Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/196



road company  to  assume  the  protection  of  life  and property on  the  transit,  with  power  virtually  to  inflict condign punishment  on  criminals. The force  organ- ized while the  railway  was  being  built  consisted  ef forty  men,  motley  in  color,  costume,  and  character, but very  efficient,  and  was  under  the  command  of  a delicate,  boyish-looking,  but  most  energetic  Texan ranger, named  Ran  Runnels. Though this  force  had no jurisdiction  in  the  city  of  Panama,  it  occasionally made arrests  of  desperate  characters  within  the  walls, the criminals  receiving  their  punishment  without. This irregularity  was  winked  at  by  the  authorities. In a  short  time  the  Isthmus  was  free  of  the  numerous malefactors, which  had  been  drawn  from  all  parts  of the  world  to  prey  upon  travellers  crossing  from  ocean to ocean.

The climate  of  the  Isthmus  is  very  hot  on  the coasts, but  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains  in  the  interior it is  comparatively  cool  and  healthy. The city  of Panama  is  the  healthiest  sea-board  spot  in  this  region, miasmatic fever  being  prevalent  almost  everywhere else. Besides standing  out  in  the  sea  as  it  does,  the waters of  the  ocean  playing  upon  three  sides  of  it, and from  which  it  receives  breezes  opposing  the insalubrious air  of  the  interior,  there  stands  the  hill Ancon at  the  rear  of  the  peninsula,  forming  a  natural barrier to  the  poison-breathing  swamps  of  the  Rio Grande beyond. With proper  care,  and  avoiding  the abuse of  spirituous  liquors,  a  foreigner  may  safely  live in Panamd,  the  year  round;  indeed,  during  the  dry season, which  is  from  the  middle  of  December  to  the middle of  May,  with  the  strong  northerly  winds  which then prevail,  and  the  absence  of  heavy  rains,  the  cli- mate is both  delio'htful  and  wholesome.

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The bay  of  Panama  is  a  picture  of  languid  beauty. It is  large  and  open,  yet  well  protected,  but  so  shal- low near the  town  that  lame  vessels  are  oblio-ed  to anchor  two  or  three  miles  ofl"  shore.  On  one  side  is the  sea  into  which  it  opens,  spreading  out  for