The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-05-22


of ecclesiastical and monastic buildings.
The first blow its prosperity received was
the founding of Panama. The city of the
fsvorsbly treated "a to the trade of the Pa
cihc, Panama struck blow at Carthsgena
from which she has never recovered.
Another severe blow at her commerce-and
il wa7 traffic that was the life blood of the
city on the islsud-was the blockade and
bonbardment of AdmirDl Vernon in those
stormy days when England was beginning
TO contend with Spain for the mastery of
the ocean, and consequently for the traffic
Of the New World. But these two were
not the only obstacles to the city's contin-
ued prosperity. Your readers are familiar
with blood curdling annals of Captains
Kidd, Bird, Drake, and their worthy con-
treres Of the Black Flag. The stories of |
murder, rspine, fighting, seuttling and |
burning merchant ships, on the Spanish |
main, have filled volumes. Leaving cut |
Of account the instances when the city was |
blocksded and heavy ransom e1acted, the |
"bold buccareers" waged such a relentless |
war upon the treasure-laden galleons of her
merchants, that no merchant ship thought
of crossing the ocean unless guarded by a
formidable convoy of war vessels. These
numerous instances OF hesvy losses could
not fail but exert a damaging influence
upon the trade and wealth OF Carthagena.
O;her cities coDtended for supremacy at
distant points of the coast; the mother coun-
try declined in power. England was becom-
ing master OF the ocean, and the proud city
Of the Spanish main sank in importance.
WALLED TOWN
Csrthagena. like all Spanish American
towns, is very compactly built. 1t cannot
boast of piO7l Of any size, but if it could
not lay claim to plaza of any size, it could
boast OF something that but few places on
the Western continent possess, and that
Was a strong wall. In its early days Its
merchants did not consider their treasures
secnre until they were protected from the
willy buccaneer and bold Indian by a for
midable ramFart in the form Of two con-
centric walls. The outer wall, and much
the stronger, surrounds the whole city it
is of great strength at the more exposed
| parts. At its southern extremity is the
main gate, an srched way leading to the
wharves and of great thickness and height,
with apartments in the wall that afford Of
| fee room and accommodations for the Gus
tom house officers and sentries. The south
wall is now very much in ruins, but was
originally. in the day when the citv was
exposed to attacks by the Indians of the
mainland, very strong. The north wall
has been broken down in some places TO al
ford building moterial for the city, and has
one gate locking towards the sea. But it
i. to the wall at the east end Of the city
that the readers attention is more particu-
larly directed. 1t is a wonderful specimen
of the patience and labor OF previous gen.
erations in placing a rampant Of rock be-
tween them and any sudden external dan
ger. THIS part of the wall is in much bet
| ter preservation than the remainder OF the
wall.
| This part of the wall is about forty five
feet high on the outside, surrounded by q
ditch though now dry, except when filled
with water driven in by an unusually high
trade-wind or tide, with a width of not less
than sixty feet on top, angles strongly but
tressed, and surmounted with number oi
peculiarly shaped towers. Many OF these
towers are now in a sad state of decay or
disintegration, but some, in a more perfect
state of preservation, reveal the manner oil
their construction and the uses they were
put to. They are generally round, and toe
email TO give space for mounting cannon
The peculiar form OF the embrasures oil
loop. holes declare that their principal use
was az watch-towers, and that the sentries
Just after their construction, were armed
with the formidable crossbow OF the Span
ish heavy infantry. Several have circular
stairways in their interior, leading down
wards into the body OF the wall. At late
periods these towers were undoubtedly useC
by ritiemen.
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
, At the distance of about twenty feet from
the inner face OF the wall above describe,
was erected another wall, though at
. shortly later period. This wall was no
near as strong as the other, but a. to it
/, general characteristics it is difficult now {,
, speak, for it has been 80 far removed-th
material used in the construction OF house
in the city-that but little of its origina
form can now be seen. At the eastern par
Of the city part Of it remains nearly intact
Here it is some fifteen feet thick and abou
twenty feet high, but the top has been re-
moved, but how much it is impossible I,
. tell. Both walls were built of a compsc
. form Of coral, tradition says brought fron
Tobsco, an insignificant village at the pres
ent time, about twenty miles in the interio
: of the country and situated at a mucl
higher sea level. Carthsgena, at one time
, was the seat OF Spanish Niceroyalty, an,
tradition has it that the Niceroy or Vice
roys, under whose administration the wall
l were erected, constructed thorough,
paved way or road from the city to Tobacco
where the rock was quarried and cut int
shape. There could be no wagons employee
advantsgeOusly on the road on account 0
! its mountainous character, but this did no
. deter the NicerOy. Indian labor wa
cheap, the Spanisrds were masters an,
Christians, the Indian was 4 heather; ans
what better way to conyer. he poor savag
than by working him nearly 10 death
, The same tradition says that 2O,OOD Iudi
ans were kept AT work ten years transport
Ing stone on their backs from Tobacco ant
building the walls for the protection Of tn,
persons and property OF their (the poor In
diam enslavers; and that for every cubi,
foot Of rock in the walls an Indian life wa
sacrificed in the work. 1t Is said corpora
tions, and, why not nations, have no souls
but il ever a nation has large account tC
settle at the bar of God for tyranny, op
preston, Wholesale slaughter, deceit, thu
Spaniards have for their treatment of the
American Indians. To make the wal
more substantial, it is asserted that the
workmen employed the blood Of oxen in
stead of water, in making the mortar 70,
the walls. This may be more Hypothetical
but there is one thing certain, that the ma
SONS used a mortar extremely resisting tc
the action Of the elements, as even to thi.
day, where the wall is broken or crumble.
away, the fracture or disintegration il
more frequently in the rock than in the
mortar. TO facilitate inter-communica
tion between the city and the top of the
walls, system OF wide inclines run uI
along the faces of the wall on the inside
Where in good condition, these inclines
are wide enough for three horsemen to
ride abreast, or a wagon to ascend or de,
scend. i have no doubt when in perfect
condition, eight or ten men could have
walked abreast at the narrowest part Of the
outer wall, while at the widest part pls-
toon OF soldiers could have exercised.
LEBANON.
| Notes OF Roy atty.
| IHarper's BaZarl