Читать книгу The Boy Travellers in South America - Thomas Wallace Knox - Страница 13

MAP OF THE PANAMA RAILWAY.

Next morning our friends arranged to leave for Panama by the regular train. Just as they were about starting from the hotel they were met by the manager of the railway, who invited them to occupy the directors' car, which was to be drawn by a special locomotive, and would follow the train an hour or more later. They accepted the invitation, sending their baggage by the train, with the assurance that it would be found at the station at Panama on their arrival. The directors' car afforded superior facilities for seeing the objects of interest along the route, and, besides, they were to be accompanied by the manager, and also by the official who had been of such practical assistance on the previous day.

They were joined by some of the officials connected with the construction of the canal, and altogether the party was a most agreeable one. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that when the canal company was organized it was deemed advisable to have command of the railway in order to facilitate the work. A controlling interest in the line was bought by the canal company, and it is fair to suppose that the owners of the shares received a good price for their property.

"The Panama Railway has been the most profitable thing of the kind in the world," said the Doctor, "or, at any rate, one of the most profitable I ever heard of. The managers have generally kept their affairs as much as possible to themselves, and would, doubtless, assure you that they had lost money by their investment, which is often the case with men who have a remunerative business of any kind. The local fare over the line between Aspinwall and Panama was established at twenty-five dollars, and remained at that figure for nearly twenty years. Twenty-five dollars for a ride of forty-eight miles, or more than fifty cents a mile! Thousands of passengers were carried over the road every month, and every thousand passengers meant twenty-five thousand dollars to the railway. At one time the steamships were carrying steerage passengers from New York to San Francisco for eighty dollars, including the transit of the Isthmus; the steamship company thus received fifty-five dollars for carrying a passenger five thousand five hundred miles, including his board and lodging for twenty-three days, while the railway company received almost half as much for carrying him forty-eight miles, lodging him four hours in rickety cars, and giving him no board whatever.

CROSSING THE ISTHMUS IN 1849.

"But bygones are bygones," continued the Doctor, "and if any traveller disliked the price of the railway journey he had the privilege of going by the old route. This involved a tedious journey up the Chagres River by bongoes or native boats as far as Gorgona, and a ride thence over the hills and through the mud to Panama. The riding was done on the backs of mules, as there was no wagon-road; travellers were often obliged to pass the night in the open air, as there were very scanty accommodations in the few villages along the road; a week or more was generally consumed in the trip; the prices of everything were exorbitant; and the tourist generally reached the end of his journey feeling very much as if he had been passed through a patent wringing-machine. Not a few fell ill and died on the way, and many a fevered sufferer in California, years afterwards, could trace the beginning of his ills to his exposure on the Isthmus. 'Isthmus fever' became known almost as a distinct malady, and it was often very difficult of cure. It is pretty well forgotten now, thanks to the rapid transit afforded by the railway. Under all the circumstances, the enterprising men who constructed this road deserve every cent they received from it; it has saved thousands of lives to the population of the United States and other countries, and has added materially to the commercial facilities of the world. It was built under many discouragements, and the energy displayed in its construction was worthy of a liberal reward."

A BONGO.

They rolled merrily over the track and in a little while had passed Gatun Station, and the point they visited in their excursion to inspect the work on the canal. They wound among the low hills and along the bank of the Chagres River, catching pretty views here and there, and passing several unimportant stations without stopping. One of the officials pointed out the cottage which was the favorite residence of Mr. John L. Stephens during his connection with the railway, and also a gigantic tree which has long been known as "Stephens's tree." Other objects of interest were indicated, and there was not an idle moment in the whole journey.

BRIDGE ACROSS THE CHAGRES RIVER AT BARBACOAS.

The railway crosses the Chagres River at Barbacoas, where there is a fine bridge, which has withstood the shocks of that capricious stream in a manner that reflects creditably upon its builders. A little beyond Barbacoas they met a train bound eastward, and waited a short time on a siding to enable the locomotive and its burden to get out of the way. The delay gave an opportunity for a brief excursion into the tropical forest, which came close up to the railway, as it does for the greater part of the distance between Aspinwall and Panama.

MEETING A TRAIN.

