The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-08

months in the year and that, too, in
extraordinary quantities. There occur,
too, brief but very hard 'Scuds,' or
showers, and much thunder n light
sure proof of the abundance
of electricity in these regions.
THE dry months are February,
March and a part of April, and the
hottest months are August, September
and October, in which the heat be-
comes almost ~unbearable. In the other
months the breezes and the continual
rain render the heat less sintense,
though on the other hand they make
the climate d~isagreeable.
In the territory which formerly con-
stituted the provinces of Chiriqui and
Veraguas the heat Is intense, though
tempered by the rains from April to
December. In the part of the isthmus
bordering upon the Caucus it rains
all the year round, at such a rate as to
make the rainfall 80 cubic inches, while
in Europe it is only % or 90"
AS to the inhabitants Of this region,
the common people are Industrious,
simple, hospitable and of singular pro-
bity. Life and property are absolutely
safe. Highway robbery would be a
novelty and courtesy to strangers is
proverbial. The upper classes are well
educated, Intelligent, DESTROYS Of prog
ress, courteous to strangers, patriotic
n sensible. The government is a
centralized republic. The property and
rights Of foreigners are respected and
protected. The disposition of the gov
eminent and Of all classes is friendly
to foreigners, and with rare exceptions
the people are especially inclined to the
citizens and institutions Of the United
States.
The better class of the people are dis
tingulshed for intelligence, festive humor,
hospitality and generous impulses. The
educated Classes rank among the frat in
South America for their scientific and lit
erary culture. The women of Medellin.
Bogota, Ocana and other cities are cele-
brated by travellers for their grace and
beauty. In Bogota the French fashions
predominant. and the inhabitants incline
to European manners. On the coast the
people. owing to the climate, are wanting
energy. The llaneros (cowboys) on the
plains wear nothing but a shirt and light
draWerS a straw hat and bark sandals.
They ride without a saddle, and live al
most entirely on beef.
The following fruits and vegetables are
produced on the isthmus, both wild and
in cultivation:
Aguacate, cacoa, coco, pomaroda, man.
go: Nancy del pals, n%aranjo dulce, mar
g~uanabano, membrillo (quince), guayaba,
Zapote, brevo, hicaco, anon, hagua, name,
uvito guagabilla, %calanva, nispero, cerezo,
higo (fgs), caimito, higo, chumbo, grana-
DO, papayo, sabio, g~ranadillo, ciruela
(plum), guate, curubo, pino, pinuelo sa-
poya, berenjeno (egg plant, tomato (to-
lldlOeS), uIelOH, sandal, ca1aDaZa QuIce
(squash), and eight sorts of ali (capsi-
cum. RI
Among the palms of Panama we may
note the wine palm, the oil palm, the cor
ozo. the royal, the chontadura, the UNI
brella palm, the cabeZa de negro palm,
the taparro and the cocoa palm. which is
remarkable not only for its fruit, but for
being planted around settlements to pro-
tect houses from lightning, as it serves
as a very efficient sort of lightning rod.
The great forests of Panama contain
many wild animals. among which we may
name the tiger, black or spotted, the ja-
guar of Darien, as voracious as that Of
Venezuela, the cougar, the javali, or wild
boar, the chunZo, erizo (hedge hog), lion,
red, yellow or black, oso hormiguero can't
bearl, tigrillo (Small tiger). zorro fox),
conejo ~(rabbit). tapir, venado (deer), pu-
ERGO espin ~(porcupine). cato (cat), mono
(monkey) and armadillo.
On the Atlantic coast there are the tor
toises, whose shell is so largely used, and
white and green turtles. On the Pacific,
besides the pearl oysters. there are found
many kinds of oysters and muscles, and
crustaceans, such as Holsters. crabs.
ShrlmpS, etc. In the sea the animals to
be feared are the tintorera (cuttle fish,,
the guaZa, the mania and the shark.
There are in Panama two kinds of alIi-
gators and many kinds of iguanas. Among
serpents are the boa, the berrugosa, the
equis, the bejuco. the cazadora, the boba
and the viper, of many kinds and very
poisonous, coral and many sorts of liz
ards.