Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/205



and a  half  from  the  wharf,  while  at  high  tide  the  top of the  wharf  is  nearly  awash. Later, toward  the  six- ties, the railway  company  arranged  the  arrival  of trains  so  that  there  might  be  no  detention  ;  passengers then stepped  from  the  cars  to  the  tender,  and  were soon on  board  the  steamer. This arrangement  was adopted in  consequence  of  the  riots  which  broke  out on the  15th  of  April,  1856-,  during  which  the  negroes of the  arrabal  assailed  250  or  300  passengers  from  the steamship Illinois,  while  they  were  procuring  their tickets at  the  Panama  depot,  a  number  of  persons on both  sides  being  killed  or  wounded. Much prop- erty was also  plundered  by  the  rabble. To avert  a recurrence  of  such  scenes,  passengers  to  and  from California in  future  traversed  the  Isthmus  without detention. Usually some  time  elapsed  after  the  pas- sengers were settled  in  their  rooms  before  the  sailing of the  steamer,  as  the  baggage,  fast  freight,  and  mails came aft*  r  the  passengers,  so  that  there  was  time  to enjoy  another  view  of  the  surroundings,  under  that sense of  satisfaction  and  rest  which  always  attended the establishing  of  one's  self  in  the  new  quarter. There is  now  no  more  change;  the  horrors  of  the Isthmus are  past;  a  fortnight's  home  is  found,  and the traveller  feels  almost  at  the  end  of  his  journey.

Much pleasanter  on  the  Pacific  is  the  voyage  usually than on  the  Atlantic. As I  have  said,  the  steamers are larger  and  more  comfortable. The temper  of  the passengers, like  the  Pacific,  is  smoother. In one  re- spect it seems  almost  like  beginning  the  journey  anew, this reembarkation  at  Panama,  there  is  such  a  general shaking up  and  repartitioning  that  one  wonders  where: so many  new  faces  came  from.

Lounging inert  and  listless  under  the  awning  on the  upper  deck,  with  the  bay  spread  out  before  you in all  its  glorious  beauties  like  a  breathing  panorama, with the  everg^reen  isles  rising^  from  the  mirror-like surface of  the  water,  and  the  old-time  city  in  the distance, the  authoritative  hill  of  Ancon  marking  the