THE OLD CHURCH TOWER, OLD PANAMA.
After demolishing the fort at Chagres, and setting fire to the principal buildings in the town, he surreptitiously crept on board the vessel which contained the treasure and provisions, taking with him a few of his chosen companions, and, in the early hours of the morning, while the remainder of the band were in a deep sleep, he sailed away for Jamaica with all the plunder captured by the expedition, a rich store of the treasures which formed the staple commerce between the Old World and the New.
THE RAMPARTS. FORT LORENZO.
The resentment and fury of the deserted robbers knew no bounds, for surely in all the annals of their history there was no parallel to such treachery. The English pirates who were thus basely treated by their countryman set out in one of the remaining vessels in hot but unavailing pursuit, and the Frenchmen who had joined the bold enterprise with confidence now made their way back to Tortuga to brood over their wrongs and plan fresh expeditions, vowing vengeance on the lustful bully who had robbed them of their spoil.
CHAPTER IV
On the Way to the Southern Continent
AFTER leaving Kingston, Jamaica, one has an opportunity of observing some of the many types who journey to the isthmus of Panama.
The steamer is crowded and its comfort impaired by the numerous obstacles such as luggage and deck chairs, which prevent promenading and the taking of the usual form of exercise on board ship. On the fore deck, huddled together in endless confusion, are labourers from the island just left; behind their “household gods”—parrots, monkeys, poultry, and dogs—enjoying in many cases more comfort than their owners.
In the dim shadows cast by the awning spread to protect them from the glare of the burning sun, or the torrential rain which might at any moment descend; reclining upon chairs, hammocks or bedding spread upon the deck, men and women of varying age, colour and costume, seek oblivion in sleep from the nausea occasioned by the monotonous rolling of the ship.
On the afternoon of the third day, through the haze of a tropical downpour, Colon is sighted. Though the rain falls in sheets, the eye can trace through the silvery mists the faint outline of the coast and contour of the hills; whilst away across the bay, at its western extremity, the Toro Lighthouse is dimly visible.