The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-02
ISTELLIGENCR FROM THE IsTnmUS
Our New Granada OOrresp ,ndeuce.

lnoso VINO kfo uotaineu mere o DAY or Two should
by all means visit the burial ground, which is
about quarter Of q mile distant from the city
There no will see evidence of the manner in which
the natives, Of high and Low dsgrss-or ct less.
their remains-are disposed OF whom they cease cat
ing bananas, filthy pork, and beef, by the yard
Hero is q theme for mora!.sts and philoso piers.
Bot let me tell you how the honbres are disposed
of after they have takon leave of all sublunary
affairs. With all convenient despatch" as tho
freight bills cay, the romans of tho dead are boxed
up in coffin lined with tin, and deposited ia .
vault, as it is called, but which resembles bakers
oven in the URi.ed States more than anything else
| can think Of Ia fact. one would suppose from
nm ins pecticn 70 the cemetery that it was sociss.
baking establishment. Let me describe it. 1t is
in the form OF hollow square; on the four sides
there arc built Of brick and cement, three tiers Of
holes, about eight feet in length by two and half
in breadth, presenting the appearance Of bakers
ovens AS soon as poor devil shulles off his NOR
tai coil, he is rammed into one Of these holes, and
the entrarce bricked and plastered leaving him
there all alono in his glory. 1t is evident that il
the bodies were to remain permaEently IN these
narrow houses, additional cemeteries must be- con
stFucted from time to time TO answer the demand
Bat the one cemetery has answered the purpose tor
$50 years, and Will do so for $50 years more
Aud why Let me tell you On ALI Saints Day
thoTe is ." general Jail dslivery"-a real Oyer
and Terminer, general clearing out Of the bodies
ofalwhq have died daring the year. On that day
the pais ter overtime moaes OF n. the bakers ovels
ia smashed, and the ooins containing the remains
taken to tbs corners So the cemetery where they
are buried and disposed Of At cash corner there is
constructed place for destroying tn o1flins and
their contents by means Of FIRE. and Saints Day,
there is d regular jubilee, the peepie with great
pleasure taking hand ia burning tho rem ans Of
fhasS snAF r.a raE rgA atuttt rtn
these exhibits to view vast pile Of oh srred
bones, partially consumed skulls, some with the
hair on = as good rs new, and rib and thigh bones
as "thick as leaves in Val.mbrosi" The fire,
however, does not always do i.s work perfectly, for
on looking into OF the corners | saw what per-
hafs timd person like myself would not like to
see. observed that the work Of destruction on the
last Saints Day WAS rather imperfectly done,
for there were elk or eight cofhas taat bore
no evidence OF having been exposed to the fire.
One Of them was turned upside down in q man
ner that thought was intended to conceal some.
thing. | took the liberty Of turning il over, and
man form divine" but in rather sorry condition.
These remains, 1t appeared, were not at all affected
by the fire. presume tne wood was exhausted,
and as the "jaii delivery" must be completed on
All Saints Day, in order to commence the no
burypg year with clean hands and empty ovens,
the poor hobe in questioa was thro IN in, the wood
necessary to consume his name; aos being forth
coming. Wood here, like everything else, is dear,
each stick costing dime-an eternal everlasting
dime; for every thing, from a oanoric needle to an
anchor for a "A gun ship, iS sold by dimes IL did
not, however, require much effort to turn the HON
Joe The turkey buzz ards had done their work
ALI that was left Of the individual were his skin aad
his bones In fact, he was reduced literally to
beg Of bones, o term frequently applied
more legs than brains. ! saw parts Of
bodies in the other corners in tho same
condition Nov, consuming the remains of the
deceased by fire is an old Eastern custom, and is
txbxc ftarth ,. E,I
has taken its fight from it's heshy tabernacle to
the great cd who created it. it matters little what
becomes of the poor body 1t is az we'll to burn it;
but in the of heaven and out Of respect TO the
memory of the dead, let the burning be complete
In the East the ashes Of the deceased carefully
preserved In ufns, and respected. Here in Neg
GranRda-in the oemetery-in the four corners
have mentioned-there are piles OF half consumed
skulls with the hair Oh, oHarred bones, and, rs
have said before, full figures, lacking nothing but
the flesh, which the turkey buzzaras had eaten.
This may appear inc edible to your readers. Wa
assure them il ID So We do not want to die the
Isthm US, but il must 1ie here, let quit this
vale of tears ard valley Of woe in any part Of New
Granada but Panama.
PANAMA, N. c., Feb 10, 1852
Solemn Adutce to California En,igrants-- The CITY
Of Paaan,a, rs People, its Markets, SC, SC
Destutntiow among Emigrants--T The manner in
uhich the Mails are Transported, &c, &c.
Having reached this port on my way to the land
of promise and Of gold, and suffering, as am, I'm.
der intolersble ennIi, cannot, think, spend an
hour or so more agreeably, more probably, tina
by writing to the HERALD, and giving to those who
contemplate emigratng to California, few words
OF solemn caution and advice. Let me, in tho fl st
place, warn emigrant, if they value their health,
their lives their own welfare, or that Of their fami.
lies, not to leave the States unless they have
kofa Lat me- m
them; and, in the name Of common humanity, Mr..
Bennett, repeat the caution in the editorial col.
ums Of your paper Let it be circulated far and
near, that no person Should leave for California
without through ticket. There are at the pro-
rent time from fifteen hundred to two thousand
persons here without tickets, awaiting chance to
20 to San Francisco. Some Of them are in q state
of restitution, and Others arc sick. Some have
been here three, four and FIVE weeks, and the ex-
pense of living has left them pennyless. How
they are TO reach California, or to return, Is more
than | can say. | do know, however, that many of
them will do one or the other but leave their
bones here.
Panama is, with ono exception, the meanest,
dirtieet, most diaagreeable, and most abominabe
place ever visited, and have travelled conside-
rably The exception refer to is Gorgona, on the
Chsgres river. Chagres. mean and contem ptible
as it is, is a paradise compared to either. Provi-
siops of every kind are extravagantly dear; the
water Is bad ana scarce. ne nOtet accOmmOua-
tioDs are of the most miserable description imagi
nable, and there is no society OF any bearable
kind. The natives are Godforsaken crew, who
know nothing and care for nothing. Their highest
ambition is to play monte with the few dimes they
beg or earn by carrying travellers trunk, or
fetching Jug Of water from peighboring stream.
| took walk this morning to the market (savo the
mark), and made o note Of the manner in which
busin cas- is transacted there 1t Ia an open space,
bearing the diehi6ed name Of Plaza sutside the
walls; Panama being, as you arc aware, fortified
and walled city. There were scattered, sitting on
the ground, about four hundred natives, some Of
them copper coored and some Of them as black as
the ace OF spades. Each having before him or her,
on a wooden platter, com modites for sale. Some
had meat, some eggs. seme yams, some pigs feet
with the hair on some roots OF various kinds, in
GLIDING potatoes; Others had oysters, spread
on leaf in parcels of dozen, and such
oysters, others had beef and pork, cut up into
chunks of about three ounces weight, and
others had other things. All the wonders Of these