Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-02
Panama, South America.


lect rightly--the one opening towards Gorgona
and Cruises on the north (the isthmus runs east
and Vest here), and the other opening the south
part Of the city upon the beach, which IL remark
ably fine Mt this point the peaceful waves Of the
Pacific rolling gently at your feet. On the right
the magnificent cluster Of islands, robed in the
brightest green and crowned with perennial flow
ers, at once attract attention. The principal one
and Of more Importance than any Of the Others
Is Tobogo, about four miles down the bay, where
the steamship company has large depot for coal
and ehip supplies, and also fine spring from
which all their ships supplied with pure water
The steamers cannot come within three miles Of
the city, 80 that all passengers and freight must
be taken from the city in row-boats and lighters
We have said II was curious city. Its streets
are narrow, and many of them crooked. Some
are macadamized-or perhaps 1t should be said
covered with beach sand, which makes them quite
pleasant, with little or no dust. When we were
there the first time there was only one cart or
wheeled vehicle Of any kind in the city, and that
was drawn by one mule, so that the streets were
not much disturbed by the rumbling wheels Of
commerce, and you would see no particular haste
or hustle in any part of the town. Ali the mer-.
chandise brought into or carried out OF the city
was carried upon the backs of mules, and they
were not per lifted to go into but a very few
streets. On entering the north gate. the street
leading along the side of the wall on the left
seemed appropriated to the special benefit Of
those in mercantile pursuits. Here the mules
came in heavily laden with the various articles in
which they dealt, and here too they took on the
burdens to be carried out in every direction
al. To-. IA.
water depot" all the water used for drinking and
cooking in the city is to be found, in goat skins
on the backs of these mules, having been brought
from four tn six miles in that manner.
HALF FINISHED BUILDINGS
may be seen in almost any part of the city, which
the citizens say were commenced and left as they
are now two hundred, and some OF them two hun
dred and fifty, years ago. They seem in a good
state Of preservation; still the climate is not
usually deemed favorable to the preservation of
anything in the shape of buildings They are
built Of bricks peculiar to the country and
climate. Some of them had many of the roof
timbers to be seen apparently as sound as they
were when placed in position two centuries ago.
These unfinished buildings were nearly ALL AS
we were informed, converts, nunneries, or insti-
tutions of the Roman Church. Some say that an
earthquake frightened the people so much that
they were afraid to proceed any farther with
them; others say the frequent wars waged by the
neighboring states, and the nterminabe feuds at
home, worrying and devouring each other, were
the causes. However, the crisis came. All now
stands still, and the bleak, bare walls arc evil
dences OF the ambition of their projectors, and
their complete and hopeless failure. There are
a.. A.
thronged with devout worshipers, who certainly
may well cause the Protestant to blush at his in
difference about his regular attendance at public
worship. There seemed a constant ringing of
bells, calling the people to the places where they
meet to pray to the Virgin or some other saint
they worship as Gods vicegerent on earth.
THE GREAT CATHEDRAL
standing on the grand plaza, is by far the most
imposing building in the city. Its massive walls,
its immense proportions, its grand old tower,
reaching up almost to the clouds and stars
almost believes, he looks up, up, to see the
vane with a wreath of clouds folded around it,
At all hours OF the day this temple is open and
religious services are progressing There are no
pews or seats in this vast auditorium except half
dozen low rough wooden benches near the en-
trance. The floor is of tile There are three
wide doorways, through which there is a constant
stream of humanity pouring. Ladies and gentle
men on entering kneel upon the pavement; many
kiss it repeatedly, as they progress from the door
to the altar, nearly two hundred feet from the
front; and so the devotees appear to be coming
and going nearly all hours of the day. The walls
are adorned with many poor paintings and some
very fine ones.
THE SANITARY LAWS
Of the city are very defective, and it is really a
wonder that pestilence does not sweep through
the streets every year and every month of the
year, for, it being only ten degrees from the
equator, it is quite hot there night and day. We
doubt II some OF the streets have ever been
thoroughly cleansed since the wall around the
city has been completed The impurity of the
water, the lax sanitary precautions the enervated
and feeble bodies, the great physical prostration
induced by the climate seem to expose the ma
chinery of the whole vital forces to the sudden
and fearful inroads of sickness and death
The streets passing the grand cathedral are
quite attractive the shops and places of business
are neat, and many of them quite pretty in their
general style and appointments. The roofs of the
buildings project over the walls some three or
four feet Except the places occupied by the
Yankees, we saw no glass windows, or none of the
modern Improvements. The usual lassitude is
really equally prostrating in the Occident as in
the Orient. The buildings are OF brick, and until
North Americans went there, there had been NO
houses OF any size OF note erected for nearly two
hundred years. 1t is emphatcally city Of the
past looking beautiful at distance, but generally
antiquated and squalid within its walls.
THE FINEST VIEW OF THE CITY
is from Bolivar's hill, some quarter of mile from
it, 1t is about two hundred and fifty feet high,
and takes its name from Simon Bolivar, president
| of Bolivia, an adjoining state In or near the
| year 1898 he was at war with New Grenada, of
| which Panama is the chief town He invested
| the city and demanded its surrender which de-
mand was refused. On the next morning he
again demanded its surrender, and was again re-
| fused, and then Immediately unmasked two bat
teries he had during the night put in position
| commanding the city, aud sent another message
that II they did not yield to his demand in one
hour he would lombard the city. They then
| yielded, and gave the city into his hands. Then
and there a treaty of peace was drawn up and
| signed by the bellgerent parties Since that time
the locality has been called Bolivar's hill From
its summit one can get the best view OF the city
and the bay, with its gems of islands stretching
for miles down the coast.
| Upon the wall facing the ocean are some six or
ten heavy brass guns-sixty-four pounders-said
to contain large amount of gold used in casting
them by mistake, and the story goes that the
| British government has offered five thousand
pounds each for them for the gold supposed to be
| in them.
THE PANAMA HATS
are generally supposed to be made here, but such
| is not the case to any extent. They are manu-
featured down the coast, and hundred years ago
were nearly all bought up by the wealthy Panama
merchants, who sent them to Spain, where they
became very popular, then in other European
countries, and later in America. To this day that
city is the great mart for this particular article,
There are many beautiful tropical trees growing
within the city and outside of its walls which
from a distance invest 1t with the enchanting
beauty of fsiry-land But entering it, its nove
features disappear, and the glamour Of Its sur
roundngs vanshes. ST. ELMO.
GRAvELIS's FISASCEs.-Mr William Batch.
elder, of Windsor one OF Grayeins counsel, has
| published lengthy statement explaining the