Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-19
IN TROPICAL CLINICS
Sailing Through the Southern Pa
oifc.
IN THE GULF OF GUAYAQUIL
British Steamship Lines-Reasons Why
the United states Has So Little Com.
merce with south America The
Island Of GOrgona.
From The STARS Travelling Commissioner
S. s. "sERESo." Marc

Il
- America, where one is always sure
OF fair weather, still waters and fine steamers.
Especially is this the case during the season of
our northern winter-the summer time in
these latitudes- when breezes blow cool and
inyigorating even directly over the equator,
without the damp chilliness that pierces ones
marrow on the Atlantic.
Strange to say, not an American keel ploughs
the Pacific from Panama to Cape Horn-yet
not altogether unaccountable when we consider
the reasons that have left the America of the
north almost without commercial dealings with
her southern sister. At present there are
two lines Of steamers plying regularly between
Panama and Chili-one CHILEAN, the other
English. The latter is by far the best. Indeed,
the whole passenger traffic OF the Southern
Pacific, together with nearly all its commerce,
has passed irrevocably into British hands, whose
vessels sail every week from Panama to Liver
pool via the straits of Magellan.
The Gillian line sends vessel every second
week and carries mostly local freight. Several
smaller steamers, belonging to French and
German companies, ply between various west
coast ports, and there used to be two other
Hnes-Spanish and Italian-but both the latter
have recently withdrawn their boats
The distance from Panama to Valparaiso is
1915 miles and the trip would become very
tedious one, occupying twenty-five days, were
1t not for the fact that hardly half the time Is
spent at sea, there being no fewer than
THIRIY-EIGHr PORTS
to be visited on the way. Through the MANY
years that the British company enjoyed undis-
puted monopoly its charges were enormous
not less than $40 per ton for freight and 1927
Oer ia rata 6icto
the same as that between New York and Liver
pool.
These British steamers have their anchorage
in Panama some seven miles out from shore,
near the island of Toboga, while the Pacific
Mail steamers of the American line. bound for
San Francisco, lie at points equally distant, Tor
the alleged harbor, though lovely to look at is
shallow, rocky and dangerous inshore, with
long black reefs showing their ugly heads
above the water. AS the tide on this side of
the lsthmus rises from Is to % feet setting in
and running out with a remarkably strong cur
rent. the matter of embarking and dlsembark-
ing Is by no means chlld's play and can be &C
complshed with comparative safety only at
what Is called half tide" and there must be
no delay about it, for this is emphatically the
time and tide that waits for no man."
The tender is altogether too small for the
crowd of passengers and the hastily loaded
baggage Is everywhere piled high in widest
confusion. The fierce isthmian heat can hardly
a dozen available seats on deck: SO you find
standing room outside, with your hat humping
the awning and your pedal extremities al the
mercy of rolling trunks and boxes and the foot
prints of your equally unsteady fellow-vov-
ayers. Ii 1t rains-as 1t generally does during
half the year-your di5comforts are not dimin-
ished, for no umbrella (even could you find
space to raise one) would be the slightest pro-
lection against tropic shower.
But If getting aboard the tender was bad
over the narrow bridge" spanning the sea be-
tween the little craft that hobbies about like
an egg shell and the larger vessel that rocks
and rolls with stately motion of her own,
stralnlng and Juggling at her hawser and occa-
slonally succeeding in pulling SO far away that
the connecting plank falls short OF its destina-
ton. You are hauled across somehow, though
In mortal terror, and your luggage pitched
after you, unless, as it not infrequently hap
pens, the latter drops instead down into the
sea.
THESE BIG ENGLISH
steamers are three-stored affairs and the lower
deck, into which one is ushered from the ten
der is far from prepossessing at first sight
There are lor & lines of stalled sheep and cat
tie, most of them to be slaughtered for food
during the voyage, and groups of ock-headed
saddle-colOred Peruvian and CHILEAN deck
hands. who looks if they would like to
slaughter US. So perfectly do they personate
choruses, that one mOmentarily expects to hear
them burs. out into singing.
THE ISLAND OF ToBoGA
in front Of which our steamer is anchored. a
few miles from Panama city, is covered by a
cheerful-looling little town, though no doubt
distance lends enchantment to the view of its
roofs. Hat and red-tiled or very steep and
matched with straw, all overshadowed bv
dropping palms, or half hidden behind broad
Ian rAh ho frnf
get away and cbafes and tunes at an hours
delay, being absurdiy afraid of Yellow Jack
and other bugaboos indigenous to the locality
We being southwark bound sail almost irnmedi-
ately with the turn of the tide but our neigh
bor5 on the American steamer en- route to San
Francisco must wait here two or three DAYS.
By the way-thOugh most travellers do not
know lt-those going north must first sail due
south more than one hundred miles, in order
to round the peninsula of Aguero. which
stretches forth long arm, slightly curved
eastward, inclosing in its embrace the bav of
Ianama. Ii seems a paradoXical statement
but is ertheless absolutely true. that Aspin-
wall. on the eastern side of the isthmus Is in
reality farther west than Panama city on its
western coast! By consulting the map and get
ting the CROOK OF the isthmus well in mind, YOU
VIII see that the Panama railroad, instead of
westWard-ho-lng from Asplnwall. as its passen-
gers fondIy imagine, runs southeast. In this
connection 1t may be mentioned that the port
town in al South America. lies almost in a
direct line south from Washing ton. DC
Panama bay, which Is ITO miles long and
nearly $50 miles wide at its mouth. is swarming
with sharks. especially in the neghborhood of
the port The sailors delight in spinning grue-
some yarns in the hearing OF land-lubbers re-
gardlng persons who have been snapped over
board from canoes. or who have lost a leg or an
arm by some act of carelessness, or who have
stumbled in;O the sea in the perlous transit
between dock and tender. or from tender to
steamer Their horrible fate being told by brief
reddening OF the surface of the water. If YOU
desire TO test the likelihood of such n catas-
trophe just toss overheard anything at hand
from a biscuit to a grIpsack, and note how
quickly dozen pairs OF wide-opened jaws will
show themselves.
10 the last moment that the vessel waits she
II surrounded by a crowd Of canoes and pit
pauS, bringing from shore csrgoes of bananas
pIHeappies. cocoanuts oranges. mangoes. tigs.
paitas. parrots and monkeys, some for sale on
the spot 10 whoever will buy. but mostly loaded
below Tor transportation to other ports.
WEST COAST COMMERCE
We have now on board about 1900 tons of
freight, but that is considered small cargo.
$500 tons being the limit. 1t consists chiefly of
cattle. WOOL metals, sugar, rice and tobacco;
and all OF 1t goes to Europe, except the cattle
TO be eaten on the way, and little fruit for
local ports. A large quantity of rice will be
taken on at Callao, II being the great staple of
feru, where the finest rice in the world is
grown, single grain being some times half an
inch long. There is also a lot of chaneacha