Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/171



trees, and  originally  covered  with  interlacing  vines and thorny  shrubs,  and  inhabited  only  by  reptiles, beasts and  poisonous  insects.

It has  been  stated  that  Columbus  entered  Navy bay, and  called  the  place  after  himself,  Colon. This seems to  me  hardly  probable. In the  first  place,  none of the  early  voyagers  make  any  mention  of  such  an event ;  and  in  the  next  place  the  great  admiral  could have found  many  spots  more  interesting  and  import- ant than this  to  bear  his  name. Whether Rodrigo de Bastidas  or  Columbus  touched  at  Chagres,  their records do  not  state. The first  mention  history  makes of that  famous  place,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  in  the adventures of  Diego  de  Nicuesa  along  these  shores  in 1508. A relative  of  this  cavalier,  Cueto  by  name, having command  of  another  ship  than  that  in  which Nicuesa sailed,  and  becoming  separated  from  his  com- mander in a  storm,  was  forced,  while  seeking  him,  to harbor  his  worm-eaten  ship  at  the  mouth  of  the  river Chagres, so  called  by  the  natives,  but  to  which,  from the multitudes  of  allio-ators  that  swarmed  in  its  little bay, he  gave  the  name  of  Lagartos.

Probably there  was  not  in  all  the  world  where  man dwells a  more  loathsome  spot  than  this  town  of Aspinwall,  with  its  hybrid  population  and  streets  of intersecting  stagnant  pools. A bed  of  slime  and decaying vegetation  reeking  pestilence,  alive  with crawling reptiles,  given  over  of  nature  to  the  vilest of her  creations,  man  for  money  makes  a  place  of  to live  in,  or  rather  to  die  in,  for  premature  death  is plainly  written  on  the  face  of  every  European  inhab- itant. Travel the  world  over  and  in  every  place  you may find  something  better  than  is  found  in  any  other place. Searching for  the  specialty  in  which  Aspin- wall excelled, we  found  it  in  her  carrion  birds,  which cannot be  anywhere  surpassed  in  size  or  smell. Man- zanilla island  may  boast  the  finest  vultures  on  the planet. OriginaRy a  swamp,  the  foundations  of  the buildings were  below  the  level  of  the  ocean,  and  dry