Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/197

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thousand miles,  north,  south,  and  west,  rolHng  up  the bay for  ninety  miles  its  slow,  strong,  eternal  swells, while in  the  backoround  banks  of  dark  gfreen  foliatre rise from  the  white  sandy  beach,  and  swelling  into hills and  mountains,  disappear  in  the  distant  clouds. Pyramids of  green  verdure,  made  purple  by  distance, rise from  the  azure  sea,  and  mingle  with  the  azure heavens. Looking; southward  from  the  fortifications you see  Flamenco,  Perico,  and  Llenao  or  Islahao,  and beyond some  three  leagues  away  is  the  island  of  Ta- boga, near  which  the  coaling  vessels  rest  at  an- chor. The island  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half long by  half  a  mile  wide,  and  has  its  semi-European town, and  its  native  population,  with  their  hamlets  of bamboo  huts. Far away  toward  the  east,  over  indo- lent waters reflecting  the  blue  sky,  the  sun's  glare softened by  the  breath  of  summer  mists,  past  little paradises of  brilliant  green  seemingly  floating  on  the placid surface  which  mirrors  their  foliage,  are  the Pearl islands,  where  Vasco  Nunez  and  his  crew  an- chored the ships  which  they  had  brought  with  so much  labor  and  peril  across  this  formidable  Isthmus. On the  island  of  San  Mio-uel,  the  largjest  of  the  Pearl archipelago, is  situated  the  town  of  the  same  name, where the  unbreeched  natives  used  to  deck  their  tawny skin with  gems  that  would  make  the  eyes  of  a  city belle sparkle  with  delight,  and  ebony  pearl  merchants displayed their  wares,  haggling  in  the  sale  of  them with all  the  cultivated  cunnino-  of  a  Jew.

Panamd, patched  and  whitewashed  under  the  new regime ofl^ered  a  seemingly  grand  array  of  comforts after our  late  privations. At the  hotel  we  found  cot beds, one  to  a  man,  although  there  were  many  men to a  r(jom.  Here  was  a  new  field  for  fretting  and brain-whetting,  and  well  the  gold  hunters  improved the  opportunity.  The  streets  were  crowded  day  and night  with  Californian  emigrants.  Outside  the  town were   encampments  of  them,  apparently  as  comforta-