Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-19
But If getting aboard the tender was
bad enough, getting off again is

pulling so far away that the connecting
plank falls short of its destination. You
are hauled across somehow, though In
mortal terror, and your luggage pitched
after you, unless, as it not infrequently
happens, the latter drops, instead, down
into the sea.
These big English steamers are three
storied affairs, and the lower deck, into
which one is ushered from the tender, is
far from prepossessing at first sight. There
are long lines of stalled sheep and cattle,
most of them to be slaughtered for food
during the voyage, and groups of shock
headed, saddle-colored Peruvian and Chill
ian deck-hands, who look as if they would
like to slaughter us. So perfectly do they
personate ones idea of pirates, as gained
from opera choruses that one momentarlly
expects to hear them burst out into sing
ing.
And the resemblance to well-remembered
opera scenes does not cease with these
lower regions. Ascending ladder-like
stairway to the main deck, you find that
the Serene and her Majestys ship
Pinafore are in many respects as alike
as two peas in pod. There may be no
Dick Deadeyes nor Little Buttercups on
board, but the gallant captain is as typical
a Briton as was ''neyer, never sick at sea"
and on all sides one hears deal OF self
congratulation that in spite of all tempt
ations to the contrary, everybody
sREMAINs AN ENGLIsHMAN."
Though far from being the finest ship
of the line, the Serene is quite good
enough for anybody, with its blaze Of cleo
tric light, immense salon, wide cabins all
opening outward on the second deck, and
the whole awning-shaded upper story
given over to the passengers for lounging,
promenading and amusements.
our steamer is anchored, a few miles from
Panama City, is covered by a cheerful
looking little town, though no doubt dis
tance lends enchantment to the view of its
roofs, flat and red-tiled, or very steep and
thatched with straw, all overshadowed by
dropping palms or half hidden behind
broad-leaved banana trees. Everybody is
anxious to get away and chafes and fumes
at an hours delay, being absurdly afraid
of Yellow Jack and other bugaboos in
digenous to the locality. We, being south
ward bound, sail almost Immediately
with the turn of the tide, but our neigh
bors 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 it-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 bay of Panama. 1t seems a
paradoxical statement, but it is neverthe-
less absolutely true, that Aspinwall, on
the eastern side of the Isthmus, is in real
ity farther west than Panama city ON its
western coast. By consulting the map
and getting the crook of the Isthmus well
in mind, you will see that the Panama
Railroad, instead of westward-ho-ing from
Aspinwall, as its passengers fondly mag
inc, runs southeast. In this connection
it may be mentioned that the port Of
Guayaquil, in Ecuador, the very western.
most town in all South America, lies al
most in direct line south from Washing.
ton, D. G.
Panama Bay, which is ITO miles long
and nearly $50 miles wide at its mouth
is swarming with sharks, especially in the
neighborhood of the port. Sailors delight
in spinning
GRUESoME YARNS
In the hearing of land -lubbers, regarding
persons who have been snapped overheard
from canoes, or who nave lost leg or an
arm by some act of carelessness, or have
tumbed into the sea in the perilous 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 catastrophe, just toss overheard
anything at hand, from biscuit to grip.
sack, and notice how quickly dozen pairs
of wide-opened jaws will show themselves
To the last moment that the vessel
waits, she is surrounded by crowd of ca.
noes and pit pans bringing from shore
cargoes of bananas, pineapples, cocoanuts
oranges, mangoes, figs, paltas, parrots and
monkeys, some for sale on the spot to who
ever will buy, but mostly loaded below for
transportation to other ports.
By judiciously interviewing the ships
officials, from time to time, without allow
ing them to suspect the presence of chiel
amang them takin notes, have elected
the following data relative to west-coast
commerce: We have now on board about
1900 tons of freight, but that is considered
a small cargo, $500 tons being the limit
1t consists chiefly of cattle, wool, metals,
sugar, rice and tobacco; and all Of it goes
to Europe, except the cattle to be eaten on
the way, and a little fruit for local ports.
A large quantity of rice will be taken
on at Callao, II being the great staple OF
Peru, where the finest rice in the world is
grown, a single grain being sometimes
half an inch long. There is also a lot of
chonedcha aboard, a native preparation
from sugar-cane, used in the making of
dutces, or sweetmeats; and at Pisco, one of
the ports of Northern Peru, good deal of
the brandy manufactured there will be
loaded.
The average valuation of the cargo is
about 100000 sterling per annum. The
exports from Chile alone are from fifteen
to twenty millions year, and Peru is but
little behind those figures.
As to imports, the Argentine Republic
receives over million dollars worth per
annum, about seven and three-fourths of
which come from the United States. Bra
zil imports an average Of Sl05,000, 600
worth, to which the United States COR
tributes only about eight per cent Taken
together, the imports of all Central and
South America reach total OF at least
S450,000000
Every year, toward which vast sum the
United States, the nearest sister republic,
contributes less than S50,00o,000. Nor is
there good reason for this lamentable state
of things, except high tariff, lack of tran
sit and few other obstacles which might
easily be removed were our legislators less
inconceivably stupid, any more than for
the fact that the United States merchants
are compelled to send the few goods they
can now dispose 81 in Brazil, ETC., away
around by Havre, Hamburg and Liver
pool.
We crossed the equatorial line in the
night, soon after leaving the coast Colom-
bia, and, contrary to all expectations, the