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32X

NARRATIVE

(tV I'HK

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n

VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD

DURING THE YEARS 1815-51,

rXDEU TIIK COMMAND OF

('APTAIN HENRY KELLETT, R.N., C.B.;

HKINOr

^ Circumnabisatiou of tfte Sloljc,

AND THREE CRUIZES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS IN SEARCH
OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

BERTHOLD SEEMANN, F.L.S.,

MKMBEn OF THE IMPERIAL L.C. ACADEMY NATURAE CCRIOSORrM,
XATITRAIIST OP THE EXPEDITION, ETC.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

LONDON :
REEVE AND CO., HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

1853.

\/-\ I

i^ ^ -^

267835

I'KINTKD MY

JOUN EDWABD lA.TLOB, LITTLE QUkEN STUBET,
LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

SIR WILLIAM JACKSON HOOKER,

K.H., D.C.L. OXON., LI„D., F.E.A.8., A., AND L.S., VICE-l'UKSlDENT OK TJIE
LINNEAN SOCIETY, AND DIEECTOB OF THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW,

ETC. ETC.,

WHOM SCIENCE NVMHEKS

AMONGST 1T8 MOST ARDENT PUOMOTEHS.

AND TO WHOM

THE AUTHOR IS SO DEEPLY INDEBTED FOB HIS GENEROUS

ENCOURAGEMENT AND READY ASSISTANCE,

THIS

Narratibe of tfjf FotJagr of ?^.|H.^. ^txalti

IS DEDICATED,

WITH FEELINGS OF ESTEEM AND GRATITUDE,

BEKTHOLP SEEM ANN.

I' [I E V A (; \<

In July, 1S40, after the death of Mr. Thomas Ediiioii-
stoii, I had the honour of being ap})ointe(l Naturahst
of H.M.S. Herald, — having been reconnnended to that
office l)y Sir W. J. Hooker, — and directed to join the
vessel at Panama. Proceeding by one of the >V^est
India Mail Steamers to Chagrcs, I crossed over the
Isthmus, and arrived at the city of Panama on the 22nd
of Septend)er. The Herald not having returned from
the Straits of Juan de Fuca, I employed my time in
exploring various districts of Panama and Veraguas, a
task which was rendered comparatively easy by th(^
assistance I received from Her Majesty's Consul, Wil-
liam Perry, Esq., to whom I had a letter of intro-
duction from Lord Palmerston. In January, 1847,
the Herald returned to Panama, and from that time,
until she was paid oft', I accompanied her.

On the return of the expedition to England, a repre-

Vlll

I'RKFACli.

sL'iitjitiuu vv'is miuio to Her MajcHty's (iovcruiiiciit by
several in.'ii of eiiiineiice, that scieiiCH! would be «jjreatly
l)eiiefit« d if the various collcetioiis of Natural History
foruied during the voyage could be brought before tiie
pubhe in a manner worthy of the times and the country.
The (lovernment responded to these wislies by gnmting
ii siun of money to defray part of the expenses of such a
publication, and Professor Edward iMjrbes, with a dis-
interested zeal truly praiseworthy, volunteered to edit
the zoological section, while 1 engaged to undertake the
phytological. These works are partly before the public,
and may, together with the scries of charts laid down
in our survey, and issued by the llydrographienl Office,
and the present Narrative, l)e looked ii[)on as the prin-
cipal result of the voyage. It is but fair however to
state, both in justice to the Captain who concUicted
the expedition and to the officers engaged in it, that a
great mass of the nifiterials still remain unpublished.
Tlie nautical, meteorological, magnetical, astronomical,
and other observations are so numerous that they would
fill several thick quarto volumes, and coidd not possibly
be comprised within the limits of an appendix to this
Narrative ; but it is to be hoped that they will not be
lost to science.

'l^he present Narrative was to have been written by the

PUFFACK

rnnuMit by
bf great 1\
•al lliston
before tlie
lie country.
)y gnintinii"
;s of siieli a
with a (lis-
•ed to edit
idertako the
! the public,
i hid down
ihical Office,
as the priu-
however to
conducted
n it, that a
luipul)lished.
strononiical,
they would
lot possibly
dix to this
will not be

itten by the

('oMHiumder of the expedition ; l)Ut as Captain Kelh;tt was
eahed upon to renew the search for Sir John Franklin's
Kxp(ulition, and all those oliieers of the Herald who were
either willing or able to |)erfonn the part of historian
of the voyage had left these shores, I was compelled to
engage in an undertaking for which I fear I was but ill
(jualitied. I have coninicnced it the more reluctantly
hecause 1 am fullv aware of the diiliculties. Formerlv,
wlien everything was new and striking, both to the
author and the reader, an anmsing and instructive work
was easily written. But now, nearly every school-boy is
able to give a tolerably accnrate account of the most
renu)te corners of the globe, and if a traveller wants to
bring forward something new, he nuist dive into details
which, valuable as they maybe to science, are not always
appreciated by the general reader.

The materials from which this work has been com-
piled are not so rich as could be wished. That portion
of Captain Kellett's journal relating to the first volume
is entirely wanting, and cannot, in the absence of its
author, be procured. Commander J. Wood's diary has
not been sent to me, and this must be considered as
the reason why the movements of the Pandora are not
more frequently alluded to. Lieutenant (now Com-
mander) Henry Trollope made ample notes during the

I'UKFACE.

first year of the voyage, whicli have supplied the sul)-
stance of the aceount of tlie eriiizc of the IKiakl during
that period. Mr. Bedford I'ini ke[)t a journal when
in the Arctic regions, and also dnrhig his j(Hirney with
nie in Peru and Ecuador, of which 1 liave been allowed
to avail myself. Mr. WhifHn, Mr. Jago, and Mr. Hull
have suppUed me with extracts from their diaries, luid
Mr. Chimmo with the illustrations for this work. I
have thought it the more uecessary to make this state-
ment, in order to escape the charge of having given
precedence to my own journal, which, in many instances,
Avas the only source of information.

As 1 did not join the Herald before January, L*547,
and had to write an account of the voyage from the
beginning, I sid)mitted the proof-sheets relathig to the
J^razils, the I'alkland Isles, Chile, and Peni, to Dr. J. D.
Hooker and John Miers, Esq., who, having themselves
explored those countries, were kind enough to pohit out
any inaccuracies they detected, and add here and there
a passage calculated to improve my account. I have
{dso had the advantage of the valuable assistance of
Conmiander li. Trollope, who looked over every proof-
sheet, and have derived great benefit from the liberality
of Sir William Hooker, who pi'rmitted me to consult
his extensive library and Ueibanuni,

I'KKI'ACK.

Fact is tlu* ()l)ji'ct f have iiiiiu'd jit thron^liout \\\v lol-
lowing pngt's, on the strict adlitM't'iicc to which will rest
their s()l(! recomiiieiidntioii. If however, while iil)8taiiiiii^-
t'roiii all lictitioiis colouring, and witli a paucity of ad-
venture, I have succeeded in [)r()ducin<^ an arrangement
not iidiarinonions or (lis[)leasing, I shall have attained
a position I'ar beyond that to which I have been carried
by my most tlattcring ho[)i's or sanufuinc expectations.

Kar ( I /'!■('// y /hcriufjc/'M, Ib'iH.

m r

Til

CONTENTS.

CHAPTEK 1.

Departure from England — Madeira — Porto Santo — Dcsertas
Teneriile — A Ship in distress — San Antonio — Soundings-
Fernando de Noronha — The Jangadas — Rio Janeiro

PllpTR

CHAinM^:R IT.

Departure from Rio de Janeiro — Fort of Santa Cruz — Falkland
Islands — Passage round Cape Horn — Valdivia — Wreck of
IT. M.S. Challenger — Concepcion — Talcalniano — Old C'oncep-
cion — Aconcagua — Valparaiso ......

•20

CHAPTER III.

Fapudo Bay — Departure for Peru — Callao— Road to the capital
— Lima — Arrival of H.M.St.S. Cormorant — Leaving Callao —
The Lobos Islands — Payta — Santa Clara ....

CIIAT^TER IV.

The Galapagos Islands — Charles Island — James Island — Chatham
Island — Coast of Ecuador — Bay of Atacamas — Rambh; in the
forest — Mr. T. Edmonston — Ilis death and a sketch of his life
— River Esmeraldas — Gallo Island .....

XIV

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.

Page

Boundary line of Niicva Granada — Commencement of the Survey
— Bay of Choco — River Iscuande — Gorgona — Buenaventura
—The Vinda of St. Peter and St. Paul— Bay of Panama . 73

CHAPTER VI.

City of Panama — Ruins of Panama Vicjo — The islands of Fla-
minco, Taboga, and Taboguilla — Departure for the Straits of
Juan de Fuca — Coyba — Death of seamen — An American vessel
— Seaweed — Cape Flatteiy rocks 84

CHAPTER YII.

Cape Flattery rocks — Tatooche Island — Indians — Entrance into
the Straits of Juan de Fuca — Historical notice — Port Victoria
— Harbour of Esquimalt — Fort of Victoria — Port Discovery
— Townshend — New Dungeness — Quadra's and Vancouver's
Islands — Race Islands — Neagh Bay — Departure for the South . 95

CHAPTER VIII.

Cape Mendocino — San Francisco — Visit to the Mission — Mon-
terey — Islands on the coast of Lower California — Excursion on
Cerros Island — Mazatlan — Tepic — San Bias . . . .113

CHAPTER IX.

Siguantenejo — A party taken prisoner by the Mexicans — Don Vi-
cente Amaro — Mr. Wood proceeds to Acapulco — Captivity —
Departure — Acapulco — Death of William Harris — Cape Velas
— Coast of Nueva Granada — Arrival at Panama . . .126

CHAPTER X.

Survey of the western coast of Nueva Granada — Return to Panama
— Departure for Peru — Coyba — Iguana Island — Payta — Callao
— Viscount d'Ozery — Lima — Payta — Journey through the
desert — Piura — TravoUing in the interior . . . .139

CONTKNTS.

ClIAPTKR XL

I'lij;,'

U.i;piil)lic of Ecuador — Hiicicnda of Soviango — Sasaranga — Tambn
of Colosncapi — Cariamango — Gonzanaraa — Eiver ( ataiiiayo —
Arrival in Loja — Mr. Pirn's Journey to Piscobamba . . IGl

CHAPTER XII.

T<oja — Las Juntas — San Lucas — Saragura — Ona — Losing the way
— Cochopato— Navon . . . . . . . 17<')

CHAPTER XIII.

Navon — IMarivina — Cumbi — Cucnca — Quinoas — Guaicuase —
Mollatura — Yerba Buena — Cave of Chacayaque — Naranjal —
Arrival in Guayaquil ........ 19()

CHAPTER XIY.

(ruayaquil — Santa Elena — Solango — Manta — Monte Christi — Sua
— Esmeraldas — Turaaeo — Bay of Choco — Arrival in Panama . 208

CHAPTER XV.

Survey of the coast of Darien — Garachine — Bay of Ardita — Cu-
pica — San Franzisco Solano — Utria — Cape Corrientes — River
San Juan — Return to Panama . . . . . 21'J

CHAPTER XVI.

< ieographical Position cf the Isthmus of Panama — Boundaries —
Extent of Surface — Coast — Islands — Tides — Charts and Majjs
— Rivers — General iVspect of the Country — Geology — Metals
— Gold-jNIines — Salines — Volcanoes — Earthquakes — Hot
Springs — Climate — Winds — Waterspouts . . . .231

CHAPTER XVII.

Flora and Fauna of the Isthmus of Panama — Aspect and Charac-
ter of the Vegetation — Useful, ^^oxious, and Ornamental Plants
— Animals — Agriculture .......

249

XVI

rONTENTS,

CHAPTER XVIII.

Topographical description — Territory of Bocas del Toro— Province
of Veraguas — Province of Panama —Territory of Daricn .

Pape

275

CFlAPTEli XIX.

[nhabitants of the Isthmus— Their number— Whites— Negroes—
Half-castes — Their Customs and Manner? . . . , 2y(j

CHAPTER XX.

The Indians of the Isthmus — Their early Intercourse with Mexico
and Peru— Dorachos— Savanerics — San Bias Indians— Bayanos
— Cholos 311

I'oviuce

Paist!

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NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAfiK

ll.xM.S. IT EU Alii).

CHAl'TEH I.

Departure from England — INladcira — Porto Santo — Desertas — Tene-
rift'e — A Sliip in distress — Sau Antonio— Soundings — Fernando tie
Noronha — The Jangadas — Itio Janeiro.

On Thursday, June 26th, 1845, 11. M.S. Herahl, twenty-
six guns, under the comniand of Captain Henry Kellett,
C.B., accompanied by her tender, the Pandora, Lieutenant
Commander James Wood, sailed from Plymouth Sound.
It was fine and clear, but heavy clouds were gathering
in the south-wxst, and on the following day she was
visited in the chops of the Channel by a gale with all its
accompaniments — the topgallant masts and yards on deck;
barometer down to 29"48 ; wind, sea, mist, rain, and fog.
This weather, with occasional gleams of sunshine, con-
tinued until the 4th of July, when we were off Cape

VOL. I. B

TIIK \()Y.\(I1', Ol II. M.S. IIKHM.n.

\Julii,

r*mist(Tiv*. Till' liind was in sifrlit for two davs, and
we n|)pr(>a('lu'(l it ncnr (Mi()ii}i;li to meet many Spanisli
l)ar(|U('s, brigs, and scIiooiuts, mostly Hnc-hiiilt vessels,
f)iit sloveidy in sails and rigging-.

On the 7tli of July we exchangeii, by Marryatt's sig-
nals, mnnbers witii the 'i'liames steam-vessel, sailing and
steaming for Madeira and the AVest Indies. On the
I Ith we sighted Porto Santo, a barren roeky spot, bnt,
as its name indicates, viewed by its first tempest-tossed
discoverers with thankful hearts, when, in their endea-
vours to circumnavigate Africa, they were driven out to
sea, and on the ])oint of [)erishing. The island, when
discovered, was, according to some accounts, inhabited ;
according to others, (h^solate. In 1418 l)on Henry of
Portugal caused it to be colonized, and Pcrestrello, a
gentleman of the Prince's household, was appointed its
first governor. Observing from time to time a cloud to
the south-west, the settlers sailed to examine it, and dis-
covered Madeira, l^he sup(a'ior advantages of that island
caused Porto Santo to be neglected, and jMadeira re-
sumed its intercourse with Europe. We say resumed,
because, as the story goes, in the reign of Edward II.
an Englishman named Machim fled to it with his newly-
married wife, the beautiful Anna d'Arfet. Love how-
ever, it seems, was not sufficient to compensate for the
many hardships they had to undergo, and the many
privations to which they were exposed, as both, it is
stated, died of grief. Some corroboration to this strange

* Our observations verified what has been commonly remarked in
the passage across the Bay of Biscay, — that there is an easterly current
of about half a mile an hour.

[./"«///,

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I ) K S K II T A S T K N M H 1 1 ' V li .

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It vossfls,

yatt's sig-

ailing aiul

On the

spot, bnt,

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t'ir cndoa-
am ont to
and, when
inhabited ;
I Henry of
ivstrello, a
)ointed its
a clond to
t, and (Us-
hat island
adeira re-
resumed,
;dward II.
liis newly-
ove how-
te for the
the many
oth, it is
lis strange

remarked in
sterly current

story is lent by there being on the soiitli-east coast a
plaee called Macliio or Machico*. Poito Santo appears
at first sight lik(; two islands. Passing to the eastward,
the town on its southern coast has a conspicuous and
j)Ieasing aspect ; the chin'ch tower heing very prominent
gives an air to the place Avhich prohahly would hardly
he borne out on closer ac((uahitance. The island pro-
duces corn, but is said to be deficient in good water;
it contains l()0() or 1700 |)eople, and its anchorage is, in
the winter, ])referahl(! to that of Kunchal. The highest
|)eak is 1000 feet above the sea.

The Desertas were seen at noon. They bear south-
east eleven miles from Madeira, and are three in nundx r,
perfectly l>arren, and only frecpiented by fishermen, who
repair thither for collecting Orchil. The nortlu^rnmost
isle is a high pyramidal rock, often mistaken for a sail,
which indeed it much resembles. From th<> Desertas
the Salvages bear south 17°, east 145°. We did not sight
the latter, although it was rjither wished to do so ; ii fresh
breeze from the eastward appeared to cause a coi're-
sponding set to the westward, and thus prevented ns
from carrying oiit our intention.

At dayUght on the I3tli of July the Peak of Teiierilie
was in sight — a grand and solitary object, towering in
all the pride of desolation ; for though there; is a vast
deal of fertility, it is not very apparent from seaward, and
the island seems almost to rival Ascension in rugged ness
and aridity. The breeze was so strong in the offing, that
it was necessary to reef topsails ; but it fell light and

* Barboau, however, says it was known to tlio ancients under the
name of Clone Athintice. — Mappe-Monde Historique. 17.')9.

i> ^

TIIK VOYAdK Ol II. MM. IIKHALD.

.//////,

variahic as our vessels neared Santa ('niz. Wc; ancliored
about iKKUi. Tlie town of Santa Cruz is t'aiuous in naval
Instoi'v. Kolxit hlake, an Oxonian, a nienilx r of Par-
lianient, a colonel, and an admiral, there pertorined his
most adventurous and daring action. On the :2Uth of
April, l()")7, he attacked and utterly destroyed the Span-
ish fleet strongly phiced under the batteries, and, aided
by a sudden shift of wind, drew oil' his s([ua(lron with
comparatively little loss. This singularly gallant exploit,
after a career unparalleled for daring, was performed
while suffering from dropsy and scurvy. If there is one
name hi English history connnaiiding admiration for all
the (pialities which became a man, for goodness and
greatness combin(Ml, it is that of the soldier-admiral,
whom the great Protector and the noble historian of tlu;
Royalist cause have alike united to honour.

