Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-02-25

with small portion Of earth as nature
placed it. 1t is certainly great work
considering the climate, soil, and materia
they have to work with but will be fue
investment when completed. 1t is now
finished about Que half the distance. The
present terminus is at small! village call.
ed Barbacoas. When l arrived there the
sun appeared to be doing its best; the heat
was oppressive. The place is not worth q
description, composed entirely Of natives,
save half dozen Americans. Their hou-
ses, you are aware, are principally made Of
reeds. The roofs being covered with the
same material, the air circulates freely and
the rain sweeps through the cracks without
much difficulty. The reader might per-
haps say or think to himself, 'why they
can't keep dry in such house That's
true, but the way they get over that diff
Guilty is, they wear no clothes scarcely,aDd
their skin being naturally oily turns the
water just as we'll as the bcs; India Rub
Der coat you have in the States If this
sounds tishy," try the experiment, don't
forget the grease, and III guarantee it vii!
WORK we'll.
AT this place l took passage on board
small boat, large enough to carry about
twenty persons aud baggage, thence up the
Chagres river to Gorgona, about seven
miles. This river is rather difficult to na-
viga'e, being very swift 1t Is about the
width of Eutf..lo creek. The scenery along
this stream is grand that is tor those who
are toud of romance aud botany. thought
Of friend Noil; here hc could feast tor
months u the beauties Ut nature, aud still
tiuI that he had scarcely made Z begun
ning Should lie see some OF those gvr-
geous flowers that God hath nurtured with
out the aid Of human hands, he would bc
compelled to say cultivation degenerates,
Instead ot adding to the beauty vi such
plants. | am sorry l have no knowledge
OF botauy, or would GO Ii awhile in ierIus
ot sciealihc transceudrutaiism that You
and your readers wouldn't begin to under
stand. But, as | can't, why won't The
situation OF Govgoua like much better,
anu believe Is pretty healthy. 1t is To-
Gated on an elevation t1cIng the river.-
1hcrc are .ut three or four American hou-
ses; the res. arc as have stated, reed,
but principally we'll covered with mud
This place suppose to contain from two
to three thousand souls, including mules.
l forgot to state that you pay 81 ,UU Il meal,
for every meal you cat, good, bad, Or III
different, after YOU set foot Gil tie lsthnus.
At Gorgoua you take passage for Panama
over the laul-Or mud, some call it, that
has no bottom The first job, here, is to
make up your MUD whether You will 60
a foot, or ride u mule; still comparing
your thoughts with your purse, the natives
being deatl On that. |, tor one, III con-
nexioa WITH good many others, some of
them ladies, concluded to try the mules.
We made arrangements for them at Sc, 90
a head for riding, and Is cts. IA Id. to have
our baggage transported; distance u miles.
| considered 1t pretty steep, but that
didn't help me bit. Had TO down with
the dust, or take it foot. At about sew
en- o'clock, \. VI. We got started. ItwO'd
have made j minister laugh save man ike
you, fond Of fun, to see the ladies, one in
particular "Oh, she couldn't think of
riding astride Of that nasty mule Indeed
she couldn't do it, &c; but fnaly she
quoted down and mounted the critter
aud, to tell the truth, she didn't look very
graceful. Que modest creature came 20
NE aud asked the loan Of pair Of panta-
looms. | gave them, of course, and thro'
she came without trouble. But, to be Sc
rious, ladies who have amy idea of coming
to California, aud that across the ls;hmuS,
should practice riding before they leave
home. Some poor women were never on
! horse or mule before, and 4 sorry time
they had of it. But as regard the manner
of riding, it is all u farce abou, women be-
ing compelled to ride John Gipin style
Some ladies in our company were so for
iuuaie as to ride through on side-saddIcs,
and tha, with comfort. The owners Of the
mules will tel! you to strald'e the creature
by all meals They know that riding side
ways, especially by those not accustomed
to being on horseback, is much harder On
the beast than the other way. That is
theii reason for cxac,ing the sacrifice.
After VIC started looked back, and tried
TO compare our company to something |
had ever seen, but in my whole catalogue
of living, moving, human objects, could
find xothing that looked half so conical.
The mud averaged about eight inches in
depth, exclusive of sloughs. One lady fell
of ten times. Her first fall l warned bel
,f Thar, iS reu,r,Ilv h,t ono nath and