Several small towns and ranches are scattered along the banks of the river. The first is Gatun, ten or twelve miles above Chagres. About ten miles further is Dos Hermano; further on, Pûro Blanco, and Palenquillá last, about two-thirds of the way to Gorgona. These are stopping places for the canoes, where refreshments and supplies can be procured.
At night, parties that land are compelled to build fires to keep off the wild beasts and venomous serpents, which abound in the neighborhood of the river, and to disperse the myriads of insects with which the air teems. Alligators of a large size, are to be seen lying on the banks in the day time, basking in the sun. Above Palenquillá are some powerful currents, which it requires considerable toil to move against. The river is in some places a half a mile wide, and in others, not more than thirty yards. The boatmen are exceedingly indolent, and require constant driving and coaxing to keep them moving; but sometimes, when they are prevailed upon to go to work, they will exhibit an endurance and perseverance almost astonishing. They have been frequently known to work at the poles, pushing the boat along, for twenty-four hours, without rest. The difficulty of ascending the Chagres river, may be appreciated, when it is stated, that although Gorgona is only fifty miles from the town of Chagres, it frequently occupies as high as forty hours for the canoes to reach that place. Stoppages are, of course, numerous, both on account of the tiring of the boatmen and for refreshment.
"Gorgona is located upon a bend of the river, from which a fine view of the river and valley is obtained. The valley is here about five miles wide, the mountains rising from it in successive ranges, and with increasing elevations. It is an admirable location for a town, and must become one of considerable importance—especially should it be on the route of the proposed railroad across the Isthmus. It has a far better appearance than Chagres; the streets are laid out with some pretensions to regularity. It is the head of canoe navigation, and steamboats of light draft can approach it. The dwellings or huts are of a better class than those at Chagres; they have an unfinished Catholic church that looks rude and ragged, but nevertheless, it is a church. The carrying trade is now almost the only business pursued by its inhabitants; what they did before the gold of California began to invite a swarm of adventurers across the Isthmus, to the town is more than can be divined. Theirs must have been as near a pastoral or primitive life, as any that can be seen in our day. The soil is teeming with the evidences of its richness—inviting the hand of man to its cultivation, by showing what it is capable of doing without it—but it is undisturbed, save in a few stinted spots of less size than our ordinary kitchen gardens. All else is left to spontaneous production. They have herds of cattle; these, with game, flesh, fish, and fowl, easily procured, must have been their principal sustenance. But it is with them as with the rest of the world, wants increase with the facilities for gratifying them. They are rapidly changing their habits since they have an opportunity to earn money and luxuries, that they have been strangers to, are brought within their means and their reach.
During the dry season, which lasts from December till June, the road from Gorgona to Panama is generally preferred; at other times, the canoes proceed up the river about eight miles, to the town of Cruces, and take the road leading from that place to Panama. Each of these routes shall receive our consideration, and their respective advantages and disadvantages be set forth. It is advisable, that travellers should rest as short a time as possible at Gorgona, as accommodations are of very poor character. Mules and a small species of mustang are easily obtained, but the mule is far preferable. Some travellers find it a great relief to walk a part of the distance, and, with that intention, parties hire mules or horses in the proportion of two to every three travellers. The baggage will have to be placed under the charge of the native muleteers, but, from their observed habits of filching wherever they get a chance, it is advisable not to trust them out of sight. There are several places upon the route where refreshments can be procured; but most of the travellers start at daylight from Gorgona, and push directly through to Panama, in one day. This is the best mode of proceeding, if the fatigue is found to be endurable; for it is above all things important that in such a climate too great fatigue should be avoided. The following account of a journey to Panama by way of the Gorgona road, and descriptions of the road is from a recently published narrative:
"We arose from cot and hammock, flea-bitten, and but little refreshed, though ready to start on what we deemed our perilous journey across the Isthmus. Hour after hour elapsed, till the most pleasant part of the day was gone, and the sun shone with torrid fervor; but still our mules were not ready, our host keeping them back, as we afterwards learned, to obtain a higher rate. Annoyed beyond endurance at the delay, and the tardy movements of the worthless set around us, we scoured the town, and at length succeeded in obtaining four miserable-looking little animals at eight dollars a-piece. Another was still wanting, and, by an offer of ten dollars, I at length succeeded in getting a tolerably good one. Though so wretched in appearance, we found these animals capable of great endurance.
"Glad that the vexatious and irritating events of the morning, which the cupidity and dogged laziness of these slothful mongrels had produced, were happily ended, we hastily swallowed a cup of bad coffee, handed by a damsel nearly nude, and mounting our Rosinantes, we started at a brisk canter, beneath a broiling sun, while our guido, all stripped and on foot, trotted off in advance.
"For the first mile, the way was very pleasant over a nearly level plain, at the termination of which there were stronger indications of rougher riding, for we soon began to descend a nearly perpendicular precipice, the only pass, down which was a narrow mule-way, where, step by step, these animals had worn a passage, over rocks, loose stones, sand and mud. We at length reached the bottom of the ravine, and, crossing a brook, which in some parts was a wide and deep chasm, we commenced a toilsome ascent on the opposite side, over a similar pathway, surrounded by scenery of wild and unknown plants and trees, on the mountain and glen, through whose dense foliage a breath could scarcely penetrate. The fervent atmosphere produced an almost stifling sensation, while the deathlike silence that reigned throughout, disturbed only by the audible footfall of our animals, as we slowly wound around the tortuous ascent, made the journey peculiarly toilsome and solitary.
SONORIANS DRY-WASHING GOLD.
"For the first few miles I followed closely at the heels of our guide, and would often pause and turn to examine the apparently almost impassable route I had traversed, watch the progress of the rest of the party, and wonder at the security with which their cautiously-stepping and sagacious animals would gradually overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. These mustangs and mules, early trained to travel 'in the wild mountain track,' are capable of great endurance, and certainly possess much more knowledge than most of their riders, when exercised upon what they consider the safest and surest stepping-place, and best mode of proceeding. I urged mine repeatedly, to make him choose a path, which to all appearance was preferable to his own, but to no purpose. He would turn half round, and in a slow, solemn way, put his nose to the ground, and looking keenly about the place, would cautiously put one foot forward, then another, then a third and a fourth, when, poised on all drawn under him, and close together, he would have a better opportunity for further inspection, which having satisfactorily accomplished, another equally deliberate and cautious step would be made as before, down what, to all appearance, was an impracticable route, and so on, until the difficulty was overcome. Finding that he knew so much better than I did, how, where, and when he ought to travel, I invariably threw the reins to him, when hazardous passes or other obstacles were to be surmounted. The result was always fortunate. One or two of the party, however, were satisfied that 'horses should not have their own way,' and whipped and spurred theirs to such an extent, to compel compliance with their better judgment, that the issue was as I had anticipated. One was thrown over his horse's head into a mud puddle, and the other, with horse and all, stuck fast in a quagmire, from which it was not easy to extricate him. Should these lines ever meet the eye of those worthy gentlemen, I trust they will pardon the liberty I have taken in recording here their feats of muleship. It is true that mine stumbled on some loose stones once or twice, in descending hills, and my efforts alone with the reins saved both him and me from a fall; but for unmistakeable judgment in traversing these perilous mountain-passes, I must admit he proved himself the better of the two.