Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-01-16
TRAVEL ACROSS THE lSTHMUS.

|
the route of travel across the Isthmus from
Chagrcs to Panama:
Let us suppose the traveller once safely ar.
rived at the town of Chagres. This town, as
it is usually called, but in reality u village, or
collection Of huts, is. as is we'll known, situa.
ted at the thout OF the river Chagres, where
it emptics itself Into the Atlantic ocean.
1t Is but small village, and the harbor is
| likewise small, though secure. 1t is formed bv
the jutting out of a narrow neck Of land, and
is defended by the castle, which is built on
high bluff on the other side. The village it,
self, as have before said, is merely collcc.
tion of huts, and is situated in the midst of a
swamp;u least the ground is low, and the con.
tinued rains which prevail at Chagres keep it
in swampy condition, so much so, that logs
of wood are laid along the centre Of the streets
to enable passengers to avoid the deep mud
which is always to be found there. Chagres
is inhabited by colorcd people entirely, with
the exception of some few officials at the cas-,
tie and in the custom.house. Its population
| q speak, of course, of it previous to the pres.
ent influx was probably not more than five
hundred, il so much.
ti(erous for whites in the whole world. The
coast OF Africa. which enjoys a fearful reputa-
ton in this way, is not SO deadly in its climate
as is Chagres. The thermometer ranges from
! 7So to $50 all the year, and it rains every day
Many traveller, who has incautiously remain.
ed there for few days and nights, has had
cause to remember Chagres, and many gal
liant crew, who have entered the harbor in full
health. have, ere many days, found their final
resting place on the dark and ,nalarious banks
| Of the river. Bilious, remittent and longest
i've fever, in their most malgnan, forms, seem
to hover over Chagres, ever ready to pouncc
upon the stranger. Even the acclimated resi-
| dent oil the troplc runs great risk in staying
any time in Chagres; but the stranger, fresh
from the north, and its invlgora ting brcezes,
runs u most fearful one.
Trade to Chagres has hitherto been lin tied
to the forwarding Of goods across the sthmus;
small shop or two being sufficient to supply
the nha bitants Of the village itself with their
scanty clothing. The produce of the isthmus,
consisting chiefly Of gold dust, hides, India
rubber, and sarsaparilla, is sent down the river
| for transhpmcnt to the United States and the
ncighboring West India Islands. Thus Cha
grcs is but depot, and no real business is
| transa cted there.
The accommodations for Travellers are scan.
ty and inferior, indeed, unless the place has
| altered very much of lato. There are abso-
luteiy no accommodations, as it always has
been the rule for passengers to hurry up the
! river without even stopping an hour among the
huts; and this brings US to the river journey,
which is performed in canoes, propelled up the
stream by means Of poles. There are two
points at which one may land, viz: the villages
Of Gorgona and Cruces. The distance from
Chagres to the first named is about as or 50
miles; to the latter, some SO or SIS miles, The
traveller, who, for the first time in his life en-
barks on South Am erica river like tho Cha
grcs, cannot fail to experience u singular de-
preston of spirits ut the dark and sombrc as
| pect Of the scene.
In the first place, he finds himself in small
canoe, so small that he is forced to lie quietly
in the very centre Of the stern portion, in or
der to prevent It's upscttiny. The palm lea
thatch Cor tollo, US it is termed on the lvcr)
over his portion Of tho bout, shuts out much O.
the view, while his baggage, piled carefully
amldships, and covered with oiled cloths. en-.
ccrrados, as they are termed, is under tho
charge of his active boatman, who, stripped to
the buff, with long pole in hand, cxpertIy pro.
pels the boat up stream with many a cry and
strange exclamation. The river itself is a dark
muddy, and rapid stream, in some parts quite
narrow, and again at other points it is from
!; 3OO to SUI yards wide. Let no one fancy tina
it resembles the bright and cheerful river!
which arc met with here at the north NJ
pleasant villages adorn its bunks-no signs o
, civilization are seen on them; nothing but the
sombre primcval forest, which grows with al
the luxury OF the tropics down to the very
margin of its swampy banks;an the mangrovt
and all the tribe Of low bushes which love te
luxurlate in marshy grounds, fringe the sides
Of the river, affording most convenient place
, of resort for the aligators, with which tht
marshy country swarms. The sensible travel
en- however, who remain quiet IN his boat INC
makes no adventurous visits on shore. is per
fectIy safe from any harm from these animals,
or tho small panthcrs, monkeys, ard deadly
snakes with which the country on each ba n k
Of the river bounds. But those adventurous
lspirits who, here in New York, talk OF landinq
on the banks and shooting game enough for
their provisions, will find the thing to be i'm.
possible, as, even if they were to succeed in
crossing the marshy banks on to firm ground
without suffering from the ulligators, they
would find the forest so thick and tang lied as
to forbid further pussage, and lucky indeed
would they be if they got back to their boa
unframed by snakes or other poisonous reptiles
The journey to Cruces or Gorgona is not a
long one. Ofcourse, its length depends on the
heavness of the boat and the number of hands
polling it up: A light canoe, with two active
boatmcn and but one passenger in 1t, will reac CHI
Cruces in ten or twelve hours, whilst heavier
o2e might require thirty.six hours to accom-.
plish the passage. The passenger must take
on the river, and Il good water filter will be
found great convenience, as the river water
is so muddy, that it is apt to derange the bow.
els, unless filtered in some way before drink
ing it.
In view Of tho great and sudden influx of
passengers to Chagres at the present time, it
is impossible to soy how they will all be &C.
commodated with canoes, and what the river
journey will cost In former times the supply
Of canoes was quite limited, and the charge
depended on the celebrity with which the Jour
ney was performed. A doubloon, (Sl6j was
the lowest price for. a single passenger, and
from that up to two, three, and even four doub.
looms. AS for taking out boats from here, and
rowing them up tho river, should think it
would be hopeless attempt. Hardy boatmen
from our southwestern States, who arc accus.
toned to much similar mode ortravel on their
rivers. would probably be abe to accomplish
it; but in that burning and unhealthy climate,
for young men fresh from the North, unac.
quainted with the dangers of such navigation,
and oil unacc!imated, to attempt such u feat
would be madness indeed.
Let us however, suppose the journey CON-
pleted, and our advcnturer safely arrived at
Cruces. ...
He may nov congratulate himself on having
achieved the most teilsome part Of his Journey,
and but tWenty-one miles of land ronte inter