Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-12-13

! II gives full information in regard 10 the
lsthmus route.
Panama, Nv. 4, is40.
! DsAR UScirs
| I'm route for San Francisco ! certainly
am, but The full extent and meaning Of this
term cannot be appreciated until after =
person has crosscl the Ishmus Of Darien.
There is no other portion Of this habitable
! globe, where journey Of sixty miles is at
tended with SO much trouble and expense
! rs the last sixty miles which ! have ac-
compshed Nevertheless, have enjoyed
il and made some few observations which
may be of benefit to you, in case you con-
clude to follow. paid the proprietor Of a
miserable bamboo hut fifty cents for ,he
| privilege of laying on mat two hours and
feeding his mosquitoes, who ] thought had
| not enjoyed fresh bite for some time pre-
| vious and then started for Cruces. Let
| those people who talk about crossing the
ls,hmus in one day, undertake it in the rainy
season, and their reckoning will fall miser-
| ably short, can assure them there are
some who occupy rs much time in so do
! ing as i, takes from New York 10 Chagrcs
in The steamer, end any one who accom-
! pushes it in less than three and a halfdays,
at this season, works very hard, and is oh
| liged to keep on the alert continually Dur
ing the heavy ia ms The river becomes very
much swollen, and the current runs violent
ly; in many places there are rapids in
which you have - stem a tide Of twelve
knots, and the canoes, especially the large
ones, are often drfied back several hundred
yards, or grounded on the points and gravel
spts. One canoe, having on board pas
senger from the Empire City, and a large
quantity Of baggage, ran aioul Of an old
trunk or snag, got alhwartships in ,he rap
ids and capsized fortunately, both lives
and property were saved but a similar
accident happened about week before by
which man was drowned. The steamer
which was sent out to ply on the river, is
/ not suitable she draws too much water.
and is on used to tran, port passenger and
baggage from The anchorage 10 the mouth
Of the river, " hence it is removed to the
canoes and boats, which run as far as Cru
ces. Mos of these canoes are Of that pc.
! culiar model and construction known as
" dug outs" and carry from two TO eight
| persons, according to t 'cir size. Many are
| furn shed with small arched covering of
| palm leaf, intended for shelter but the
one | selected had no such advantage, Tor
| rather, protect on, for j, cannot be called an
ADVANTAGE, rs 1t impcdes the progress of
the boa) and was capable Of carrying two
persols. This ,izc is decidedly adapted Tor
| speed, tut ii costs more. Persons by club
bing together, and taking large canoe,
| pay, perhaps. ten or twelve do lars 10 Cru
ccs, but il takes double the tine to reach
| there. On landing from the steamer a;
| Chasres, amid the hustle and confu. on,
some one TOOK fom the tank OF the liver n
canvas bag conlainlng; among other things
all my India rubber cquiI menls, and suppos-
Ins It to have been put into some other
canoe which had started before me, ! de-
| leimined to be in Cruces ahead of all the
others, so as 10 examine the baggage of
others as fast as they should arrive. Ac-
c"rdngly | selected one of these "dug
outs, about twenty feet long, and perhaps
two and half feet wide, capable Of carry
| ing two passengers, ard propelled by two
natives. For this two Of us paid thirty
/ dollars myself sixteen, having more bag
gage, and my companion the balance 1t
is altogether pleasanter, if one intends 60
/ ing to California, by this route, TO start
with party Of two or four, either is a
convenient number, but to set ou, alone. as
did, although did not at all feel before
coming as if needed company, or expec-
ted to depend on the assistance OF any other
rerson, | afterwards found, | am free to
confess, rather disadvantage, and not at
all what ] cracked it up TO be. My vanity
leads me to suppose that every one would
not have overcome this difficulty so ef1ec,u-
| ally as have, for since | reached Cruces
| have been invited to Join party of five
gentlemen, myself making the sixth, who
| came out with us in the steamer. They
are all influential and respectable, some
wealthy, and three OF them sea Captains.
one of whom, Captain J. G.. Baker, comes
out to take command Of the Chesapeake
steamer as soon as she arrives in San Fran
cisco shall say something more of them
before close his letter, for | have every
season to think that ] have secured their
friendship.
H But to go hack to Cruces. | did not
reach there az intended to. in advance of
\ every body, but there was only one boa,
which arrived before us, and in point of
time ] had beaten her, for it took us some
two houIs less TO perform the journey.
remained there all .hs next day hoping to
find my bag, but was unsuccessful, and on
The following morning get out for Panama.