The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-04
Letter from Panama,
Colon, May 10, 1877.

Colon, May 10, 1877.
Editor Rutland Globe Il have not yet
written much about Panama or the railroad
since came here for the reason that but
very little of my time has been spent in
that old fashioned city for the reason that
] much prefer Aspinwall. l have often
been asked in letters why l do mot write
more about Panama" what there is to be
seen there etc., and perhaps can not do
better than to give you some idea of what
are the principal sights IN the searly morn
ing which is the only time that person
can stroll around the city or on the beach, on
account of the heat which in the middle of
the day is much more oppressive there than
here. Standing on the verandah of the
"Star and Herald" office, and looking down
the bay, which has been said by many to
rival even the celebrated EBAY of Naples"
we see the following:
Foreground, garden against the seawall.
Orange, oleander, guava, rose, tulip, lily,
flor de verano, marguerite, passion-fowers,
espiritu-santo, orchids endless, and name
less and to US unknown variety of tropical
plants.
Golden sunlight, lizards running along
the wall, humming- birds flashing among
the flowers, martins fitting and twittering,
cocks growing, little brown wren running
over with joy, lovely gentle sea-breeze
blowing and the "dusky children of the
sun" passing in picturesque undress up and
down. Beyond the wall, the reef, now
beginning to show its brown back above
the querulous, ebbing tide. Long, low
waves breaking with fringes of white foam
along the sea green hem of the deep blue
oceans robe. Beyond, distant few miles,
let US count :-one, two, three, four, five,
SIX, seven, eight, nine, ten,
"summer isles OF Eden lying in dark purple
spheres OF seaV
Steamers at anchor, discharging or loading,
the red lines of their bottoms showing above
the water against their black hulls, launch
es alongside, shore boats coming and gong,
o steamer, from the South Pacific,-com-
ing in, the gun to announce her arrival
just fred, the white powder-smokc burst
ing upon our sight one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, ni-no eight seconds,
two miles before the low booming sound
reaches US, American flagship, Omaha,
Rear-Admral Preble. an English and a
French man-of-war, Albatr0ss and Limier,
all at anchor just where the IL 20 tinge OF
deep water meets the ir nu raid, sea
birds diving or flying pc DOWN to the
water, and white clouds lowering in the
infinite turqualine spaces which mount from
the horizons verge and symbolic the Eter.
nal and Unknown
Such, is one small and inconsequent part
Of what is to be seen in Panama, upon this
May morning of The year of our Lord, 1877
Do you think you would like iii
You are well aware of the fact that the
idea prevails very generally among the peo
pie in the states that this is very un
healthy place.
1t is considered the next thing to com
hitting suicide for a person to even sc
much as cross from ocean to ocean, le
alone any briefest stay here. OF course
we know and appreciate to certain ex
tent, when and in what manner such {
feeling of dread originated. There was ,
time, before and during demonstration o.
the railroad, when owing to recklessnesl
and other causes, many persons suffered
from diseases which prevail more or less II
hot climates. Many died and many other
carried away the seeds Of disease which
gave them much subsequent annoyance anC
distress. But that was long ago and 1t il
time for intelligent and sensible people t
have outgrown their bug-a-boo notions
about the insalubrlty Of this Isthmus. Oul
moral scruples will not permit US to bet
but If there was any means of proving it
we would willing to let some one else do 81
for us, that the average longevity here will
compare favorably with that of any of tn,
intertropical countries, and it is very grea
mistake to rank Panama or the Isthmu
generally among unwholesome and sickl,
places. II people get sick and die it Is no
the fault OF the climate any more than 1t il
in other hot countries, nor as a genera
thing, half as much. DlstIessinglY health,
ia the term now used and it conveys no
any too strong an impression of our genera
freedom from sickness of all sorts, as yol
can see for yourselves when you NEE
some Rutland people who returns on thi
next steamer.
am pleased to announce that the wa
that for the past year has been devastatin
the interior and best portion of Columbi
has been brought to a close the govern
ment having been victorious and complete
| ly defeated the revolutioniste, who hav
surrended, with all their arms and mum
tions of war. The question may well
asked at this time, what next. What ar
the prospects before this fair land, 30 late