The Arkansas banner., 1849-06-05

ThInEs ns Pam~zaa. by . cislnsn o6 LAtsls
 Rsrh, sn Fouss for California. 1 We are Indebted to Gov. Drsw for the following latter, received by him from gentleman who left this place In March lss, fOs California by the Issh- mus. It Is dated.
 PAxAmA, N. G., April 9. Isss.
 Dsay Sir-Agresabse to my promise, propose give yOa short history of my progress thus far. left New Orleans on the 2lst March, and In seven day reached Chagres, a low, and, sm inclined to believe. very sickiy place, although when was there is was the dry season" and not unhealthy. The inhabitants are mostly negroes and a mixed breed fnegrQ and Indian, and occasionally Spanlard They live chiefly on eoeoauu,s and bananas, and very rarely indulge in the luxury of meet and bread At this place (Chagres) we hired Indian canoes or perOgues to transport us 10 Gorgcaa, forty miles, the cost of which wss nine dollars preferrng this to the steamboat which at this season of the year could go but eighteen miles. where pazsengeFswer reshlpPed on canoes at much greater cost. We arrived at GorgOna the 3lst, after very pleas ant trip through the most beautiful scenery in the world. will not attempt to describe to you the richness of the views on the banks of the Chagres river which met us passed, where every tree and shrub seemed clothed with bud and blossom of yariega,ed and gorgeous hues. have never before seen anything like it.
 Gorgona is about equal in population to Chagres, containing about one thousand inhabitants, who arc of the mixed breeu, i,,s .i ch~s..s in bamboo houses. Here we hired poneys 10 trans port our baggage to this place, at six dollars and thirty cents per hundred, and started on foot for this place on the 2d April. where we arrived the next day, after traveiBg twenty-six miles over a very rough and mou untainous country. The weather has been most extraordiuary--we have not had a drop of rain since we left New Orleans.
 We found here about two thousand Americans, anxiousiy awaiting passage to California, some of whom had been here two months, with no better prospect, of getting away than when they arrived for there Is not vessel in port. Since we came, there have arrived about seven hundred persons, and they continuing come at the rate of about one hundred to one hundred and fifty day. God only knows when shall get off.
 Panama contains about five thou sal nd nhabitants about one-fourth of whom Spaniards, the rest are the same negro and mongrel set that before mentioned. The houses are built of brick and stone, and have an antedeluvian appearance old do they seem. It Is surrounded by very high stone wall, in places forty feet thick It has eight Catho- lie churches and two nunneries. Tho people are the most degraded, supersttious and priest-ridden set the face of the globe. Ifyou or your friends ever think of going to California, have assurance that you can get away from this place before you start, for there more lies told about the route across the Isthmus by speculators than you have any idea ol, for the purpose of swindling out of what they have all those who are foolish enough to place confidence in the stories that are set afioat Any one coming this way should send to New York leans give you privilege, while the New York tickets sell here for from five to eight hundred dol lars.
 The steamer California has not yet arrived, and many persons think that she will never come back, , so that our only chance is to get on some small vessei-aslim chance, by the way, as the d-dspecu- lators have caused it to be rcuated up and down the coast that the cholera was raging here, thus preventing vessels from touching at thIs point. This is not so; the contrary, it is very healthy and should this letter reach you pu blish it that my friends who may wish to come this way may know what to depend upon. l write with much suspicion that it will not reach you, for there have been more than three hundred letters written from this place for publication, which never reached their destination, and it is universally believed here that the agents of the mail line under order of the company, examine all the letters, and all such as will expose their lying, swindling tricks arc de stroyed; while letters written by themselves to de- ceve the public, by stating that there passen gers aud plenty Of vessels, transmitted and gain currency. The fact is, there at least two thou sand seven hundred people new here, who have no way of going on and not vessel in port.
 Ex-Governor DREw. SYPHAX