It was a sudch'u shift of wind that led Nelson to
undertake the expedition against Teneriffe ; an expedi-
tion which, unsucc(;ssful and disastrous as it was, dis-
played the most exalted heroism, and showed a generous
enemy able to apjn'cciate the merits of an opponent,
and not carrying waifare l)eyond certahi limits. There
arc few more interesting episodes than the intei'view of
Captain Samuel Hood with Don Juan Guttierez, in the
citadel of Santa Cruz, when the boldness and presence
of mind of the Englishman was met by the generosity
aud admiration of the Spaniard. The tattered remains
of some of the English ensigns are retained in the church,
and the inhabitants still bear in mind the attack and
repulse of the 24th of July, 1797.

On the loth of July, at daylight, we made sail.

.//////,

ls^;

SHir IN DISTUKSS SAN ANTONIO.

i aiuhoiH'd
IS in imviil
nv of I'lir-
ormcd Ins
lie 20tli of
I the Spim-
aiul, aided
adron witli
int exploit,
perfoi'Mied
here is one
tion for all
jdncss and
ier-adniiral,
)rian of the

Nelson to
an expedi-
it was, dis-
a generous

opponent,
Its. There
nterview of
I'rez, in the
id presence

generosity
led remains
[the church,
lattack and

made sail.

So light a. id variiiMe was the wind, that we were haflled
for some \\\nr. under the land, and it was not nntil
ten or eleven A. M. that the hreeze heeanie steady from
east-north-east. 'Die trade-wind took ns smoothly and
delightfully along to thr south-west, and at sunset we
lost sight of the i'eak. ii'mut forty miles distant. On
the following day we fell in with a Spanish selrxau'r of
twenty-Hve or thii'ty tons, which sent a boat to ns ask-
ing for water. Having hecn Hshing under Cape Hlaneo
for mullet, bream, rock cod, snappers, and soles, the
vessel had been blown otf the .\frican shore by strong
south-east breezes, and been six wcM'ks from (Jran Vn-
naria. She was nearly full, but in sad want in other
respects. In the wretched craft there were upwards of
twenty people, living more lik(> savages than civilized
men. Their only instrument aj)peare(l to be a compass,
and having got oH' their reckoning, they would have suf-
fered great distress had we not accidentally relieved them.
In addition to water, Cai)tain Kellett gave them a bag of
bread, so that their mishap proved their gain. Meeting
the frail barque on this spot and in distress reminded us
of Prince llenrv's (>arlv navi^j-ators and their siifi'eriims, in
attempting to round the terrible Cape Hoiador. A heavy
surf prevails on this coast, and landing is both dangerous
and difHcult, and tailing in with this vessel gave sonu^
notion of what navigation must have been in the caravels
and phuiaces of former days.

The trade-wind took us smoothly along six or seven
knots an hour. On the 21st of Jnly, the ])e<'ik of San
Antonio, Avhich, according to Ow^en, is 9700 feet above
the sea, was in sight. The wnnd fell light jis we ap-

"l!

()

THE VOYAGE OK 11. M.S. HERALD.

\Julij,

proaclied the island — an occurrence so common, that it
is given jis a reason for avoiding the gronp : with us,
liowever, it soon freshened, but we stood off west for a
few hours to flcar the isle. Except Santiago, San Anto-
nio is the largest of the Cape de Verde Islands, and Ter-
rafal Bav, at its south-cast extremity, is said to be a most
convenient place for obtaining refreshments. Charles
Darwin, the companion of Captain Fitzroy, notices the
peculiarly hazy appearance of the atmosphere, and attri-
butes it to an impalpable dust which constantly falls, even
on vessels far out at sea. This dust is of a brown colour,
and supposed to be produced from the wear and tear of
volcanic rocks, either among the islands or on the African
coast. The drier the atmosphere, the more extensive is
the dusty cloud.

On Fridav, the 25tii of Julv, in 11° north and 24°
west, we lost the trade-whid, and calms, light whids,
and heavy rain prevailed for the next two days. From
Sunday, the 27th, in 9° north and 23° west, south-west
breezes were more steady than could be expected in " the
Variables." We encountered a head sea and sharp
squalls, with occasional showers, until the 1st of August,
when the south-west hauled into the trade in 6° north,
24° west. A disagreeable head-swell still continued ; the
trade-wind had much southing in it. We were rather far
to the westward, and began to feel anxious about Cape
San Rocjue. The passage between Africa and America
is a broad one ; still vessels have been set to leeward, and
obhged to bear up for Barbadoes.

On the 5th of August we crossed the line in 29° 15'
west, and on the following day, in 2° south and 30^ west,

■t

{July,

1845.

SOVNDINOS.

1011, that it

I : with us,

west for a

San Aiito-

Is, and Ter-

) be a most

\. Charles

notices the

\, and attri-

y falls, even

own colour,

and tear of

the African

extensive is

th and 24°

gilt whids,

lys. From

south-west

ted in " the

and sharp

of August,

n G° north,

hiued ; the

e rather far

bout Cape

d America

[eward, and

in 29° 15'
d 30' west,

in the middle vvatch, tlie look-out man reported breakers.
These ap})eared to be himinous bands in the water,
stretching: north-east and south-west, so like reefs or
over-falls, that, had we been less sure of our ])osition, we
might well have imagined them to be such. At intervals
of 200 or 800 yards wc; continued passing these streaks
or bands for upwards of an hour; they (piite ilhimined
the sea, and presented a brilliant spectacle. In a dark
night we were able faintly to distinguish writing, holding
a watch-bill over the gangway. This fact will perha[)s
give a notion of the mass of light they emitted.

On the 7th of August, in hit. 2° 32' south and long.
30° 53' west, the j)imiace was hoisted out to try for
soundings in the deep sea. Her windlass had 3500
fathoms of five-yju'ii spunyarn w oimd round it, and the
sinker was iron ballast. When it had taken 2005 fathoms
out, it sto})])ed ; thirty or forty fathoms more were jjaid
out, and the boat drifted to the current, which before
it did not do ; it Avas hauled in, and the boat again be-
came stationary ; veering once more, she again drifted to
the current — signs tolerably conclusive that bottom was
struck. The experiment occu])ied four hours. On l)oard
we sounded with 400 fathoms of line, trying the tempe-
rature at ditt'erent depths ; that of the air was found to be
80°, of the water on the surface 78°, and at 400 fathoms
depth 50 5°. The current was setting nearly two miles
an hour to the south-west-by-west ; this residt agreed
tolerably w ith the difference between the dead reckoning
and the observations, and also corroborates all former ex-
})erieiice.

On the 7th of August the trade-wind was hanging

THK VOVAGi: OK 11. M.S. HERALD.

[^A(t(/USt,

SO much to tlic southward, aud the current setting so
strongly to tlie south-west, thjit we felt anxious about
weathering Ca])e St. Augustine. At 8 a.m. Fernando
de Noronlia was in sight. This group consists of two
islands and several rocks, exposed to the Avhole swell of
the Atlantic Ocean, and the surf breaks constantly and
heavily u})on its shores. The islands are strange speci-
niens of volcanic formation ; needle-like rocks, sugar-loaf
pinnacles, and over-hanging cliffs, rival even the Pieter
Botte in fantastic forms. The current swept us down
on the islands ; at noon we i)assed five miles to windward
of them, the centre pyramid or minaret 1)earing north 6°
w(!st, the south-west point north 36° west. The centre
peak is an extraordinary rock, nearly 800 feet high, and
so regular and exact in its form that at a distance it is
difficult to believe it is not a work of art. A fort, strong
in appearance, is the principal object in view, and is oc-
cupied by the Brazilian Government chiefly as a convict
estabhshment. There is something horrible in looking
at such a spot. To think of the countless sighs and
curses of those whose crimes or misfortunes have caused
them to be thus penned up by a half-civilized people !
What feelings of despair and wretchedness must be theirs,
as, day after day, they view the cliffs and peaks which
form but a break in the monotony of a voyage — a sub-
ject for conversation, to be forgotten in other scenes of
an ever-changing life ! For the safer custody of the
prisoners^ no boats are allowed. Fish is abundant; fine
cattle are pastured ; fresh beef, milk, vegetables, and fruit
can be obtained in cases of necessity. The islands were
at one time a rendezvons for whale-ships ; now, visits

[^Ai((just,

1845.]

THK .TANC.ADAS.

setting so
kms about
. Fernando
ists of two
)lc swell of
stantly and
mge speci-
1, sugar-loaf
the Pieter
)t us down
windward
ng north 6°
The centre
't high, and
istance it is
fort, strong
and is oc-
as a convict
in looking
sighs and
lave caused
ed people !
st be theirs,
eaks which
ge — a sub-
T scenes of
ody of the
iidant; fine
s, and fruit
ilands were
now, visits

are discourair<'d, nor, considering the cliansc in the state

of ihazil diu'ing the last thirty years, wouhl any vessel
wish to touch at an exposed and (hmgerous ancliorag(3
when everything can be got from the ports on the main-
land.

On the Uth of August, in T 30' soutli and :34° 15'
west, the coast of Brazil was sidited. After sunset,

)emg m

twentv-two fathoms, we stood otf the shon

'o latnoms, we siooa on ine snore,
and fell in with the harbingers of land in those parts,
the Jangadas. A ship is a wonderful thing, but it seems
even more wonderful to meet these extraordinary rafts
in the open sea. Mr. Koster, who published his inter-
esting travels in North Brazil, 1809-1812, thus de-
scril)es them : " The Jangadas are rafts of six logs, of
a peculiar species of light timber, lashed or ])inned
together, a large lateen sail, a paddle used as a rudder, a
sliding keel let down between the two centre logs, a seat
for the steersman, and a long forked pole upon which is
hung the vessel containing water, provisions, etc. These
rude floats have a most shigular appearance, no hull
being apparent even when near them. They are usually
managed by two men, and go closer to the wind than
any description of vessel."

The nights were now beautiful ; the Centaurus, the
Southern Cross, the Ship Argo, and the fiery Antares,
Avere so many novel spectacles, while Venus setting in
the west, Mars and Jupiter rising in the east, and Cas-
siopeia and the Great Bear standing in the north, carried
back the mind to home and friends. Brilliant meteors
wit] I rocket-like trains added to the beauty of the firma-
ment. Breezes, generally steady, and varied by a squall

THE VOVACJK OF IJ.M.S. IIKUALJ).

[Au(/thHf,

or a calm of a few hours, carried us six or seven knots an
hoiQ', until witliin 200 miles of Cape Frio, when, to our
sui'prise, land was re])orted ; the exact resemblance of
some vapours deceived almost every one, and even at first
caused fears as to the chronometers, but a sounding of
forty-eight fathoms having been obtahied and an altitude
of Jupiter givhig 23° 11' south, we hauled up three points,
from west-south-west to west-by-north, and at daylight
made Cape Frio. This observation was a very usefid one ;
since noon on the Sunday a current had set more than
twenty miles to the southward, and had the west-south-
west course been continued we should have been to the
southward of Ilha Raza with wind and cm'rent against
us. In coming from the southward, bound to Rio Janeiro,
ships have often been more than a week getting up the
last hundred miles of the voyage, from an error in
making the land too far to the southward and westward.
Approaching the coast of America, the trade- wind at
this season usually fails, or rather changes its direction
on nearing the land. Between March and September
the change is the least apparent, east-by-north and east-
south-east being the prevalent direction ; but betw^een the
months of September and March it is frequently alto-
gether reversed — north-by-east and north-east-by-east
are then the prevalent winds. This circumstance w^as
always taken advantage of by the conmianders of the
Falmouth packets, who in the former mouths touched
at Bahia and Pernandmco in the retvn*n voyage ; while
in the latter, between September and March, they called
at those ports in the outward voyage. But steam,
mighty steam, will cause these local circumstances, im-

[Auf/ufif,

1845.]

RIO JANEIRO.

en knots an
A\{i\\, to our
;ml)lance of
even at first
sounding of
[ an altitude
three points,
at daylight
f usefid one ;
t more than
west-south-
been to the
•rent against
Ilio Janeiro,
jtting up the
I an error in
d westward,
ade-wind at
its direction
I September
th anil east-
between the
uently alto-
east-by-east
istance was
ders of the
hs touched
age ; while
they called
[But steam,
tances, im-

portant as tliey have hitherto proved, to be overlooked
and forgotten.

Although it was the season for easterly and east-
south-east Wahids, we had a touch from the north-north-
east, bringhig with it thick hazy weather, and not until
the 18th of August did we make Ilha Raza lighthouse.
The province of Rio Janeiro between Cope Frio and Ilha
Grande is extremely mountainous ; a succession of peaks
occur, which incline to the westward with one excej)tion,
the Pao d'Azucar, or Sugar-loaf. This rock guides the
navigator, for the harbour of Rio is only a blind one ;
and Don Juan de Solis, the discoverer, found that the
aborii>ines called it " Xitherohv," that is, the hidden
water, a very appropriate name, the entrance being con-
cealed until in front of the inlet.

The breeze failed us just on entering the port ; at eight
p. M. it fell calm, and the ebb tide making strong, we
were obliged to anchor. Rio Janeiro is famed as one of
the marvels of beautiful scenery, and there is only one
place to be compared with it, perhaps to excel it, that is
in the Bosphorus, where for twenty nnles the channel of
the Ottomans unfolds in succession hill, valley, and
plain, towers, palaces, and mosques. There is something
of this kind at Rio, but tlie coitj) crceil seems to burst
more upon the spectator in meridian splendour, whereas
at Constantinople fresh beauties, new charms, hidden
splendours, open on one as he advances. The mind,
carried away by the ever-changing, ever-beautiful scene,
almost asks, can this be real ? — as if one was in a plea-
sant dream, and would fear to awake. The first visit to
Rio is not easily forgotten : the wooded heights, the

\'2

TIIK VOYACiK 01" II. M.S. UKRALD.

{August,

green valleys, the nigged ])eaks, and distant mountains,
are looked upon with all the interest that the tirst sight
of the New World causes, l^ut to describe tlu; harbour
itself words utterly fail. Siu'prise, admiration, delight,
all that earth (an imagine, seems to open out, and one
looks back to that pleasure as the purest ever enjoyed.

On the 19th of August, at one p.m., when the flood
tide made, we got under way. The breeze, however,
Avas so light, in fact the ship was drifting up Avith the
tide only, that we were again obliged to let go the anchor,
to avoid foidino; some vessels in the fair wav ; and it was
not until three t.m. that we took up our position off the
city, where II. M. ships Grecian, Crescent, Seagull, Pen-
guin, and Spy, thel'.S. frigates Raritan and Bainbridge,
and the Brazilian frigate Isabella, were met with.

Rio Janeiro is, properly speaking, the name of the
bay which Solis discovered and mistook for the mouth of
a river ; it is a fine inlet, upwards of forty miles in cir-
ciunference, having no stream of any importance falling
into it. A French adventurer, Villegagnon, at the head
of an expedition which professed to afford liberty of
conscience to the Huguenots, took possession of an island
in the bay ; but after conunitting various atrocities in
endeavouring to found a colony, in which the Protestants
suffered more persecution than they had left behind,
he was driven out on the 20th of January, 1540, never
having occupied more than the small island still called
after him. Struck with the advantageous position, Mem
de Sa founded the new city, destined to be the capital
of Brazil, and named it after the martyr San Sebf^^i'H.i,
and also in lionour of Sebastian, the then King of Por-

inouiitnins,
) tirst sight
lu; harhour
m, delight,
it, tiiul one
• enjoyed,
in tlie flood
e, however,
ip witli the
the anehor,
and it was
ition oft' the
^agull, Pen-
Bainbridge,
tvith.

anie of the
le mouth of
Iniles in cir-
anee falUng
at tlie head
Hberty of
if an island
trocities in
Protestants
left behind,
540, never
still called
lition, Mem
the capital
Sebf^>i!H.a,
Ing of Por-

IS-lf).]

HIO JANIIUO.

I:?

tugal. The name, however, has Ix'come obsolete. San
Salvador (Hahia) and Pernaud)ueo were cities of repute
before Rio Janeiro was thought of, but the advantageous
position of the latter, and its e.\em])tion from the dis-
putes between Portuguese, Spaniards, and Dutcli for
the possession of the l^razils, conduced to its prosperity.
" IIa})py is the country the history of which is a blank."
Nothing remarkable ap[)ears to luive happened to Rio
until 1710, when the place was attacked by a Prench
force. The attack was defeated, but the Portuguese
exercised their victory with so nmch barbarity that the
celebrated Duguay Trouin was sent by Louis XIV. to
revenge his countrymen, who stormed, took possession
of, and at last consented to ransom the city for the sum
of 600,000 cruzadoes (about £()0,0()0), a large sum in
those days, and giving a notion of the wealth of the in-
habitants.

The discovery of the gold and diamond mines in the
province of Minas Geraes gave Rio Janeiro fresh im-
portance ill the eyes of the Portuguese ; it was also more
easily defended than Bahia : and in 1703 the Viceroy
Conde d'Acunha was ordered to transfer to it the seat
of government. In November, 1708, Lieutenant Cook
visited the place. The illustrious navigator gives a some-
what ludicrous account of the ignorance and jealous for-
mality of the Government. He considered the town
about the size of an English seaport, not exce[)ting
Bristol or Liverpool. The former at that time had about
40,000 inhabitants, the latter less than 50,000, so that
Rio probably contained between 40,000 and 50,000. On
the arrival of the Court and Prince Regent of Portugal

TlIK VOVAGK OF U.M.S. II KH Al,|).

Au(/lfst,

it was estiinntcd nt less than 1 00, 0(10 ; and sucli was the;
iiupulsotliis arrival gave, that it is supposed 20,000 j)er-
sons, Portuguese, English, Germans, etc., in the course
of the year 1808-1809 settled in the immediate neigh-
bourhood. The population never appears to have been
known by an accurate census ; in 1810 it was estimated
at 120,000, in 1833, 140,000, and in 1845, 100,000, or
by some at even 180,000, which last, from the crowds
seen in the streets and the extensive suburbs, does not
seem to be overrated.

