Year: 1875

church as Hetty entered Don Luis
hotel, as they called it, and the salts
faction which she felt at having the
delicious breakfast Mr.. Blandford
told her was to be obtained there
was somewhat diminished by disap-
pointment consequent upon her sur
roundings. Her experience at the
Astor led her to fancy that hotel
at Chagres must be something pala-
tial, but the long, low rough board
building, which had been erected for
the accommodation of emigrants,
and was kept by a negro, did not in
the least respond to her expectations,
while dirty table linen and rough
benches promised little Ito help any
further illusions. The breakfast of
chickens, stewed with garlic, coffee,
without milk, and such other edibles
as could be got together without
much difficulty, seemed to her 70
little improvement upon the fare of
the steamer, she was soon satisfied,
and was ready to take walk with
Mrs. Blandford about the settlement.
The single object Of interest was the

fort upon the bluff at the entrance.
1t was a ruin of ancient days, such
as ,Hetty had read of, covered with
moss and surrounded by the rankest
of vegetation, and all Hettys ideas
of romance seemed to vanish as she
gazed upon it. The heat was exces-
sive, and to make any effort to pene-
trate into its hidden mysteries was
not to be thought of, so, contenting
themselves with what was around
them, they strolled through this vii
lage Of huts, amusing themselves
with the wonders of this semi-barba-
rous race by which they were sur
rounded. Clothes were not then in


fashioHamong the natives-a chemise
and skirt of immaculate white being
the only adornment of the Senoritas,
while the children tumbled about in
blissful ignorance that ever fig leaves
were necessary. An occasional pair
of pants upon the men, and now and
then couple of colored pocket
handkerchiefs knotted together upon
the shoulders of child, showed the
race to be advancing already in
consequence Of the discovery of gold
in California. A little child not
twelve years Of age called Hetty into
a hut to look at her dead baby,
which was placed in a corner and
laid out for burial. Hetty's ideas Of
such a young mother were something
too dreadful to contemplate. The
grandmother seemed anxious to ex-
plain, and ratt;ed away in a mixture
of Spanish and English such expla-
nations as she could, while Hetty felt
if the Lord would open her mouth
and deliver her in some ineligible
way, so that she might make known
the Nervousness of the offensc of
allowing so young child to become
a mother, aud of Gods judgment in
taking away her child in conse-
quence, what mercy it would be to
all concerned. Why they had never
sent missionaries to these benighted
regions she could not imagine, and


when few minutes afterward she


was introduced to bride of eleven


years, still decked out in wedding
fnery, she no longer wondered how
1t was that the old women became so
utterly hideous, and mentally re-
solved that on her arrival in Califor-
MIA she would commence the study
of Spanish, that on her return she
might give them some wholesome
New England advice ON the pro-
priety of such early marriages.


On her return to the hotel she was
cordially greeted by Don Luis, and
then, under the escort of Mr.. Bland
ford, proceeded to the dugout which
was to take them up the Chagrss.


1t was formidable undertaking
to embark the two females. Neither
were low of statue, and the frail
canoe, which the natives had turned
into an arbor by bending boughs
above it to shut out the heat of the
sun, left SO little space above the
leather bags which were to supply
the place Of cushions, that to enter
upon all fours seemed to be the only
alternative, till Yankee jackknife
had cut away the boughs, and cotton
umbrellas were substituted in their
place. To 90 up the Chagres in
whaleboat was the aristocratic mode
Of travelling. Mr.. Blandford pre-
ferred the dugout and gentleman
Joined them to make the expense as
light - possible. This gentleman,