The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-01

copyrighted 1914 by Frank g. Car
penter)
In the Pacific ocean, off the coast or
Colombia.
TAM seated on the deck Of the PERU
Wan steamer Huallaga, sailing south
= ward along the west coast of the
South American continent. We left Bal
boa and the Panama canal two days ago,
going out as the sun was just setting
over our fortihcations on the Islands Of
Flamenco, Perico and Naos We sailed
past these islands. and when not far from
Taboga turned southwark. We are now
little north of the equator, moving
along the coast of Colombia, We are in
the doldrlnns or zone of equatorial calms,
where there is so little wind that sailing
vessels will hardly be able to reach the
canal. The air is almost still, and We're
il not for the slight breeze We have from
the northeast trade winds it would be
stiffling. As it is, the sea seems to steam.
The ocean is a vast sheet of molten sill
yer, which now and then, rippled by the
light winds, is transformed into a NOV
ing ocean of diamonds under the trop-
ical sun. In the shadow of the vessel
the water is indigo blue, but on the op-
poste side there is nothing but a vast
expanse of this dazzling, steaming sea.
This is the mighty Pacific, into the
heart of which we have cut our way by
the Panama canal. 1t is here at the
equator that the ocean is widest; and its
! Vr-bc I No n a
distance of almost 1000 miles before
they reach Asia. The Pacific ocean has
three -eighths of all the salt water on the
globe, and within a few years it will be
covered with trade routes whose focus
will be the Isthmus Of Panama. Many OF
the countries of the world are already
building steamers Japan has several
lines under way, and there is hardly
great port in Europe that is not preparing
] to send ships to Panama.
4 All down this west coast of South
america they are planning to take ad-
Vantage of the new waterway. The
vessel on which l am travelling is sub
sidized by the Peruvian government
Another line of ships sailing along
this coast belongs to the Chileans, and
the day l left Panama one of the
largest essels of the Pacific Steam
Navigation company. the old British
line. started south. to call at the west
coast ports the same day. l could have
gone to Guayaquill on the Manavi,
but that ship would have taken IL
days to have made the less than 500
miles between the two ports, whereas
the Huallaga made it in less than
three. The Manavi is a little British
boat of 1000 tons. and it's passenger
rates are over 10 cents a mile. The
fare from Panama to Quayaquill is
$3.50. 1t is so high that if you had
TO pay at the same rate, it would cost
you $500 to cross the Atlantic from the
United States to Europe, and something
like $500 to go from San Francisco to
Shanghai. ! have bought a through
passage from Panama to Callao, Peru,
on this steamer, and have paid for it
just about $500. The distance direct
Is only 1916 miles, or about as far
as from New York to New Orleans. "a
trip that can be made by rail for less
than one-third the amount.
And still I like these Peruvian
steamers. They are unlike those of
any other part of the world. The
cabins are large, and they open out
upon deck with windows and doors
You can sit in your room as though
on a porch. and look out over the
ocean. and the windows and doors
can be kept open both day and night.
The ship carries much of its own live
stock on board, and l awake every
morning thinking 1 am on my noun
tain farm in Virginia. There is
Growing of roosters and a cackling of
geese and ducks. We carry about 200
fowls on board, and the stewards
lgather the eggs every morning. The
iomelet I had for breakfast today was
almost fresh from the hen, and it
was far better than the cold storage
egg that one gets at Uncle Sans
hotels on the isthmus.
We have breakfast at II o'clock,
which my boy Carl says is a peach of
a time for the meal. The times of
eating, here are strictly Latin Ameri-
can. They begin with desayuno, which