Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-04-18


found the landing piled up with boxes and
barrels, and the grounds about dotted over
with tents and booths, the occupants, gold
hunters, awaiting mule transportation o.
eeross, sometwenty.fcur miles to Panama.
There nre some 500 awaiting transporta-
ton there, and probably 1000 here, and
hundreds on their way up who have Ian
ded at Chagres SINCE At Gergona we took
the mustang ard mule line, and reached
plain, mountain and Hill, through gorges
and files, now steep, and now rugged,
now level, but every variety Of forest scene
| tropical trees and birds and flowers. here
m anaconda on limb, there panther in
the trail, yol der n couger sneaking into the
jungle, making every sep novel, new
and interesting. The whole, whatever lis
hardships and exposures, pleasure trip,
which is not 10 be met with more than
once in lifetime. DR.. Chamberlain was
the only lucky hunter having killed good
sized couger, vile walking thro' the woods
below Gorgona, ,on the 6:h Col. We ler shot
an anaconda nine fee, in length, as it was
hanging from limb, but tha, fact was only
common monsters of this species are cheap.
From Gorgona here mules and natives
are the only means Of transportation.
| Mules will carry 900 lbs. md natives -as
| high as 200, over a road that has be en- trav-
eled since the conquest Of Cortez, but still q
mule path and nothng else.
Panama is walled city, most beautifully
situated on neck jutting: into the sea, on
ioh fo1, in in
front the blue Pacific, and above and below
the bay, with several small Islands, covered
with green verdure, rising abruptly from the
water to the height cf 100 feet to $50 feet.
Overlooking the ocean is an old battery,
mounted with large ordinance, ard faunt-
ing boldly on the high mountain in the rear
is an american Flag, which some saucy
gold hunter has there planted during his
stay, probably TO admonlsh the lazy Span
lard that the foot of "INanJest Destiny" is
ON his soil. This was once a much more
populous city than now. Without and
within the walls are numerous cathedrals
and churches, hoary, erumbling, and ivy
grown, seemingly the relics of an age be-
yond the food, roofess. foorless, the home
of the swallow, and the roost of the raven,
their history unwritten, and their decline un-
dated. The buildings are entirely Spanish,
many Of them spacious, and all of them
exceedingly rude and rough in their order of
workmanship. The present population is
estimated at about 5000, to which may, for
awhile, be added l0,00e gold hunters.
You have heard much Of the dangers
md privatiens Of the Isthmus route. Ev-
erv representation has been exaggerated.
Young men, accustomed to Broadway,
Chesnut street, and Pennsylvani, Avenue
hage given their impressions, and our good
people have made up their Judgment on the
evidence; but the truth is you need not go
out of Ohio for roads as bad, and privations
as great in travel, and dangers from sick
ness as constant. The roads are bad e.
nongh in wet time MS could readily see
for myself, but if you cnn recollect the
road from Lancaster 10 Zanesville, or Co.
lumbus, few years since, you can imag-
| inc aeorse road than can now be found in
this [sthmus. With care in living. dress.
&C., such as we all have observed since
landing at Chagres, there is less risk of
heath here than at New Orleans.
There are probably 1900 and upwards
Of gold hunters on the Isttmus awaiting
transportation. They are pursuing but
thin shadow, which they cannot CATCH
Hundreds of them have been here one, two
and three months, with no better prospect
Of getting away now or in the future, than
they had the day they landed here Many
of them have lived out and squandered to-
ge,her their last dollar, are now staying,
God knows how, as hopeless as they are
friendless. This, to most who have come
ecross, has proven itself the longest rather
than the shortest route from the United
States to the "diggaas' and certainly it is
more expensive. A barrel OF -four, for
the simple transportation from Chagres
here, will cost Sl5, and when got here
WILL sell for about transportation; to take
it on is impossible. Most things will bring
no more here than at New Orleans-the
transportation therefore would be but loss.
In speaking of the route, and the mis-
representations Of it, | would not gva one
word of encouragement to any friend now
at home to try it. II you have reader,
who will have confidence in my Judgment,
let me adlnonish him, if he is gold seeker.
to take any route rather than this one; he
will thank me if he does, and curse his
own folly if he don't. This port, unlor-
tunatelv is some forty days for sailer,out
Of the course from New York to San
Francisco. Vessels will not come in for
supplies, for this is not favorable poin,
they will not come in for passengers be-
cause they are filled and run over in our
own ports. Tickets on the steamers, from
this port up, which cost $3.50, have sold
for as high as $1,000, some for $lOOO.-
Before Col. Weler's party can sail for
their destination, San Diego, vessel will
most likely have to be ordered round from
New York. understand that he has al
ready sent dispatches to this effect, In
the mean time the Colonel will make his
individual way to San Diego, in order to
keep perfect that section Of the treaty
which specifies the time aud place of be.
ginning the survey.
On ur way up we next met several gold
hunters on their way back, sonic for home,
soma for other route es, who had been here
week after week, spending their money as
they saw uselessly. Others will follow
their examples henceforff.