Frank and Fred were accompanied by one of their new friends, who seemed to be well versed in the botany of the country. The first tree to meet their gaze was a palm, and while they were noting its peculiarities their guide told them there was no place in the world where so many varieties of the palm could be found together as on the Isthmus. "There are," said he, "twenty-one different species of palm-trees; I am informed that three or four more have been found in the vicinity, but I have not seen them. From one of the well-known varieties is extracted the palm-oil of commerce; another produces a sweet sap from which the natives distil a wine they use freely as a beverage; there is the 'sugar palm,' from which sugar is made; the 'sago palm,' which produces sago, but of a quality inferior to that of the Malay Archipelago; the 'ivory palm,' which supplies vegetable ivory; the 'cabbage palm,' whose stalks resemble the cabbage in appearance and taste; and the 'glove palm,' from which bags for holding grain or kindred things are readily obtained. Houses, weapons, domestic utensils, and many other things are made from the leaves, stalks, fruit, bark, or wood of the palm, and the tree is quite as necessary to the existence of the natives of the Isthmus as is the bamboo to the inhabitants of tropical Asia."

THE SINGING HUMMER.

It was impossible to penetrate far into the forest, owing to the network of hanging and creeping plants that blocked the way, and the youths were not long in realizing the difficulties encountered by the surveyor who laid out the line of the railway. Their guide described many of the vegetable growths that were visible, and the number was so great that Frank was fairly bewildered with them. So he called attention to the birds darting among the thick foliage, and asked about the animal kingdom of the country.

THE HUMMING-BIRD AT WORK.

"There are birds, beasts, reptiles, and insects here in great number," was the reply. "There are parrots of several kinds, some of which will learn to talk while others will not; there are toucans, with enormous beaks especially designed for the disposal of fruits; humming-birds of gorgeous hues and hardly bigger than bees; and there are orioles, trogons, tanagers, and other birds whose names are only known locally or in scientific works. There are wild turkeys and grouse among the hills; the latter are shy and not easily taken, and the hunter is always at a disadvantage on account of the thickness of the shrubbery; the tapir abounds in the low ground and marshes near the rivers, and his flesh is not unlike pork in taste and appearance. You have already seen monkeys, and if you could go into the forest a dozen miles from the settlements you might see hundreds of them in a single day. They go in large parties oftentimes, and whenever they make a raid on a banana plantation they destroy in a few hours the labor of a whole season. There is a tradition that in the old days the natives used to serve up monkey flesh to the California emigrants under the name of 'opossum.' The opossum is found here, but he is not easily taken, and a man from the States would have no hesitation in eating its flesh, though he might seriously object to dining on monkey.

THE IGUANA.

"Besides the animals I have mentioned," he continued, "we have the ant-eater, peccary, sloth, deer, cougar, bear, and tiger-cat; the peccary is also known as the 'wild hog,' and is closely allied to the tapir. There is a lizard called the iguana, which is sometimes five or six feet long, and is as delicious as lobster or chicken; its eggs are much prized by the natives, and frequently seen in the markets. Americans who come here are generally chary of eating iguana, because it is a lizard; we have got over this difficulty by naming it 'Panama lobster,' and thus silencing all objections. There's a great deal in a name."

A CENTIPEDE.

The youths admitted the evident truth of the assertion. Suddenly, Frank espied almost under his feet a crab about the size of a half-grown chicken, and asked if it was a "Panama beetle."

A SCORPION.

"Not exactly," replied their guide, with a smile. "It is a land-crab, which is very abundant on the Isthmus, and considered an excellent article of food. It is rapacious, like the crab generally, and comes fearlessly into the presence of man in search of a breakfast. These crabs devour the flesh of animals, and will often reduce a horse or ox to a heap of polished bones in a few hours. It will be well for you to tread carefully on the ground in the vicinity, as you never know when you will encounter a scorpion, tarantula, or centipede, or even a venomous snake. Occasionally we find large serpents of the constrictor species, but they are not as dangerous as the smaller reptiles and insects. The tarantula is a sort of hairy spider, quite pretty to look at, but so venomous that his bite causes death in a few hours. The natives have a belief that if a tarantula simply walks over the flesh without biting there is left a poisonous trail which causes rheumatic and other pains, lasting for years or perhaps for a lifetime. Catch one of these spiders and show it to a group of natives, and they will run shrieking away from you."