Rio Janeiro is a disagreeable town, and, like the city
of the Sultan, it nmst be viewed from afar, — " distance
lends enchantment to the view." It is a city of contra-
dictions. Charmed with the prospect of its beauty, the
traveller is eager to land, but ere he reaches the shore
he is assailed with noisome smells which well-nigh drive
him back. He sees a magnificent hotel, where every
luxury that French cookery can afford is to be procured,
and a negro mnnching farinha, the simplest food in the
world. The old city, that visited by Cook and Lord
Macartney, lies between Cobras Isle Point and Ponta
de Calabou^a, and occupies an irregular quadrangle,
more than a mile in length and less than three-quarters
of a mile in breadth, but bears no more proportion to
the present capital of Brazil than " the citij' does to the
metropolis of Great Britain. Nevertheless it has a pe-
culiar aspect, and, as a momunent of a bygone age, an
interest w^iich the more modern part of the town does
not possess.

Landing and turning to the right, you see before you
a large square ; the Imperial palace, a large house, neat

I Au(/nst,

ich was tlu!
>0,()()0 per-
tlie course
liate iicigli-
» hiive been
IS estimated
1()0,0()0, or
the crowds
bs, does not

like the city
— " distance
y of contra-
beauty, the
es the shore
11-nigh drive
tvhere every
be procured,
food in the
and Lord
and Ponta
quadrangle,
Iree-quarters
L'oportion to
does to the
t has a pe-
ine age, an
town does

before you
I house, neat

\^ih.\

HIO JAN Kino.

1.')

and regular in its exterior, occupies the Nouth side, and
coinniunicates with other apartments on the west side.
These buihUngs and tlie adjoining chiu'ch were ])iirt of
a Carniehte convent. The north siik' of the s(piare is
formed by shops and cafes; the east si(U; is o])en to th
sea. Akhougli liaving nothing imposing or even [)leas-
ing about it, yet tlie scpiare is convenient as the cliief
landing-place of a Iju'ge conunercial city. From the
north-west corner of it the Rua Dirieta runs due north
and south ; from this narrow streets diverge at right
angles, and these are crossed by numerous others. Th(^
Rua Dirieta is the most bustling, as tlie general mart of
traffic ; the Rua d'Ouvidor tlie gayest and most splen-
did, being the abode of the French and Portuguese
jewellers, goldsmiths, milliners, etc. ; the Rua d'Alfandeza
the richest, being chiefly occupied by the merchants and
agents of Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Leeds ;
and the Rua dos Pescadores the most respectable, con-
taining the houses of the staid English merchants, who
for forty years have been as Avell known as the heads
of the Government. These streets liave a similar aspect ;
the buildings are generally three or foiu* stories high,
and gloomy and dull in appearance, with balconies to
the windows. Li plan they resemble the generality of
London houses, — long narrow passages, steep staircases,
rooms mostly comnumicating with one another, lofty and
w^ll proportioned, but plainly furnished. The ground-
floor is the store or shop, whether wholesale or retail ;
the first story, counting-house, and the second, dining
and sleeping rooms. Surrounded by European goods,
with here and there an English, German, and French

TIIH VOVAlil-: Ol' II. M.S. HICHM,!).

.Iltf/iisf^

( '

face, stunned and jdniost run down by bands of sturdy
negroes, heavily laden, and singing as tliey run along at
a pace that would astonish even a London porter, one is
reminded how inueh this busy scene is connected for
good or evil with both high and low in Lancashire and
Yorkshire, or wherever industry and talent find scopi^
for exertion.

'V\\*i llua Dirieta is terminated by steep eminences,
on which stand the Convent of San BencKlict and the
Bishop's palace, said to be more connuodious than that
of the Emperor. The Convent, a ])lain building, is from
its size not devoid of grandeur. It is generally under-
stood that the Government has prohibited any new en-
tries into the order of the Benedictines, so that in a few
years the Imperial treasury will have the disposid oX its
revenues and estates. To the westward, the Cariipo (U;
Santa Anna was the termination of the old town ; it is
now nearly in the centre of the city, and a large square;
still unfinished forms more a separation than a connec-
tion with the new city. From this part ,a\ embankment
of tAvo miles in length, called the Atterrado, crosses a
marsh formed by an arm of the sea, presenting an excel-
lent and level road that conmmnicates with Engenho
Velho, and leads to the Palace of Sao Christovao, when;
the Emperor conunonly resides. The conthiuity of the
city on the south side is broken by a hill of some extent
and of considerable elevation called the Castle Mill, (m
which several public buildings are erected, and on its
summit is seen the well-known Telegraph. At some
distance in the same direction, on the road to Calete,
and forming a prominent point on the margin of the Bay,

[ .ttff/tisl,

< of sturdy
in along at
rtcr, one is
me'ctcd for
Misliirc and
find scopes

onnncnci's,
L't and tlie
\ than tliat
ng, is from
•ally undt-r-
ny new tn-
at in a few
posal t^.f its
! Campo dc
town ; it is
rge square;
a coniiec-
nbankincnt
crosses a
2 an excel-
Engenlio
vao, when;
Liity of the
ome extent
le Hill, on
and on its
At some
to Calete,
)f the Bay,

1845.J

mo .lANKIIU).

is the (iloria Hill, with the (chapel of \ossa Senl Ta (I i
(iloria. This editiee, which in itself oilers nothi ^ nc-
markahle, constitutes one of the crowning objects ,,; the
panorama of Rio, as seen from the shipping. The ascent
to the chapel from the land si(h' is steep, but it is never-
theless nmch frequented. Many go there to behold from
the terrace in its front one of the most beautiful land-
scapes that can be imagined. Tlu; liill is studded with
houses, which arc chiefly occupied by English merchants,
who retire there after the fatigues of business, to enjoy
the lovely prospect and cool bri'czes, that especially con-
tribute to the charm of the situation.

The suburbs to the south, C ileto and Hotafogo, are
in a great measure new" ; the slopes from the Corcovado,
such as the valley of Laranjeiros and the Largo de Ala-
chado, show evident signs of increasing elegance and im-
provement. In 1841 the latter was little better than a
Held; it has now a fountain in the middle, and is planted
iuid laid out as a garden, while houses smTound it on all
sides. The aqueduct is really a noble work, constructcjd
in the year 1740 in imitation of the one at Lisbon. There
are few more pleasant walks than in the morning to trace
it from the city to the foot of the Corcovjulo. The aque-
duct is solidly built, and consists, Mr. Luccock says, " of
two walls, about six feet high, arched over, with sufficient
space for workmen to enter it occasionally and i)ass
through the whole length ; at suitable intervals there
are openings for the admission of light and air. Within
is laid the canal, about eighteen inches wide, twenty-
four inches deep, and three miles long." There arc
numerous fountains in the city, many supplied by this

VOL. I. c

Tin; VOYACiK OF H.M.H. IIKUAI,!). \j1ff(/ttxf,

a(|ii('(hict, others from wells and sprinj^s ; the supply,
however, is far from ])eing a(h'(|nate to the (Kinand.

Tlie new town is more airy and pleasant than the old ;
it is like emerj^ing from the ohh'r parts of London into
the rej^ions of St. Paneras and ('amden Town ; there is
little taste displayed, but more freshness and ehuudiness.
The Brazilians do not associate nuieh with the English ;
we were told, however, hy more than one resident of
long standing, that they were kind and friendly j)eople,
and were never more delighted than when they eould
confer any little kindness or civility, hut, not having had
the advantage of education, they were diffident in seeking
the society of foreigners.

The scenery about Rio will ever be the charm of the
place, and the Corcovado is perhaps the l)est point from
wdiich to view it. The panorama is magnificent. Around
the foot of the mountain and on its sides is the primeval
forest ; further on, the bay of Botafogo with the smooth
beach lined with houses and walks, at many bearings
resembling a mountain lake. The infinite diversity of
tropical vegetation is here in all its grandeur ; but not-
withstanding its brightness and splendour, which learned
naturalists and enthusiastic travellers have described, and
cannot describe too vividly, is there really, we may ask,
so much superiority in tropical scenery ? There is a
wildness, a rank luxuriance almost defying cultivation
and control, but docs that compensate for the milder
beauties of more temperate climes ?

Coffee is the great produce of the province. Formerly
it was said to have a peculiar taste, and w^as not consi-
dered e(]\ud to that of the West Indies, its inferiority

\Att(/tif<f,

|s|.:,.

niO JANEIRO.

Ill

v\ supply,
and.

I the old ;
ndon into
; there is
leunliness.
! English ;
osident of
lly ])eople,
hey eould
Hiving had
in seeking

irni of the
point from
it. Around
c primeval
he smooth
y bearings
iversity of
but not-
ch learned
Til)ed, and
may ask,
there is a
cultivation
the milder

being attrihuted to the [)i('kiiig the htrrirs unripe and
allowing them to lie on the ground, whence they a('(|uired
an earthy disagreeable tlavoui'. However, considerable
im[)rovements have of late years been introduced, hy
which the (|Uiility of the cotlrc has been greatly ame-
liorated, antl its value increased, (.'otton is also culti-
vated, but not so nmch as in the north, thi; chief j)orts
for Hrazil cotton being l\!riumd)uco and iMaranham.
Sugar, introduced by tlu^ enlighb'ucd (jovernor, Mem
de Sa, is one of the most important prodiu^tions, j)articu-
larly between Uio and ('ape Frio. Tobacco is grown in
the islands of the bay, iuid to the southward at Angra
dos Ileis, as \\v\\ as in the })rovince of J'^spiritu Santo,
but it has never attained the fame of that of the older
establishments of America and Asia. Tlu; cultivation of
tea was attempted at Rio, and is still carried on in the
Botanic Gardens ; something, however, either in cultiva-
tion, soil, or climate, interferes with it, for it does not
prosper to any extent. In the ])rovince of Sao Paulo it
has been more successful, and considerable ([uantities
are now raised tlu're for the; internal consumption of the
country.

Formerly
Inot consi-
linferiority

<; J>

:.'()

CHAPTER II.

Dopartiirc from Rio de .laiiciro — Fort of Santa Cruz — I'alkland Islands
— Passage rotmd Capo Horn — Yaldivia — Wreok of H.M.S. Chal-
lenger — Concepcion — Talcahuano — Old CJoncepcion — Aconcagua —
Valparaiso.

Ox the 28tli of August we made sail, our own boats and
those of the foreign shi])s assisting to tow us out. The
entrance to tlic harbour of Rio is less than a mile broad,
and has a bar across, generfilly causing a swell, which, un-
less the breeze is strong and steady, renders the towing
a necessary precaution. This obstacle passed, sufficient
breeze is generally found to take a ship clear of the land,
and, if there is not, she can anchor and be ready for the
first wind that springs up. The foreign boats cast off
before we reached the fort of Santa Cruz. This fort
mounts thirty guns to seaward and thirty-three towards
the city, and if well served they would seriously annoy an
enemy, but with a fresh sea-breeze would hardly repulse
an English squadron of seven or eight linc-of-battle ships.
In the afternoon it fell calm, and we had an opportunity
of judging of the Raza lighthouse. The fight is but a
poor one, revolving, or rather irregularly intermittent, and
seen perhaps six or seven miles off, certainly not more.

1845.]

FALKLAND ISLANDS.

- .*

kland Islands
I.M.S. Chal-

Acoucagua —

. boats and
out. The
mile broad,
which, uti-
:he towing
, sufficient
f the land,
dy for the
ts cast off
This fort
e towards
annoy an
,ly repulse
Lttle ships,
iportunity
it is but a
ittent, and
it more.

On the 3()th a fresh breeze s[)rang np from south-east
and east-south-east, eontinuinjr three days, when it hauled
round to the north-north-east, varying in strength, but
carrying us to the southward. On the 3rd of f^eptember
our course w.'is interrupted by a few hours of light sou-
therly breezes, the weather becoming cold and the atmo-
s})here so clouded, that for several days the sun was not
seen. Throughout the voynge we rounded-to at the end
of every watch, and tried for soundings with as much
line as was practicable, sometimes seventy or eighty
fathoms, rarely one hundred. Moderate breezes, nlter-
nating Avith fresh gales, brcmght us on the 19th at diiy-
ligiit off Berkeley Sound, Falkland Islands. A l)()at
came off to inform us that the Governor had chanoied his
abode from Port Louis, or Anson, as it is now termed in
honour of the navigator, who it is sjiid first pointed out
the Falkland Islands as a desirable acquisition. A de-
sirable acquisition indeed! I seful ports no doubt they
are, but while yet imreclaimed land exists in any morc^
denial climate, it will onlv he neeessitv that draws anv
one thither. The desolate aspect of the islands is pro-
verbial, and we had a good opportunity of seeing it on
entering Port William, a bay or soiuul next to Berkeley
Sound. The wind, which hnd been right aft, was dead
against us ; working up we stood close to the shore. The
Avater Avas perfectly smooth, although the breeze Avas very
fresh. Every danger Avas })ointed out by the kelp,
Avhich, as it AATre, lies moored off all the rocks and })oints.
When Ave had readied the head of Fort William, the en-
trance to Stanley Harbour opened out, through Avhich
Ave ran, and anchored in a basin, a perfectly land-locked

•)•>

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[September,

sheet of water. In this a(hnira})le harbour we had some
s([ualls, the strength {uul fury of wliieh coukl liardly be
surj)assed. AVhctlier it is tlie gh)oni of the ehniate that
makes peo])k^ think more of tlie wind than in other phices,
it is difiicuh to determine ; but tlie islands eertainly have
not imdeservedly the reputation of a breezy place. For
a week it blew incessantly, alternating with hail and snow
showers. True it was the vernal ecpiinox, for which some
allowance ought to be made, but several of us had been
here in December and January — midsummer — when,
except that it did not snow and hail, it blew as hard,
and the weather seemed nearly as cold. The breezes,
however, strong as they were, affected us no more than
if we had been in the basin of Portsmouth dockyard, to
which this harl)our of the Falkland Isles may with
justice be compared. It would be impossible to find a
better harbour of refuge, situated at the easternmost ex-
treme of the group ; the dangers are mostly apparent,
the prevalent winds off the land, smooth water to work
up to the anchorage, and the necessaries of Ufe, or at
least some of them, may be procured.

The settlement had been moved from Port Louis, or
Anson, more than a year ago, and consisted of the Go-
vernor, Lieutenant R. C. Moody, of the Engineers, a
stipendiary magistrate, a surgeon, a clerk in charge of
stores, and a detachment of twenty-five men of the
Sappers and Miners. It was certainly advancing, but
presented, like all new settlements, a miserable aspect.
The establishment at Port Louis will not be given up ;
the land is far better in that neighbourhood ; and when
a road has been formed, it will conduce greatly to the

September,

1845.]

FALKLAND ISLANDS.

liad some
hnrdly bo
mate that
ler places,
ainly have
ace. For
and snow
hich sonic
had been
3r — when,
as hard,
e breezes,
more than
ckyard, to
may with
to find a
nmost ex-
apparent,
r to work
hfe, or at

Louis, or
the Go-
fmeers, a
charge of
n of the
Icing, but
|e aspect,
^iven up ;
[nd when
llv to the

advantage of the ishmds, having two j)orts instead of
one.

The glowing terms in wh.ch some writers speak of
tliis group are difficult to be accounted for. Captain
Mowett says, " it has a good soil, clear of rocks, suscep-
tible of easy tillage and high cultivatioiL" All these ad-
vantages, however, can only be proved upon trial. That
it hns fed vast herds of wild cattle is well known ; but in
this part of the world good pasturage will not alone
enable man to live comfortably. Hides and beef are not
so profitably exchanged at such a distinice. That the
islands are invaluable to the seaman in distress is evi-
dent ; that they will ever be anything more is doubtful.
It is not pei'haps generally known, that they have already
proved a refuge from utter destruction to the crew of
a British man-of-war. In 1770 the Swift was wrecked
in Port Desire, on the coast of Patagonia ; under cir-
cumstances of peculiar hardship, and at the approach of
winter, her conunander. Captain William White, suc-
ceeded in reaching Port Egnicmt, upwards of 300 miles
distant. There he fell in with the Favourite, which pro-
ceeded to the assistance of the rest of the crew. The
Favourite had been engaged in forming the settlement
at Port Egmont, which was so summarily dismissed
by the Spaniards, who however disavowed the act of
their officer. Although the English Government, from
the coming distress of the American war, never re-
established the settlement, yet the question, apart from
politics and the bickerings of rival nations, has still an
interest as the subject of one of Johnson's pamphlets.

Stanley, at the time of our visit, numbered twenty-four

THE vovac;k ui" u.M.s. HERALD. [September,

houses and about VIO jktsoiis, who were employed in
buikling houses, wharfs, and stores. All the military
force the Governor had with him were Sappers and
Miners, the rest of the inhabitants being only under his
civil jurisdiction. The islands occupy a space about
half the size of Ireland, 120 miles by 60. Their aspect
is most desolate and wretched ; an undulating land
covered with }jeaty soil and wiry grass, and intersected
by ranges of hills, boggy streams, and rivulets. The
geological structure is curious ; in the neighbourhood of
Stanley there is a cliff so nmch resembling a wall, that
until it has been visited it is thought artificial ; the
strata of white granular quartz are frequently arched
A ith perfect symmetry ; seats of an amphitheatre,
streams of stones, are connnon in East Falkland. The
lower country consists of clay, slate, and sandstone,
covered over with a peaty soil, which serves for fuel ; the
tussac grass is common.

Birds are abundant, though since Bougauiville's tune
(1766) much diminished. Our sportsmen shot snipe,
plovers, hawks, owls, and a kind of buzzard, called the
Cara Cara. The penguin, that combination of fish and
bird, might, as Darwin says, when crawling through the
tussac grass, be readily mistaken for a quadruped. Two
kinds of geese frequent the Falklands. The upland
goose {Anas leucopterd) was brought on board by scores,
and eaten and even relished by many, while others de-
clared that, after tasting it once, only the fear of starvation
would make them try it again. It is, however, said that
if skinned and kept for some tinu; it may be deprived of
the strong fishy flavour ; decomposition might change it,

1845.]

Vat-ki,axt) islands.

