Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/206



city of  to-day,  and  the  tomb-tower  of  San  Ger6nlmo designating the  site  of  old  Pananid,  which  the  bold buccaneers ravished  with  such  a  relish ;  the  hazy  moun- tains beyond, with  their  curiously  shaped  crests — ^thus quietly watching  the  boats  come  and  go,  the  fruit- venders dispensing  their  wares,  the  sea-birds  circling round the  ship,  and  turkey -buzzards  solemnly  sailing through the  air;  listening  to  the  friendly  waters  which lap the  smooth  sides  of  our  monster  vessel,  with  the softly perfumed  air  that  wanders  objectless  between  the sea and  the  low-lying  sky,  there  comes  stealing  in  upon the senses  a  delicious  repose. Up to  this  point,  and  for several months  past,  mind  and  body  have  been  upon  the rack about  this  California  expedition. There were the preparations,  the  adieux,  the  embarkation,  the voyage, the  Isthmus ;  then  there  is  the  remainder  of it,  the  voyage  up  the  coast,  the  landing,  the  new  life, with all  its  desperate  ventures  and  uncertainties ;  but here, for  the  moment,  is  perfect  rest,  earth,  sea,  and sky combining  to  intoxicate  the  senses,  enrapture  the soul, and  overspread  all  with  a  sensuous  tranquillity and calm.

At this  time  the  commander  of  our  steamer,  which was the  Panama,  was  that  veteran  of  the  Pacific  Mail Steamship Company,  Watkins,  called  commodore ;  and among the  five  hundred  and  ninety-four  passengers were Mr  Hutch  ins,  Mrs  Davenport,  Gihon,  Maguire, and others  notable  in  the  annals  of  California. Late in the  afternoon  of  the  12th  of  March,  the  chain from the  buoy  was  dropped,  and  clearing  the  islands, in an  hour  we  came  abreast  of  Taboga — to  Panamd, what Capri  is  to  Naples,  but  more  beautiful. Oranges and tamarinds  fringe  the  beach ;  the  glass-green  foliage of cocoa  and  banana  trees  sweep  from  the  valley  up. the hillsides  a  thousand  feet. Then we  sailed  down past Bona  and  Otoque,  rounded  Punta  Mala,  some ninety miles  southward  from  our  anchorage,  and  were fairly out  at  sea,  with  the  warm  bay  of  Panamd,,  and its quaint,  old,  dreary  town,  wakened  once  a  century