EXHIBITING A TARANTULA.

The whistle of the locomotive put an end to the conversation, and recalled the young naturalists to the train. Fred observed a native with one foot bandaged across the toes, and asked what was the matter with him.

"Probably jiggers," was the reply.

"And please tell us what jiggers are?"

"Its native name is chigoe," answered their guide, "and this has been anglicized into 'jigger.' Its scientific name is Pulex penetrans; it is a species of flea which deposits its eggs in the human body, especially under the skin of the foot or the nails of the toes. Its presence is indicated by a slight itching and subsequently by a membranous sac, like the head of a pin. This sac can be removed with a needle or by washing the feet with tobacco juice; if allowed to remain it causes an ulcer, and the victim will quite likely lose his toes. It is necessary to keep close watch to one's feet, and wash them frequently with strong soap or decoction of tobacco."

HILLS NEAR THE RAILWAY.

Natural history gave place to more immediate matters as the train passed one of the points where excavations for the canal were going on. The scene was a repetition of that at Gatun, and needs no special description, but it naturally led to further conversation upon the great enterprise which was intended to unite the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Fred asked how it happened that a canal through the Isthmus connecting North and South America was being constructed by Frenchmen and with French capital?

MAP SHOWING HOW OCEAN ROUTES ARE SHORTENED BY THE PANAMA CANAL.

"For the very simple reason," the Doctor answered, "that Americans were unwilling to risk their money in the work and the French were ready to do so. The final surveys were made by Lieutenant Bonaparte Wyse of the French navy, and the expense was paid by French capitalists. M. De Lesseps, whose name has become known throughout the world for his energy in making the Suez Canal, caused an international congress to be assembled at Paris in 1879; this congress decided in favor of the present location, and for a canal without locks. Under his leadership the company was formed, and the work is going on as you see it.

"It is quite likely that diplomatic questions will arise concerning the use of the canal by the great nations of the globe; meantime, we need not disturb ourselves about it, but wait patiently for the day when ships will be able to pass from ocean to ocean. To understand the advantages to commerce which will result from the construction of the canal you have only to look at this map and observe the difference between the proposed routes for ships and those which are at present followed."

The Doctor unfolded a map which we give on page 53. While Frank and Fred were glancing at the routes marked upon it, Dr. Bronson read the following array of figures:

	Miles.
The distance from New York to Sydney, Australia, via Cape Horn,	12,870
The distance from New York to Sydney, Australia, via Panama	9,950
	———
In favor of Panama	2,920
The distance from New York to Honolulu, Sandwich Isl., via Cape Horn	13,560
The distance from New York to Honolulu, Sandwich Isl., via Panama	6,800
	———
In favor of Panama	6,760
The distance from New York to Hong Kong, via Cape Horn	17,420
The distance from New York to Hong Kong, via Panama	11,850
	———
In favor of Panama	5,570
The distance from New York to Yokohama, Japan, via Cape Horn	16,710
The distance from New York to Yokohama, Japan, via Panama	10,220
	———
In favor of Panama	6,490
The distance from England to Sydney, Australia, via Cape of Good Hope	12,828
The distance from England to Sydney, Australia, via Panama	12,730
	———
In favor of Panama	98

"Between England and Sydney they don't save much distance," Fred remarked; "but on all the other routes there is a great difference in the figures. We will all hope for the speedy completion of the canal, and on the opening day we'll fling our hats in the air and cheer as loudly as possible in honor of Ferdinand De Lesseps."

BASALTIC CLIFF.

Meantime the train had left the valley of the Chagres River and was ascending among the hills towards the summit level, two hundred and sixty-eight feet above the ocean. Many of the hills were sharply conical and showed that they were of volcanic origin; high embankments and heavy cuttings followed each other in rapid succession, and at one point the road wound round the side of a hill composed of basaltic crystals about twelve inches in diameter and eight or ten feet long. It was explained that this was one of the few instances in the world where basaltic columns were found in any but upright positions: at Fingal's Cave, in Staffa, the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, and the Palisades of the Hudson they are upright, but on this hill of the Panama Isthmus they are in all sorts of positions, and indicate very clearly that there has been a great convulsion of nature since their formation.

