The herald., 1895-01-27
be an actor in the world and not waits
;un


ing SOUL"
Mrs. Brooks sailed from this city on
the Illinois on April %, 1852, and go great
was the demand for passage then that
half the berths and ststerooms were sold
over and over by dishonest agents, q
wrong. by the way, that Mrs. Brooks was
instrumental in righting, through infiu-
entail friends in this city, after she
reached California, After experiences
which can be imagined with 1900 people
on a steamer licensed to carry only 1900,
and among whom she became known as
the Boston Abolitionist." because she
had copy of "Uncle Toms Cabin"
Mrs. Brooks began her trip across the
isthmus, having DR.. Mott Of this city
as an escort for her and her little daugh-
ter. At the end of nine miles of railway
passengers and baggage were transferred
to beats on the Chagres river.
"Our boat took 20 people and the bag
gage, which was piled in the center in
sort OF pyramid" she writes. The boat
was q tat-bottomed affair, with seat
which ran all around the inner edge.
The outer edge was provided with wide
board, which served as a sort of prone.
made for the boatmen. They had long
poles, which they stuck from the prov of
the boat into this bottom Of the river,
and held there while they trotted back,
and the boat glided along under their
feet. We had eight of these bostmeu-
big, black fellows, almost naked. Dss.
perately ugly in looks. they proved
equally so in character. For the first
hour or 30 it was cool and the river was
shaded by trees. Then the sun came
ont with fierce heat, which caused the
perspiration TO pour off the boatmen in
copious streams, and eventually made
them diHcard their solitary garment.
The female portion Of tho company
sought the seclusion OF their umbrellas,
whereupon the gentlemen commanded
the boatnan to resume their garments.
A stormy scene ensued, with the
result that at the first hut we
came to on the bank of the river
our men deserted and left US to our fate.
Their excuse was that they wanted
breakfast, but after waiting an hour for
them, and being nearly suffocated with
heat, a delegation of well-armed men
sought them out and found them fast
asleep under the trees. They we're yelled
at and prodded with sticks, but being
half drunk it was hard work to awaken
them. After much threatening with
knives and pistols. they sullenly came
down to the boat. our men bringing up
the rear with their weapons very much
in evidence"
They stopped that night at Traveneer.
THE boat was run up ON little gray
ely beach, and we all got out so
cramped, sore and miserable altog ether
as to make walking even the short space
required almost an impossibility."
After a supper which they could not
eat had been offered to them, the trsv-
elers of ~ climbed ladder into lott.
After we were all up the men looked
around for their separate quarters. and,
10 and behold, there was only the one
garrett for us all. The beds were single
cots--no pillows, blankets or bedding of
anv kind. There were not enough cots
for even the women and children, SO the
men had to take the floor.
The crying OF children with fever and
thirst. the chattering of monkeys. the
shrieks of night owls, and every form of
expression possible for paroquets made
the night hideous. 1t seemed that every
tree in that dense forest by which we
were surrounded was the home OF beast
or bird and teeming with life which had
hidden away or slept during the day.
Then the woods were as silent as il every
living thing had been struck DUMB"