The water is cool and fresh, and there is certainly room for such development, as the rivers in most places are very deep. We were on our way to visit some of the In- dians, and shortly after leaving the deep pool in which the quicharos are supposed to live, we came to a collection of round houses built on long posts, according to the usage of the Choco Indians. We found the place empty, which was a dis- appointment, as the houses appeared to belong to Indians of the better sort. We went on fur- ther up the river and presently came to other houses. These were also empty. Still we went on ; and turning up a side river came to a large house, where the Indians had all gathered, drinking guarapo, that is, fermented sugar- cane juice. The men were in all stages of in- toxication, but, as my guides were well known to them, we received a welcome, and my first acquaintance with the Choco Indians began. They were a handsome people of a rather gentle appearance, using little clothing, their bodies 191 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN painted with lines representing various devices; their hair arranged in a cue, a small bunch of flowers, sweet-smelling gums, barks, or leaves tied in the end. These they sniffed at fre- quently, putting the end of the cue to their nostrils, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. It was raining when we came up, and I must admit that I was rather dirty, while my face, between hot sun and alternate rains and fogs, was burnt and blistered to all sorts of colours, and I was just considering whether it would be better to do something to improve my ap- pearance, and, by braving the rain, make my- self partially clean and all wet, or to remain all dirty and partially dry, when the Indians began gathering around me. Presently an old chief said, " I hope you don't mind that we look at you, Senor." " Not at all," said I ; " why do you want to look at me? " '' Because we never saw a man like you," the chief replied, and the others grunted an assent. " But there have been white men through here before," I said. '' Yes, but never like you ; you are perfectly beautiful," answered the chief. 192 AND ACROSS PANAMA Now an Indian says exactly what he means and means what he says, and I began to wish I had taken to the river to make myself a little more presentable, in spite of the rain. Then the chief said, very respectfully, *' You would perhaps tell us one thing, just one ques- tion." *' Certainly," I said, with pride, " what is it.? " " Do you paint, or is the colour real ? " "What colour.?" I asked. " Why, your nose, Senor ; it is perfectly grand ; we never saw such a colour on any man before." I looked the other way, and then went out to see how hard it was raining, fully convinced that an Indian is a fool by nature, and that nothing can make him different. The next day I determined to go further up the river, the Mombaramombarado, by which we were stopping, and make a general examina- tion as I went. I told my man, Profanio, what I wanted. " Rather dangerous," he said ; " you had bet- ter not try it ; but, if you wish it, I am ready." " I do wish it," I said. 193 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN " Then I will fix the boat at once. We can take one of the Indians, and when he says it is time to come back, we must." " Very well, I will leave that to you, but I wish to go as far as possible," I answered. Without any more words we started. The river certainly was rough, and a number of times I thought we had reached the limit, but still we pushed on; frequently the Indian hesitated, but Profanio urged him on, till at last the In- dian, pointing to a black cloud up the river, said, " Rain, flood. No more ! Back ! Quick, too ! " We went around in an instant, and sweeping down with an ever-increasing current. The river rose alarmingly, and the roaring of the rapids was constantly increasing. The Indian said, " We will get below the big rapids before the flood is high, and we will be — " but just then the pole held by Pro- fanio was caught between two sunken rocks, while he was pushing the boat over to a smoother place in order to avoid a dangerous rapid. The force of the current was such, as the boat jammed against the pole, that Profanio turned a somersault over into the deepest rapid, and the Indian went head over heels backward. The 194 AND ACROSS PANAMA canoe gave a great lurch, filled with water, and almost turned over, and then, sinking like a water-logged timber, swung around and started on a mad rush down the rapids, I clinging to my seat keeping the canoe right side up, though it was entirely under water. Another instant and I would have been swept into the heaviest rapids, but just then a large, black hand rose out of the boiling water, a second it struggled, partially sank, the muscles tightened in a final effort, and my man's head rose out of the water. He caught the side of the boat and then, with an exhibition of muscular strength and skill in swimming which could scarcely be excelled, he kept the boat in position, though it was under water, and actually guided it safely down all that fierce rapid, and brought it into a quiet place, where I scrambled out on the rocks, say- ing, " Well, you are the greatest swimmer I ever saw." " Yes, perhaps," he said, " but you sat still, and so it was easy enough." I really sat still because I was about paralyzed with fright ; but I didn't say anything. There was no reason why I should tell him, anyway. The Indian had saved himself, and, righting the canoe, we 195 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN went on down the river, reached the Indian houses without further trouble, though by this time the water was well up. I had lost some valuable instruments, but had reason to be thank- ful that I came out of the accident alive. We did not stop for the night with the In- dians, but taking our big canoe, we were soon flying down the River Mombarampmbarado, and out into the Capa River, and on down to a Span- iard's house, where we stopped for the night. I visited a number of places in the Choco country, accompanied by my faithful guides, but there were no further adventures, and a little later I left their country, going out by way of the Pacific. 