Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-12-29
In NEW GRENADA.
A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE EVER
CHANGING GOVERNMENT.
Peculiar Characteristics of the PEG.
pie, and Something of Their
Manners and Morals.

/ last iufi eCl vi Il SSitdiy luot III IOdLllHsS,
about the Isthmus one finds it hard to keep
track of himself and to remember
under which Government he is
living. Though apparently north OF
tie dividing line between Central
and South America, this State of Panama,
which includes the isthmus of the same
name, really belongs to South America, as
part Of the United States of Colombia, u
its western frontier adjoining Costa Rica
and its eastern bounded by the surveyed
nter-oceanic route from Caledonia Bay on
the north to the Gulf de San Miguel On
the Pacific side.
1t contains the cantons, or provinces Of
Panama, Azuero, Chiriqui and Veragua,
a total area of 1886 square miles, and a
population of about 100000.
There seems to have been more wrang-
| ling over this insignificant strip of country
than its burning sands and fever-haunted
| swamps, its deadly climate and the unstable
character Of its natives would seem , war
rant. And right here it may be well to
insert a scrap Of history.
Il
Colombia was adopted by all the northern
countries of South America, when Vene-
zuela and New Granada 1.-THE latter then
including the Isthmus), united in estab-
| fishing one central government for the
purpose OF resisting Spain. Ten years
later Venezuela retired from this union,
and constituted herself separate Repub-
lie. After the resignation of Bolivar
(lS30), she again joined herself to New
| Granada, but the union lasted only few
months. In November, 1881, another
separation took place, and at the same
time it was decided that the former prov
ince of Quito should constitute separate
Government, under the name of Ecuador
thus dividing the former unwieldy SEQ
lombia" into three distinct and independ-
ent Republics, viz: Venezuela, Ecuador
and New Granada.
In 1861 another radical change oc-
Cured, since which date the Omitted
States Of Colombia" has been the official
title Of what was before known as New
Granada" lis Government extends ex-
traordinary inducements TO foreigners, and
especially TO citizens of the North Ameri-
can Republic, to persuade them to make
land on the face of the earth are offered
for their acceptance, free Of cost, providing
only that they avow an intention to settle
permanently in Colombia
New Granada, with its skies of cloudless
blue, its luscious fruits and beautiful
flowers its picturesque valleys and the
grandeur of It's mountains softened by eter-
nal summer, would be for the immigrant
one of the most desirable places on the
globe-the ultima thule of his desires
were it not for the climatic influences.
The unhealthy nature of the coast pre-
sents an obstacle, formidable if not insur-
mountable, to colonization by the North
ern races. Especially on the Pacific side.
the whole country is a network of muddy
creeks and swampy islands-worse, if posi-
bic, than the western shores Of Africa. There
are interior valleys, healthy as any in the
world, and plateaus and extensive tracts
half way up the mountain sides, where
Paradise might be located-but hemming
them in is the fever-haunted coast.
Colombia's Indebtedness 20 England
alone is over $40000,000, and there is
not the slightest prospect of its ever being
paid. Since the emancipation of their
slaves, in 1852, labor cannot be controlled
in any way, not even by uoney-for why
should a man exert himself when he has
no ambition to gratiIy, no aspirations to
attain and no needs to supply? In land
where the banana and the black man can
flourish side by side, both without effort
or cultivation, Is no congeniai place for
Anglo Saxons.
Nature having provided so bountifully
in these parts for almost every want of
man, the ignorant natives are wholly with
out energy, thrift or enterprise. With
them everything is mdndaa-the "to-mor-
row" that never comes. They live with no
thought or care for the future, the " even
tenor" of their souls disturbed by neither
doubts nor fear nor vaulting ambition, and
being deyout Catholics, every one, even
death has for them no terrors; but they are
quite ready to shuttle off the mortal coil at
any moment, as indifferentiy as they have
lived
So strongly marked are the lines Of
caste, and so impossible the gulf between
the few patricians and the many plebeians
that the latter never dream OF attempting
to bridge 1t by any earnest effort If a
man has been born in the lower ranks he
accepts his lot with the utmost content
ment. A few stalks Of wild bamboo stuck
upright in the ground, matched with wild
grass or the spear-like leaves of the Span
ish dagger plant, will make him casa as
good as those of his humble neighbors,
and in the way Of clothing pair of leather
breeches topped with a gresy zarape will
last him half life time. Shoes. or rather
sandals, he makes himself, generally from
bit of stolen OK hide or the tops of pa
trician boots, and as for other necessaries
OF the toilet, such as shirt and sombrero, it
would be strange indeed if-being, accord
ing to custom, much-married man-his
several wives couldn't do enough washing
or other mental work for I" the qualitvn
to keep their lord and master supplied and
in comfortable circumstances.
In the matter of food there is not the
slightest difficulty in land where bread
and butter grows on trees lin the form of
bread-fruit and dgudcdtes), where wild gar
lie abounds, and where plenty of figs,
bananas, oranges, pineapples, cocoanuts
and other tropical fruits can be had for
the gathering. If not too lazy, he keeps a
goat or two for sake of the milk, which is
relished best when rancid, and from which
the wives occasionally make curd-eheese.
As for meat, there are no end OF fish in all
the lakes and rivers If one has energy
enough to angle; birds, monkeys, and
other small animals in the woods, and
everybody INDUCES freely in the luxury of
pigs-of the black, sharp-nosed, slab-sided
variety-whieh the women md children
make pets Of, as northern females do Of
cats and pugs. A common and edifying
sight it is to see a blushing senrita
or digni6ed and stately sonora lead
ing about q young porker by ribbon, the
animal-black as black can be-literally
| sharing her bed and board, and with
whom she is evidently on chummy and
confidential terms.
Dame Nature has also generously pro-
vided many other delicacies for native
palates, such as grasshoppers, which are
dried and pounded; the eggs Of swamp
flies, which are pressed into cakes; the flies
themselves crushed into Jelly; snaiIs, tad
poles, serpents, etc, etc.
Speaking of pets, reminds me of the
monkeys, which abound in every house
hold and next to black pigs-are prime
favorites, both in an afiecticnate and a
gastronomic sense. Most of the mischiev-
Gus little creatures come from Gorsona, n
canton on the line of the Panama railway.