The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-07

iul Of pestil-ncs No traveller shouId land Acre if he
can he!P q but II he can obtain "osyuoa," go d.
residence here would almost insure sickness aud
sonsmes death to the stranger Even the natives
afhioted with agues, fevers, and other diseases.
JOURNEY UP TIE RIVER CRUCES.
Passsgss can be had in the large cayucss which
carry csreoes, for four dollars, ana in the small
for twelve dollars, finding their provisions
the latter. Which,, when there Is no frsshst, viii
wss days in getting there, stopping through
the nights the river made fast to the limb Of tree
four and six days the passage. small canoe
has two negroes to pole and paddle, and sometimes
wad dragging the canoe after them round the points,
the being rapid In some places whore the
The canoes are long, low, and very narrow, with
small srched "todo or awning, about feet long,
covered with plantain leaves, under which the pas
sepger has lie the whole time, with hardly to
them from being swept away by the branches and
limbs Of trees, stunps, and vines hanging over the
to pass keep the strength Of the current In
places the river narrow that the branches Of
the trees hanging over IT'S banks nearly intertwns TO-
even up TO San JUAN Ia few leagues farther up) for
email shallow steamboats, yet the RIVER being so very
rapid they would require powerful engines
and then, meet with many impsdimsnts There
trees to be cut down, to keep their branches nom
sweeping of the tunnels. The river will. sometimes
or ten isss and as suddenly fall on account Of shs
rspidty of the cVrrent. The scenery after ascending
few miles, becomes beautful-the trees and vinss
festooned with flowers Of rich variegsted hues, over
hang the banks Of the rivsr while, here and there
We turn point seem In the open vistas beyond,
itch vaies, hills, and towering mountains, with the
clouds wresthing along their and then OBJ
scur,Dg their SUBMITS, then rolling away, in the dis
lance exposing them for few nts to the bright
rays of the In oil their magnificent vsrdure with
here and there small "hacienda" and rude hut
tres Wh lie rs ara sing and
crossing overhsad large hocks Of noisy green parrots.
psroqusts, and Wild pigeons, with many other nall
is musipg In wonder and admiration 1t this mag
nlfcent scenery OF nature, down comes . sudden
somhre curtain Of thick mist, and obgss him draw
in his head beneath his small canopy ofplantain
ding one OF land tortoise drawing his
There being NO vessel at Panama In which could
get pssssge to Bona Ventura and it being reported
unhealthy at the first named CITY, from the pre-
vaing Of contagious dysentery, resolved to spend
some time at Gorgona and Cruces. l went ashore at
Iapd about thirty feet above The river. I found the
people very hospitable and kind, and spent . week
with them, boarding In the house in the place for
one dollar and half per day. The houses are much
the same a. at Chsgrss but larger, and kept much
haciepdas not far from the vsge each side Of the
river, where they rase abundance Of rice,
,usar plantans, and other tropical fruits, and
every house may be seen many dogs ducks chickens,
hoes and goats, and many Keep horses and mules. 1t
There is road from here TO Panama. which intersects
with the road from Cruces about three leagues from
II former place. and raid to be about the dis
lance viz: leagues, but Is not much travelled
that from Cruces. although mine host " said the
shorter But his object was to get his mules employed
take there yet what he said may be true; but
PR fen ed the most frequented route.
There 10 q moubtain about . league from the VII.
lsge which travellers often ascend to have view Of
,hs Atlantic and Pacific, which csnbs seen on clear
day
After spending week here I went up in canoe to
Cruces, which is about two leagues farther up Here
ike m The oan
little larger, and the houses much better, many Of
them having boarded floors and tiled roofs There is
church here and curate the church mosty ia ruins,
and only one half Of It used for worship; but it ID
now undergoing repairs. boarded at Senior Alsemo-
Ias, gentleman VINO generally accommodates travel
lers with board and lodging and mules and mueieers
bes.ans coat. The same as At Gorgonsi but the living
dating and for that place his charges reasonaoie
and would recommend travellers who are bound
while waiting for vessel at either port 1t Is the
b, althitst place the isthmus; and one may amuse
tow is built upon an elevated situation on two small
hills, interfering each other in the form of cross,
from which suppose 1t takes it's name of Cruces.
ROAD FROM CRUCES TO PANAMA.
] remained here fortnight and then went to Pa
mama the charge for aisodle mule was IS, and for
bsgpsge mule and muieteer SO more making 50 l
ssIted after early breakfast and arrived late in the
afternoon, IL rsinea nearly all the way the road
mule path in the wort Of order It
paved in many places with huge round stones, but
quilted away in mapy places 80 that the mules had at
almost every step to pick their way between them,
stepping in holes of mud and water to their girths
ard in any places the path Is quilted away deep
and that is obliged 70 haul up his legs, to
keep them from being bruised BY projecting rocks and
Gregg and in places Is Ike ascending and de-
eepdipg flights u steps with deep hole. in them
b. the nus feet stepping single file after each other
are flied with wet clay almost Of the consstency of
putty person not accustomed, would hard ~ BIO
able to pick bis way afoot without meeting with many
falls Even the ture footed mule often makes q 10
and throws his rider his head to the danger Of
LIE or limb against tho creggy rocks. or plump in the
mud ana water below. Its really surprsing the poor
animals get along at all with such heavy burt hens;
they do often fall der them and here and there the
rosd with their bones Their backs, shoulders
and hips often cruelty laoerated by chafs and the
tkn torn from their legs by the rocks they have to
sp M Ans yet with LITTLE trouble and
roads might be kept IN good order Nothing appears to
have been done to keep them in repair, since the
Spain. But mule command higher freight than
they would get II 1T kept In order great part Of
the way the ravIDes nd mule paths completely
cred over by the branches OF trees and vines uniting
together acIoss the road, scarcely admitting light
tied his head. often get 1t knocked off, and his
head with It. ne does not stoop low by the anches
and old trees that extend overhead across the
read A cargo for mule Is 800 pounds and goods
generally put up In packages Of $50 pounds
At various places along the road hacisndas,
and ope u ~ pcbos huts, and ging list
lsssly IN their bsnmocks, sitting mats, smoking
ceIrios, while their little naked red skin half Indian
children are playing about on the clay floors, and
good looking cattle grazing In the fields The coil Is
exceeding itch being deep losm the color Of Spanish
brown, producing corn, sugar cane rice, beans peas,
melons. and all the tropical fruits, II cultivated in
great sbuL dance but here they only cultivate enough
tor HON. sonfumption and ttle for Panama market.
INDECENT lazy looking set no one ever saw, and
yet they sok fat and hearty and the women who are
genersy short in stature, with very remarkable small
feet we'll turned ankles, have, ZONE Of them, very
pretty festure with long glossy black hair and large
full lnstrous black eyes, indeed, many Of the young
"Choiasu as tie Indian women cAled) are quite
bauosome, and all very kind and hrspitable to
stisI PeiB
Panama 10 a compact city, walled all around, and
atto with only tntraLce from the Dtry
massive ttons bridge Of ch then through stone
scbt0 paie way into the city 1t 10 situated in the
bottom Of beautiful sandy bay, and built mostly
lava that bas How ed out into the from ancient
vo cane or eruption OF nature one layer flowing
The other. d. ming Until 1t point juttng
out into the rcme distance from II walls Of the
city er which he tide flows II he's pvainst