196 AND ACROSS PANAMA CHAPTER XIX. A CANOE ROUTE FROM THE CARIBBEAN TO THE PACIFIC It may not be generally known that in West- ern Colombia there is an almost continuous waterway available for canoe traffic from the Caribbean to the Pacific. The route is from the Gulf of Darien up the Atrato River to the Quito River, up the Quito to its headwaters, in a series of swamps and wet places, where a canoe can be forced across in rainy weather, to the headwaters of the San Pablo River, down the San Pablo to the San Juan River, and thence via the San Juan to the Pacific. This route is not alwa3^s open, and on reaching the head- waters of the Quito a short portage is generally made to the San Juan River. After my examinations in the Choco country, I travelled toward the Pacific, crossing the upper 197 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN divide, where the mountains are higher than those at the Quito portage, and I was some hours on the trail. While going through the woods, one of my men suddenly cried out in pain, and said that he had been stung by a congo-ant. His arm swelled up and appeared very painful for some hours, and he told me that the sting of these ants was as bad and often as dangerous as a sting from a large scorpion. As we went through the woods, I had every opportunity of examining these ugly fellows, which are really wingless wasps. They are black, about one to two inches long, with jaws like ordinary ants, and with these they take hold on the flesh, and then begin a regular thrashing with a long, sharp sting placed like that of a wasp, using it so vigor- ously that many ugly wounds are inflicted be- fore they can be killed; at other times they keep up a running fire, going rapidly from place to place, and doing damage all the time without stopping to take hold. They have a bad temper, and no sooner are the trees or bushes disturbed where they are living than they come swarming along the 198 !)ANTA W4^ y w^ Caribbean 5ea y |(mRRaNQuii.lA ^ARTMitHA yT Co uSo M BIA 7 \ V^ %/4Vj^ ^ V/?^//^\ ^ I ^^^ TV \l^T\ t-^'^W ^ \ r* /\ >■ (, MAP \B\ Illustrating the C|i Canoe Route y^ FROM THE c^ 1/ Caribbean >M hr^\^^^ I ^^ ff N TO THE (?'"^ y7 ^.^ X ^*^ < Pacific. u-^ / 3> PACIFIC /^W*; OCEAN C&l^* Jhnof AND ACROSS PANAMA twigs as mad as hornets, to get at whatever or whoever had stirred them up. For this habit they are much dreaded, and there are places where it is said one cannot go in the woods with- out being stung. There is a smaller red ant reported in this country, called the castinette, which is said to sting harder and inflict more serious wounds than the congo-ants; but I have never seen them and cannot say for myself. We were delayed some time attending the man who had been stung, and were late reaching the canoe on the San Juan, or rather on a stream leading to the San Juan, and we could not finish our day's journey, but slept at a little village called Carmela, and early next morning started on our way again. The upper part of this river is always dangerous. It passes with great velocity through a narrow gorge, and the tumult of the waters is appalling, not a tumult of waves and breakers, for the channel is of unknown depth, but a tumult of deep, ominous sounds as the canoe goes sweeping on among the rocks. Great upheavals of water rise and fall; at times a mass of water, crowded to the surface in the narrow gorge, will pour 199 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN itself out over the water with frightful violence ; at other points whirlpools are formed, and the surface of the river is constantly changing, but not the change of tumbling waters passing rap- idly down a steep incline. The channel of the San Juan is almost at the sea-level, and but little inclined; the masses of water crowd for- ward as if impelled by a great force, a pressing onward rather than a falling. As our canoe went sweeping on over these treacherous waters, we would at times feel a tremor run through it like a human shudder; then, forcing itself up all around us, would come a great upheaval of water, threatening to throw the canoe over into the seething mass. The men told me that once in that water there was no chance for escape, that one would cer- tainly be sucked under, never to be seen again ^ or else would be beaten to death by the force of the waves. Once, as we were passing over a comparatively quiet place, a sudden commotion of water rose around us, and for a time the waves threatened to wreck the canoe, but skilful handling by the men saved it, and we escaped with a wetting and a severe fright. At such a time one could hardly help being overawed ^00 AND ACROSS PANAMA in the presence of a mighty force so near that one could feel its every tremor. We arrived at San Pablo without incident, and I at once began looking for an opportunity to go to the Pacific. I found little prospect of starting, and secured a room, where I made preparations to stay for a few days. That night I prepared for bed, hoping that place was clean, but inwardly mistrusting my sur- roundings. I took my pistol and placed it within easy reach, and then lay down. How often I have done this in a strange place, and then gone quietly to sleep, not knowing when I might be awakened by some approaching dan- ger. I have become so used to my pistol that sometimes even when at home I take it to bed with me just for companion's sake. That night nothing happened, that is, not that I was conscious of; but in the morning I found myself covered with numerous red marks about two millimetres in diameter. They were filled with blood and watery matter and itched and burned considerably. It was my first ex- perience with chinch-bugs. They are abundant in the Choco country, but I had never felt them till now. I had a full allowance and found them 201 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN troublesome enough, fortunately nothing more. The bites of the chinch-bug are sometimes really serious, and frequently they inflame to ugly running sores, from which blood-poisoning has resulted. The chinch-bug looks like an exaggerated edition of the well-known bedbug. It lives very much like the northern insect, though, being larger and stronger, wanders about more freely. A chinch-bug lives for a considerable time, and is truly dangerous, because it carries infec- tion