Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-07-11
and the soil and scenery along its banks.

rapids. The tide at the mouth flows not over
three or four feet, and its influence extends up
the river only about fifteen miles. The whole
of this distance fully realizes all the unfavora-
Bile impressions which any one may have form
ed of the river and scenery. The water Is
dark and exceedingly turbid, the banks fiat and
horribly repulsive, the growth Of the most ex-
travagant luxuriancc, SO dense and so COM
pletely run over with vines and other entanglc-
ments that squirrel can scarcely work his
way through it, and among the mass of roots
and vines which make down to the water S
edge are seen thousands of crabs-large and
mall-laboring with their numberless legs to
crawl out of harms way and escape the eye of
the traveller. The sight of these creatures,
gives one very pleasant sensation when he
reflects upon the probabilities of being spilled
out, but it is well to remark that casualties of
this kind seldom happen so near the mouth Of
the river, there being plenty of water, and the
current being comparatively slow. Along this
portion of the river the cocoa and palm tree is
seen in tolerably fiourishing state, while the
stately cotton wood rears itself TO an immense
height All, however, are completely overrun
with vines much resembling the woodbine, fire.
quently rising from the waters edge perpen-
dicularly at least forty feet in height, render
ing the scene wild, picturesque and even beau
tiful in the extreme. Leaving the tide-waters
of the Chagres the banks are more elevated
and clear of dense underground, and the rich
deep soil begins to reveal itself. Usually on
one or the other side, is bank, from six to
five and twenty feet in height above the water,
covered with beautiful growth, while the OPP
poste side is fiat and gradually rises as the
distance from the river increases In appear
ance, as viewed at little distance, the river
and scenery are not much unlike northern riv-
ers, particularly the Penobscot above Old Town,
the Piscataquis, and many others which could
mention. The shore on the fiat side becomes
gravelly and clear, no crabs or other loath-
some reptiles are seen, no sharks are feared,
and though an occasional alligator may glide
OH tLe SNole INTO the SlTedln, ana VudHOS7d
kind of lizzard-in any quantity will run up
the banks, vet there need be no fear of them ;
for you cannot approach near to them if you
would, the shots from the numerous rifles and
revolvers of the emigrants having rendered
them excessively shy. | saw but three alliga-
tors-one quite small-on the river, although
from, Oh 7 b,I roaI I
expected to find enough to build respectable
fence on each shore. Depend upon it, the
traveller will find that much of his reading in
relation to this country has been mere fables,
and that he will find beauty where he was pre-
pared to meet only with horrors, and the most
disgusting deformities where he was prepared
to be enchanted with beauty. The guano is
as nimble as the squirrel of the North, and
equally shy. They are of variable size, from
that of four inches in length to two and half
feet. The larger size are killed for food by
the natives, and are said to make very pala-
table dish. was willing to take the infor-
nation second hand, and so did not indulge nv
palate with even taste. These creatures are
found not only near the river, but every where
along the roadsides and in every place where
human footsteps are directed, these ugly look
ing but perfectly harmless reptiles are seen.
The ranches along the river are quite scat
tering except in the villages. At Gattoon,
Dosh Ermanos, Plano Blanco, San Pablo and
other places, are rude villages of tents. inhab-
tied by negroes, with an occasional philan-
thropic () American, where refreshments of a
poor quality can be obtained, and lodging for
any number on bamboo floor covered by a
single palm leaf mat. Gorgona, 55 miles from
Chagres, is the head of the dry season naviga-
ton, the road to Panama from this place being
more level than the one from Cruces, which is
and also at Cruces there is large, fine gravel
beach, on which the native women in hundreds
were employed in washing, the clothes being
laid upon fiat rock and pounded with stone,
in way that is perfect caution to shirt but
tons and other hard appendages. Washing
from the Americans affords quite lucrative
business for the native women. | had never
before been in any place where female modesty
was thing of the imagination only. am not
over fastidious, and should not run from ordi-
nary exposure of female charms, but come to
face small regiment of women, old and
young, naked as the newborn babe with the
exception Of a mere rag around the hips de-
pending half way to the knee, confess it was
too much for even my modesty, and was glad
to compromise the matter with my feelings BY
settling down in the opinion that they are only
a species of two-legged brutes, with no more
mind-at least, no more Iteration Of mind, than
the cattle which browse among their primeval
forests. Children are even seen in the streets
of Panama entirely naked, and not uncommon
of a morning is it to see men and women bath
ing promiscuously along the beach and on the
rocky shores near the city walls. We often
passed boats in the river with brawnv armed
natives, all of them with full, well developed
chests, plying the oars, with the sweat pouring
down their greasy sides, naked from sole to
crown as they were the day of their birth and
more than once did | see boatmen in this prim-
tive costume propelling boats in which were
American ladies as passengers. So common
is the sight that it scarcely excites remark a
melancholy commentary upon the degraded and
brutal condition of the population. am will