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way, about  70  miles  were  travelled  in  crossing. Though the  distance  from  ocean  to  ocean  was  greater by the  Nicaragua  route,  the  land  travel  was  less ; and from  New  York  to  San  Francisco,  via  Nicaragua, the whole  distance  was  about  1,000  miles  shorter than by  way  of  Panamd. This was  in  later  years — 1855-57 — the time  of  filibuster  Walker's  exploits, which I  have  fully  narrated  in  another  volume  of this  series. His ill-advised  act  of  confiscating  the transit company's  river  and  lake  steamers  contributed to his  ruin;  for  by  stopping  the  further  transit  of passengers  to  and  from  California  by  this  route,  he deprived  himself  of  the  only  means  to  swell  his  ranks — thinned daily  by  disease,  desertion,  and  hostile bullets — with foreign  recruits;  superadded  to  which was the  roused  vengeance  of  the  company,  who  fur- nished ample resources  to  his  enemies  to  accomplish his destruction.

In the  scenery,  there  is  more  variety  and  grandeur along the  river  and  lake  Nicaragua,  than  up  the Chaorres and  across  to  Panamd. San Juan  del  Norte

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is an  old  Spanish  town,  consisting  of  about  fifty  bam- boo and thatched  houses,  with  some  shingled  tene- ments of later  date,  containing  at  the  time  of  which I write  an  extremely  mixed  population  of  about  five hundred. The town  is  situated  in  a  small  cove  formed by a  long  narrow  strip  of  land  known  as  Punta Arenas, which  from  the  steamer  looks  more  like  an island  than  a  cape. The surrounding  country  is  low and unhealthful,  and  the  surface  densely  matted  with tufted grass  and  undergrowth  mingled  with  forests  of suiooth-barked  vine-clad  trees. Turkey-buzzards, alli- gators, and monkeys  claim  equal  rights  with  mongrel men to  the  occupation  and  enjoyment  of  the  country. Though steam  was  employed  in  making  the  ascent of the  San  Juan,  there  was  scarcely  more  comfort than in  journeying  on  the  Chagres. Small stern- wheel boats  plied  from  rapid  to  rapid  and  across  the lake;  into   them   were   driven   promiscuously,    men,