Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-03-15

EftHFSt0H Qt me L. a. HdH Steamer Ge0yg6
Laio to the oR city Of Porto Bel,o-Fas
Sa2-Bea"tifH Scenery along the Cost
RamUF IN end about tie old aRapidatca
CiY.
On the morning of the first day of
April, 1856, the steamship George Law
sailed from Aspinwall for the old city of
Porto Bello for water it being the dry
season on the Isthmus, and all the vs.
ter tanks at the former place being emp
ty. Having received humber O! invit-
CD guests on ooGrd the evening before,
we We're off at five o'clock, and under
the direction OF native pilot, the noble
steamer soon entered the land locked
harbor O.! Porto Bello, about twenty
miles distant, The sail along the coast
was fine, and the mo%utains that tower
ed one above the other untl. their tops
rested in the clouds, was a scene OF sub
lime beauty. We found the entrance to
the harbor quite narrow and deep, at the
base Of high and steep mountains. Once
inside and all is SAFE as no storms or
winds, so much to be dreaded in this
sea, can do any damage toshipping here.
Such being the safety Of the place, the
early Spauiards made it their main port
and harbor on the Atlantic side, while
Panama was the other on the Pacific,
being but twenty seven miles from ocean
to ocean,. and connected by paved
road, over which three hundred mules
were once employed to carry gold and
silver nom the rich mines Of Peru. But,
alas how is it now, and how ave the
mighty fallen! For the wise man of
old has said that riches gained by fraud
and theft will vanish like morning dew.
SO it was with the early Spaniards who
came to this part Of the world some
three hundred years ago. How differ
ent if they had had the same object in
view when they sailed from old Spain
that our Pilgrim Fathers had when they
bid farewell 10 their native land
The object of the former was to con-
quer, plumber and luxurlate upon the
spols OF their murdered victims while
the latter, when once landed on New
Englaud's rocky shore, founded a colony
based upon the principles Of industry
and virtue The histories of the two
nations NOW tell their own stories.
The pear.shapod harbor OF Porto Bel
10 is about four miles long and three
wide The steamer was made fast to
some trees at the foot OF the mountain
opposite the old city, where the water
is conducted in iron pipes, put down
some five years since by old Live Oak
George himself Soon as the ship was
made fast, all that had to be done was
to pass one end of the hose on shore to
the bank and couple it on TO the pipe,
and then turn on the water, as you
would the Croton in New York.
In short time a number OF canoes
were seen starting from different points,
and all making for the ship Some had
few eggs, q pair or TWO OF chickens,
&c; others had fruit, the best | have
ever seen in any part OF the world. The
natives all speak Spanish, and are poor
" clad-some almost naked. They live
IN bamboo huts, with no floor but the
ground, and such things as beds, furni-
ture, knives and forks are not known.
Some sleep on the ground and some in
| hammocks They are a mixed race, OF
| Spanish, Indian and Negro, the three
combined forming the worst and most
! indolent set of beings in the world.
! They would starve, | believe, before
some OF them would do any work but
there is no danger OF starvation, so long
as everything grows in such abundance
to support life in this country. Plan.
tains, bananas, pine apples, coCOanuts
mangoes, and other kinds OF trOpica
fruit grow with but little or no Cultlva
tion; and what belongs to one belongs
to others as well, for not one-halt is OF
ten picked. As there is now no ship
ping, there is Of course no market fO
anything,
Il was first the intention of Mr.. Law
and others to have run the steamship
here instead OF Aspinwall, and for tina
reason he secured at once the water priv
ilege and some other rights; but tn
grade from this point was too heavy &
reach the Pacific at Panama, it beini
some seven hundred feet at the summit
while from the former port it was foun'
tc be only $50; therefore, Colon or Nav
Bay was the point selected by the engi
neers to commence the great work b
building q railroad across the Isthmu
OF Darien, to bind together the water
Of tie Pacific and Atlantic With iron.
At eleven o'clock Captain HeFondo
gave the Sd mate, Mr., D., and myseI
leave to 90 over 70 the town. One
the quarter boats was soon lowered int
the water. Manned by one quartermas
ter and four sailors, we were not long i
crossing the lovely harbOr. We lande
on the beach, the only landing place bt
; tween the castle and the town; the lai
ter being situated much like the form
a half moon, being in the center an
: defended once by two strong castles, on
on the right and the other on the lef
: facing the mouth Of the harbor.