'1\

but iiotliing else. The rock goose {J/u/s Jnfarcfica) lives
exclusively on the sea-beach, and tastes even worse than
the former ; the most hardy were deterred froiii eating
it ; in the autumn however, when feeding on berries,
})oth kinds lose in a measure this disagreeable quality.
The logger-headed duck, which Darwin so ai)j)ropriately
styles ' the steamer,' is another inhabitant, and wiughs at
times twenty })ounds. It has received the name from
its manner of propelling itself by paddling and splash-
ing in the Avater ; its wings are too small and weak to
allow of flight, but by their aid, partly swinnning and
partly by fla})})ing the surface of the water, it moves very
quickly, making a very ciaious noise. The steamer is
able to dive for a short distance only ; it feeds on shell-
fish from the kelp and tidal rocks. At S])arrow Cove,
at the head of Port William, we saw some horses nhich
sprang from those brought by Bougainville ; they are of
a small and weak growth, a contrast to the bullocks,
which are generally fine animals. The horses have never
left the eastern part of the island, although there is no
natural boundary to prevent them.

In mal g the Falkland Islands a strong colony for
the benefit of vessels in distress, it would be desirable to
add a couple of cutters of from forty to fifty tons, or a
small steamer of one hundi'ed tons, to visit the distant
parts of the group. A vessel might now be wrecked to
the westward, and her crew, unable to reach Stanley,
would reap no more benefit from the establishment than
did the unfortunate Wager's crew from the proximity of
the Anna Pink. Since our visit a triangular beacon has
been erected on Cape Pembroke, the easternmost part

'20

THE VOYAGK OF II. .M.S. HERALD. [Octodcr,

of the islands; it is paintt'd wiiilu and red, and can be
seen ahont five miles otl' at sea. Water of pjood taste
was proenred from two or three streams near the town;
we used the engine, — without one the operation woidd
not have been so easy.

The 27th of September was a beautiful day. What
a difference ! The desolate shores of Sttudey Harbour
and its embryo town looked cheerful when under the
influence of a cloudless sky and a gentle breeze. It is
not to be wondered that the English hi their changeable
climate arc talking so much about the weather. The
pleasure of a fine day after the long continuance of fog,
sleet, wind, and rain, is not appreciated by those who live
under a brighter sun.

On the 30th of September we weighed and made sail
out of Stanley Harbour ; the wind was light, and as we
cleared the narrow entrance, only three hundred yards
wide, it hauled round to north-east, compelling us to
beat out ; a fog also got up. About noon we cleared
the land. The Pandora was not in sight ; we regained
her however l)y means of a rocket, but on the 3rd of
October ^ve lost sight of her a second time, nor did we
nieet again until we arrived at Valparaiso, where she
preceded us upwards of a fortnight.

On the 1 5th of October w* e were under storm-sails and
close-reefed maintopsail. In the middle watch it was
bitterly cold, unusually so, — ropes, deck, and bulwarks
were coated with ice ; this was accounted for at day-
light by an iceberg being not far off. It was a fine
object, about two miles in length and 150 or 200 feet
high.

1845.]

PASSAGE ROUND CAPE HORN.

Heavy gales, squalls, cold drizzling rain, snow, hail,
the main-deck stove in, the gangway boarding washed
away, a low temperature, and a man falling overboard,
was the sunnnary of a month's battering off the Horn.
On the 15th of October we were witlun thirty miles
f Diego Ramirez, that group so singularly placed, that
perhaps another fifty years may see it the site of a
linrhthouse. We tacked at sunset to avoid it. Towards
midnight the wind hauled round again to the wcst-
sonth-west, blowing strong with storms of hail jind snow,
but it moderated again on the 17th. This was pro-
bably the turning point or crisis of the voyage ; had
we stood to northward on the 15th of October, in-
stead of tacking to avoid the Diego Ramirez, we should,
in all probability, have made the same passage that the
Pandora did, but against that advantage is to be placed
the risk of getting on that group ; the result with us
was a detention for nearly, a fortnight in this miserably
inclement, blustering climate. The passage round Ciipc
Horn, although stripped of its terrors by experience, the
aid of chronometers, and the superior maimer in which
ships of the present day are found, is still an anxious
and fatiguing voyage. The quick succession and violence
of the gales make it remarkable. There does not appear
to be the least objection to nearing the coast, particu-
larly since the admirable surveys of Captains King and
Fitzroy, although cast of Cape Horn fifty or sixty miles
is the closest approach that, on account of the diversity
of the currents, ought to be made.

On the 3rd of November a westerly breeze sprang up,
varying to the north-west, which, though rather adverse,

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD. \Novembei\

carried us out of the inclenieut regions of the south. In
44° south and 70° west we passed Ji whaler, trying out,
as the phrase is, hoihng her bhibber down ; as tlic wind
was blowing fresh, and having never seen the operation
at sea before, we did not at first know what to make of
it. We passed two others on the following day engaged
in the same manner. The Americans engross nearly all
the whaling trade of the Pacific Ocean ; for one English
ship we met with ten American.

On the 9th of November we made the land, fifty miles
south of Valdivia, Chile. The weather was now beau-
tiful, and we enjoyed it the more from our tedious pas-
sage. Valdivia will at some future day be an important
place ; it is the only opening to a magnificent tract of
country called Los Llanos, or the plains lying between
Chiloe or the Gulf of Ancud and Bonifacio Head, ex-
tending from the steep hills which line the coast to the
Andes. The prhicipal rivers, forming what Captain Fitz-
roy calls the deceiving port of A^aldivia, are the Calla Calla,
on which the town stands, and the Cruces. The har-
bour, though in appearance extensive, is, from the accu-
mulation of mud and sand, very limited in the accommo-
dation it affords to vessels of any size. The adjacent
country reminds one of the neighbourhood of Plymouth.
We were near enough to observe fine herds of cattle ; but
the pathless forest, bounded on one side by the Andes,
and on the other by the ocean, seemed barely traversed
by man. Valdivia, perpetuating the name of the daring
and a\aricious Pedro de Valdivia, is, although called a
city and the capital of a j)rovincc, merely a village, em-
bosomed in orchards. It was founded in 1551, a few

^ovewber,

1S45.]

VALDIVIA.

0()

ith. In
iiig out,
:lic wind
iperation
make of
engaged
I early all
English

fty miles

w beau-

ons pas-

nportant

traet of

between

ead, ex-

t to the

ain Fitz-

la Calla,

^he har-

le accu-

eommo-

djacent

mouth.

le ; but

Andes,

aversed

daring

tailed a

^e, eni-

a few

years before Valdivia fell in battle with the imronciucr-
able Araueanians, whose deeds of valonr in defenee of
their liberty are so well detailed bv llrcillii in his * Aran-
There is somethinji: f^rnnd in the ener<j:v of th

cana. mere is someimng grnnu \\\ ine energy oi rne
Spaniards of those days, brutal and misdireeted as it was.
Religion was not wanting to lend sanctity to the deeds
of oppressioi' and law lessness ; and it would seem as if
their conduct was shown as an exam])le of the extent to
which human nature can deceive itself. The Inst of gold
and advancement was the real impulse of their heroic
endurance, of their barbarous disregard of everything
luunan ; but in their minds it was doubtless glossed over
by the desire of nuiking converts, or the principle of per-
secution, which, calling itself zeal, sought to overthrow
all that refused to entertain their belief or endure their
yoke. The Araueanians still form the prhicipal part of
the population, and an amalgamation ])etween them and
the Creoles has been and is still going on. This is evi-
dent from the aspect of the present inhabitants ; the lank
hair and dark angular features are conunon among the
Chilenos.

We approached within a mile and a half of the entrance
of the harbour, and at one p.m. wore and stood out. The
day was fine — the sun shining brightly, and the breeze
being moderate ; the signs of cultivation, the cleared
land, cottages seen among the trees, and the grazing
cattle, diffused cheerfulness and animation, and the plea-
sure we derived from it was no doubt greatly enhanced
by our long absence from such scenes. The breeze from
south-west and south-west-by-west fell light as we drew
in shore ; on standing out it freshened up gradually.

TIIK V()YA(iK OK II.M..S. IlKHALO. [^NomuljCr,

until we were going eleven knots — an unusual speed for
the Herald. We stood to the westward to avoid Moeha,
an island in 38° 19' south, 73° 4()' west. Dangers ex-
tend from the south-west of this island, but the aj)i)roaeh
to it is indicated by soundings. It used to he inhabited
by the Araucanians, but they were driven away by the
Spaniards, for fear they should give assistance to foreign-
ers. There the pirate Benavides captured an Anieri(;an
and an English vessel in his extraordinary attempt to
achieve power.

Dm-ing the night we passed Mosquita Point, the site
of the wreck of II. M.S. Challenger, on the lOth of May,
1835, — an unfortunate event, but so far creditable to
the captain and ship's company, as proving their good
qualities in patiently and pcrseveringly meeting the; diiti-
culties of their position. One cannot but compare the
wreck of the Challenger with that of the Wager, in May,
1740. The advantages p^'c certahily all on the side of
the modern disaster, more particularly in the fact that
the Wager was lost ten degrees fmiher south, in a far
more inclement climate, adding inmieasurably to their
distress. Still enough remains to show the commander's
conduct as selfish and inhuman in no slight degree — dis-
creditable to him as a man and as an officer, and that
disorder and absence of discipline reigned among the crew
so much as very greatly to increase their sufferings, and
render all chance of relief hoj)eless. In the case of the
ChaUenger the reverse took place ; the captain was the
first to show an example of self-denial and self-command,
and hardly an instance of misconduct had to be pro-
ceeded against among the crew. These circumstances

1S45.]

CONTErciON

sliould make us feci tlunikful tluit we live in better times,
— tlmt while a milder yet tinner (liseii)line lins extended
itself throngliont the naval serviee, the sentiment of re-
sponsibility renders it unlikely that human uatnrewill be
so severely tried, or, being so tried, will give way to the
excesses that eharaeterized the wreck of the Wager.

On Novendjer the lOtli we stood in again for C'oneei)-
eion Hay, just as we made the Paps of Hiobio and the
heights of Tumbez. in tlie afternoon light winds from
south-south-west carried us to the nijrthward, passing
Port St. Vincent, an open bay, but ailording better shel-
ter from the northers, which in May, June, July, August,
and September, render most of the open bays on the
west coast more or less unsafe or disagreeable anchorages.
Dvuing the month of June some of us had seen two ov
three American whalers lying here in ])reference to Talci-
huano. During the night we hove-to off the bay, and at
daylight ra-^ in through the eastern ])assage betwecMi
Quinquina and the umiu. With Captain Pitzroy's chart,
there is no danger in using the western passage, which,
although narrower, is nearer Talcahuauo The l)reeze w as
light from the uorthw^ard ; with little more than steerage
way w^e only reached the anchorage about noon.

The scenery in Concepcion Bay is very pleasing ; the
country is studded with orcharcis and j)asture-land, with
flocks and herds graziug in considerable quantities, with
various farm-houses, and sheds for the poorer inhabi-
tants. It is diversified with hill and dale, well wooded,
and affords an agreeable contrast to Valparaiso. In the
com'se of a week or ten days a voyager may on this coast
see the extremes, from the most luxuriant boimty, fer-

TIIK VOVA({|-; OF II. M.S. IIKHAM). [N<H-('))lfH'l\

tilizing strcnnis, and rdVi'sliinjj; showers, to the aridity of
the parched (h'sert, wliere no green exists, and tlien ehangc
su(hlenly to tlie (h'lise tropical forest. On the coast of
ChiU', however, the change is progressive ; at Vahlivia the
hi.vuriaiice of nature is ahnost tropical : there is a ditier-
ence at Concepcion ; the foliage is neither so rich nor so
superabundant, still it is a well wooded, well watered
country. But at Valparaiso the ditt'ercnce is great; the hills
are almost bare, or chul with stunted shrubs and half-
grown underwood ; it is merely in the ravines and the val-
leys that what may be called verdure exists. At Co(iuind)o
even this is diminished ; the cactus only flourishes, and
a poor wiry grass is perhaps found in the more sheltered
spots. At Cobija there is the desert itself, — hill, valley,
and plain, either covered with sand, or the barren naked
rock scorching in the sun. The contrast between Val-
paraiso and Concepcion made us perhaps look at the
latter with more favourable eyes than we other^vise should
have done : it is however u fertile place, renowned on
the station for its fresh beef, vegetables, and fruit, besides
corn and coal, which are both, particularly the former,
exported in considerable quantities to Mexico, Peru, and
the Australian colonies.

On the 20th of September, 1835, the towns and vil-
lages round about Concepcion were overthrown by an
earthquake ; the loss of life was comparatively small,
but the destruction of the habitations was complete.
The earthquake, however terrible such visitations must
ever be, does not appear to have been attended with
such fearful consequences as that of Lisbon in 1755.
Tlie construction of the buildings being less solid, loss

(: ',

1845.]

TALrAlirVNO.

of lif(; is not so likely to occur, nnd tlic liouscs arc more
easily replaced. The adobes, or earth-hricks dried in
the siui, arc remade on the spot, and the tindxT is usually
serviceable again. Rut an earthquake is not to be lightly
thought of: all that man can conceive of stability trem-
bles beneath him, and ruin and miserv is the result.

Talcaliuano ajjpears to have risen from its ruins witii
more of order and regularity ; the streets .are broad and
straight, and not unclean, but it is nothing beyond the
merest sea-port, supported principally by a class of in-
different re])utati()n, the crews of whaling-ships, who
oftcMi render it an undesirable rendezvous. The road
from Talcahuano to Conce))cion leads through a valley,
and mav be said to be {dmost of nature's formiuijr, beiut^
entirely dependent on the state of the soil ; the dust in
smnmer is perhaps worse than the nuul in winter. At
the tinui of our visit it was probably in its best condi-
tion, tlu! rahiy season behig just over, and the sun not
having had sutHcient power to dry up all the moisture.
'l\\c. numerous brooks or watercoursi^s had been rudely
bridged over, indicating some traiHc, and ])eing particu-
larly agreeable to pedestrians. The road was lined with
huge ])osts, rcnderhig two facts apparent, — that wood
was abundant, and labour scarce. They wen; of the
rudest construction, about ten inches scpiare, with hoh's
in them through which smaller piec(^s wer(^ thrust ; alto-
gether it was the most wasteful consumption of tind)er
we had ever witnessed.

The soil is fertile in the extreme. Wheat, barh^y,
Indian corn, and beans were seen in considerable (pian-
tities; grass seemed abundant and of good (piality,

VOL. i.

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. iiEHALD. [November,

agreeing with what has been stated of the fcrtihty and
productiveness of the province. The city contains 5000
or 0000 inhabitants, and has a sad aspect. An Enghsh
country town is generally considered n type of didness
and inanimate life ; but the dullest is cheerfulness and
animation itself compared to Concepcion. In the distance
it reminds one of Ludlow ; but on a nearer approach, it
makes one think more of an immense brickfield. The
plain or valley in which the city is placed is little higher
than the level of the river ; the soil is loose and alluvial,
and the streets are generally unpavcd. In Spanish cities
the streets are usually at right angles ; the houses, even
those of the better class, are never more than one story
liigh, and have generally a ground-floor only. This mode
of building, although a wise precaution in countries af-
flicted with earthquakes, does not add to the appearance
of the towns. The private houses were rebuilding, but in
r. very unpretending style ; even the best aspire no higher
than to sohd plainness, while the greater part were little
better than mud hovels. The ruins of the cathedral had
been cleared away, and a few slight buildings were all that
supplied its place. There being no bustle, no animation
in the thoroughfares, Concepcion had more the aspect of
an overgrown village than of the chief town of a province.
Even the river, with its broad and naked stream, rather
added to, than relieved, the melancholy quiet. Some
delightfully luxuriant spots, cultivated as gardens, testi-
fied to the fertility of the soil in the very centre of the
town. All kinds of vegetables, and raspberries, straw-
berries, gooseberries, and currants, were abundant ;
vineyards and orchards were also in the neighbourliood.

184..]

OLD CONCEPCION.

In fine, everything tended to show the niikhiess of the
climate and the bountiful productions of the country.
But the earthquakes diminish all these advantages, de-
stroying the oldest associations, and making all present
enjoyments inseciu*e.

Desolate as Concepcion was, there was a coffee-house
and a bilhard-room just esta])lished under the favourite
Spanish sign of the Bola de Oro. Wood appears nnich
wanted in the neighbourhood of the city. The hills have
a denuded, devastated aspect, which, notwithstanding the
fertility, much detracts from the picturesqueness of the
scenery. The coal abounding in this region is similar
to the English cannel coal, but has not yet been worked
to any extent. - It is found within three or four feet of
the surface, and is said to burn too quickly to be useful
for the forge. It is also lialile to spontaneous combus-
tion. The mining districts of Copiapo, Guasco, and
Coquimbo have taken advantage of the abvmdance of
fuel by forming smelting establishments here, to which
they send the ores fresh from the mines.

Old Concepcion, the ruins of which still exist at
Penco, in the south-east corner of the bay, was over-
thrown in 1751. It was rather sw^illowed up by tlu^
sea than by the land; and it has been observed that
Callao and Concepcion have both suffered more than
Valparaiso and Coquimbo ; the; deeper bays of the former
offering resistance to the sea, and so im])elling the wavers
with force on the shores. The present site of Conce))cion
was not chosen until 1763. The town was seriously
affected by the earthquakes of 1S22 and 1823, which,
however, did more damage to Valparaiso and Santiago.

u 2

•M\

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD. [N'oVCmder,

! i..

' !■

! I

In 1835, as already mentioned, it was again almost de-
stroyed. Among the exports of Concepcion is the Choros,
a kind of mussel, peculiar to the bay, and much valued
by the dons vlvant-s of Chile. The distance between Con-
cepcion and Valparaiso is 250 miles and as the sou-
therly wind is usually constant the passage is conniionly
performed in a day and a half; but light breezes and
calms often interfere and baffle ships, particularly on ap-
proaching Valparaiso.

On the 12th of November we sailed for Valparaiso.
A lighthouse upon Point Curaomilla would be very use-
ful in approaching that port, more so than on Point
Valparaiso. The light should be revolving, to distin-
guish it from the fires frequently seen inland. Point
Curaomilla is a bluff headland, with two hummocks at
the extreme, the land heightening gradually, with white
streaks among the red cliffs. As we neared the coast
the scantiness of the vegetation became more apparent ;
trees were only seen in the valleys, and the sides of the
hills were worn into numberless little gullies by the
winter torrents, accounting for the white streaks we had
previously observed. On opening Valparaiso Bay, the
distant Andes broke upon our view, — the mountain
of Quillota, and the towering core of the volcano of
Aconcagua*. From the neighbouring hills they appear
grander ; their great distance is better perceived and
compreliended by the eye ; but a quarter of an hour be-
fore sunrise or sunset is perhaps the most advantageous

* By trigoiiomctrical measurement, taking a base between Valparaiso
and Pichidangne, Captain Kellctt and Mr. Wood ni.de the height of
Aconcagua above tlie sea-level 23,00 ^ feet ; Captain Fitzroy 22,980.