from one person to another, and in a country infested with the most frightful skin diseases, with leprosy, and all the evils of hereditary afflictions, these chinch-bugs are a terror, and I have more fear of them than any of the other dangers with which a traveller in the tropics must contend. Between the annoyance of the chinch-bugs' bites and the prospect of some days' delay, I was feeling quite miserable, when I was sud- denly, most agreeably, surprised at finding that one of the merchants of San Pablo had made all arrangements for me, and that I was to start at once with a young man who was to take charge of the boat. I found him prompt and 202 AND ACROSS PANAMA apparently efficient in carrying out the mer- chant's directions, so I felt satisfied that I was to be in good hands. We were soon ready, and, as there was some trouble about securing assist- ants, the young man said that he would take the boat on alone, rather than delay any fur- ther, and find men along the river. This sounded like good business, and off we went. A short distance below San Pablo we came to a group of houses. The young captain of the canoe hurried on shore, as I thought, to look for men; but, to my surprise, he went to the door of the nearest house, dropped on his knees, and began to pray in a loud voice, reciting in a singsong manner some form of litany, peti- tioning for blessings, to which the women of the house responded, looking on him with great respect. He went to all the houses and did the same thing, then he hurried back to the canoe, looking very important, started across the river to three other houses, and went through the praying exhibition again. This took time, and when he started for the next group of houses I protested; he paid no attention, however, but went through his pray- ers with great vigour, and, returning to the 203 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN canoe, gave me a look of mingled pity and de- fiance, and Immediately started the canoe toward a group of houses further down the river, look- ing at them eagerly as he plied the paddle. I told him that I would have no more praying, and, if he did it again, I would send him back to the merchant, and he knew what the result would be. He seemed grieved, but I explained that I was in a great hurry and could not give him the time. He said nothing, but, taking the boat close to shore, shouted to the people, " I can't come to pray blessings for you; the patron is not a Christian, and won't allow it." A little farther down we stopped at a house where my man said he would look for compan- ions. The women were at home, and I am sorry to say they were drunk, and, worse yet, my man spouted his prayers and immediately started in to drink from a plentiful supply of rum. It was raining hard, but then it always rains in this country, and I was determined to push on ; so I took the rum away from him by force, and ordered him out to look for men. He went somewhat reluctantly, but I managed to hurry him up a little by showing him my pistol, and 204 AND ACROSS PANAMA asking if he knew what it was for. He went along then, and presently came back with some young men who proved to be his brothers, and then the united families became solicitous that I should stay all night, in fact, so anxious and so curious about my things that I was satisfied that it would be better to start at once and save losses; so after considerable force and persua- sion, I prevailed on the men to start that after- noon, though the females were lamenting over the loss of expected presents. We got along well enough after this, and at nightfall stopped to sleep at a group of houses ; here the young man said a lot of prayers and appeared contented. Making the best of a bad thing, I got a table to sleep on, while my men amused themselves talking with a number of canoe-owners, who, in going up or down the river, had all stopped here for the night. I caught more chinch-bugs while I slept, and, as they were making me very uncomfortable, especially toward morning, I got the men up and made them go on. By noon we had reached still water, and then the men lay back on their seats and began lazily to go to sleep. I angrily ordered them to go 205 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN on, but they paid no attention, and presently told me that they proposed to drift with the current, and we would go down the river after a time. Words seemed useless, and it would not have done any good to have killed them, for then I would have been worse oiF. I threatened for a time, and they began to paddle, but not for long; and presently my praying servant said, coolly, " If you will pay us more, we will work and take you to Buenaventara in good time. How much more will you add to our pay?" , " A forty-four of good lead," I replied, " if you are not careful." They worked a little after that, but we made poor progress, and at times scarcely moved at all. It was most uncomfortable, and if I hap- pened to want anything, the first words were, " How much are you going to advance the pay if I do it?" In this way we went on till one afternoon I noticed that the boat stood still, and then began to move backward. I called to the men, who were sleeping on their paddles. They looked at me and then at the water and said, " The tide is rising; we have reached the sea." 206 AND ACROSS PANAMA I was delighted, thinking that I was near the end of my journey, but I was mistaken; we turned up a river called the Colima, where we slept for a part of the night, and then pushed on to a brook called the Guineo. Here we stopped for another night, and then trouble began. The men positively refused to go on, fearing that when they reached Buenaventara they would be taken and forced into the army. There was a revolution in Colombia, and nobody knew what the outcome was to be. In vain I threatened, even promising to denounce them before the Alcalde ; they only replied it was bet- ter to suffer at home than be forced into the army. There were no other men to be found any- where, and so I had to give in and offer them increased pay; and to make it more secure, I bought each of them permission from the Al- calde fo go to Buenaventara and return free from military service; and I promised to give them each five silver dollars