Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/189



iDiles from  Panamd,  and  the  glare  of  a  vertical  sun  on the  hot  uneven  stones  of  this  pavement,  as  one emerges from  the  more  shaded  interior,  is  painful.

Over this  old  Cruces  road  and  down  the  river  to the  northern  ocean,  the  wealth  of  the  South  Sea  was conveyed for  centuries ;  and  even  to  this  day  were  to be  seen  gold  trains  and  silver  trains,  with  uncovered bars of  glittering  metal  corded  to  the  saddles  of  richly caparisoned mules  with  jingling  bells,  in  charge  of some  pompous  merchant's  clerk,  heavily  armed,  booted and spurred,  and  attended  by  a  guard  of  half  a  dozen yellow musketeers. Thirty or  forty  mules,  sacred  to the  conveyance  of  the  steamer's  gold  and  mails,  crossed as a  separate  caravan,  and  often  by  a  route  of  their own, and  these  should  by  no  means  render  the  slight- est assistance to  any  of  the  passengers,  no  matter  how urgent might  be  their  necessities ;  for  while  the bodies of  men  and  mules  go  and  come,  gold  and  its power remain    eternal.

Down from  the  mountains  and  out  of  the  tropical wilderness we  approach  the  borders  of  the  broad  Pa- cific. From a  series  of  plains  dotted  with  patches  of black  thorn  and  cactus,  and  groves  of  citron,  orange, and mango,  we  strike  into  the  paved  road,  cross  the old stone  bridge,  and  are  soon  among  the  planta- tions and suburban  residences  of  Panamd,. Goats and herds of  cattle  now  mingle  with  bands  of  pack-mules, mounted stragglers,  and  pedestrians;  water-carriers ply their  trade  with  increased  activity  as  the  day  draws to a  close ;  houses,  two  and  three  stories  in  height,  of wood  and  adobe,  supplant  the  remoter  reed  huts,  and following^ the  current  of  grold-seekers  we  leave  behind the shops  outside  the  walls,  cross  the  moat,  and  pass- ing under the  arched  and  towered  gateway  of  Puerta  de Tierra,  with  its  old  stone  cross  and  bell,  we  enter  Pa- namd.

Dating from  the  founding  of  its  ancient  site,  some six miles  distant  on  the  beach,  Panama  is  the