Li \^.

1845.]

VALPARAISO.

time for viewing tliein, — tlie nigged outlines are tlien
depicted against tlie sky, and the various shades and
dehcutc tints arc more clearly distinguished.

Valparaiso has much changed during the last fifteen
years. The tower of a new church, el Matriz, the cupola
of the Custom-house, and the steeples of the cIuutIi of La
Merced, contribute to give a more striking appearance
to the place than it had heretofore. Its increase has been
most remarkable. The Almendral was a suburb, I'arely
visited, but is at present the principal and the busiest
part of the town ; a new street, tjiken from the beach, the
houses of which almost overhang the sea, now runs parallel
to the old and only one of 1830, and is full of foreigners,
taverns, and billiard-rooms. The old thoroughfare seems
to have been left to its original inhabitants, the Calle del
Plancharia being as (puet as ever, and as old-fashioned
too in apj m 'c. *' It was about one o'clock, the hour
of the siesL ,, savs one of the officers, "when I took a
walk in that part. Every shop was close(\ and not one
busy face was to be seen ; the whole town seemed, as in
fact it was, asleep, llie small houses creeping up into the
sheltered sides of the Quebraba were in the same dreamy
repose. Wandering up to the church of el Matriz, I
found two other places of worship of nmch older date, —
one belonging to the convent of San Domingo, the other
to that of San Francisco. The precincts or cloisters of
the latter presented the most pleasing spot I had seen in
Valparaiso: it was humble indeed, but neat and clean.
A covered walk extended all aroinid, forming a shelter,
and reminding nie, in its quiet seclusion, of the cloisters
of Magdalen College, Oxford. In the middle was a

; I

fi ,«'

38 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.s. HERALD. [November,

cluster of trees, orange, lemon, and pomegranate. It
seemed a refuge from the dirt and dust of the town, un-
expected and unlooked for in the inconvenient and poor
suburb."

The markets of Valparaiso arc well supplied with fruit,
vegetables, meat, poultiy, milk, and eggs, and one is sur-
prised that such is the case, when seeing the barren
aspect of the hills, and observing, even when riding out
upon the hills and plains beyond the town, the little cul-
tivation that exists. But it is in the valleys and shel-
tered spots that fertility and cultivation are to be found ;
in a country such as Chile, shelter from the wind, and
security from the rushing torrents, caused by the rauis of
winter, are absolutely necessary.

Captain Kellett and Mr. Wood went to Santiago, the
capital of Chile*, while Mr. Edmonstone made excursions
to Quillota and the neighbourhood. The accommodation
afforded to the rich has been increased during late years,
but the hovels of the poor are still the same as formerly,

* Captain Kellett took with him a barometer, an admirable instru-
ment, which, on being compared with the standard one at the Cape of
Good HopCj was not found to differ perceptibly from it, and we com-
pared ours on board at corresponding times : the heights of the city and
of the intermediate stations above the mean-tide level are as follows, and
may be placed in juxtaposition with those of Captain King.

Observations of Captain Observations of Captain

Kellett. King.

Santiago 1866 feet. Santiago 1821 feet.

Curicavi 667 „ Curicavi 633 „

Cuesta Prado .... 2585 „ Cuesta Prado , . 2543 „ (Miers).

Cuesta Zapata .... 2008 „ Cuesta Zapata ., 1977 „

Casa Blanca 816 ,, Casa Blanca. . . . 803 „

Valparaiso — mean-tide level. Valparaiso — mean-tide level.

wember,

1845.]

VALPAKAISO.

[itc. It
wii, mi-
nd poor

ith fruit,
c is sur-

barren
ling out
ittlc cul-
tid shel-
3 found ;
ind, and

rains of

lago, the
cursions
lodation
e years,
3rnierly,

e instru-
e Cape of

wc com-
e city and
lows, and

PTAIN

(Miers).

being roughly constructed of wood, plastered over with
a coating of mud, the bare ground forming the floor,
windows being unglazed, and shutters excluding the day-
light, but not the wind and rain. The hills near the sea
are partially clad with scanty l)rushwood and still scantier
herbage : after passing them, the eye perceives an exten-
sive open country. The Espino {Acacia Caveuia, Hook,
et Arn.) abounds on these plains, and woidd, if attended
with care, be of vast service in reclaiming the waste, by
attracting moisture and affordhig a su])ply of fuel. It
has been of the greatest use to the mhiers, and also for
household piu-poses. Notwithstanding its being cut in the
most injudicious manner, it still grows again ; l)ut of late
this unwise system has been pursued to such an extent,
that it has in many places destroyed the growth altogether.
The utility and importance of such a wood as the Espino,
in a country where much fuel is required, where there is
hardly any other moistme than that produced by artificial
irrigation, and where land carriage nmst continue foi*
many years both expensive and laborious, and the wide-
spread distress that must accrue from the injudicious
neglect of the bounties of nature, will be apparent to
the most casual observer. There is no doubt that the
aridity of the plain has been perpetuated and increased
by neglecting common precautions with regard to this
shrub. The Espino is brought into Valparaiso in a
slightly charred condition ; it is very hard, gives nmch
heat, and its ashes are sufficiently alkaline for the manu-
facture of soap. The stoves and warming-pans over
which the Chilian ladies are very fond of putting their
feet during the cold weather, are supplied by tlu; small

;,:. , I

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. IIEIIALI). [Noveiuhcr.

bundles of cluirred Es})ino so often seen for sale in Val-
paraiso.

Numerous trains of mules were proceeding to and
from the capital, reminding one of the pack-horses of
England, before canals were begun or railways thought
of. Indeed, in many places any other mode of transit,
if not altogether impracticable, would be attended with
great difficulty and expense. The coaches at Valparaiso
often drive foiu- horses, harnessed in a peculiar manner —
three abreast and one in front, an awkward contrivance,
with perhaps one advantage, that of putting the strength
of three horses more immediately to the carriage, and
having one in front as a leader to encourage the others.
The coaches are clumsy, ill-looking vehicles ; they travel
fast, and, as might be expected, both from their con-
struction and the roads they have to pass over, jolt tre-
mendouslv.

CHAPTER III.

Papudo Bay — Departure for Peru — Callao — Rouu to the capital —
Lima — Arrival of H.M.St.S. Cormorant — Leaving Callao — The
Lobos Islands — Payta — Santa Clara.

On the 4tli of December, all our retit being completerl,
we sailed from Valparaiso with a fair southerly breeze,
and on the same day anchored in Papudo Bay, or more
properly La Ligua, a small port, which has only lately
been opened to commerce from the existence of copper
mines in its vicinity. Although only thirty-one miles
from Valparaiso, there is a difference in the vegetation.
Slight signs inform the traveller that he is approaching
that vast desert which forms so remarkable a feature in
South America; — not that the country is altogether
sterile here, for sheep, oxen, and horses find pasturage
without much care from man ; yet there is less verdure
even than at Valparaiso ; at Coquimbo there is still less,
until at Copiapo and Guasco the desert itself is present.
There is something desolate and sad in these barren re-
gions, particularly to those who regard wood as the great
ornament, almost the essential, of scenery ; but there is
n grandeur in these lofty mountains that has its effect

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD. [^DcCCmbcr,

ill'

upon the mind, and for a time one forgets the want of
vegetation, and thinks of the treasiu'es the earth affords,
not on the surface, but beneath. The copper mines of
Chile arc daily becoming of more importance, and as
skill advances among the miners, they will probably be
equal to any in the world. The copper ore contains
more gold than that of other countries; the workmen,
however, are deficient in foresight and regular industry,
and much given to gambling and drinking, preventing
in a great measure the advantages which might other-
wise be derived from this branch of industry. Land tra-
velling in Chile being difficult, the opening of these small
ports affords great faciUties for shipping the produce
of the mines ; every port that is opened must be an ad-
vantage to trade. A vessel might take in coal at Con-
cepcion, and exchange it at the intermediate ports for
the smelted ore. This traffic will no doubt be estab-
lished ; its advantages are so obvious that a settled go-
vernment and an advancing population are the only
elements required.

Captain Kellett came to Papudo in order to obtain a
sight of Aconcagua ; but, although he several times as-
cended Gobernador, a hill 1200 feet above the sea, the
haziness of the weather prevented him from accomplish-
ing his object. Snipe, plover, and teal rewarded the
exertions of our sportsmen ; the Pandora got a few fish,
principally mullet, perch, and a sort of mackerel. By
equal altitudes of the sun, and ten excellent watches, the
longitude of Papudo was proved to be 71° 30' 45" west ;
and by a great number of circum-meridional altitudes
of sun and stars, the latitude 32° 30' 9" south.

'.'cembcr,

want of
affords,
lines of
and as
ably be
jontains
)rkmen,
idustry,
venting
; other-
uid tra-
se small
:)roducc
! an ad-
at Con-
3rts for
estab-
ed go-
le only

)tain a
Mes as-
?a, the
iplisli-
jd the
(v fish.

ks, the
Iwest ;
Itiidcs

1845.] CALLAO. 43

On the 7th of December, we sailed for Callao. Our
passage was a deUghtful one. Although the Pacitic
Ocean may not always merit its name, yet it was aptly
bestowed by the crews of Magellan, harassed as they
had been by the miseries of their terrible voyage. We
at all events had reason to accpiiesce in the justness of
the appellation. Since leaving Valdivia, the wind was
invariably fair ; freshening up and dying away, some-
times we went seven or eight knots, at others only two
or three ; the yards were always s(piare, and little trim-
ming was requisite. Although it was the middle of
sununer, yet the weather was not hot, the well-known
Peruvian mist shrouded the sun, and at times it was
even chilly*.

On the 17th, with the weather more than usually hazy,
we made the coast of Peru, but were unable to distinguish
anything until the sun dispersed the mist a little, and the
rugged cliffs of Lorenzo, Fronton, and Iloradada were
seen. The breeze, which had been fresh in the early
part of the morning, died away at noon, and we felt some

* On the 13th of December, in 19° 10' south, 77° 17' west, wc
tried for soundings, with 500 fathoms, and found the temperature at

500 fathoms 46° Fahrenheit.

400 „ 46° „

300 „ 52°

200 „ 51°

100 „ 55°

50 „ 60°

30 „ 63°

20 „ 65°

10 „ 66°

A.t the surface 68° „

Temperature of the air 65° ; height of barometer 3005 inches.

TflK VOYAOK OF II. M.S. IIEUAT-D [DcCCmhcr,

IV.

it.,

: ■

doubt ubout gi^tting in, wlicii ubout oiu; i».M. it frcsli-
ciuhI up aiul wo passed witliiii a inili^ of tlio nortli-wcst
point of Sail Lorenzo island. Coming in this direction,
the city of Lima makes a fine ap[)carance, tlie towers,
domes, and sj)ires of the numerous churches and con-
vents stand out in bold relief from n dark background of
moimtainous scenery, giving rise to anticipations of more
grandeur and magnificence than is realized on a closer
examination. But how few things will bear the test of
near inspection ! This is truly the case with Lima. Its
situation on a gra(hial rise from the sea is so much in
its favour, that not to disappoint would bring it into the
class of perfectibility which exists only in the imagina-
tion.

Callao, the seaport of Lima, has been called the most
commodious in the Pacific Ocean, and although not
much of a harboiu", it may, considering the nature of the
climate, be so called with justice. Li former times the
town was more hn})ortant than at present, and even styled
a city. At the terrible earthquake which overthrew it in
1746, three thousand persons perished. The site was
to the southward of the pn^sent toAvn, and was partially
overwhelmed by the waves ; indeed, for several years
after the catastrophe sentries were stationed on the beach
to guard any treasure that might be thrown on the shore,
a circumstance not unfrcquently occnrrhig. This might
well have been the case if what old historians relate is
correct, that in 174G, Callao contained no less than four
monasteries, besides churches, and a palace for the Vice-
roy, who it appears came down to bTiperintend the arrival
and departure of the galleons from Acapulco and Chile.

1845.J

CALLAO.

Callao is now a luisovahlc i)la(T, a dirty strap;}j;ling soa-
port, witli indilicrcnt inns, and hilliard-rooms, and nnnicr-
ous |)Hl[)c'rias or <j;rog-sliops. Tlic mole is certainly a cre-
ditable construction, and forms a convenient lan(ling-i)lacc
tor merchandize. A curious instance of the mildness of
the climate is seen in enormous quantities of wheat piled
upon the wliarf without any shelter, but wlien the mist
is somewhat heavier than usual, a few sacks or sliji;ht can-
vas covering is thrown over the upper i)art. Some of
the houseless wanderers, who in all countries exist from
iiand to mouth, as the expressive sayhig is, creep into a
sack and then get some of their conu'ades to cover them
over with the grain, thus making bed, covering, and food
all in one. In December, with the new moon a periodical
swell is expected, which sometimes washes over the mole.
Watering is easy and expeditious, pipes having been laid
down to the sea. Tanks, those luxurious articles, witli
which first lieutenants and boats' crews are in our ha[)py
days of improvement doubly blessed, will no doubt soon
be introduced, thereby conferring a special favour on. the
Admiralty by helping to diminish the Navy Estimates,
in the decreased wear and tear of the stores of Her Ma-
jesty's ships and vessels of war. However, we should not
be selfish. Boats' crews and midsliipm<ni, first lieu-
tenants and Admiralties may benefit, but — let rival in-
terests be remembered — the introduction of tanks may
seriously tend to injure the trade of the ginshops.

On the lOtli of December a party was sent to ascertain,
by levelling, the height of Lima above the sea. " This
employment," says the journal of one of the surveyors,
" caused us to pay a rather minute attention to the road,

THE V0YA(JE OP H.M.8. II EH ALU. \^Devemhci\

III

' K.

which is dusty in the extreme, and in us ill-conditioned
a state as can ))e imagined, owing to the neglect of the
present iidiabitants, for the carriage road having been
finished with a parapet of brick on each side, it would
have taken very little trouble to have kept it in repair.
On the right-hand side are the remains of an Indian
village, dating before the confpicst, and the village of
Ik'lla Vista, a more agreeable place than Callao, which,
however, is not very high praise. It contains a hospital
under the superintendence of Mr. Patrick Gallagher,
who had been an assistant surgeon in the navy. The
building was in progress, and promised to aftbrd con-
siderable accommodation to the sick. It is intended ta
receive seamen of the merchant service as well as of the
Royal Navy, and is not a government establishment
exactly, although under government control. The land
on both sides of the highway is unproductive, thro\igli
the want of water ; for if irrigation is neglected, the
country becomes a desert, but if attended to, the result
is extraordinary, and a land of running brooks is not
more fertile, or can show better crops or brighter foliage.
" Troops of mules, laden and unladen, passed on the
road ; these poor beasts are treated in a brutal manner
by their drivers. There is a custom here, which seems
cruel, but which it appears is well intended, as tending
to promote freer respiration : the nostrils of these ani-
mals are slit up or opened towards the eye. One would
imagine such a practice would not be adopted without
having experienced the benefit of it, although from the
specimens one sees of humanity in this part of the woi'ld,
nothing could excite surprise in the way of outraging it.

litioncd

of the

g been

would

repair.

Indian

lage of

whieli,

lospital

llaglier,

. The

rd con-

ided tok

I of the

shnient

le land

hrougli

d, the

result

is uot

foliap^e.

Ion the

planner

seems

mding

fe ani-

woiild

lithout

Ini the

kvorld,

itr it.

1845.]

UOAI) TO TUK CAPITAL.

" Clatterinp; omnibuses with six horses went to and
from Lima every two liours, raising sueh eh)U(ls of dust
tliat it gave a fair idea of tlu; Simoom. We arrived at
what used to be called the half-way house ; affording re-
freshment to man and horse, to the scandal of the ad-
joining church. In times gone by, it is said the pulperia,
ottering good braiuly, was more fre([uented than tlie phice
of worship, but on the; day of our visit it was tleserted,
and the church, in a dilapidated eoncUtion, seemed likely
to disappear also. On approaclung the city, the prospect
improves ; irrigation has been attended to, and for the last
two miles an avenue of willows adorns tie road ; Indir n
corn, lucerne, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, and bana-
nas flourish with the utmost luxuriance. Th!^ bei utiful
approach is at hitervals fm'ther ornamented by ( ircuse;?,
lined with stone seats, affording room for carriages 'v-
turn, and was the work of the Viceroy, the Mji.; as of
Osorno, well known by his kind and generous condnct
to Vancouver. He was then called Don And)rosio
O'lligghis. Unfortunately he died hi the third year of
his viceroyalty, which prevented the completion of tiie
avenue to Callao. Had his design been carried out,
how different would be the journey between the port
and the capital ! The neglect of the people has in some
measure destroyed the benefit arisipf^ ,om the place.
In one part a filthy slaughterhouse attracted such num-
bers of flies and insects, that tl'-y proved a perfect
plague. In another a horse hftcl been left dead, and the
troops of dogs rushing was a sight in itself. The energy
of wild animals was never more naturally shown than in
these tame ones, bounding, rushing, yelphig, howling,

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. IIET^ALT). [^Dccemhcr,

i.'i

towards the prey. Yet the plantations and gardens, tlic
avenue, the seats and ch'ciilar spaces, the mountains on
either side, the city gates before, and the shipping and
road of Callao with the bokl outUne of San Lorenzo in the
background, form as fine an approach to a city as can
be imagined.

" We did not arrive at tlio gates of the city until near
sunset, having ascertained the height of Lima to be 453
feet above the level of the sea at Callao. Others have
called it 511 feet, the difference arising, perhaps, from
the latter being taken up to the catheckal, which is on a
gradual rise from the gate.