advance on their wages if they put me in Buenaventara in one day; this they said could be done easily, and so, taking a small canoe for the trip up the Guineo, and hiring another man to be sure that 207 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN we could have enough to carry my things across the divide, we started on. The brook was very low, and we had difficulty making our way around the sharp corners, under fallen logs, or along the overhanging banks. It was a wilderness of trees, plants, and coarse flowers, a typical forest of the tropical low- lands. At last we came to the divide, and started across it, not a great distance, and, as I hired some men who happened that way to take part of my things, we made good time. We arrived about two p. M. at the hut where belated trav- ellers stopped for the night. Here a caretaker had canoes for rent, which were needed for only half a day, and cost more than is paid for all the route I had just passed over ; but then I had to have one, and the caretaker fixed the price to suit the necessity. My men wanted to stop for the night, but I reminded them that I had agreed to pay each five dollars extra provided they put me in Buenaventara that day. They could rest, but only at their own expense. They protested that they were tired, that the way had been long and hard, and many other 208 AND ACROSS PANAMA things. I had no sympathy, so they decided to go on. I had them this time, and how they did work and curse; it was a great satisfaction to see them, and they could work if they wanted to. They were anxious about the tide. If it were favourable, they would not have a very. hard time, but we had not gone much farther down the stream when we came to a stretch of quiet water ; then the current began to set against us, slowly at first, but with ever-increasing strength, till presently, though we were miles away from the ocean, an irresistible flood of water came sweeping up the creek, rising, rising, till a great lake began to form among the trees around us. The men had to work now, but I cared little for them, though I was well anxious about getting to Buenaventara before night set in. We presently came out into a broad sheet of quiet water that looked black and forbidding. My men told me that it was tremendously deep, and that once in that water there was no escape, because of the multitudes of sharks. We now began to pick our way through broad channels and between islands, where mangroves and palm-trees were growing in abundance. The men did well here, and got through suc- 209 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN cessfully without losing the way. To lose one's way among those islands means wandering in a labyrinth from which it would be difficult to escape. By this time darkness was setting in, and the men said we would stop for the night at a shed made of leaves that was just beyond us. I said we would not, and ordered them to go on. They stopped paddling and considered. I ordered them on a second time. Then one of them said, with a curse, " Let us do it now, throw him out of the boat and see the sharks eat him, and then do as we please, and have all his things, too." " And my pistol," I said, " it is ready at my side awaiting for you." He said nothing. " Now," I said, " go right on, or the sharks will have some dead meat pres- ently." They went on, and after a time we came within sight of what appeared to be the lights of Buenaventara, but as yet a long way off across the water. Then we noticed that the lights seemed to be coming nearer, and rapidly, too. What could it mean.? Then a whisper went from one to the 210 AND ACROSS PANAMA other of my men, " A military expedition, — if they find us, we are lost." Quick as a thought the canoe was turned to one side, the men, working now with all their might, paddling for an island that was not far away. On came the boats below us, the lights grow- ing brighter, yet seeming to stand still on the dark water. We gained the island and hid under the overhanging branches. Two or three boats went past us. Then the men were ready to go on again, and began paddling cautiously along the island. Presently we saw other lights, and could tell that the canoes were moving about, and that one was coming directly in toward us. " They are searching the islands," said one of the men ; " it is all up with us." Then they made a dash over the side of the canoe for the land, and, scrambling up among the bushes, disappeared in the thick underbrush, and I was left alone, — truly a pleasant situ- ation. For a time I waited, expecting every minute to see a light coming cautiously around the corner, probably to be followed by a volley from ail AROUND THE CARIBBEAN the muskets of the soldiers, and a demand for surrender. Most likely I would not be hit, but a searching party, expecting to meet an enemy, would, on coming across a canoe hidden under the trees, almost certainly fire, and perhaps do serious damage. I sat there waiting, intending to call out that I was an American lost among the islands, and ask them for help, before they could fire; but it made me feel anxious, and, as I sat there, I wished heartily that whatever might be coming tv^ould come quickly. But it didn't, and after waiting for a time I called to my men, and a voice came from the woods pleading that I would be quiet, — the soldiers were on the other side of the island, and if I spoke would be on us in an instant. Then I sat waiting for a few minutes, but nothing came, and I called to my men, telling them to come at once, and, if they did not, I would fire my pistol to attract the soldiers, and when they came I would tell where to look for fugitives. A groan from the woods was the only answer. " Come now," I said, taking out my pistol and cocking it, " come, or I'll shoot." Then I heard the men coming, and soon they 212 iM^ AND ACROSS PANAMA were in the boat, with wild looks of fear and reproachful words for my cruelty. I ordered the cowards on, and we soon left the soldiers behind us. Presently we came to a brilliantly lighted house, where we stopped for the night, as it was now too late to go over to Buenaven- tara. The owners of the house made me wel- come, and gave me a place to hang my ham- mock, telling me I was fortunate to have es- caped the