The Cerro de Los Bucaneros, or "Hill of The Buccaneers," was pointed out. It receives the name from the fact that from its summit the buccaneer, Morgan, had his first view of ancient Panama in 1668, and he encamped at the base of the hill on the night before his attack upon the city.

PANAMA IN THE DISTANCE.

Soon after passing this memorable hill the city of Panama was visible in the distance. Entering the railway station, they came to a halt, and in a few moments Frank and Fred were gazing on the waters breaking on the beach just outside the spacious building. A long pier jutted into the bay at the end of the station; a steamboat was being laden there with freight, intended for one of the large steamers grouped together two or three miles away. Dr. Bronson explained that the bay of Panama is quite shallow for a long way out, and only boats of light draft can come close to shore. The canal company is dredging a channel from the deep parts of the bay up to the shore, which will form an approach to the mouth of the canal, when that work is completed. The tide rises and falls about fifteen feet on the average, varying with the season and the phases of the moon; and consequently a lock will be necessary at Panama to prevent the formation of a current through the canal.

The mouth of the canal is at La Boca, some distance from the railway station. Engineering reasons caused the selection of this spot, as it possessed considerable advantages over the railway terminus. It is the intention of the company to dredge out a large basin near La Boca, where ships can lie in safety while waiting their turn to pass through to the Atlantic Ocean. Until this basin is completed, the anchorage for large ships will be in the vicinity of the islands where the Pacific Mail, and other large companies, have their docks and coaling-stations.

STATION AT PANAMA.

Our friends found their baggage at the station; they had telegraphed for accommodations in the principal hotel of Panama, and the runner of the house was waiting to meet them. Confiding their baggage to his care, they proceeded at once to the establishment; breakfast had been served in the directors' car during the ride from Aspinwall, and consequently they were ready to start at once to look through the city. We are permitted to make the following extract from Frank's note-book:

CATHEDRAL AT PANAMA.

"Panama contains about eleven thousand inhabitants, and is very substantially built of stone. There is nothing particularly attractive about it, but it is quaint and interesting; the houses are built with court-yards, in the Spanish style, and you might easily imagine yourself in a part of Cordova or Cadiz, or even in Madrid. The cathedral is a fine building for this part of the world, though it would not be regarded as of much account in any prominent city of Europe. The bells are old and not very tuneful; they are rung at frequent intervals, beginning at an early hour of the morning, and it is not advisable for a nervous traveller to take lodgings in the immediate vicinity of the venerable building.

"The city is in north latitude 8° 57', and received a royal charter from King Charles I. of Spain, in 1521. 'Panama' is an Indian word which means 'a place abounding in fish;' the old city was about six miles northeast of the present one, which dates from 1670. Old Panama was destroyed in 1668, by Morgan, the buccaneer, and for a long time the present city was known as 'New Panama,' to distinguish it from its predecessor.

RAMPARTS, WITH OLD CANNON.

"The builders of the new city surrounded it with strong walls as a defence against invaders, but these walls have been allowed to go to ruin. They would be of no use against modern artillery, as a few cannon could batter them down in half a dozen hours. In many places, bushes and trees grow among the stones; at one time the inhabitants were allowed to help themselves to building material from the walls, but the practice was not long continued. Originally the walls were from twenty to forty feet high, with battlements and towers at frequent intervals; they cost so much that the Spanish government wrote to the commander of the city, and wished to know 'whether the walls were builded of silver or of gold.' We saw some of the cannon that were sent from Spain for the defence of the walls; they have not been fired for many years, and would probably explode at the first attempt to use them.

"We went along the principal street, looking into the cathedral, which is probably two hundred feet long by a hundred and fifty in width, and is divided in the interior by four rows of massive columns which support the roof. It contains numerous shrines and altars; the floor is of brick, and when we entered it was being swept by half a dozen dark-skinned natives, one of whom offered to show us through the building. We declined the proposal, as there did not appear to be much worth seeing, and our time was limited.

