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the streets  from  one  bedizened  altar  to  another,  while the shaven  priest  with  his  peculiar  hat,  long  black robe with  brijj^ht  satin  lining^,  small  clothes  fastened at the  knee  with  golden  buckles,  white  silk  stockings, slippered feet,  and  cigar,  surveyed  with  zealous  inter- est the effect  of  his  enli<xhtened  teachintrs.

But on  all  days  were  seen  stealthy  coffee-colored men with  thin  shiewy  limbs;  stealthy  half-naked women with  twinkling  jet  eyes  and  bronze  bust  glis- tening in the  palpitating  light;  girls  and  boys  sur- rounded with cocoanuts,  oranges,  and  limes,  bananas, eggs, and  flowers  of  shell  work. There were  avenues of fruit  and  vegetable  stalls ;  while  through  the  open doors under  the  veranda  the  more  aristocratic  traf- fickers displayed their  dry  goods,  groceries,  and  liquors.

The main  streets  in  the  central  part  of  the  city were lined  with  hotels,  shops,  and  gambling  saloons, newly whitewashed  and  adorned  with  flaming  sign- boards in English  vocables,  while  on  nearly  every other house  waved  the  stars  and  stripes. This busy renovated centre  was  flanked  by  crumbling  vine-clad walls and  mouldering  ruins. In its  palmy  days  the two sides  of  the  town  facing  the  sea  were  protected  by batteries,  and  the  sides  toward  the  land  by  a  high wall with  watch-towers  and  moat. The bastions were constructed  at  different  times  as  necessity  de- manded, and presented  an  irregular  appearance  ;  and though the  walls  were  high  the  fortifications  were  not strong. Panama was  divided  into  two  parishes,  one, the city  proper,  lying  within  the  wall,  and  called San Felipe,  the  other,  that  portion  without  the  wall called Santa  Ana. Two large  gates  opened  toward the sea  and  two  toward  the  land;  the  latter  once strongly fortified  were  entered  by  drawbridges. The popular promenade  was  the  rampart,  round  whose tottering walls  and  ragged  turrets  were  scattered  the dismantled guns  of  brass,  so  richly  wrought  and  so carefully  embossed  by  the  great  foundries  of  Barcelona.

The private  houses  of  San  Felipe  were  mostly  of