The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1850-08-24
Letter from Panama.
Correspondence of The Cecil Whig.l

PANAMA, Ntw GRANADA. July IS, 80.
p. t.. RrcxETrs, Eso,-Deor S;r:-Be-
fore leaving old Cecil, many of our friends
requested to hear from us, which we
promised they should, and as you were
the first to offer your columns as a medium
Of information, we send you this our first
eris,le, in which will be found ga round
unvarnished tale" the true experience of
t,ro eold hunters.
We left New York, on the steamship
Crescent City, on Monday afternoon, at 8
O'Clock, July LIST: the whole number of
passengers on board was but sixty, thirty
two in the cabin and twenty-esht in the
steerage The second day at SEA, some of
the passengers were sea sick the 4th
passed away without any de,nons' ration,
save the firing OF one gun at sunrise and
another at sunset. On Saturday the sixth
we passed the Island of st. Domingo; this
was the first land seen from the day we
left. On Monday the Sth, we anchored
off the Island OF Jamaica al Port Roval,
for the purpose of landing the mail bag
and two passengers; we lay here two hours,
and then lett for ChagreS direct, where
we arrived at the anchorage, one and a
half miles from the town, on the 10th,
al 5 O'Clock 10 min. having made the
passage. $500 miles, in 9 days, 2 hours,
and 10 minutes We landed in the town
the same evening at 7 O'Clock, put up at
the Howard house, which is the most
healthy and pleasantly situated in the
place: being on the beach and fronting the
s"a; here they charge $l.50 per day for
board, but the board and lodging is nt--
rior to the meanest in the States. The
next morning we dubbed with SIX young
men from S. Carolina, / from Georgia,
from Massachusetts, and from n. York,
and paid $40 for boat to take US and
our baggage TO Cruises, said TO be 81 miles
up the Chagre5 river. The first night we
stopped at a place named Gartuna, 10
miles from Chagres Up to this place from
the tune we left N. York, our trip had
been delightful, and IN our ignorance We
anticipated a great deal Of pleasure in the
future, notwithstanding we had been told
OF the dangers and pr,vations 10 encoun-
ter, we were unhelievers like all others
thai have gone to California by wav of
the Isthmus, and no doubt like all others
who will have the hardihood to follow us.
We left Gartuna the next morning at 7
o'clock, and at s o'clock P. NJ we arriv-
ed at a place or Rancho, as they are call
ed, named Palanca. This was pretty
hard days work, as all Of us for our own
safety had to take hand at rowing and
policing up the rapids, the current running
ten miles an hour and in some places
faster than quarter horse. The accom-
lnodaions at Pallanca for eating and sleep
ing are worse than pen can describe, | for
got to mention that at Gartuna where we
stopt the first night, the New Yorker sold
his ticket for 500, for winch he had paid
$500, and he returned perfectly we'll sat-
'sfed that he had seen enough OF the eI--
plant.
At Pallanca during the night the river
had risen ten feet, this OF course increas-
cd the danger, as the rapids between this
and GorSono are more numerous and
stronger than on any other part of the
river: our party now numbered ten, and
it was decided that four should 60 in the
boat and six ofus walk across the coun-
try seven miles, to San Pablos, the dis
tance on the river TO the latter place be-
any IS miles. these seven rifles we
thought were the worst that the foot of
white man had ever trod; but be patient,
end follow us awhile longer, after first
Nadlng up to our knees IN mud and wa.
ter, and then for near half a mile up TO
our breast in water, we at length srri-
we'd on the river bank opposite to the
long looked for place San Pablo After
a short time our boat arrived in safety, and
took us over to get some refre SHINE nts,
all OF us being very much exhausted.
At this place they only charge 81 dime.
for dinner; we came 70 the conclusion
that rather than pay such an exorbitant
price, TO go on to Gorgono but short dis
lance farther up the river, four Of the
least fa'igned concluded to walk as two
ofthe natives told TO give them two dimes
and they would show us the way there,