" The gateway is a triple arch of good proportions,
but, like the wall itself, mouldering and decaying. The
guardhouse, like our ideas of Lima, referred to bettcjr
days, is large and lofty, but apparently little used. Tlie
gate-keeper received us with civility, asking us in, and
making eager incpiiries whether our labours tended to the
formation of a railway, which has been much spoken of,
and is now (1852) actually in progress. AVe were stopped
more than once on the road to answer the same ques-
tion. This entrance to Lima disappoints expectation ; the
street is all but in ruins, not one house in ten appearing
inhabited.

" Lima is surrounded by a rampart or ^^ all, formed of
the adobes*, about twenty or twenty-five feet high, and

* Jarvis, in his ' Scenes and Scenery in the Sandwich Islands,'
makes the following remark on adobes : — " These bricks no doubt are
of precisely the same make and pattern as those required of the chil-
dren of Israel by their Egyptian task-masters. Indeed, the resem-
blance between a group of Ilawaiians making the bricks, and the
implenu'uts employed by Hicm, are strikingly similar to a hieroglyj)hi-

irii'

KS45.J

IJMA.

about nine fot't in brcadtli at tlu,' Cordon, so that, tliongli
not adapted to resist modern warfare, it would att'ord
consideral)lc resistance to any popidar outbreak. It was
built to guard against the incursions of the Iiulians,
about the year 1080, during the viceroyalty of the Uuke
of Palata. The entry of that Viceroy into Lima is distin-
guished in history, by the two streets he passed through,
from the Callao gate to tlie palace, having been paved
with silver. This for Peru was no great matter, proving
the old proverb, ' too nuieh of one thing is good for
nothing.' The silver was ])robably not the least injured
by being so exposed, the ingots having been cast in masses
twelve or fifteen inches long, four or five broad, and
three or four in thickness ; the princi})al, indeed the only
expense, was in laying them down and taking them up
a^ain. The value of the metal was esthnated jit eiji-htN'
millions of crowns, or about sixteen millions sterling.

" It was now quite dark, and we })l(jdde(l on through
dreary streets, passing gloomy convents, and more by
good luck than management avoiding two or three open
drains, of villanous aspect and worse perfume. However,
we were cheered u}) again by the sight of fine gateways
opening into clean airy courts, the walls painted in fresco
or adorned with flower-})ots and creepers on trellis- work.
The houses of the richin* class are built more or less
in this way, the view of which conn)ensates in some
measure for the blank wjills facing the streets. We

oal paintin<!; some lOOO years old -UlaKlj was the Egyptian word

for this kind of brick, and it is still used by tlie Copts, rto. ^)ou])tll!s^
the Saracens derived it from the Egyptians, and carried it into Spain ;
thence it went to America, and from America to the Hawaiian Islands ;
continuing" westward, it may arrive at the land of its liirth."

VOL. I. K

THK VOYAGE OF If. M.S. IIKHAIJ).

[ Dccc tuber,

, [■■1

passed half-a-dozcn squares, or quadras as tlicy arc
termed, the Spaniards liaving a fashion of building their
cities at right angles, and generally, if the ground
permits, at c([ual distances. The plan, if not followed
with too nuich uniformity, is a good one ; Lima, built by
authority, and rising (piickly, is square upon square 108
yards each way. Its nionoiony is certainly not pleasing ;
the same objection may be made to the new town of
Edinburgh.

" The streets, ill lighted and worse paved, were at last
passed, and we tiuned into the Calle del Commcrcio,
gay and cheerful, well lit up, and making a splendid
appearance with its numerous shops, rich with the
manufactures of France, Germany, and England ; there
wx were glad to find an inn. Having taken some re-
freshment, we started for Callao. In one of the darkest
and most gloomy of the streets we chanced to meet ' the
Host,' on the way to the house of some dying person.
The carriage in which the consecrated bread was con-
veyed gave warning of its approach by the tinkling bell.
The attendant priest chanting the * miserere^ the kneel-
ing figures at every door, the uncovered and respectful
passengers in the street, the light displayed at every
whidow, rendered the whole an interesthig sight.

" The road to Callao seemed deserted. We had heard
that r()b])ers were prevalent, and every noAV and then a
shrill whistle in the distance, answered in another direc-
tion, appeared as if parties were abroad. But we did
not see anybody, and our i)arty, three in number, armed
with a theodolite and legs, a boat-hook-stafi* and mea-
suring-rod, made a formidable a[)pearance, and would,

ij.

1845.]

THE l.OBOS ISIiANDS.

110 doubt, have ropulscd double the number fiiriiishod
with less scientific weapons."

On the 22iid of D(;ceiuber, 11. M.St. 8. Curnioraiit
arrived from Panama and Payta, where she had bi'cii
for the mail, bringing intellip^ence from England to tlie
middle of October. iSteam communication is now exert-
ing its influence on this coast. Vali)araiso, and \\\v inter-
mediate ports of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, have monthly
communication with Callao, Panama, Buenaventura,
Guayaquil, and Payta ; and the calms and light baflling
Avinds which form such a bar to the intercourse with
the ports of Mexico and the more distant regions of
Upper California and the Oregon territory, arc i.ow little
thought of.

On the 24th we sailed from Callao in company with
the Pandora. The trade-wind carried us smoothly along,
and on the 27th we sighted Lobos de la Mar, or d(> a
Fuera in Captain Pitzroy's chart, an island about ten
miles in circumference and forty-five miles from the main-
land. This place is famous in the buccaneering annals.
Woodes Rogers says, " The inhabitants have neither
wood, water, nor any vegetable ; the soil is a white clay
mixed w^ith sand and rocks, and several veins of sl.'ite ;
here is, however, good riding for ships in about twenty
fathoms water. Penguins, pelicans, boobies, and a kind
of fowl like teal, that burrow in the ground, and seal
abound." The good anchorage he mentions would ap-
pear to refer rather to Lobos de Ticrra, thirty miles N.
by W.^W. of Lobos dc a Puera, and only ten miles
from the mainland.

On the 28th we made the Silla de Payta, a remark-

K 2

'■•;■

THE VOYAOK OF H.M.S. IIK.HMJ). [DcCCiuhcr,

a])lc range of liills, 1300 fret higli, and of nineli darkev
eolour than tlu; lower eliffs. We had now nearly reached
the extremity of the great desert which, with little in-
termission, extends 1800 miles, from Cocjuimho in C'hile,
to within a few miles of Parina Point, near Payta. The
sndden change from the extreme aridity of this barren
tract, to the dense foliage of the forests of Gnayaqnil, is
striking. On a smaller scale the same phenomenon may
1)0 witnessed at every port on the coast, Avlicrc a little
rill descending from tlu; Andes produces cm each side a
belt of verdure, which disappears as soon as the influence
of the stream is overcome by the mighty desert. In th(^
afternoon another Lobos, or Seal island, was in s'jht,
making like a part of the mainland. On drawing to the
northward with the fresh southerly wind, the channel
between it and the continent became distinct. The cliff's
are very white, and resemble a ship under sail. The
extreme regularity ef the shore is extraordinary ; the
ramparts of a line of fortification could hardly be more
exact or formal in their outline. Having hauled round
Payta Point we anchored. Several American whalers,
a Peruvian schooner of war of one hundred tons, and a
few small coasters wer(3 lying in the bay. We were in-
formed at Callao that at this time of year, on the change
of moon, a heavy swell is generally ex})erienced. It
was new moon on the 28th, and on the .^Oth of Decem-
ber the Captain's gig was swamped in landing, and the
Pandora's very nearly so. This swell is said to be com-
mon on the coast. Payta is chiefly visited by the whale-
ships, but it is also a port of some note in sup})lying the
interior; Lima, even when Callao was blockaded by the

h II

45.J

SANTA ("I. AHA.

Cliilcno s(|iin(lr()n uikKm" Lord Cocliraiu', and iv^iuu in
ls;}r), received evervtliiim- from toreijiJi eountries l)v w

of Pnvta.

On the 2()tli of l)e('end)(>r we sailed from Pavta, and on
the 8 1st anchored in the* Gulf of (jiuaya(|uil. We were
looking out for the liglitliouse on the island of Sanla
Clara, or, as more conunoidy called, Amortajado, hut
were unable to see it, for a good i-eason, because it was
not lighted, and being uiuiccjuainted with the set of the
currents we were compelled to anchor. Amortajado
lies {d)out midwav between Tumbez and Puna, about
four leagues from either shore. It is a small rocky
island, of little service, except as u station for a lighthouse
at tlu^ entrance of the river (jiuaya(piil. Since l!S8l
one has been erected, but the su[)erintendent told us that
it was indiffereutly supplied with oil, and could not be
kept always alight. The siu-f is heavy, particularly at
liigh water, when some difficulty is experienced in land-
ing. The island should not be ap})roached too closely,
especially on the east and south-east side, where detached
rocks with deep Avater between are lying two and three
miles from the slum At our anchorage we felt the
strength of the river Guaya([uil, the ebb setting south-
south-west, and the flood east, about one knot or a knot
aiul a half an hour. It was at Tuud)ez, about twelve
miles south-east of this island, that Pizarro first st(;})ped
on the soil of Peru. He landed on Santa Clara, which
was then uninhabited, and only o(!casionally visitiid by
the warlike ])e()ple of Pima, for purposes of sacrifice and
worshij).

CJIAPTER IV,

Tli(! Galapagos Islands — Charles Island — James Island — Chat ham
Island — Coast of Eeuador — Bay of Atacamas — Kamhle in the
{''orcst — Mr. T. Edmonslon — His Death aiu' a sketch of his Life —
lUvcr Esmeraldas — Gallo Island.

On the 1st of Jiuiuary, lb4-(), wc dcpurtud for the Ga-
hipagos Islands, and, carried along by the trade-wind,
made on the Gth at daylight Gardiner's Island, and at
noon the sontli end of Charles Island. Standing to the
northward, along the sonth-west shore, the whid fcll light,
accompanied with haze. We therefore shaped om* course
for the night. On the following djiy we sailed along the
west side of Charles Island, with light winds and driz-
zling rain. The land was gloomy in the extreme. Black
lava clifts bounded the shore, and wherever a glimpse of
the interior was caught, tangled underwood and ])rickly
pear were seen. We passed IMackbeach Bay, which offers
good anchorage, and the [)ath leading to the settlement is
pointed out by a boat-shed in a small sandy bay. A re-
markable hill, which the look-out men reported as Saddle
Hill, lies about five miles to the southward of this bay,

l«K).]

CHAULKS ISLAND.

and is an excellent land-mark. A rouk niakinj*; like a
sail elears up any donht one niijj;lit have as to the plaee.
Ronnding the west extremity of Post-ofhee I^ay, a heavy
surf breaks on the eastern point, whieh is still further
marked by a small islaiul covered with cactuses, almost

remindini; one of the

■r?

covei
Gunner's Quoin ott' the north-east

end of Mauritius.

The wet season extends here from Novmnber to March,
but it is said not to bi', so contimious as on tlu; main-
land. Heavy rain continued until January 8th, when a
fresh southerly breeze cleared the mist and gave us sun-
sliine once more. At noon we came to an iuichor in
Post-oiKce Hay, Charles Island. A party pulled round
to Blaekbeach Bay, to visit the settlement, about four
miles from the anchorage in Post-ofUce 1-Jay, which re-
ceived its name from a custom among the whale-ships
of leaving a box with letters in one of the clefts of the
rock.

The landing in Blackbeacli l^ay is easy. On looking
about we discovered a path, whieh we followed. 'J'he
thickets on each side were so tangled, the cacti so large,
and armed with prickles three or four inches in length,
that attempting to proceed without first clearing n path
would have been im[)ossible, and the lal)our would have
been out of the ([uestion for a party like ours without
machetes or hatchets. Large locusts were seen in ex-
traordhiary numbers. The naturalist, the late Mr. I^d-
monston, obtained some very fine specimens. As we got
inland the country improved ; the trees became larger,
the soil less rocky, or, to describe it more exactly,
the masses of lava became pulverized. After a walk of

TIIK V()VA<;ii Ol' ll.iM.S. llKKAIil).

[.J((ttK(tn/,

I! ri I

il^

!'l!

less tliaii ail liour, tlio cruwiiiijf of cocks, the hraying of
donkeys, and the bjirking of dogs, announced our a[)-
proach to the abode of man. A few ruined hovels stood
round a level green spot. The houses were small,
formed of straight poles placed close together with
thatched roofs, but devoid of cleanliness, so easily at-
tained in such a [)lace, ii sloping declivity with a
l)r()ok at the bottom ottering every convenience for the
comforts and decencies of life. We were soon ottered
fowls, wood, and potatoes for sale, which however were
then not oiu* object. Inquiring for the Governor, we
were conducted to a larger house, but more dirty and in
worse repjur even than the rest, where wc found three
or four good-looking women, swinging in their ham-
mocks, and not at all hiterru})ted by our entrance, and
a Senor Alee, styling himself temporary governor, and
acting for Don Jose Villamil, tlu; person mentioned by
(va})tain Fitzroy as the proprietor of the greater part of
the stock then (1S35) upon the island. An English-
man named Gurney, who had married a sister of Sefior
Alee, gave us a variety of information. Captain Titzroy
mentions a penal settlement having been in 1832 esta-
blished in the island by the RepnbUc of Ecuador. It
was chiefly intended for political offenders. About a year
before our visit a revolution took place, and the greater
number of the exiles were recalled by the party who at-
tained power. There never appears to have been much
control exercised over these delinquents, for the most suf-
ficient of all reasons, because the governor had no power
to enforce any. At the time of our visit the exiles were
certainly not those from whom a government could feel

] 8 ].().]

( IIAHI-KS ISLAND.

iiuich fear, consisting of an inccu'rigiblc drnnkard, an
inifortnnatc mud woman, and a murdcrci' ; they were all
at large.

The cattle luul increased wonderfully, and were esti-
mated at 2000 head, besides wild pigs, goats, and dogs.
The cattle are hunted down with dogs, and we were
ottered any (juantity we re([uired, on giving previous
notice. The wild dogs keep the goats and pigs down very
nuich. At Juan Fernandez it is stated they have extir-
pated them, and the same result will take place in this
island unless means are adopted to reduce the number of
the dogs. There were only two or three tame cows ; the
difficulty of taming the wild cattle is so great as to be
almost impracticable. The people are accustomed to send
them to Chatham Island, where an establishment to sup-
ply whalers with refreshments is forming. Water is abun-
dant here ; at present hoAvevcr no pains are taken to
render it available for shipping ; this might be done by
laying pipes down from the wells to a reservoir formed
in Blackbeach Bay. As it is, the gullies and little
valleys in Post-office Bay are, in the rainy season, tor-
rents ; so that if encouragement were ottered by a suf-
ttcient demand, a supply might be obtained from this
som'ce alone.

We continued our walk to the plantations on the side
of a conical hill further inland, or to the eastward of the
Puebla, and soon got sight of Post-office Bay, where the
Herald and Pandora were riding at anchor. The bay
appears equally near with Blackbeach Bay, and the
anchorage is more protected. When the settlement was
(established, the labour of forming the road to Post-office

THE VOYAtiE OF II. M.S. IIKIIAM). \Jtint(ftri/,

lltl

11^

]ky would not have })ccn grcjiter than to IMnckhcacli
Hay; landing?, however, as far as our experience goes, is
easier in the hitter than in the former. The phnitations
are in tlie valley and on the side of the conical mountain,
which is plainly seen from Post-ofKco Jky, and serves to
pohit out the settlement from the west side of the island.
The fertility of this vale seems unbounded. For a mile
wc walked through enclosures in which Indian corn,
melons, bananas, ])umpkins, sugar-cane, and limes were
growing most luxuriantly. The largest tree wc saw
was the Palo santo, which, on being scored, exudes a
gum found useful in healing sores aiul wounds ; it
grows as large as a pear-tree, but resembles an ash in
appearance. There is another and smaller tree, the gum
of which is employed for similar purposes. Tlu; Palm
Cactus {OpiDitia Galapaycia, Ilensl.) is remarkable, re-
sembling the cactus engrafted upon the palm, with large
oval compressed articulations springing from a cylindrical
stem.

After rain the atmosphere was so clear that Inde-
fatigable, or Porter's Isle as the Americans call it,
Albemarle, and Barringtons, though they were at least
forty or fifty miles distant, could all be defined. The
peaks of Albemarle Island are 8700 feet high. The
absence of the palm, that attribute of tropical scenery,
is remarkable. The palm is a never-failing indica-
tion of water, and often of the abode of man ; but not-
withstanding its absence, we found the island more
fertile and wooded than, from Darwin's description, wc
were led to expect. Since Dampier's visit the pro-
gress appears to have been great. We cannot doubt the

1^4(1.]

DAI-RYMI'I.K AND KK'KKK HOCKH.

truth of timt navigator's (Uiscriptiun, and were apffoi'uhly
snr[)risc'(l at all wc saw. No turpin, or terrapin, arc
living; on this ishind ; but turth; arc abuiuhuit. 8cals
trc([uont the coast in considerable (piantitics ; ten or
twelve were shot during our stay, but none of the fur
kind. The l*andora got a haul of tish with the seine
that few had seen ccjualled.

On the 1 Ith of Jaiuiary we made sail, standing cast-
north-east round the north point of Cliarles Island; the
current was strong against us, and wiUi a two-knot breeze
we could hardly stem it. At Urn \.m. we observed
M'Gowan's njcf — tlie water breaking upon it, but not
heavily. The |)Osition of this reef is 1°H' 4 5" south and
89° 50' west, lying midway between Charles and Chatham
Islands, The similarity of these islands is great, — a tame
rounded outline, with peaks or extinct crators throughout ;
the more minu ^' features often reminding one of Htnji
and the environs of Catania. At three p.m. Dalrymplc
and Kicker rocks were in sight. The first is sixty-tivc
feet high, and resend)lcs a shij) under sail — if that fa-
vourite comparison of navigators may be used once more ;
— its summit is covered with masses looking like ill-made
chinmey-pots — one of the freaks every now and then
occurring, as if to remind one how nnicli beauty and
synnnetry there is in nature ; so nuich indeed that until
the contrary is sisen we pass it by miheeded. The Kicker
is still more remarkable.

