Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-06-04
THE OLD CITY OFPANANIA-

letter in the Boston Post contains the following &C
count OF what was anclenuy the city Panama.
PANAMA. April %, I84S
have just returned from excursion among The
runs OF the Ola city Of Panama (seven miles east Of ht
present city, accompanied by Mr Bell, an omilhoogis
Of some note in New York Mr.. Fry ma hematical in
sTument maker, in New York; and another New YorI;
friend. Nh Fanlervoort. We pitched our tent arranged
or cooking apparatus, and sailed forth quest Of game
The city was founded in 1919. on plan near the sea
shore, about twelve feet above high water msrk and
was built mostly Of brick and stone, thick walls, and
stone masonry. But suppose you know something d
It's early history will describe it it is. dense
forest now covers the city, that the walls stand
ing twenty or thirty feet high, cannot be seen till
you approach within fifty hundred yards Of them
immense blocks Of buildings, half fallen down and sec
tons Of walls, peerng up among the trunks ofarge trees
and underbrush, turm quite graphic picture To the
traveller One immense cathedral is now sanding ex-
ceP one end wall, within which measured a cotton
wood Tree eighteen feet in circumference and On one IF
me main arches, thirty feet high grows tree thir-
ty feet higher entirely supported BY the arch On an
other section Of The wall, about thirty feet high has
grown tree about fifteen feet in circumference the
seed taking root on The top Of the wall and sending down
roots into the earth which have grown fla (slab
lded against the wall with such strength as to support
the Immense tree, which, in turn supports the wall
which Is held as IN wooden vice Should the wall fall
out 1t would present The curious anomaly Of that
commenced in It's middle and grew both ways, outiong
rat, who proposed TO commence at the top and build his
chimney doWnwards. As 1t IS, might imagine that
Mr.. an Bnren took his idea Of Sraddlng the fence from
this very Tree. Old cstens and wells piles stone and
rubbish, vines and underbush, make it difficult to Get
about among the ruins. There but tower standing;
this is hundred feet high BY forty square seven feel
thickness OF walls, and strongest masonry. Ii is cover
ed with moss, vines, and cteepets 10 the top, and on
lis summit stand several small trees bearing beautiful
flowers
This city. once wealthy and popuous, is now the
abode OF Wild beasts, who have driven from its j.
cinty We saw tigers, agaiors, deer wild bars MN
keys, snakes guanoes, and squirrels cormoants pecans
pgeOns, buzzardS, doves parrots, owls bats, and brick
bats III abundance. Sea-0tter tracks perty
they have crawed through deserted arches the river
side In rambes among the broken walls Of the city,
tiger eaped down to the top Of wall and then
to the ground, and as if Blrnam at his heels.
Is it not strange that such city, within miles
Of the present one should have gone utter rum
and completely to destroy every of its Streets
the Of lis bindings and become the fixed abode of
beasts Of prey Such is the fact, and it is still more
strange that the natives know little of its history or
location found great difficulty IN obtiinng a
tive guide who could accompany us TO the spot. 1t is
seldom visited though during our encamPment and
since several parties have visited it fur them
selves
We pitched tent the bank Of small rive- Just
on the outskirts of the city, arch in good prese
walton, which passed the paved road Cruces and
Ggona in the days of he buccaneers who DESTROYED The
city and put the inhabitants TO The sword if my memory
since read the history Of The buccaneers and of
Sir Francis Drake 1t founded il. 1919 bat when
destroyed do rot remember.