The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-10-23

letter written by my brother-ln-laW, .. IL.
NJ, who went to California last summer,
and who, writing from Panama, thus de-
scribes the Isthmus and his experience in
crossing
As I have never seen in print so full a
description of the crossing of the Isthmus,
I thought perhaps you might deem it wor-
thy of an Echo" +. D.
The "old rats" who have crossed be-
fore, say the Isthmus is in an unusually
good condition for this season of the year
there having been but very little rain.
Chagres is low, sunken hole, under the
hill, with very bad harbor. Hotels are
plenty, such as they are. But 1 have
seen hogpens that | should prefer to most
of them. Food very scarce ~ rum in
abundance. Only stopped few hours in
Chagres; then took boat up Chagres
river for Cruises. The river is navigable
| by boats for about 62 miles. 1t lies the
whole distance between mountains, and is
said to be from 80 to $50 feet in depth in
the middle-close to the shore it is about
10 feet deep-the mountains slide off so
steep. The river is narrow and rapid. All
kinds Of filth, dead bodies, and everything
for 60 miles and more, comes down the
stream, which is so rapid that it is very
thick and muddy; and it smells so bad that
it fairly made me sick. Yet this is the
water we are to drink, or take wine, or 60
without drink. 1 drank and it made me
f sick, but having plenty of the right kind of
medicine 1 set head-fres and got smart.
1t takes three days to get to Cruises from
Chagres. The wood and underbush is so
compact that it is almost impossible to see
land as you 90 up the river; although oc-
. casionally there is little fiat cleared, call
ed rice patches.
We stayed at Cruises one night, and then
took to mules. Now, to give the best ac-
count that can is to say that for the first
half mile four mules can 90 abreast; after
that they must 90 in single file. The pass
age through the mountains is hard one
all the dirt quilted out between rocks.
The water pouring down the mountains
from all directions and meeting at different
angles dashes over rocks and cuts through
ravines. The bed of these streams is our
pathway When the rocks admit the way
lis wide enoug il for two mules to pass each
other, but for great distance it is so mar
row that it is almost impossible for our
r mule to get along, say nothing about
/ passing. The gullies are sometimes, for
miles, some 20 to 40 feet deep, 20 to 40
feet wide at the top, and from Is inches
to 4 feet wide at the bottom. In some
places the sides run up gradually, in some
the rocks hang out so that you must look
out for your head and legs. In some
g places the mules have to go up Or down
G the rock some 10 feet almost like ladder,
e by means of holes in the rock which are
worn by their feet Some Of the holes are
, worn nearly Or quite foot in depth. The
1 bottom of the path is more stony than any
single spot in Rhode Island-it is worse
f than any farmers stone-heap. Once L
4 met pack of mules in the narrow pass
e age-could not turn rOund-what IN ma
f ture to do | did not know; but the cut
L throat udtlVcS pun Ilc ClIiD " 0ii|i iihN"j
e and on they came. The first one l met
$ undertook to pass, but the sides were so
: steep that he slipped down-knocked my
mules legs from under him, and l, to save
myself, tried to jump-my spur caught in
: the saddle, and it was lucky that it did,
for was in too great hurry; but off
came the spur and away went | into the
rocks. But L was used to rocks-up l
, gets, and, holding my pistols ready for an
emergency, suffered mules and men to pass
as best they could, some tumbllng down
and others walking over them.
Well, l got tired of riding, and thought
I would walk awhile-got behind my mule
, and a little too close, and the sorpem kick
: ed four times-twicc he hit me, and twice
, 1 caught his leg once he hit me over the
eye and once on my leg. then told him
that when got on | would settle with him,
and so [ did, put the spur to him good.
We got over the mountains in a single
day. guess we were some wet, muddy,
and tired. And yet | suppose there never
was more easy and pleasant passage
made.
n Panama would be nice, healthy,
j, pleasant place if the inhabitants would
keen il clean and bring good water from