A schooner was seen in Wreck Bay, Chatham Isle.
At first it was reported as a flag flying among the trees ;
then a vessel lying inside a bar harbour, with a heavy
surf breaking right across ; but as we drew to the north-

(10

TIIK V()VA(iK OF II.M.K. HKKALI). {JfUHfanf,

mst, and the \my opened more elearly, vve were nl»l(^ to
(listin}i;iiisli tlu! seliooiier, under luMiiidor colours, lyiuj^at
niieljor off a small villafjje elos(! to the i)eaeh, with little or
no surf at the laudinjjj-plaee. We ran pas, > >»vcv(r,
and eame to an anehor in an open bay on the i: ,11 jide
of Chatham Island.

On the 1 2th of January we landed on a sandy l)eaeh
to take siglits for time. Hu; surf was ineonvenicnt, and
in the afternoon increased so nnich that Ave experienced
some ditticulty in getting otF. The rollers were licavy oil'
the extreme point of St. Ste[)hen's J^v> •'i'^ nnich as eight or
ten feet high. This would ajjpear to resemble the rollers
at St. Helena and Ascension, occurring without aj)parent
cause ; for there was, and had been, little wind, and it
was besides the Ice side of the island. Captain Kellett
went round in the Pandora to Freshwater ]^ay, where
the Beagle watered in l!S35. lie landed without much
inconvenience, there being little surf, notwithstanding its
being the weather side of the island. Ships well provided
with anchors and cables may lie there and water without
difticulty or danger ; but w^e were told that at Charles
Island a whale-shij), rather than anchor, had purchased
water from the settlement, and carried it to the beach on
donkeys.

On the 13th wc went to examine St. Stephen's Bay,
but found landing impossible, on account of the surf.
There is deep water and good anchorage, ten and twelve
fathoms, within half a mile of the shore ; but according to
Captain Fitzroy it is subject to calms and bafltling winds.
During the few hours we were in it, we found this pecu-
liarly the case, 'i'he Kicker oft" this bay is one of tlu;

I >s k;

HT. HTK1MIKN s H\V

(II

most cxtnuH'dimiry n»cks in tli<' world, and inijj;lit linvc
Ix'cii ciiIKmI the Sea-horse, liavin}j; iiiucli the appciinmcL' ol'
(hat animal when l}'in{i; (K)\vii witli lu'ad erect and tore
feet a httle advaneed. It is 400 feet higli, and in two dis-
tinct parts. A jolly boat conld be pulled throujjjh if tla^
watc!!' was tolerably smooth. It has one or two arches
in the larger part, throu*];!! which the sea rushes with
violence. We could get no bottom with tifty fathoms
all round it. Finger Point has a heavy surf beating
upon it. Ca[)tain Fitzroy gives its height as 51(1 fec't : it
is almost as renuwkable as La I'ouce at tlu; Maiu'itius.
St. Stepheu's Hay, though it looks well upon the chart,
would appear to offer no inducement to a ship, as far as
landing goes. The bay Me anchored in is better, aiul
that was biid enough ; our boats were half-swampcjd more
than once. Wreck Hay, where the settlement, a few
poor huts, is formed, is a good snug anchorage, with easy
landing. The i)urser procured wood cheap, but not
good. There, for the first time, we saw the terra[)in, or
galapago, those animals which have given their name
to the group. We bought them at the rate of six shil-
lings a-piece ; they were two feet two inches in length,
one foot ten inches broad, standing one foot two inches
off the ground.

On the 1 Ith we sailed for James Island, standing to
the north-west. The nights had been beautiful for the
last week. The stars were seldom moi'c brilliant. Jupi-
ter shed new lustre npon Aries ; Vemis and Mars seemed
to light up Aquarius and Pisces ; Orion, Sirius, Procyon,
shinhig unrivalled; Auriga, Aldebaran, and (Jemini were
seen on the northern meridian, i) in Argo Navis on the

THE VOYAOK OF H.M.S. HKH ALl). [JantfCm/,

southern, — a glorious galaxy, helping to pass away an
hour of the tedious night-watches. On the 15th, at day-
light, wc were off' James Island, hut to leeward of the
north-west point, round which we had to go. The wiiul
baffled us for a few hours, but afterwards came fresh
from south-south-east, and at eleven a.m. we ancliored
in James's Bay, on the west side of the island. The
iGuayacjuilenians call Charles Island Ploriana ; the Spa-
niards used to term it Santa Maria del Aguada. These
islands were named after the chief people in England,
when buccaneering v»\is at its height. Charles and James
after the royal brothers, Albemarle after Alonk, and
Narborough after the admiral. James Island appears
covered with larger timber than either of the others we
visited, and seas of lava, cliffs, phmacles, and craters an;
more numerous. The sportsmen shot a fcAv teal, snipe,
curlew, and hawks.

It rained heavily during the night, but cleared up in
the morning. Sights, for latitude and time wi're ob-
tahicd; giving lat. 0° 12' 20'' north, long. 90° 55' 30"
west. The place of observation was a sandy b(\ach to
the left of th'3 sea of lava. Uampier was at these islands
in June, when rain never falls, — we in the middle of
the rainy °i,ason ; which probably accounts for his de-
preciathig accomit of the group. It is not hkely either
that he ever went so far inland as the present settlers
have done.

On the lOth of January we departed from the Gala-
pagos Islands, and stood across for the mainland — a trip
often made by the enterprising buccaneers*.

* Oil the 20tli of Jinniary, at 9li. 40m. to lOh. 3nm. a.m., in lat.

\inuarii,

iway an
, at (lay-
[ of the
lie wind
le fresli
ncliored
I. The
:lic Spa-
Tliesc
"England,
d James
ik, and
appears
tilers we
iters arc;
d, sni[)e,

I up in
ob-
80"

'(?rc

;3o

)eaeh to
islands

Iddle of
liis de-

)itl

eitner

ttlers

Gala-
-a trip

ill lat.

1840.] COAST OF KCUADOU. 03

On the 22nd we were off Cape San Francisco, standing
round Galera Point. " The country inland," says Dam-
pier, " is high and mountainous, and a})pears to be woody ;
by tlie sea it is full of small points, making as many little;
sandy bays between tliem. It is of indiiierent height,
covered with trees, so that sailing l)y this coast you sei;
notliing but a vast grove or wood, wliich is so much the
more pleasant because the treses are of several forms, both
in respect of their growth and colour." Reading this
account with the coast within three or four miles, one
cannot do more than repeat it, and acknowhMlge its
Hdelity and truth. Pohit Gfdera is low and shelx iiig ;
Cape Sjui Francisco vtcep and Avell wo()d(>d, tlu; clilfs in
many parts are white, somewhat resend)]ing those.of Sus-
F,ex and Kent.

About 2 P.M. we anchored off the river Sua in the bay
of Atacainas. Very good anchorage is found in this bay,
and as it seldom or never blows, vessels can anchor almost
anywhere ; but off Sua especially, the water is not deep,

U" 18' south and long". 83° west, \vc sounded with 500 fatlionis of line,
and found the temperature as follows : —

Surface TC'^

10 fathoms 75

20 , 70

30 „ G7

40 „ 07

50 „ G5-5

100 „ r,2-5

200 „ 54

300 „ 51

400 „ 48

500 „ 47

On the 21st of January, in lat. 0^' 15' north and 81^" 30' west, w<'
tried for soundings with 700 fathoms, but got no bottom.

()l.

TlIK VOV \(iK OK M.M.S. HF,H AM),

J(uu(an/,

III

fel

and tlu; lioldiiig-gnnmd good, hcsidcs having llu^ advan-
tage of a village within a mile or two, whence snpplies
can be procured*.

" On the 2 Uh a i)arty was going wooding, and several
of us," says one of the journals, " took .idvantage of the
boat to get on shore. A ])ull of about two miles brought
us to the mouth of the river, which empties itself into
a beautiful little bay. The right-hand side of the l)ay
is formed of high white cliii's, which are crowned with
trees, and termhiated in one, isolated by a sandy isthmus,
called Sua Head. The left side is a sandy beach, inter-
spersed with rocky points, by which, at ebb tide, Ataca-
mas might be reached. On landing, we sej)arated into
two })iirties, — the one intending to reach Atacamas by
the beach, the other by the forest. The l)arty to which
I belonged struck into a path said to lead to the villagi;.
The excursion being my first in a tropical forest, 1 was
both i)leased and surprised -. a perfume pervaded th(> air ;
a contimied buzz was kept up by the insects ; beautiful
birds and butterflies were seen in every direction. \
walk of about two miles brought us to a house i)uilt upon
piles, raised ten or twelve feet from the ground, and
thatched with palm-leaves. The inhabitants were civil,
and gave us some pine-ap[)les,— a great treat after the
walk.

" After leaving the house, and walking about five miles

without reaching the village, all became conscious that

* Marks of tlu- anchorage : — Sua Point just clear of Aguada Head ;
llic latter should not shul in the former, as from the shallowness of the
water the swell is often inconvenient. In six fathoms. Month of Sua
liivcr, south angle from Aguada Head, 10". Extremes of land, west-
south-west ami iiorth-east-l)V-<;asl. Otl" sliore t'Ao miles and a half.

IS/IO.)

IIAMBLE IN THE KOUKST.

wc liad lost our way. [[cariii'"; the l)arking of dogs, we
proceeded towards the (Urection wlience tlie sounds came.
Tlie path lirouglit us to a thicket, hut to no inhahitiul
pkice ; and after trying several others witli no ])etter suc-
cess, we deternihied to r.'turn. lUit lo ! the original path
was lost; we were bewildered. Here one of the [)arty,
recpiiring a stimulant, found that he had lost his pocket-
flask, — a vessel which always accompanied him on his
excursions.

" At last the rush of the river was heard ; and know-
ing that by keeping along the banks we shoukl reach
the beach, we contrived, not without a good scratching
from the underwood, to get to the river. We found ii
small house, and, as the owner was absent, amused our-
selves by examining his household goods, — his cala-
bashes, trunks, bows and arrows. We also fell into a
path which led to the first building passed, and, thougli
disappointed at not finding the village, we were glad to
Hnd our way. Having rested, and tilled our pockets
with limes, we made towards the beach, and were joined
by Mr. T. Edmonston, the naturalist, who had been bo-
tanizing.

" At the sea-shore we met the first party, who, though
having reached Atacamas, were half-drowned on their way.
One of them had been in a dangerous situation, from
which he was only rescued with the loss of his shoes,
jacket, and cap ; and to finish all, on arriving at the vil-
lage he had his gun stolen. Returning by the wood, a
stream was met with. An ardent conchologist belong-
ing to the party had collected in a handkerchief a few
shells. Crossing the river with it in his mouth, his foot

TllK VOYACJE OF H.M.8. HERALD.

\Jauuary^

.1?

struck against a hard sii1)stancc. He took it to be an
alligator, though sonic cvil-disposcd people declared it to
be merely a sunken log. Be this as it may, the thing so
frightened him that he opened his mouth and lost the
collection. In line, there was hardly one that did not
meet with some misfortune. This of coiu*sc afforded a
great deal of anmsement, the one laughing at the otherij*
expense. But the comedy was over, a tragedy was about
to begin.

" It was getting late ; we were tired and heartily glad
to go on board. The surf ran high, bui ])eing pretty dani})
it did not give us any concern. Several were already in
the boat, and I was getting hi, with the naturalist close
l)ehind me, when the leg of my trowsers lifted the cock
of a rifle. The piece went off, sending its charge
through the arm of Mr. Whiffin, and making a perfect
furrow through the skull of the imfortunate Edmonston.
He uttered a slight exclamation, and fell irto the water.
A man innnediately raised him to the sm'face, but life
was gone. So suddenly had the accident taken place,
that nobody in the boat knew what had happened, Mr.
Whiffin not even being aware of his wound. When the
melancholy news became known on shore?, every on.', by
tacit consent, discharged his gun, and each report ope-
rated u])on me like an electric shock ; I almost fancied I
beheld another death.

" The boat sent for wood was also in a perilous posi-
tion. Being heavily laden, the rollers seemed to threa-
ten her destruction as she passed the bar. The captain,
in his gig, ke})t close to her, and every one felt relieved
on seeing her safe in deep water. The night was in

1840.]

MR. T. KDMONSTON.

(•)7

keeping witli the day ; it rained only as it does in tro-
pical countries, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and
heavy gusts, alternating with dreadful calms. The next
day wc buried the body of our unfortunate shipmate.
His remains were laid on a beautiful bank leading to the
sandy isthmus of which I have spoken. His loss was
felt by all, he being universally beloved for his kind dis-
position and agreeal)lc manners ; wlilk; his talents ren-
dered him a most useful and important accpiisition to the
duty the ship was employed upon. The shock that the
sad news produced was awful ; every one seemed to feel
it as a personally afflicting calamity."

Thomas Edmonston was the eldest son of Dr. Laurence
E(biionston, of the Shetland Islands, and was born on
the 20th of Septeml)er, 1825, at the seat of his uncle at
Buncss. He was a very delicate child, and the utmost
care was necessary to restrain his brain from work until
his constitution had become strong. He had hardly
completed his fourth year, when, to the surprise of his
parents, he taught hnnst;lf to read in a most pecidiar
manner. Having an extraordinarily quick and retentive
memory, he asked whomsoever he could get to read to
him. Two or three readings were suffi.cif nt to impress
the matter e « his mind, and then he lenriit the words
from the book, thus avoiding all spelling out of syllables.
When four years old he began to show a predilection for
natm'al history, especially ornithology. No doubt his
father's taste for these studies tended to lead him towards
them. So great was the boy's faculty of observation,
that if a bird was placed before him he could find out
its name by referring to Bewick's ' British Birds,' and

V 2

TIIK V()Y\(;i': OF II. MS, !IKn\I,l).

Janiian/.

this was at a time wlu'n lie could not yet speak plainly.

lie was ii(!V('r satisfied nntil he knew tin; seientifie

ap-

pellation of ev(!ry aninud he met with, and this desire
led him early to the study of Latin and subsequently to
(iireek. He was eight years old when lu; began to pay
attention to plants. At the ag(; of twelve lu; met with
Mr. James M'Nab, who was on a tour in Shetland, and
to whom he showed the Areiuwid Norrcf/ica, his first
addition to the British Fh)ra. Mr. M'Njd) encouraged
hiui, and from that time the pursuit of botany became
his ruling jmssion. When foin'teen, Ik* made an ex-
cursion over the Shetland Islands, gathering malerials,
afterwards of course augmented, for his Flora of Shetland,
I ui)lished in 1S45. His education had 'v.cii ccmducted
lit home by his father until IS 11, when he was sent to
'^e college at Edinburgh, where he attended natural
j)hiloso})hy, languages, mid Dr. (iraham's Botany. In
! V t;^ he d(;livered a course of lectures on his favonriti'
scieiicc in Lc^rwick, and m the following year in Elgin
and Forres. The winter of 1843-44 he spent at
Aberdeen, under Dr. Macgillivray's instruction, and dis-
covered a new species of inollusca now bearing his name.
In the spring he became a candidate; for the professorship
of Natnral History, in the Andersonian University, Glas-
gow, and rained the election by a large majority. He
had jus<^ prepared his lectures and settled in Glasgow
when ;he appointment as naturalist of H.M.S. Herald
was offered to hin). His ardent wish was now fulfilled ;
and looking forwaid to a situation most congenial to
his taste and feelings, he joined the vessel without having
even had time to wish his family farewell.

plainly,
ilic ap-
i desire
t'litly to

to pay
let witli
lul, and
his lirsl
ouraged

lu'eaine
• nil e\-
lalevia.Is,
^lietland,
)vuliu'(ed
; sent to

iintmal

ISIO.J

MU. T. KDMONSTON.

(it)

my.

tavonrite
ill Elg-in
j)ent at
and dis-
is name,
ssorship
,y, Glas-
iity. He
jilasgow

Herald
rulfiUed ;
tenia! to

having

If his friends and I'elations weep for oni" of whom tluy
might he jnstly proud, seienee has no less reason to
regret the loss of so entlmsiastie a student. Had liis
lif(! been spared he wonld no donht have heeome one of
the first botanists of the day. He had already, yonng
as he was, pnblislied a Fhmi of tlu; extreme north of the
Hritish Islands, and contribnted many able artieles to
Newman's ' Phytologist,' and other seientilie periodicals.
The piece of oak which was ])laced at the head of his
grave will in fntnre be searched for in vain ; bnt his
brother natnralists will meet on the shores of the ocean
on which their talented colleagnc^ died, an evergreen
shrnl) with dark red panicles. It is the Ednioa^loitui
/)((('ljlcf( (Seem.)*, a monnment erected to his memory
by an ardent admirer of his talents.

Onr station in the bay was on acconnt of the gronnd-
swell so inconvenient, that we shifted onr berth a mile
fni iher oil' shore, where we rode mnch easier ; and on tlu;
•2Gth of Jannary, before daylight, we were again nnder
way, standing for the Esmeraldas river, a few miles to
the northward ; bnt the wind failed and we had to
anchor at sunset ofl* Pohit Gordo. Gordo is a common
appellativ)n on this coast, being usually applied to a
bluff rounding point, such as this one is. The point
should not be hugged too closely ; there is a shallow
patch oft* it four or five miles to the westward, having
in many parts not more than four and four and a half
fathoms ; it extends from the town or river of Atacamas

* This plant has been figured in phitc xviii. of the l^otany of the
\ ovngo of II. M.S. llcraUl, and is so dill'crcnt from all known gi luTa
thai it will prubiibl\ btconic liic Ivpc of a new KaUiral Order.

TIIK VOYAOK OF H.M.S. IIKUAI-D.

[J((nnan/,

on the south, up to Point Cionhi, and the shallow water
goes four or five miles off' the coast, so that, luitil accu-
rately sounded, it would be prudent to keep thus much
off* the land.

Among the products of these regions there is the
India-rubber tree, a straight tree, gronuig to the height
of sixty feet, at the upper part sending off numerous
branches covered with rough bark. The natives make
boats of the elastic resin, and a kind of cloth similar in
its uses to oil-cloth and to Mackhitosh's famous article ;
they also make it into torches, which emit a pure and
brilliant light.