soldiers, who were out looking for a party of revolutionists supposed to be hiding among the islands. I was fortunate in many ways. I was out of the hands of my rascally men, was in sight of Buenaventara, and just as I was getting in my hammock the rain came on, a torrent of water that was almost beyond belief, and, well satis- fied that I had a roof over my head, I presently fell asleep and rested thoroughly till the morn- ing. I had now nothing to do but cross the bay, and reach the highway of travel again. At Buenaventara I found fair accommodations, and passed a week while waiting for a steamer. My men were allowed to go unpunished, though I could have given them a good lesson, 213 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN because, when I told of my unpleasant experi- ence, the authorities were anxious to punish them severely, but I had given my word that I would not have them punished if they took me on, and that was enough ; they were allowed to go free. 214 AND ACROSS PANAMA CHAPTER XX. ACROSS PANAMA We drew in sight of Panama City after two days, and as we sailed into the anchorage I found that the most notable among the ships were two steamers flying the Chilian flag, attesting the progress and energy of that far-away republic, from whose shores the finest steamers at Panama had come; ships which one day or other, when the canal is opened, will be trading even to our Atlantic seaports. The water off^ Panama was not very attract- ive, and had an uncertain colour of mud and seaweed, such as one might notice among shal- low lagoons of the North. Off^ the harbour were groups of rather barren-looking islands, and on either side of the city the low shores of the Isthmus lay flat and uninviting. To the north ^15 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN we saw low mountains, and to the south distant ranges of somewhat greater elevation. When we arrived at our anchorage the tide was out, and extensive mud-flats and coral rocks barred the way to the city. After a time, the mighty flood of the tides in the Pacific turned, setting in toward the land, and presently a num- ber of barges came out to the steamer. Our baggage was dumped into the largest with but little ceremony, and we scrambled after it, a strange company of passengers, — Spanish- Americans of good position, now tumbled and dirty from the eff^ects of seasickness, too much depressed to care how they looked; negro la- bourers with their wives and children, all con- tented and happy, too careless to even think of their clothes; stolid Indians serving their masters, their indiff'erence a sharp contrast to the eagerness of the others; a group of Chi- nese, chattering together, their excitement tell- ing of their interest ; and a number of Americans from the North, thinking they ought to be given precedence in such a company, and not getting it. On reaching the docks we hurried out of the barges, and were immediately surrounded by 216 AND ACROSS PANAMA would-be servitors. We were in the land of sharks, both water and land sharks; the Span- iards knew how to treat them, cursed the sharks, gave their baggage to their servants, and marched off. I liked that proceeding, and so cursed the sharks myself; they fell back; but I had no servant, and sat down on my baggage while the sharks looked on from a respectful distance. Then they laughed at me; so did I, — what else could be done? I was caught, and it was better to laugh than to scold. The sharks took the hint, rushed in, and the next instant a straggling parade set out for the hotel, — baggage, specimen-cases, personal ef- fects, — all carried by a rough company of porters, while a crowd of small boys brought up the rear, struggling among themselves for the honour of carrying an old newspaper and my umbrella. It was not good for the news- paper, and my umbrella was of no further use after they had finished with it. We reached the hotel, and I paid up. When all was settled, I did not have any money to spend in Panama that night. Then a little boy came gravely in, bringing me a bit of paper, for the carriage of which from the dock to the hotel he now de- 217 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN manded payment. I gave him a trifle, to re- ward his splendid effrontery; he ran out, and immediately another boy appeared, he, too, bringing me a bit of newspaper. Unfortu- nately newspaper is plenty, and so are boys. I saw I was up against it, and fled ignominiously to my room. Panama was too much for me. The day following I was out early, looking about the city, a place where there was not much of interest. The sun was burning hot, the air damp, and even the walls of the buildings seemed to be perspiring. I found the streets full of people, and everywhere there was a sense of activity, diff^erent from what one usually ex- pects in a Spanish-American city. There were many little shops where curios were off^ered to tempt travellers ; all the specimens, I was sol- emnly assured, came from the country, or from the ocean near Panama, the great variety attest- ing the diversity of the soils and the products of the Isthmus. I found cheap Mexican opals, such as I have purchased in New York at three dollars per hundred, here off^ered for three dol- lars each, and called Panama stones; there were gypsum (selenite) heads from Canada, called here country pearls; there were Indian 218 AND ACROSS PANAMA curios from Birmingham, England; fancy arti- cles from Connecticut; in fact, material from all parts of the world, which travellers, as they hurried through the city, bought at extrava- gant prices, under the assurance that they were obtaining rare specimens of the varied prod- ucts of the Isthmus of Panama. For myself, I did not buy, and became unpopular at once, but it was interesting to watch the shopkeepers do the travellers, and they certainly were an easy lot; but then, they wanted to secure sou- venirs of Panama, and took kindly to curios from Birmingham and other places, and did not really object to paying from ten to one hundred times the value for their purchases; but then, the specimens all came from the Isth- mus, at least so the travellers thought, and all were happy, even the shopkeepers. Panama lives on the travellers ; so it has been for years, so it always will be, unless the canal should be lost to the Isthmus; which all who know the disputed routes sincerely hope will not be the case, for the advantages of the Panama route are clear and convincing. But what a fine time the sharks will have when once the work is established. 