WATER-CARRIER AND NATIVE WOMAN.

"In the plaza or square in front of the cathedral there were little groups of people, a few on horseback, but the most of them on foot. There were a few women whose veils of rich lace showed that they belonged to the upper classes, and others, more numerous, who wore the reboza or mantle of the descendants of the aborigines. There were water-carriers mounted on mules, and on each side of every mule was a couple of kegs of water, with a sprig of grass or a bunch of leaves stuck into the opening on top. Panama has no system of public waterworks, and the inhabitants are supplied from house to house, in the manner of two hundred years ago. The occupation of a water-carrier is said to descend from father to son; nobody gets rich at the business, but it affords a living to a good many people.

"There were many natives riding, or leading mules laden with garden produce from the neighborhood, and also other natives who were their own beasts of burden, and carried baskets or bags on their heads. There were priests in flowing robes and shovel-shaped hats, some hurrying along as if on important business, while others were idling among the people, and evidently enjoying themselves. The cathedral is on the western side of the plaza, and on the southern side is the cabildo or Government House, corresponding to our City Hall. It is a plain building of stone, two stories high, and with wide porticoes or balconies on both stories. Here all the business of the city is conducted.

"On the other side of the square there were several plain-looking buildings, with dwellings on the upper stories and stores below; some of them were old, while others were new, and there were two or three gaps where nothing but ruins was visible. Panama has suffered severely from fires. It was almost entirely destroyed in 1737, but was quickly rebuilt, as its business was then prosperous. In 1784 there was another serious fire, and since 1864 there have been three extensive conflagrations whose traces are still visible. The gaps around the plaza are the result of these later disasters.

GATE OF THE MONKS.

"We crossed the plaza and continued on to the Postiga de las Monas, or 'Gate of the Monks,' which is crowned by a watch-tower, and leads through the ruined wall to the beach. A woman and child were sitting under the shadow of the gateway, and people were coming and going, on foot or in the saddle. When we reached the beach the tide was out and there was a large expanse of coral reef visible; it was alive with crabs, shrimps, cuttle-fishes, and other marine products, and we picked up lots and lots of shells of curious form and color. It is a splendid place for conchologists, and if the sun had not been so hot we would have stayed there an hour or two.

RUINS OF CHURCH OF SAN DOMINGO.

"We came back through the gateway, and met one of our late companions of the train. He took us to see the ruins of the Church of San Domingo, which was built soon after the founding of the city, and burned more than a hundred years ago. In its time, it was the finest church in Panama, and was said to possess a great store of silver and gold images and other treasures.

REMARKABLE ARCHWAY.

"Dr. Bronson was anxious to see a remarkable arch which was said to exist in the ruins of the church, and our friend offered to point it out. We passed among the walls, which were thickly overgrown with vines and bushes, and finally came to the archway. It is forty feet long, and has a perpendicular radius at the keystone of only two feet; it is made of brick, and is said to be a wonderful piece of work. Our friend said he had never heard of anything like it, and that many architects passing through Panama in the last twenty years had seen and admired it.

"Some of the bells of the church were lying where they fell at the time of the fire, and others were hung upon timbers a few feet from the ground, where they could be rung as in the olden time. Our guide told us an interesting story about the way these bells were made and given to the church.

"Soon after Panama was founded, the Queen of Spain invited the ladies of her court to come and bring whatever money they could afford, for the founding of the Church of San Domingo. She gathered a large amount, which was used for building the church. When the time came to prepare the bells, people of all classes were invited to make donations, and witness the operation of casting. They came in great crowds; the queen threw in handfuls of gold, the ladies and gentlemen of the court did likewise; the poor contributed silver or copper, and so the amount of metal in the crucibles increased. Then the queen threw in the golden ornaments that she wore; her ladies did the same; the excitement became great; rings, bracelets, and other valuables—many of them precious relics or family heirlooms—were contributed to the pious work, and thus the bells for the church in the New World were made. Their tone was said to be of the purest, and they are held in great reverence by the priests who have them in charge. High prices have been offered for these bells, but invariably refused."

RUINED CHURCH.