Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/191



and burned  old  Panamd,  and  it  was  then  determined to choose  a  healthier  site  before  rebuilding  the  city.

The old  city  boasted  its  palatial  houses  of  cedar, adorned with  paintings  and  rich  hangings,  its  cathe- dral and other  fine  churches ;  its  eight  convents,  with their costly  altar-pieces  and  gold  and  silver  orna- ments; its 2000  dwellings  tenanted  by  wealthy  mer- chants, and 5000  by  lesser  tradesmen;  its  royal stables, and  beautiful  gardens,  and  fertile  fields;  and the new  city  was  built  upon  a  scale  of  yet  grander magnificence. But with  the  decline  of  Spanish power in  the  new  world,  Panama  fell. The vast  trade upon the  Pacific,  extending  from  Chili  to  California, and across  to  the  Philippine  islands,  which  brought  to anchor  in  her  harbor  galleys  laden  with  the  gold  and silver of  America,  and  the  rich  stuffs  and  spices  of India,  and  filled  her  store-houses,  and  made  her  mer- chants princes, became  scattered. The city  sank  into a lethargy  from  which  it  was  partially  awakened  by the  shouts  and  pistol-shots  of  a  new  race  of  gold-seek- ers. But Ichabod  was  too  deeply  graven  on  her  door- posts. The glory  of  despotism  and  fanaticism  had departed ; and  even  in  the  momentary  awakening  in- cident to the  Californian  emigration  the  principal traffic was  in  the  hands  of  Anglo-Americans.

As compared  with  its  ancient  grandeur  Panamd, until the  construction  of  the  ship  canal  was  fairly under way,  presented  a  melancholy  appearance. The city is  built  on  a  rocky  peninsula  which  juts  out  some quarter of  a  mile  from  the  base  of  the  Ancon  hill into a  broad,  peaceful,  isle-dotted  bay. Across this peninsula from  beach  to  beach,  extend  streets,  inter- sected at right  angles  by  other  and  broader  streets, which invite  currents  of  air,  and  most  of  which  are well paved. On approaching  the  city  from  any  direc- tion, the dilapidated  fortifications,  and  cathedral  tow- ers, and high,  tiled  roofs  attract  the  first  attention. The houses  are  built  of  stone,  wood,  and  adobe;  most of them  are  two  stories  in  height,  some  three,  with