The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-04-24
A COUNTRY EDITOR
SEES PANAMA CANAL
And Tells the Echo Readers of His Trip
And What He Sees and Hears

The landsman enroute to Panama
finds so many new and interesting
things that it seems to make little
difference whether Panama is reached
today, tomorrow or next week. In
fact the touch of the tropics pervades
even the first islands in the West
Indies and the everlasting present
seems sufficient. The first islands
sighted after leaving New York were
the Bahama group, which is the pos
session of the British government. The
first really STABLE island is the Island
of San Salvador, generally conceded to
be the first land discovered by Colum-
bus. This island boasts light house
and few inhabitants. 1t is low "
ing island some "a miles long with a
lake in the interior. At the north are
several small islets of coral formation,
sticking up from the sea, glistening in
the sunshine like icebergs. San Sal
vador, like most OF the islands in this
group, is surrounded by dangerous
reefs, and like most of the islands, had
its wrecked boat on its front steps.
Wherever we sighted light house we
also sighted a wreck. The deep water
passage among these islands is neces-
sarily narrow and in time many boats
have come to grief. On Crooked Is
land reefs was large steamer going to
pieces, and off the point of Cuba, with
in few cable lengths Of the light, was
another. On San Salvador reefs was
pinioned a large sailing vessel.
The Bahama Islands are sparsely
settled, mostly by negroes. They
raise enough for a living, which, as
living goes, is not much. The islands
abound in wild horses, cattle and hogs.
Along the shores one can find famin
goes, aigret, heron and various other
wild fowl. 1t ought to be hunters
paradise as the natives are too poor to
own fire arms. If wild horse is cap
tured one must pay the British crown
one pound and as much more to get it
tanned, and then the problem of get
ting it out OF the country is matter OF
some concern. The best way would
be to smuggle it in, as I understand
these so-called horses are about the
size of shetland pony. The aigret
heron is profitable shooting, providing
one is successful in smuggling the
aigretts into the United States, al
though it is serious matter if caught.
AS a hunters paradise there is but
one drawback. The country is in
many places entirely without water.
The natives catch rain water for do
nestle use, but out in the interior this
would be rather dangerous for it might
not rain. Surrounding these islands
and inside the protecting reefs is the
most beautiful submarine scenery in
the world. So clear and transparent is
the water that one may look down on
the bottom OF the ocean and watch the
fish play at depth of twenty feet.
Beautiful sea foliage grows in natural
gardens and along the coral paths
varied hued water creatures wend their
way unscared by the presence of men,
for man is a negligible quantity in
these attitudes.
AS we sail through the channels oil
the Bahama group we sighted many
ships, the first seen since leaving port.
The wide track of the ocean here mar
rows to few miles and naturally brings
all the sea craft within sight of each
other. Fortune Island is the first stop
which is for the purpose of taking on
deck hands for the balance Of the trip
These lean, lank, Fortune Island dar-
kies are said to be better workers than
can be found around the ports OF
Jamaica and Colon and so they are
booked for the balance of the cruise
and dropped on the return trip. For
this they receive the magnificent sum
Of fifty cents a day, half in real cash
and half in store credit. Fortune IS
land is ruled by one white man, the
only white person on the island. He
has his own sloop and occasionally Wis
its the neighboring ports, where he re-
gales himself in splendor at the best
hotels in the country. He is married,