Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-05-10
PORTO HELLO.
Ifs Past G'ory--Hs Presenf Eso0D-Ths
story or its Sack aud RUN ~ the
Buccuaeeps

Ifs Past GIory-Hs Prescott EseGD-Ths
story OF its Sack aud Ruin ~ the
B"ccaaeeFs.
Since the projection OF the Panama Canal
scheme by NJ. De Lesseps, much interest has
been felt in everything concerning tue is,hmus,
the history OF which is as reple,e with romantic
incident as it is sad through the records of op-i
preston, rapaciiy and ruin. But this cana
project Of NJ. De Lesseps is no new idea F.: 1t
dates back to the reign OF Phillip II. OF Spain;
who was only prevented, from carving IT into
effect by the emptiness oil an exchequer i'm
impoverished through the extravagant outlay
for the Notifications Of Panama and Porto
Bello, of whose walls, when required to pay
the immense sum Of $7o,oo,ooo for their con-
struc,ion, he inquired bitterly If they had been
built of gold and silver. Not alone the de-
Piled treasury prevented but the jealousy Of
the Councils Of the Indies, combined with the
Vaccinations Of the Jesui,s, interviewed, joined,
too, with the malarial climate, and the hard
ships Of the task. The very engineer under
whose superntendence the works at Porto Bello
were reared Juan Baptisa Antonell-survcyed
the route for Philips pet scheme. Now,
after more than 900 years, France takes up
the abandoned project of Spain. During my
late visit to the isthmus, visited the various
ruins, once the pride Of Castle and Leon. !
stood beneath the pearl shelled spires Of
historic Panama, over which old Ancon looks
haughtily down on the vast ocean that battles
his feet Il sketched the ruined tower Of St. Jer-
ONE a, ancient Pan ma, and at Acla recalled
the shameful fate Of him who suffered un-
just death on the very spot from which he had
given to an ungrateful crown an unknown
ocean and unbounded lands. Passing up the
Chagres, from the dilapidated nmparts Of
Fort San Lorenro,I pictured TO myself the
gallant resistance Of its defenders, and wrote .
"Requisscat" to their spirits with the powder
still damp in the magazines, though stored
there more thon 400 years. But Of all these
ruins, none SO excited my interest as did the
ancient town Of Porto Bello. the beautiful har.
Dor Of Columbus
Porto Bello, the seaport Of the United
States Of Colombia. was, after Nombre de
bios, the earliest capital OF Darien. II Is 10
miles north OF Panama, and about 2smiles east
Of Aspinwall, while Carsgena lies distant saS
miles. The in,eres, which clings about this
place is due chiefly to lis past, belonging as ii
docs to wha, should be styled the Roman
period OF is,hmus history, 10 the golden days
Of the Castilian conquerers, and the latter stir.
ring times oi the buccaneers. One Of the first
spots where Spanish power planted i,s foot,
discovered and named by Columbus in 1902,
settled by Nieuesa in 1910, made the capital
city. ~hen, by order Of Philip II, the inhabi
tants Of Nombre dc bios removed lhi,her. un.
der Don lingo dc Ia Moia, in 1854, !. became
Of The greatest commercial Importance, being
the chief sea port OF Terra rirme, a, Darien
~as called. i,ssep name implying the beauty
Of it, hasbot, il Mas regarded with such favor
by Philip IL. that he sent out the celebrated
engineef, Juan Bap'is,a An,onelli, under whose
supene,endenes were built the forts Of Santiago
lie Ia Gloria on the south, on the north tina, d
san Felipe de Todo Hieno, and opposite lhs
Castle Of San Geronimo. all Of which ~ers
disa'anslsd By Morgan in ,6ds, and des,ss,st