The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-03-22
LITTLE KNOWN OF PANAMA.
Some Regions, Though Famous Once,
Now Forgotten-StorleS OF Hidden
City.

NltIAcNS Nlil Si4ASAS-
With the exception OF a settled
strip along the railroad and the
route of the proposed canal. the
new Republic OF Panama is but
little known to the outside world.
The country, however, comprises
many square miles besides this
strip. and in it are interesting re-
gions and localities. some of them
once famous. but now forgotten.
The new republic has about s.
900 more square miles OF territory
than the neighboring Republic OF
Costa Rica, and 100000 more in
habitantS.
The canal strip is thickly popu-
lated, but eastward extends a
mountainous wilderness. inter-
sperSed with swalnpS and jungleS.
through which Indian trails are
wanting. The greater part OF this
region is practically uni1lhablted.
few scattered Indians here and
there being the only population.
There are ouly two exceptions
to the almost universal desolatlon.
One is found on the San Bias
coast. forty Or fifty miles east of
Porto Bello, where American cocoa
nut importers have established
trading stations. The San Bias
coast is a great country for cocoa
nuts, and the Indians bring large
quantities of them down to the
beach for shipment, receiving in re-
turn cloth, knives, -four, trinkets
and a thousand and one Yankee
notions"
Some years ago an attempt was
made by the Colombian govern
ment to establish a customs SER
vice for this coast, and one or two
American trading vessels were
seized. The Indians were excited,
and, after holding a council. de-
clared their independence OF Col
ombia, ran up the American flag
and sent word by the first captain
who touched at the coast that they
had annexed themselves to the
United States. They were a little
ahead of time, after a while no
more was heard of a customs sup
ervision of the San Bias coast and
the Indians forgot their temporary
annexation"
A single trail, seldom used, along
which it is possible for only small
parties to pass, leads from the San
Bias coast to Colon, a distance as
the trail winds of >cne seventy
miles.
Another oasis is formed BY the
village of Yavisa. On the River
Tuyra, and the neighboring settle
rnents about Darien harhor, On the
Pacific side of the Isthmus. These
are small. squalid collections OF
hutS, inhabitated BY Indians and
half-breeds almost entirely. y
genuine white man is curiosity
there. But this region was once
populous and busy with industry.
Not far from YaviSa stands Pine
Mountain, rising 1000 feet from a
level plain. On the further side OF
the mountain are gold mines, de-
serted now for centuries and be-
low them the ruins of a prehistoric
city still called by the natives
The City of the King" 1t was
probably the most northern outpost
of the Incas at the time of the
greatset extent of the Peruvian
Empire, and when Peru decayed
and fell the ''City of the King" de-
cayed and fell with it.
The conquering Spania-ds seiz-
ed the mines and worked them ar
built on the nearer slope of the
mountain a considerable Spanish
town, the vestiges of which are
still to be seen. though the site has
long been abandoned. Espirto
Santo. the Spaniards called the
mines. They were closed BY order
OF the King OF Spain. because they
used 10 attract buccaneers.
No archaeologist has explored
this lost City of the King. and no