The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-05-25


Trip mp the River. 80. &c.
We are permitted to publish the fol.
lowing interesting letter from ONE of the
members of the California Company
written to his brother in this place. II
commences where the other left off and
the narrative will be continued hereafter.
1t has been detained along the route for
some time. but its descriptions of things,
manners and customs, we doubt not, will
prove interesting.
PANAMA, NUEvA GRANADA,
March 81, lS49.
DEAR BRoTHER.-I wrote TO you by re-
turn Of Steamship Alabama. giving you
an account OF my voyage across the Gulf
of Mexico aud the Caribbean Sea, and |
was in hopes that would have it in my
power to send you a full description Of
the Isthmus of Panama, by return ofthe
same vessel. But being. from choice,
and not from necessity, ten days in cross
ing the IsthmuS, and not wishing to send
you partial description ofthis singular
and wonderful country, | have deferred
writing until have had the opportunity
of seeing the whole of it. Lei me in the
outset assure you that you can no more
form an idea of this country from de-
scription, than you can have conception
of pleasure without ever having expe-
Tienced it.
propose simply 20 give you recital
of the facts which have seen and in
which have taken an active part.
We came in sight of the Islhmus Of
Panama on the 18th of March, at about
8 O'Clock in the morning. We coasted
along until about o'clock P. NJ. before
we came in sight of Chagres, 1t was a
pleasant sight after ten long and dreary
days at sea to come in view of land land
such Undiscovered with the richest
and most luxurious vegetation--a garden
of Eden teeming with all the luxurient
fruits If tropical climate-a land filed
with the most delicate plants and flowers
of every variety-none of which l had
ever seen and many Of which had nev-
or heard of. We stopped within about
two miles ofthe mouth of the river Cha.
gres. Capt. Tucker. who is the com.
mander of the "Orus" now running up
the Chagres river, came out ia his yawl
and plotted US into the river. There is
no harbor at Chagres and it is therefore
exceedingly dangerous to land outside
of the river as the wrecks Of two vessels
on the coast plainly testify. Never we're
set ofmen more agreeably disappointed
in place than we were at Chagres.
Before we arrived there our only prayer
was that we might meet with some spec.
dy conveyance to take US away from this
reputed charnel house--and there was
the steamer Orus, with steam up, Just
ready to go; but Immediately upon our ar
rival we became equally solicitous to re.
main for few days. Instead of find
ing Chagres the miserable Shiny mud
hole, that it has been represented to be.
we found it with the exception of Pana-
ma to be one of the most interesting and
pretty spots on the Isthmus. Immediate
ly at the mouth ofthe river Chagres, there
is a considerable. eminence upon which
is situated an old and we'll constructed
fort. This fertilization is manned with
the finest pieces of brass cannon and
mortars that have ever seen. some Of
which were made more than a century
ago. Just in the rear of this eminence
aud on both sides Of the river, Chagres is
situated. The houses are all composed
ofthatched huts, fair copy specimen Of
one which, will enclose you in this let
Ter.
The natives are principally black and
many naked as on the day God made
them. Children, until they arrive at the
age of and Z, never know what it is to
have rag Oh their back. The natives
however do not resemble the African ne
gro in any other respect than that of col,
or They have more vivacty. more ami
nation, better features and greater
strength. Those who do wear clothes
have them universally made of linen,
consisting Of a pair of paulaloons and a
shirt, the tail ofthe latter sticking out, an-
swering the purpose of shirt tail and
coat tail at the same time The legs on
the pants do not extend any further down
than their knees, being more convenient
to tuck up when they wish Ito wade in
and pound out"--a coarse straw hat or
more frequently a bare head, and you
have every thing which composes the cos,
tune and appearance of the natives of
Chagres. The female portion of the
town is far more interesting. Some of
the Senoritas are very pretty. Many of
them have clean, dark, olive compile exion
with long, straight, black hair. | cannot
give you better idea of their style of
dress than an American shimity, border
ed around the neck with very wide lace,
in some respects resembling the long
capes worn in the U. States. This dress
is made so loose and large that it hangs
upon them like shirt upon pole, expo
sing about one half of their back and
bust, and about one third of their legs.
They have very small feet and generally
wear highly colored slips without stock
ings. Their figures are plump, round
and fat. They invariably dress in white
and keep themselves, their dress at least,
very neat and clean. A girl of 10 or 12,
is as we'll developed as an American wo-
man would be at the age of Is or 20; and
when woman here arrives at the age of
As or so, she is as much shrivelled up