The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-04


them-were seen occasionally In the TOR
estS Many of the trees were festOOned with
vines, and We saw many beautiful flowers.
The road for about 20 miles passed
through fat, marshy country, and then
we came into mountainous region,
which continued TO PanNma. We passed
various settlements of the natives, both
in the marshy districts, on the banks OF
the Chagres river, and in the highlands.
The people are eminently gregariOussn
their habits. crowding their huts together
in villages. The huts are built Of wat
tied work daubed with mud, or of boards,
with roofs of palm-thatching, high peaked.
Their settlements look exactly like the
pictures of African villages, with which
we are familiar. The houses did not
look very cleanly, but the persons aud
clothing of the natives showed ii free use
of water: We passed some houses on the
road that were quite tasteful, surrounded
with gardens OF fruits and fowers-the
residences, we supposed, of Spaniards or
Americans.
We reached Panama at dark, and went
aboard large ferryboat, which carried
us to the Steamer Colorado. The water
about Panama is shoal, and it is only at
high tide the town can be reached even
by light draught vessels. The ocean
steamers lie off few miles, and passen
gers and baggage are carried out to them
on boats and lighters. A guard of negro
soldiers was at the landing TO preserve
order as we were embarking. On reach
ing the Colorado We had supper, and
were served by Chinese walters. Most
of the hands on this vessel are Cinnamon.
They are from the Canton district, and
retain the national costume. They are
generally good-humored and industrious,
but they know so little English as yet,
that their mistakes at the table afford us
entertainment. The one
who waits on us tells us he has been from
Hong Kong two months. Nearly all the
Chinese in Cahfornia-the number of
them is said to be about 60,000-are
from Canton. Thus God is not only
sending the glorious light of the Gospel
to them, but he is also bringing them to
the light.
AS our baggage did not reach Panama
in the night in time for the tide on which
we came out to the steamer, it could not
be brought out till the next afternoon.
This detained us here during the day.
On going or deck in the morning, we
had fine view of the bay of Panama,
which is Justly famed for its beauty. Our
vessel lay between two islands, on one of
which, nearest the mainland, are the
works of the Steamship Company. The
islands in the bay are elevated and thick
ly wooded. The mainland is generally
mountainous, the town of Panama lying
in a plain three or four miles wide. AS
we looked around from the deck, the
scenery was magni6cent-mountains, is
lands, breakers, rocks, the vessels in the
bay and the town making up noble
sight. We had seen the day before, that
the earth is full of the riches of the
Lord; and this morning We had an op-
portunity of seeing that $50 also is this
great and wide sea, wherein are creeping
things innumerable" The water around
our steamer was alive with fish. Among
them were two or three large sharks,
which swan lelsurely about, attended by
their pilots. Shoals of smaller fish were
darting about, amOngwhich were the Span
ism mackarel and the gar. We may say
here. by the way, that there is great
difference between the Atlantic and the
Pacific, in the advantages they give for
observing animated nature. On the At
lantic we saw no fish and scarcely bird
on the whole voyage from New York to
the Isthmus. But on the Pacific, We
are constantly enlivened by sights of this
kind. FlOcks of pelicans were flying
over us while we were at Panama, and
on the voyage We have numbers of sea-
gulls in our wake, which follow the
steamer, now darting through the air,
and now riding on the waves made by
the wheels. We have passed through a
number of schools of porpOises, which
sometimes swim for more than mile
along side of the vessel, jumping every
minute or two out of the water, looking
like herd of pigs going over low
fence. We have seen great many flying
fsh-the little things whose short and
unsteady flight seemed to Henry Martyr
an affecting illustration of our heavenly
aspiration-so brief, so feebly sustained
aud two or three whales have been seen
from the steamer, though we ourselves
did not get sight of these. The sea is
full of his riches AS we were to have
the day at Panama, we took advantage
of the opportunity to visit the town.
Boats rowed by the natives were on hand
to carry passengers to the shore. The
tide was ont. and as we neared the beach.