Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/199



after, we  were  in  tribulation  about  our  baggage, which the  packers  failed  to  deliver  as  they  had  prom- ised. Gradually the  truth  dawned  upon  us  that  this was one  of  the  tricks  of  the  trade ;  and  when  after waitino; a  week,  and  considerino;  the  distance  from Gorgona was  only  twenty-five  miles,  which  could  be easily  made  in  a  day  and  a  night,  when  we  and  many others were  obliged  to  go  forward  without  our  bag- gage, we were  satisfied,  as  we  afterward  learned  to  be the  truth,  that  Ave  had  been  systematically  swindled. The fact  was  that  civilization,  under  the  impulse  of  the gold-fever, had  so  tinctured  this  Isthmian  wilderness as to  have  overturned  the  influence  of  the  simple- minded savage,  thus  giving  up  travellers  to  men more rapacious  than  beasts,  which  will  not  prey upon their  kind. At Chagres  and  on  the  river, transportation had  been  left  mainly  to  Creoles  and natives, as  the  occupation  was  too  hazardous  to  health for the  shrewd  northerners  to  undertake  it ;  but  Gor- gona a,nd Panamd,  were  comparatively  healthy,  and here sharpers  might  take  their  stand  and  levy  toll. The native  and  mongrel  races  were  not  bad  enough nor bold  enough  for  the  situation. These could  prac- tise extortion on  a  small  scale,  but  the  cocking  of  a pistol  or  the  flash  of  a  knife-blade  usually  brought reparation. Here indeed  was  a  field  for  nobler  talent. Hitherto, and  for  the  last  three  centuries,  dark- skinned carriers  had  been  content  to  appropriate  only a part  of  the  effects  committed  to  their  care,  and  col- lect freight on  the  portion  delivered ;  but  for  the  double- edged son  of  a  higfher  order  of  culture  and  broader views such  dealintrs  were  too  tame. So he  instituted a reform,  weighed  baggage  at  Gorgona  or  Cruces, and collected  the  freight  in  advance,  ten  or  fifteen cents a  pound  to  Panama,  then  he  could  deliver  such portions as  policy  dictated,  and  keep  the  remainder having secured  the  freight  on  it  in  advance  in  case  it should  prove  not  worth  the  transportation. This system I  afterward  learned  from  sources  unquestiona-