Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-07-19
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.

oers. Not day passes but we hear of some theft.
Two murders have occurred since arrived here
In neither aid the murderers get cent OF mon
ey.
1he rainy season has now commenced and will
continue until the last of october. 1t is said by
Greenhow that more rain falls here than in any part
OF the world, but am inclined to doubt his knowl-
edge. think he knows as little Of the Isthmus as
ne once did of the Oregon question. Another au-
thor, Edwin Williams, in his Universal Gazetteer,
speaking Of Panama holds the following language -
1he natives go naked and in many places build their
houses on trees to be elevated from the damp soil,
and the Reptiles engendered in the putrid waters"
He ought to write one other book and then quit
The inhabitants of this country could not be made
to believe that such things ever said OF them
The Engineers engaged in making the survey for
| railroad are prosecuting their labors with COM
mendable zeal, but owing to frequent interruptions
from sickness Of hands and from rains they will
scarcely be able to complete it this season. By the
first Of June the rain will be great that North
American canno. safely expose himself. II is ex-
pected that the termini Of the road will be :'Lmon
Bay on the Atlantic side, six miles distant from
Chagres, and some point near the old town OF PAN
ANA on the Pacific side. The first is more healthy
than Chagres and is not SO difficult of access by sea-
| The latter can be more nearly approached by YES
sells and would doubtless cause another journey of
the city of Panama. It is considered by great ma
| ny Americans here very doubtful whether the road
| will ever be constructed.
The thermometer ranges the year round from 10
| to 90 deg The nights are pleasant at any point
| the Isthmus, the breezes being waited from both
Oceans or from the Mountains. The sun from
to O'Clock is oppressive and is unsafe for rth
| ern men to exercise for many days in succession
between those hours-ater that time the sun is fire.
quenly hid by the clouds and breeze is constant
ly blowing. The only diseases that are to be fear
ed at all, are Fever and Diarr,na. The former is
generally brought on by exposure and the latter by
| the too free indulgence in fruits. Some IS or 90
Americans have died here since the first Of Janua-
ry. The large majority of them were from the Eas-
tern states. Hospital uzder the supervision of
the l. o. o. F. has been established and every COM
fort which the place affords has been placed at the
disposal of the sick.
singular fact is often overlooked in all descrip-
tons of the Isthmus and this country that have
ever seen. About the year ia Pirate employed
Indians and dug canal by which the two oceans
| are connected. This was done by uniting the wa.
tiers of the s'Ro Atrato'' eptying into the Atlantic
In latitude about deg. north, and the s.Ro San Ju-
an" empying into the Pacific at about deg north.
The streams also the canal were navigated by ca
noes. The passage was afterwards filed up by Or
der of the Government Of Spain pursuing the same
short sighted policy which has degraded her in the
eyes OF all enlightened nations. At this time the
PROJECT of uniting the two oceans is often discus
ed by the great Statesmen of Europe and America
and its practicabity often questioned, vet this
unambitious priest with few degraded Indians
near 100 years ago actually accomplished it. The
fact is mentioned by Humboldt and other travellers
In 1889 man in the city of New York asserted that
he had passed through the Canal.
or the Government can say but little, as nv
knowledge of the language is not sufficient to gain
much information from the natives. Much more
energy is displayed in bringing. offenders to Justice
than had expected to find. native some time
since stole some trifiing article on the road from
Gorsona here, and in three days after he was seen
in tie chain gang. There is not the reason for COM
plants of the tardy wheels ofJustice in this country
as in the U. s. An account last we elk placed in
the hands Of Parochial Judge the case was heard,
judgment rendered and the money collected the
same day. ii
II my time is not too much occupied in California
you may hear from again, till which lam
Yours respectfully, s.