The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-15
From the New York ierald.


From the New York Iierald
Isthmus OF Panama.
We annex another account of this inter-
esting lshmus, compiled by gentleman
Of the highest responsibility Of this city,
which il will be seen, tallies in all respects
with the description given by our previous
correspondent $ Vlalor." After describing
the bay and harbor Of Chagres, he pro-
ceeds as lolows:-
A reef extends from neck Of land from
the western shore, Terminating in what is
called the bar of the river, over which
twelve feet can be carried with safety =
The channel at the entrance is very
narrow, and sunken rock in the
middle, over which the sea breaks,
which in going in must be left on the star.
board hand then run directly for the land
lust to the eastward OF the fort, and when
close in shore haul round the walls of the
fort, within twenty yards /; and when above
the town anchor, near the bank of the RI
yer. Sail should not be taken in until you
anchor, or the current may drift you back
towards the bar, and give much trouble in
hedging and varying.
After being visited from the custom house
we were permitted to land with our bag
gage in cayuca, Gas the canoes are. caled)
which took us to a mud flat, which extern
ded from the town about 200 feet, nearly
off TO the channel of the river. Over this
mud flat we were carried on negroes backs,
who sank ankle deep at every step 10 the
shore, where we picked our way through
the mud by stepping from stone TO stone to
the custom house, where our trunks were
opened and underwent q very scrutinsng
examination. After which we took them
to the hotel; but such a hotel A wicker
work, jack-straw house, plastered inside
and ont with clay or mud, with no flooring
but mud, and the roof matched with palm
leaves; and we had the privilege OF paying
two dollars a day for two ordinary meals,
and naked cot TO sleep on, and extra char
ges for wheat bread and milk.
Chagles is miserable looking place Of
some $50 or 200 mud huts, rooted with
palm branches, and contains about 500 or
900 Inhabitants, mostly negroes and mu-
lattoes, and /" cholas," or half breed In
dams. saw only one white man in the
place, and he was 'srubio" from Cura-
Goa he was the collector Of the port, and
had negro wife. Thee rubios are mix
ed race OF the white and negro blood, and
generally have reddish (reckled face, cur
" red hair, and light eyes.
The town is built on swampy land,
nearly surrounded by lagoons of muddy
water, filled as far as the eye can penetrate
with reeds and high cane grass, full Of veno-
nous reptiles and insects poisonous ser
penis are said to often be seen about the
streets and houses. From the continual
rains, the streets are knee deep in mud,
and only passable by stepping on logs and
large stones placed a, some distance apart !;
there might once have been paving, but il
is now all quilted loose by the rains. In
all parts of the world ] have visited, ! me-
yer saw more rainy weather, and such
heavy torrents oft, as on this isthmus, and
all through The province Of Choco, from the
river St. Juan of the Pacific, 10 the Atrato, or
Darien, which empties into the Atlantic !;
and il informed it is SO the whole year
round, having no dry season except a short
interval Of scorching sunshine for few
hours on some days. The nights are cool
and damp; the rains prevail mostly through
the day, but sometimes it rains steady all
night, though seldom. The efIluyia and
miasma drawn up from the swamps, while
the sun does shine, creates q nauseous steam
or vapor, which is horrible to the smell,
and is full of pestilence. No Traveller
should land here II he can help IL; but If
he can obtain ''cacuca," 60 direct from
The vessel up the river; for a single week
Of residence here would almost insure sick
ness, and sometimes death TO the stranger.
Even The natives are sickly, puny, mis-
cradle looking set of beings always sfllic-
ted with agues, fevers, and other disea-
SEES.
JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CRUCES. ..
Passages can be had in the large cayucas
which carry cargoes, for four dollars, and in
the small ones for twelve dollars, finding
their own provisions II is always prefera-
BILE for single passengersto take the latter,
which, when there is no ireshet, will take
one to Cruces in twenty-four hours, yet
was two days in getting there, stopping
through the nights on the river, made fast
to the limb Of tree, and il raining contin-
ually The large cayucas are often four,
and even six days on the passage. A small
canoe has two negroes to pole and paddle
and sometimes wade, dragging the canoe
after them round the points, the current be-
ing very rapid in some places where the
river is narrow.
The canoes are long, low, and very mar
row with enoll arcbad a. a., >, =. ,,.