219 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN These same sharks now gathered about me, offering all sorts of specimens, or urging unre- quired services. I soon tired of it all; there was nothing of real interest in the city, so I took one of the slow trains across the Isthmus for Colon, hoping to have a good view of the canal workings. There was not much to be seen, however; only surface work had been done, though much earth had been removed, and the whole length of the canal was clearly de- fined, — a great ditch extending almost across the Isthmus, and at some places opened to con- siderable depth. Not much work was being done, though a little digging was in progress. The splendid machinery all along the route attested the millions which had been spent, and the fact that most of the machinery remained without care, exposed to the damp, destructive climate of Panama*, was evidence of the careless methods which mark all that has been done on the canal up to the present time. Crossing the Isthmus even on a slow train does not take very long. On the way there were not any attractive places, and everywhere one notices the marks of the beaten track, and surely no route is more frequented than that of AND ACROSS PANAMA Panama. From the car window one sees low hills, where the forests have been cut down, and the tangled growth of shrub, climbing vines, trees and palms has taken their place; a tangled, matted growth, struggling, as it were, among themselves for the mastery, the whole clinging and dragging each on the other, and not attaining the sublimity of the primeval for- ests of the tropics. The stations where one stops are small, and there is little of interest; the people are a patchwork of cast-ofF clothing, remnants of the passing crowd of travellers. There is little of real interest, and when one reaches Colon it is with a feeling of relief, for the ride has not been very comfortable, and the country has been disappointing ; one has crossed Panama, but one has not seen the grandeur of the American tropics. At Colon the question of reaching a hotel with all one's baggage, and at least a part of one's money, is of serious importance. Here the sharks are mostly black, and when I left the train they looked me over and prepared for bloodletting, but I was ready for them this time ; specimen-cases and baggage were checked at the station, and I retained only three hand-bags, 221 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN containing what I would need during my brief stay on the Isthmus. The black men were dis- appointed, and urged long and earnestly the danger of leaving my effects with the railway and steamship agent; but I had some use for what silver I carried, and so left my things. I allowed a big negro to put my things on a hand- truck, and take them three blocks to a hotel. I expected to stand twenty-five cents gold for each bag, a total of about two dollars and forty cents in their silver, or at the rate of some eighty cents silver per minute for his services; but on arriving at the hotel, he demanded three dollars gold, about three dollars and twenty cents per minute in his money. This did seem to be rubbing it in too hard, but I gave him half of what he claimed, and told him if he wanted the balance he should make an appeal to the Alcalde, the head magistrate of the town. This he did, with all assurance, and I had a small lawsuit on my hands, a circumstance in which I found considerable interest, for I wished to see how the baggage-sharks were treated. The Alcalde gave little heed to what I had to say; the negroes were threatening, and quite a crowd had collected, and the Alcalde was evi- 222 AND ACROSS PANAMA dently afraid of them, for he gave a hasty decision in their favour, and directed that I should pay the money immediately. I had given them half of what they claimed, and now offered to pay the balance, but no, they must have the whole amount which had been awarded to them; and so a second dispute arose, and I was ordered to pay the whole claim, and I did so, feeling rather indignant at this example of " justice " on the Isthmus of Panama; but I was through with the sharks, for a time at least, and now went about my own affairs. Colon is a city of sheds and board houses. There is one main street where there are a few large stores; the city has several side streets where the houses are on stilts, and just beyond the city there are swamps, where mosquitoes reign supreme. Bloodletting is the common practice, from the mosquitoes which infest the air to the children who seek contributions in the streets, the bag- gage-sharks who haunt the stations and wharves, and even to the leading merchants, who sell spurious curiosities, and smilingly do the trav- ellers for what can be obtained. Also the watch- 2S3 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN ful officials, ever on the lookout for the main chance. All this is typical of the lowlands of tropical America. In the mountain parts it is frequently different; an incident will illustrate. Once, when I was stopping at Madellin, in Colombia, a little bootblack made himself useful, and re- ceived fairly liberal tips for running errands and generally guarding my interests, as well as keeping my shoes clean. One evening, as I was going to dinner, he came running up to me, a broad smile on his face, and in his hand three cactus figs rolled up in a bit of paper. The package was thrust into my hand, and the boy started for the door, as if he were in a hurry to get away. I called him, so that I might give some little gratuity, but he only shouted back, " No, no, they are not for money ; they are for you," and then he bolted out the door and was away in the streets. At dinner I was told that the fruit was really choice, and long out of season, and every one wondered that the boy had found some, saying that he must have climbed for hours among the mountains trying to obtain them. This happened in the breezy interior uplands among the mountains, where a race of AND ACROSS PANAMA people is growing up strong in body, of healthy morals, an honour to themselves now, and who will one day become a power in the world. They are different indeed from the cringing, swin- dling, unhealthy, mixed-breed weaklings of the lowlands, people who cause our ideas to be some- what unfavourable in regard to everything Spanish- American. Here at Colon I found the usual population of the coast, their dispositions somewhat more unpleasant than usual, with their clutch at one's purse-strings for ever grasping and impulsive. 