Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-05-10


of the attack, bearing scaling ladders, that thu
they might draw the fire of the castle. Urged
onward from the rear, they were mown down
by their own friends, who did not listen to
their cries for mercy. When the governor
himself fell. covered with wounds, panic
seized his followers. and the city surrendered
Internationally For several days riot and de.
bauchery reigned among the buccaneers. The
forts were disnantled, the cathedral AMI
churches stripped, the wealth Of Porto Bello
plundered At length, satiated with thcir
brutal bacchanalia, Morgan and his men set
sail for Jamaica, bearing withthem theirspoil5,
and leaving heap ofruns where once had stool
ahentiiul and prosperous city.
Porto Bello never recovered from that ter
hble sacking. 1t revived little in time, but
no sooner had the tide of prosperity begun to
ward it than down swooped the ravagers again,
and under Admiral Vernon, in 1899, gave it
the finishing stroke, capturing and dismantlng
it. Thus this gem OF the coronei of Spain,
torn from its setting, and ,rodden underfoot by
the marauders, has, with the decline Of power
in the parent country, sunk into utter ruin.
Where once stretched an open, fertile country,
with broad fields Of vegetables and grain, with
groves of cocoa.nuts and pines, where the toll
and activity Of man added beauty and useful.
ness TO the gifts OF nature, now, unpruned and
ungarnered, her very lavishness is destruction,
and her fertility, death. Decay and desolation
are written everywhere. Against walls and
towers that once stood in stately pride, now
lean the wretched bamboo huts of the modern
Porto Bellians, while the rich merchants of
CASTLE and Leon have been superseded by a
mongrel race, composed Of the mingled blood
OF the negro, the native, and the Spaniar,l.
who lounge away their lives amid the plenti
tude Of natures providing, without thought
of the past care for the future, content to
exist as mere beneficiaries of the land.
Turning again to the cathedral, beneath
whose tower had been standing, | saw, near
by, the ruins of a marble colonnade, some of
its pillars Huted and decorated, still upright
and almost hidden in the luxurant vegetation.
Beyond is the Church of the Monks of San
their care. Both church and hospital
are now almost completely decayed. In the
distance toweredthe cloudy peaks of the lar-ofi
Cordileras, while beyond the castle OF Todo
Hero rose the giant form Of Capira, standing
sentinel above the ancient road to Panama,
peculiar from lis rugged form and great height,
but also being the barometer of the country.
The top is perpetually shrouded by a very
thick cloud, and the saying here is "Caia,gc
Il so,7o Capi,a;" tCapira has put on his
nightcap,) for when the cloud descends, astorm
is inevitable. Marking out the course OF the
ancient streets are rows of bamboo huts, gen
orally of one story only although few, more
pretentious, boast of a second floor, ascent to
which is made by notched pole for stairs
filthy dwellings shared alike by human beings,
animals. and fowls, chief among whom stalked
the ;irkey-buzzard, the only useful creature
there, performing the part of town scavenger
Of the male inhabitants, half were in coma
tose condition, the result chiefly Of liquor-thc
climate here from its extremely facilitating ef
feet inducing too free use Of spiriuous beverages.
The females appeared better, bli that was not
saying much. Dishevelled in dress, or, TO say
correctly, in general state of ''deshabille, -
moral and personal, and bearing all the marks
of proagacy and abandonment, even the ga,-
dy red and yellow flowers with which they
sought to adon their jetty locks or fluffy wool
were only additional defects in their repulsive
tom enSembi. Passing back through the re.
guarly-paved central street, both sides
of which were the remains of ancient stone and
marble buildings, now nearly covered with rank
vegetation, was nearly stihed by the heaviness
OF the perfumed air. Orange trees and other
tropical flowers, mingling with huge gourds
and palms, the delicate minosa, and tangled
network OF vines crowded the Enclosures where
formerly fountains played, and black-eyed sig
noras lazily famed themselves under the avn
ngs Of silk and rich fabrics from the East
Reaching the terminus Of the street, l stood
at last within the solid arched entrance Of Fort
Todo Hero, to me one Of the chief points OIL
interest, as here the last gallant stand was
made when Morgan sacked the town. On
buttresses, surmountedby circular watch towers,
pierced by narrow cmbrasures. Moss-covercd
; now are the parapets where once those gallant
defenders held their assailants at bay. Tn,
; Notifications, of which Philip ii. said, 'the,
are strong as time, and such the defenses Of oui
dominions need to be, though rebuilt in 1851
! by DE Sala, are crumbling and dilapida,ed
: But even yet the solidity and massiveness
Of the mason work excited my admiration and
surprise. The walls at their base must hav,
measured from 10 10 IL feet in thickness, Will,
!. their height on the sea side was at least 40 feet
, Inside the fort, the paved floor was in gooc
state of preservation. Being laid with cement
1t presented the appearance Of an immense sole
} stone, over which nature had woven her car
! pcting- tangled mass OF interlacing vines
Here and there through their leaves heaps o
! rust-covered cannon balls and shells could b,
! seen scattered about or piled in pyramids
Passing upa stoneinclined plane we reached tn
; rampans, around which. in melancholy state
) a number Of old Spanish guns were lying. will
! their decayed carriages heap OF dust beneath
them. Some Of these guns were brass pieces
! OF great calibre and beautiful workmanship
! The metal OF some was as smooth and polshe,
to-day a II just cast. This was owning to tn
, large amount Of silver used in their manu-
iaclure. The fort is iniersec,ed BY numbc
OF sulaeuznean tunnels, handsomely archet
and solidly cemenied, leading to variou
5 chambers, also arched and cemented; dungeons
, storehouses, aud powder magazines. In thi
!, lastheaps ofpowderlay thoroughly decomposed
E and still damp, though over 100 years hay
4 passed since /, had been stored there. Yam