The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-02-10
From the Baltimore Sun.
From California.

NINE DAYS LATER FROM CHAGRES-
SICKNESS AND DEATH AMONG THE
CALIFORNIA EMIGRANTS. .sa
The Intelligence by the steamer Ores.
cent, City, from Chagrss, tie arrival Of
which, al New York, we announced
yesterday, is not OF a character ~calcula.
ted to increase the emigration to Cali.
fornia by the lsthmus route, until it is
certain conveyance from Panama can
bsaobtained upon arriving at that port.
Many will, no doubt, be disappointed in
not receiving accounts ofiarge arrivals
OF gold by this steamer. II appears
that the emisrants to California suffer
very mach on the route from Chagres
10 Panama. and at both oil those places,
before they get to the gold region. A
correspondent Of the New York Her
aid, writing from Panoma, on the 7th
instant, says:
lsNo urgency short Of lie and death
should bring a a on this route; for a
female it is utterly out Of the question.
1t has taken most Of u passengers
eight days TO get from Chagres to this
city, and many Of those by the John
Benson and the Falcon are still on the
road. The canoes from Chagies TO
Cruces COS, S95 for each person; and
$i9 for a mule bringing a single trunk
from the latter place. have been paid by
many. In fact. there are not hall mules
enough in the whole lsthmus to supply
the demands.
He gives the following account OF
Chagres, and the route:
Chagres is a collection Of one hum
drsd negro huts with walls (when they
have any and roofs matched with palm.
A fow turkey buzzards ornament each
roof; and when it ceases to rain, they
hold themselves out in humble imitation
OF a spread eagle, to dry. Low and
swampy. it looks the abode Of pesti-
lence, as il is. Now, in the dry season,
il rains ten times a day, and the earth
is filed to saturation. In the eight wet
months Of the year it mast be decided.
ly moist. We left the place with all
convenient speed--some in large boats
which could make but little progress
against the strong current; others in
small ones, which could hold but two
persons besides the two boatmen, and
which made good progress up the
stream. All had 10 sleep one night be-
tween Chagres and Cruces; the greater
number were two nights on the way
some were three or four. The naked
boatmen are generally efficient, toIera-
bly, honest and civil. The sleeping
places are the same as the Chagres
huts, with mud floors, and nothing to
eat. If a hen be found, the price is o
dollar and seventy.6ve cents for cook.
ing. No bread, no sugar, no tea. no
milk, no meat. Even those huls are
few and far between, though the river
banks are beautiful in their tropical veg
citation, and seem capable Of producing
every thing which the heart can desire.
But the curse of floods is on the land,
and it is difficult 10 imagine that good
can ever come gu OF IL
Cruces is nearly as low and quite as
d~isagreeable as Chagres. We were
compelled to remain there some days,
in consequence Of the impossibility Of
obtaining transportation. or the road
from Cruces to Panama. it is impossible
to give an idea. The l~iveliest lmagina.
ton cannot picture it. Mud holes, in
which the mules mire up to their bellies;
cart loads Of boulder stones, which, in
the time Of the Spanish galleons, may
have formed a pavement; ravines worn
deep in the solid rock, and only wide
enough for mules feet below, and for
the riders legs above. with every pos.
sible ACTIVITY and declivily, from forty
Eve degrees 10 perpendicular, all com
bine 10 make up the most impossible
road now in actual use on the face Of
the globe. The mules, stepping in the
same footprints, have worn mortal
holes deep in the rock Of the deep and
steep ravines; and ! saw a boulder stone
eighteen inches in diameter, with such
a hole drilled half way l~hroushit. How
the ladies' Of the party ever got across,
am vet unable TO decide. This much
is certain that most of them practically
assumed the %pantaloons, and rode gal.
Iantly, like the cavaliers around them
But the saddest part Of our story re.
mains to be told. At Cruces, several
cases oil viruient cholera morbus, some
think it cholera, appeared among US.
Mr.. Luckett, from New Orleans,
was the first victim; then Captain Ell
lott, Of the quartermaster's department.
and afterwards Mr.. Birch, of New Or.
leans, AMI Mr.. George W. Taylor, Of
Providence. The disease was Of grea,