Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-04-10
FROM PANAMA.
Correspondence of the Missouri Republican.
PANAMA, New Grenaoa. Feb. %, l949.


ccntine myself to facts, leaving you to draw
your own differences from my simple episte.
l left St. Louis on the evening Of the 29th
December. and arrived at New Orleans on the
afternoon of the 4th of Jan. On inquiry,
found thore was but one vessel up for Chagres,
tthe barque Florida,) and there was no GER
tainty as to her leaving. us u report got afoat
that the cholera was raging n Chagres. New
ertheIess, party Of gentlemen from Missouri,
baunJ to California, ca He'd on the vessels a.
gent. Paid our passage, and made preparation
for the voyage. In "a few hours after, her list
was FULL She was advertised to sail on the
10th positively. but did not get away until the
18th. On the 18th another party arrived from
St. Louis, and Springfield, ILL.,, who persuaded
the captain to take them Among them were
Mcssrs Heating and Hartnctt, who arc now
here and sail in the same vessel with me, the
brig Belfast, on the morrow. We C, pect to be
in California in a bout forty days.
We arrived off Chagrcs on the Goth Janua.
~, and we're quarantined six days, with
threat Of being detained thirty, or until we
heard from the Governor. We sent an ex-
press, forthwith, who returned on the fifth day
with permit, when we ran into the river,
negotiated for our passage and plumber, and
proceeded up to Gorgona in canoes, for which
we paid five, six, and some as high as eight
dollars head. baggage included. lone trunk
ges, boxes, or barrels Larger freight, such
as 'ierccs or heavy boxes, was charged in pro.
portion. The distance, by the ,cinding OF the
river is, at least, forty miles to Gorgona. Cru.
lies six miles above Gorgona, and is the
point of Dissent arcation, during the wet or
rainy season across the Is,hmus. US tho road
is much higher than the Gorgona route, which
10 i::::rrassahie in wet weather We arrived at
Gorgona on the third day. our canoe was rath.
or heavily loaded The distance is performed
in a light canoein or Is hours. Chagres riv-
or is a rapid, shallow, clear stream; its medi'
UNI width, should Judge. is from about sixty
to seventy yards--pure and pleasant to the
taste. with heavy timber and underwood, in.
terwovcn with vines. and studded with flow
crs Of many species and hues--!ragrant and
delightful. You occasionally pass rancho;
there are likewise three small towns or villa.
yes, the houses Of which resemble, at dist
ance, large fodder stacks, built Of cane. and
rooted with palm leaves, which max s them
impervious to water, and keeps off the piercing
rays Of the midday Some double
rooGcd--they are comfortable, and we'll adapt
cd to the climate.
The inhl bltants are q mixture Of Negro, In
dian, and 5 panish-that Is some can boast Of
the blood Of all three-otkers, Of N egrn and In
dian; some Of Custilian and Negro; and again
Of Castilian and indian, and few remind you
that they are pure Casti!iano. Beside the castles,
there is u general anna lgamation, which would
puzzle more ucutc observer than myself to
trace their heaIogy--luIIowing with yellow
and black skin, sporting auburn, sandy and
rcd hair--the product, probably, OF Scotch
irish. Dunish, or the yei!nw-haired people OF
Northern Europc,-pcrhaps they may have
slight admXturc Of Ang' 10 : american blood, as
they appear to have great penchant--a high
regar I'd for Notwithstanding we have whip
ped their neg hbors tho IcxcAns, into sub C.
ton, of which they re ware, and which seems
to please them m 9htIly, as on every fitting oc
clsion, wien they come in ccnt"rt with you (,
they cry out "6ien0 Amer cano--no where
Mexrsno." They are well pleased at Our Gem
ing among them, and treat US with becoming
cour;rscy and considera tion. There has been
no difficulty between us and them us yet. and
don't unticip tic any, SO :ong we d"a! ust
Iy and fairly by them The class of Amcr-
cans, fran all parts Of the u. 5. noe here.
tain themselves as become ireemeD Of an en-
iiyhtencd republic. have seen no impropric-
~ to one another, or TO the natives ! have
vet to see the first drunken man or gu ,rrcI-
they meetonc anotheras brothers. AS whole,
| have never seen finer looking collection of
mcn--from all parts Of the ;-nion, and they
are American born, almost to man--from IL
up to 81 years Of age, anda few over that
In consequence Of the natives asking rather
too much for their mules, we thought. on
our arrival at Gorgona, we determined TO tar
ry IL few days. NC had plenty Of provisions,
and detached portion of our party to Puma.
ma to look after our interests, by procuring
passage for Us. They started, and on arriving
in Panama, found two vessels the ofsaiI-
my, with five vacancies, which they immcdi.
ately took and sailed for San Francisco the
very day W. arrived in Panama, leaving us to
bring up the rear. They were Capt. tenneI,
Of the Prairie House; Mr.. Joseph Chaytor, DR..
Jackson. and Mr.. Goodby-success to them.
Learning by an arrival from Chngrcs. that
there was ii sail or two off that port we con-
cluded our best policy would be, to close with
the natives for their mules at once, before it
got ncised about. and a fter two or three salles
with hem, beat them down from eight to foe
dola rs IL mule or horse, and started the next
morning for Panama, where we arrived on the
evening of the second day. A horse or mule
will not carry, generally, more than two hun.
drcd and fifty pounds. native will carry Oh
his back from ninety to u hundred and fifty
pounds and will travel almost quick
Wholesome OF them will beat their best mules.
They charge from two to four dollars per load.
Before Iarrived on the lsthmus. had learn
ed the country we passed over was mountain
ous That is not a fuct. They are nothing
more than succession of small rugged, unev
en- hills, the rise and fall seldom being greuter
than fifty or sixty f"et-sonc times, though.
within half mile, rising and falling abruptly
ten, fifteen, or twenty ieet in as many yards,
the pat being crossed by roots. stumps, rocks.
stones and pebbles, from the size Of an egg to
that "a marble. and in many pieces by sma II
streams of pure water from the higher land,
seeking its way to the river Chagres or the Pa
cifc. The soil on the river and On the hills is
a rich brown and black nnuId-in some pllces
Il salmon colored clay, of tenacious texture in
other places. for q few hundred yards, you
cross sandy soil, al bearing timber, vine and
palm, and cane, & cactus-shaped underground,
with flowers, as on the river-every shrub and
plant giving ont al agreeable or rank odor, ac-
cording TO its species. There are three or
four resting places on the route, where the ma.
tives cultitote :le p,antain. banana, sweet pc.
tato, yam, &c. This region is rich is medici.
nal .fora. Monkeys. parrots, panther or wild
cats. guanas. lizards, birds of rich variegated
pIumage. and several Of sweet notes. are as
plenty as prairie hens and wolves are in Mis-
souri,. There are some noxous reptiles. but
learn they arc not feared by the natives; who
in u complete state OF nudity, with the excep.
ton Of a breech cloth; children under ten years
Of age, in the country, wear nothing. The
full bioodcd Negro and Indian are u hardy,
muscular race; the Spanish admixtsre arc pu
nv and -pritless, 'i