225 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN CHAPTER XXI. THE INDIANS AND RESOURCES OF PANAMA I FOUND at Panama a rich country, where agricultural opportunities are attractive and mineral wealth is abundant. Panama is everywhere accessible to the water, and as a consequence the principal roads are to the coast, and little trading-ships are numer- ous, for the ways of communication are princi- pally by water. Wherever a stream is found available for canoes, they are used, though, except on the Silsola River, on the northern boundary, and on the streams about the Chiri- qui Lagoon, there is but little canoe travel. Panama is reputed the most unhealthy of all places in the American tropics, a natural infer- ence because the route of travel has sought the lowest divide for crossing the Isthmus, and low lands in the tropics are unhealthy; particularly 226 AND ACROSS PANAMA where there are swamps, as at Colon, and great exposures of marine drift when the tide falls, as at Panama City. These places are unhealthy, and their reputation is well deserved, but after leaving the depressions between the two sea- ports one finds a better country, where the lands are rich, and the climate reasonably favourable. The Chiriqui Lagoon is considered a health re- sort, and among the interior mountains I have found many desirable regions, though the ele- vations are rather abrupt, because the rock formations disintegrate easily, and erosion has been rapid; hence one finds steep mountain- sides, deep valleys, coastal plains of eroded ma- terial, and swamps. Among the mountains the air is temperate, and all the surroundings de- lightful. In the deep valleys there is intense heat and poisoned air. On the coastal plains, wherever there is good drainage and an open sweep of the trade- winds, the climate is delight- ful, though hot, and the lands are desirable. In the swamps, no man can live. In the northern portions of the Isthmus there are mountains of considerable elevation. South- ward these gradually subside to the central de- pressions where the canal is being seriously 227 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN considered. Farther south the mountains rise again and become very prominent. If the canal goes to Panama, the Isthmus will enjoy some years of active construction, with large expendi- tures of money, followed by a great commercial movement. Lands along the central depressions are good and fertile, but the climate is unde- sirable. To the south the inhospitable San Bias Indians are a dangerous element, so it appears that the lands most desirable for foreigners are in the northeastern part of the Isthmus, and that Boeus del Toro and the Chiriqui Lagoon regions will be the places from which supplies to feed the canal labourers will be principally drawn; though there will be a strong rival some distance to the eastward in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Mountains, also a portion of Colombia; for there everything can be grown, even the products of the temperate regions of the north, and from there vessels once loaded can run directly before the trade-winds into Colon; but of the lands on the Isthmus, those of the north- east seem to me the most desirable, and I have written of them because it may be that presentl3^ many will be going south, and a word in time may be valuable. Coastal plains, where the AND ACROSS PANAMA drainage is good, and the winds blow freely, are desirable; mountainsides, so situated that products can be easily carried to the sea, are almost sure to provide a favourable basis for development; but of the coastal plains where water is stagnant and the trade-winds are weak, of the rich alluvials bordering on swamps, and of the deep, hot valleys, beware, — even the In- dians avoid them. Of all that I saw in northeastern Panama, the primeval tropical forests at the base of the mountains were most impressive. There one steps from a canoe to the shore, pushes aside a rank growth of reeds and plants, struggles through them for a little distance, reaches a wall of green foliage, lifts an overhanging bough, scrambles under, and the world is shut out; the traveller stands in shadow-land and silence. Strange, dim butterflies go wavering in and out among a dense growth of ferns and tender plants which could not endure the sun, giant trees form as it were columns for an ex- pansive roof of green, and everywhere the gray trunks of slender trees reach upward till their branches find the sunlight far above, and their naked stems seem like a slender tracery pendant 229 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN from the upper roof of green. A tangled, matted growth it is, dimbing vines festooned among the trees, deep shadows, here and there a bit of glowing sunlight, and mysterious depths ever opening out as one presses forward. Such are the primeval forests of the tropics, and no- where can they be seen to better advantage than at northeastern Panama. That the Isthmus has many desirable places is evidenced by the Indian tribes who have long made it their chosen home. In the north there are the Chiriqui tribes, Indians who make pot- tery and have better methods in their system of living than many of the Central American tribes. In the mountains of the interior there are other Indians, who much resemble the Talamanca people of Costa Rica, but who are at bitter enmity with them. My visits to the country occupied by these Indians were not long enough to learn much of their customs. In appearance, they have a general resemblance to the Indian races found through Central America, from the coastal plains and forests of Honduras, south- ward to the depression of hills, and to the swamps and lowlands between Colon and Pan- ama. ^30 AND