Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/181



fell suddenly  upon  us  and  the  whole  heavens  were illuminated. Large fireflies  glowed  like  sapphire  in their  vain  endeavor  to  outshine  the  stars,  which sparkled with  almost  dazzling  brilliancy  above  them. Behold here  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  ! new constellations above  and  new  fruits  and  flowers  below. A torch  placed  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  cast  weird shadows over  the  disturbed  water,  and  threw  into denser blackness  the  bordering  thickets. Presently the moon  came  up  from  behind  the  mountains  of verdure ;  and  while  the  swarthy  forms  of  the  boatmen marched to  their  monotonous  strains,  the  tired  travel- ler sat silently  with  cramped  legs,  or  lay  his  aching back upon  the  heaped  up  luggage  and  watched  in dreamy  speculation  the  blazing  stars. Passing Ahorca Lagarto we  spent  the  whole  of  the  following  day toiling up  the  stream  under  a  burning  sun,  with  occa- sional showers of  rain,  the  hot  glare  upon  the  water and the  steaming  rottenness  on  the  land  being  at times  almost  unendurable  ;  now  and  then  we  landed  to rest  and  eat. The crisp  cool  morning  and  evening- air, laden  with  sweet  odors  from  the  woodlands,  was most refreshing. Part of  the  next  night  we  laid  over at Barbacoas,  a  native  village  with  huts  of  poles  and palm-leaves furnished  with  a  mat  to  stretch  on  and  a hammock  to  loll  in,  and  thick  with  swarms  of  naked children. Before the  tramp  of  gold-seekers  awoke their avarice,  centuries  came  and  went,  and  the  dolce far niente  of  the  natives,  like  their  soft  skies  and fragfrance-breathinof forests,  was  undisturbed. Too indulgent nature  by  withholding  the  necessity  re- moved the incentive  to  action.

The next  day  we  reached  Gorgona,  which  ended our boating  and  the  first  stage  of  the  journey  across the Isthmus. Two days  and  nights  were  usually  oc- cupied in accomplishing  this  distance,  portions  of  the days being  taken  for  rest  and  portions  of  the  nights for travel. There were  two  points  on  the  river  where passengers were  accustomed  to  leave  their  boat  and