ACROSS PANAMA South of this depression are the San Bias Indians, with whom my acquaintance is also limited. Their appearance indicates a race dif- ferent from the Indians living along the coast farther north. The San Bias men have stronger features and more character in their faces. Traders who have frequently been along their coast tell me that their morals and methods of living are a credit to them, and I was told that their word in a trade was good even to their own disadvantage. Once given, their word would not be broken. I was told that their chief had stated, when talking of their tribal legends, that white men and gold were the two curses of the Indians, and because of them their ancestors had long ago come as fugitives across the deadly swamps to the south, and had settled among their isolated mountains where neither white men nor gold could come. I was told that the chief had said that for- merly they were a great people, and that their two principal cities were called Quito and Ca- racas, and that between those cities there had been a great country inhabited by many In- dians, and there was much gold. Then the 231 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN white men came, and the gold brought trouble, and finally his ancestors went away, crossing the mountains, swamps, and rivers, till they should find a country so far distant that the white enemy could not find them, and where gold could not be had. This is a legend. I did not hear it from the Indians myself; but several traders corroborated the story, and all attested the strange determination by which the San Bias Indians maintain that death is pref- erable to the presence of white strangers. One thing is certain, no white man can live in the San Bias country. These Indians will trade any of their products, so long as the traders sleep in their ships, and come ashore only when invited; but let the trader speak of gold, and they will all leave, assuring the trader that there is none in their country, and that he had better go somewhere else. Little is known of the San Bias country, and it is said that their mountains are rich in gold and that other minerals are abundant. This is more than probable, for those mountains are directly in the line of the chain of gold deposits, which, beginning in Alaska, continue southward, through California, across Mexico, Central AND ACROSS PANAMA America, and Panama, and thence on southward far away into the Andean ranges. Yet it is probable that the legends of gold in the San Bias country are exaggerated, for exaggeration has always an undisputed field where the country is unknown. It is related that a party of Colombians from Cartagena, attracted by the rich agricultural lands of the San Bias country, started a colony there, settling on the shores of a convenient har- bour on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus ; but on the first night, bands of Indians attacked them, and killed all but one, who, after being tortured, was sent back to Cartagena with his ears cut off, as an example to all who thought of visiting the San Bias country. The story continues that the government of Colombia sent soldiers to chastise the Indians, but the soldiers too were killed, except one who was captured, and who, after being tortured, was sent with his ears cut off^ as a present to the President of Colombia, with a warning that so all his soldiers would be treated if they came to the San Bias country. This was long ago, and since then that coun- try and its Indians have been left to their own devices. Along the San Bias coast there are 233 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN numerous islands where the finest cocoanuts are grown, forming the principal article of com- merce sought by the traders who visit that country. When I saw these islands, I was simply sail- ing past them, for the Indians were not friendly to a complete stranger, and it was thought best not to stop. I was much impressed with the productiveness of those islands, and the lands beyond them looked attractive, but between the Indians of that country and white men is a bar- rier, and I have no information of what may be hidden behind their cocoanut plantations and the islands along their coast. 12S4 AND ACROSS PANAMA CHAPTER XXII. PANAMA AND NICARAGUA ROUTES FOR THE ISTH- MIAN CANAL While crossing the Isthmus of Panama I became thoroughly convinced that this was the most favourable route for a canal. One easily obtains such an impression from the proximity of the two oceans, for at Panama the extremes of the world meet at a narrow divide. The Pacific Ocean ebbs and flows, piling up a mighty tide of waters, rising and rising, a flood that comes as if there were to be no ending, at some places even turning fresh-water rivers backward on their course for miles inland; and then the tide subsiding, a mighty rush of waters turns again to the ocean; nor is the outward flow checked till great stretches of mud and rock are uncovered, where but a short time before had been water deep enough for vessels to sail 235 AROUND THE CARIBBEAN undisturbed. On the other side of the Isthmus are the waters of the Caribbean, where the tides are scarcely noticed, and the appearances are as different as the waters of one side of the earth can be from the waters of the other side. At Nicaragua these conditions are not so impressive, for between the shifting sands at Graytown and the Pacific there is a large stretch of country, a route of travel occupying some days, so that one is impressed with difficulties and distances, and wonders at the engineering skill which could plan a waterway to accommo- date ocean-going vessels for so great a distance ; but travelling between Colon and Panama one sees the two oceans within a few hours, and feels how close one is to the other, and thinks how natural that a canal should be planned to cut the hills which separate them. Once when I was making some examinations on the borderlands of Costa Rica and Nica- ragua, I stood on an elevated ridge where I could see all the proposed route for the eastern portion of the Nicaragua Canal. I saw before me a vast stretch of country, treacherous low- lands such as I have learned to dread, and I imagined the strange appearance a great ship 236 CoUtv ^ 4 L. ^ \ |^^^^H^p