On the 27th of January, before daylight, we got under
way, th(; weather behig gloomy and threatening rain, and
in the forenoon anchored oft* the Esmeraldas river. The
river has a course of 350 miles and upwards. Rising in
the neighbourhood of the volcano of Cotopaxi, and pass-
ing through the elevated region of Ecuador, it increases
by a munber of tributaries, and becomes, next to Gua-
yacpiil, the largest river on this coast; for connnercial
purposes it will never be of great avail, except for the
smallest class of vessels. It is extraordinarily nipid :
although we were lying three miles from the mouth, in
ten fathoms water, yet the sea was much discoloured, and
our boats had considerable difficulty in pulling against
the current. The town of Esmeraldas, a poor and ill-
built ])lace, has about 1000 inhabitants, and is situated
on the left bank, about ten miles from the mouth of tlu;
river. The prosperity of Guayaquil has been nMidered
so high by its connnerce as to cause jealousy in the
('a])ital, and tlie Goverinnent of Ecuatlor has therefore

\\ water
til accu-
is much

is the
13 height
iiuei'ous
38 make
uiilar ill

article ;
lire and

f)t uiuler
aiii, and
V. The
lising in
id pass-
ncreases
to Giia-
iniercial
for the
rat)id :
nitli, in
led, and
against
liiid ill-
situated
of the
bidered
in the
leiviore

1840.]

(iALLO ISLAM).

endeavoured to make Eameraldas a port ; but Esmeraldas
is far from possessing the advantages of (Juayaciuil, v'\{\\v\
as to magnitude or external communication. Cocoa,
sugar, various sorts of wood, large bamboos, used much
in building, and a species of Qi'hut, arc; exported. There
is little direct trade with these productions ; they are
mostly transported on the balsas and in small coasters
to Guayaquil.

On the 28th of January we weighed and stood to the
northward. Heavy rains and light variable winds con-
tinued throughout the night. On the following day w(;
were off Gallo Island, which almost adjoins the main,
and is famous as behig the place where Barthoh)mew
Ruiz, the hardy and experienced pilot of Pizarro's fleet,
first anchored ; and where Pizarro himself spent part of
that dreadful season when Almagro returned to Panama
to obtain rehiforcements. Even now, \\itli some ac-
(piaintance with the geography of the country, we are
amazed at the exploits of that hardy band hi persevering
in their attem])t to discover and coiupier Peru. The
entangled roots of the mangroves, the vast swam})s,
pathless forests, high mountains, wani, of wholesome or
sufficient food, are obstacles which v.ould have deterred
almost any man. Ihit the Spaniards seem to have been
endued with almost superhuman powers ; the lust of
gold and the fire of fanaticism appear to have animated
them tvith zeal, energy, and powers of endurance, which,
though the relation of their deeds make us shudder with
abhorrence and indignation, must ever command admi-
ration.

7-2

CHAPTER V.

I^oiiruliiry liiu; of Nucva (Jraiindn — Oonnncncomcn!. of llic Survey —
Bay of (Jlioco — Uivcr Iscuaudc — (iorfijoiia — lUiciiavciitura — Tlie
Viiula of St. I'ctcr and St. Paul — Bay of Panama.

Wk now entered upon tlie coast of n new State, that
of Niu!va Granada. With a continent ])efore them, tlie
inhabitants dis})ute about boundaries. The river Mira,
falling into tlie sea, is the boundary, but which of the
mouths to take is the question. Those who wish to join
Nueva Granada say the chainiel flowing south of Point
Mangles is the one intended, while the Ecuadorians
niahitain that the Tuniaco branch, about twenty miles
to the northward, is the true one. As far as the natural
divisions of the country go, one would say that it ai)per-
tains to Ecuador ; and in a late ma]) the boundary line
of the two coimtries is moved altogether to the river
Paitia, or Patia, sixty miles north of Tiunaco, falling into
the sea just north of Point Guascamo.

The freshes, the rolling swells, and the numerous
trunks of trees we were continually meeting, plainly
indicated that we were in the vicinity of a huge river.

i^M).

( OMMKNCKMKNT (H I'llI Hl'KVK^

The streams, although not hirj^c tor a continent, or deep,
still send a eonsidemble volume of water into the sea ;
and draining a country of some elevation, they have
more force than might he expected. In the afternoon
the island of Gorgona was in sight ; three peaks being
its prominent featiu'cs. Tlie coast appeared to have a
heavy surf breaking upon it ; the trees were actuall)' in
the water; the tall mangroves, with roots exposed for
twelve or fourteen feet, formcul a lmg»' tangled trellis-
work, from which the tall straight stems rose to a height
of sixty or seventy feet.

Having anchored (hu'ing the night, we weighed Jit
daylight on the 3()th, and stood towards Gorgona.
The wind being light, and varying . tween south-south-
west and west-south-west, we made little j)rogress, and
at ten a. m. anchored about five miles from the mahi-
land, the centre peak of Goj'gona being about five leagues
distant. The barge was hoisted out, and with the rest
of the boats was prepared for surveying. The Pandora
stood on upwards of five miles, then moored and fired
three "wn^ to measure the distance bv. There oiu* sur-
veying work began ; it was the base whence om* proceed-
ings in the Bay of Choco were to be carried forward.
The boats then left the ship to sound ))etween the two
base stations. Herald and Pandora, and the mainland.

The shores are densely wooded, the tides strong,
and the swell heavy on the banks and shoals lying ofi'
the creeks imd streams with which this coast is inter-
laced. The province of Choco is a marshy country ; the
houses are built u])on posts to avoid inundation or the
ledundanry of vegetation. One can tlnnk of nothing

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

iJ" i

1.0

I.I

1.8

1.25 1

6 " -

►

°^:)

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

\jTanuari/,

save these circumstances; they are brought to mind
on every occasion. On landing, the rank hixuriance of
the vegetation is surprising. The aUuvial soil is not
only saturated with the rain which descends in torrents
nearly every night, but is overflowed with the burst-
ing waters of the numerous branches of the Patia, Is-
cuande, Ammirales, and Sanguayange. The tall man-
groves are seen actually growing in the water, forming
a grove of innumerable pillars, at a distance quite orna-
mental, but from their intolerable monotony soon be-
coming hideous ; the desert docs not exceed in gloomy
weariness these trackless forests. The mangrove-trees,
however, are not useless ; the wood, though it has a
disagreeable smell, is much used for firing, and ignites
quickly. The tall straight stems form posts for the
houses. In this season the atmosphere is generally
murky, so that a sight of the lower range of the Andes
was rarely gained. One mass of foliage was all that
could be perceived from Guascama to the mouths of the
river San Juan. •

The breakers, as seen from the ship, appeared to
line the coast, but a channel w^as found, through which
a line-of-battle ship might have entered. Inside also an
extensive basin opened out, well protected by the outside
shoals. The natives spoke slightingly of it ; but if trade
flourishes, such a place on a coast seldom or never visited
by storms must become important. There is a rise and
fall of eleven or twelve feet, and the tide-stream has con-
siderable force near the shore, more than two knots an
hour. We did not, however, observe them accurately.
The name of this inlet was the Sanguayange. We met

anuari/,

1840.]

RIVER ISCUANDE.

3 mind
iance of

is not
torrents
i burst-
itia, Is-
all nian-
fonning
te orna-
ioon be-

gloomy
(ve-trces,
it has a
1 ignites

for the
generally
le Andes

all that
hs of the

rii

eared to
which
also an
outside
if trade
r visited
rise and
has con-
knots an
curately.
We met

two or three people and saw only one house, and heard
afterwards that the natives had been frightened by the
appearance of the ships, there having been rumours of a
disturbance between tlic republics of Ecuador and Nueva
Granada. We were told that many had even gone so
far as to leave their houses and retire up the country.

On the 1st of February we remained in the same posi-
tion. The natives came off in some numbers, two or
three rude boats with some decently dressed people;
they brought fruit, but, from the little intercourse they
had with the world, could give no information. On the
2nd we went into the river Iscuande. As in the S.'in-
guayange, we found the depth of water considerable,
but variable, still capable of affording protection. The
houses were all built upon posts, made of the mangrove
stems, and ascended by rude ladders, merely thick planks
cut in notches. The ground-floor was often not even
enclosed, and an enemy with a sharp axe might have
brought the house down in a short time. The rafters of
these houses in the air were of bamboo covered with
matting and cloth made from bark, of admirable con-
sistency, and almost like leather. The roofs were formed
of palm-leaves, thatched much in the manner of our
straw sheds, though they did not present the same neat
and finished api>carance. The sides were perfectly open,
so that every breath of air could enter, which in such
a climate, to an idle, lounging, lolling race, is a comfort.
We were surprised to see so much neatness in the con-
struction. In England the buildings would have been
cpJled elegant summer-houses ; but the bamboo affords
great facility for such pm'poses, and may be said to be

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD. [Fehi'uarij,

in arcliitccturo what the Banana is in food, the most
hountifnl and beautiful production in nature, and, by
the very faciUty with which it is procured and applied,
an incentive to indolent ease, an encourager of the too
prevalent idleness of the tropics.

An uninhabited place, however beautiful, has always
a forlorn and desolate aspect. In this region, where
the mangrove forest and the jungle occupy by far the
greatest space, a few cottages, simple as they were,
gave quite a dift'erent impression. The inhabitants
were civil, and all had a swarthy aspect; in fact it is
unlikely that there is any pure Castilian or Spanish
blood in South America. In the ages that have elapsed
since the conquest, the races have mingled so much as
to be almost indistinguishable. The very fact of their
pretending to classify them into sixteen varieties would
prove this assertion \ and when we consider the con-
tempt in which the old Spaniards professed to hold the
Creoles, and the desire they had to return to Europe
when a fortune had been amassc;d, it is not remarkable
that the descendants of the original discoverers and cx-
[)lorers should soon have amalgamated.

On the 5th of February both vessels anchored off
Gorgona, procuring wood and water, an easy task,
streams being abundant, and the soil covered with the
tinest timber. In this island Pizarro and thirteen fol-
lowers, whose names are deservedly commemorated for
their courage and devotion, passed seven dreary months.
We were disposed to look upon it as an earthly paradise,
but the Spaniards, to whom it had been the scene of so
nuich sutlering juid such undaunted resolution, had dif-

hruari/,

e most
11(1, by
ipplicd,
the too

always
, wlicro
far the
y^ were,
abitants
ict it is
Spanish
elapsed
nuch as
of their
s would
he coii-
lold the
Europe
larkable
and ex-

)red off
task,
dth the
leen fol-
ited for
hionths.
laradise,
le of so
lad dif-

1840.]

OORflONA.

ferent fe(!lings towards it. ''The; TT(;11," " tlie detested
isle," were tlie terms they applied to it.

Few people live on the island, and tliey appear to
(>njoy the state of dolcc far niente in whieh Creoles
delight, and wliicli ajipears to have been carried to its
height among the inhabitants of Guanahani and Haiti
on their discovery by Columbus. Guavas, pine-apples,
oranges, limes, bananas, and ramotes or sweet-potatoes
are abundant. The guinea-hen, the conmion barn-door
fowl, and a pig or two gave not only the necessaries, but
the luxuries of life. The houses arc similar to those
on the mainland. The most airy summer-house in an
English garden is more enclosed than these tropical
domiciles ; but they are adapted to the climate, and the
1 broad caves with a mat hung up inside would suffice if

wind and rain should come on together, a conjunction
that does not often occur.

The rise of the tide we ascertained to be five feet six
inches ; its highest was at lOh. 30m. a.m., and its lowest
at 4h. 50m. p.m. By reduction therefore it woidd be high
water at full, and change about 3h. p.m., and the rise and
fall would be nine feet. Among other reminiscences of
Gorgona, it maybe noted that in 1705 the Cinque Ports,
after leaving Alexander Selkirk on Juan Fernandez, was
here run on shore by Captain Stradling, and the crew
obliged to surrender to the Spaniards.

On the 7th we departed and took up a position on the
Main, off the river Iscuande. The evening was clear and
bright, but it rained heavily during the night, and we
were given to understand by the natives that the wet
season was following us ; that northward rain is later in

THK VOYAGE OF H.M.s. HERALD. [Fchruciry,

the year than near the equator. On the 9th we stood to
the north-east. Our plan of proceeding was very regidar.
The Pandora, the first day, took up a position more than
five miles north-east of the Herald ; this distance, mea-
sured by sound, formed the base for our future opera-
tions. On the following day we shifted our berth five
miles, or thereabouts, beyond the Pandora ; each day the
boats went away sounding, or taking up stations for
others to angle to ; while true bearings, and measuring
the angle from any boat showing her flag, employed those
on board. The dense mass of foUage at a distance of
five or six miles presented no objects of interest ; in fact,
the first station, in 1° north, could hardly be distinguished
from the last, 120 miles further north. As far as esti-
mating the tides by observation and sounding on board,
we found the flood setting north-by-east, one knot an
hour J the ebb south-south-west, about one and a quar-
ter knot an hour. Heavy rains visited us chiefly diu'ing
the night ; the days were generally fine. A land-breeze
usually blew off" about east-south-east in the morning,
but died away towards eight or nine in the forenoon.
About noon, or rather before, the sea-breeze sprang up,
faintly at first, but freshened up in the afternoon;
towards sunset it was generally strongest, then it died
away : the nights were commonly calm.

We meet no ships, and only a few inhabitants. It is an
unfrequented coast in an uncivihzed country, or rather a
half-civilized and almost wholly unoccupied country. In
England the confines of a wood remind one of a park ;
trees excite ideas of refinement, elegance, luxuriance,
and retirement : there are so many feelings connected

184G.]

nUENAVKNTURA.

with trees, that it cannot but influence one in behoUling
for so many leagues the vast forests with which the Pacific
Ocean is skirted. There is a grandeur in the very deso-
lation, with nothing human about it, but few and far
between a poor palm-thatched cottage, inhabited l)y a
race holding little intercom'se with the world, and mostly
either overcome by the chmate or indifferent to exertion.
The monotony is great; trees, and nothing but trees,
ever since we made the land, relieved, and hardly re-
lieved, by entrances into rivers lined with mangroves or
swampy jungles.

On the 1st of March we were off the river Buenaven-
tura, one of the chief estuaries on this coast, and pro-
mising to become a considerable emporium for the com-
merce of Nueva Granada. Some days, or rather nights,
of heavy rain had cleared the atmosphere, and on Mon-
day, the 2nd, we had a fine view of an inland range of
the louver Andes, towering up to the height of several
thousand feet. We proceeded up the river with the end
of the flood, and found a channel of very regular somid-
ings, quite sufficient for all the purposes of commerce.
The banks displayed more scenery than we had been
accustomed to, — little bays, nooks with islands, projecting
chfFs. The intolerable mangrove Avas not quite so com-
mon as it had been in the southern part of the bay. On
the 3rd of March the Pandora and four boats from the
Herald ascended the river. The town of Buenaventm'a
is situated on the left bank of the river, about six miles
from the entrance. The site offers many advantages for
commerce, and when population increases it will doubt-
less rise in importance. At present it is a miserable

THE V(»V.\(iK OF II. M.S. IlKHAF,!). \}fan'/l,

collection of houses, containing abont one; thousand in-
habitfuits. At the town the river is about a mile broad j
at the entrance upwards of two miles, but full of sand-
banks, and the channels somewhat intricate : buoys would
greatly obviate these difficulties. If the Spaniards had
not trammelled connnerce in every possible way, aiul the
republican governments hindered it almost as nuich ])y
squabbling among themselves, it would long ere this have
hud a lighthouse and a pilot establishment. It is, in fact,
the stai)le for the southern part of Nueva Granada and the
towns of Cali, Po})ayan, and Cartago. The Government
of Bogota has no control over the south-east part of the
Isthmus of Panama; there is no land connnunication
between Panama and the capital, the native tribes being
independent, and holding little or no communication
with the Spanish descendants ; all communication nmst
go by way of Buenaventura. The roads in the Ulterior
are, however, a great bar to its prosperity ; they are
rugged and difficult to traverse. Cattle arc useless in
transporting merchandize, and mbn unaccustomed to the
almost perpendicular passes could not attempt it with-
out the most imminent peril. The natives of the coun-
try, accustomed to these precipitous roads, supply the
place of animals, and show extraordinary skill and cou-
rage in carrying on their backs, not only burdens, but
men and women seated in chairs.

Buenaventura and its neighboiu-hood has the reputa-
tion of being damp and unhealthy. The country is sur-
rounded by high mountains, and the rain is incessant.
Dampier's description of it is as true as it is naif; he
says, "It is a very wet coast, and it rains abundantly

]fan'/i,

Ls|0.]

UrKNAVENTlH \

iiul ill-
broad ;
F saiul-
5 would
ds had
[Uid the
iich l)y
lis have
, in fact,
and the
}rnnicnt
t of the
nication
3S being
nication
on must
interior
|hcy are
eless in
1 to the
it with-
e coun-
[ply the
id cou-
bs, but

|reputa-

is sur-

kessant.

W; he

lidantly

here all tlie y^'^r long; then' are but few fair (hiys, for
there is Httle ditt'ereiu'e in the; seasons of the year, Im;-
tvveen the wet and tlie dry, only in that season which
should be the dry time the rains arc less frequent and
more moderate than in the wet season, for then it pours
as out of a sieve."

On the 3rd Mr. ITill, the master, landed to take observa-
tions for tune in a little bay near the curious rock called the
Vinda of St. Peter and St. Paul, and shot a curasson, tlu^
American turkey, weighing about nine pounds. WIumi
first seen this bird was pronounced a turkey buzzard,
and on lieing brought on })oard, a rush was made for tlu;
cooks to pronounce upon it. A favourable opinion having
been given, the dinner was ordered to be delayed, that
the seasonable arrival might be dressed. Considering
our short commons, Mr. Hill was voted unanimously
the thanks of the mess. Attempts have been made to
domesticate the bird in Europe, and from the ease with
which it is tamed it would probably not be difficult to
introduce so valuable an addition to the poultry-yard.

The Vinda, or look-out, of St. Peter and St. Paul, is
an islet, steep, rocky, and clothed with trees. There is a
narrow passage between it and the mainland, having four
fathoms water, but it is not likely to be used, nor from its
narrowness would it be desirable, more particularly as
vessels would have no reason for being so near the land.
Between the Wheatsheaf — as we styled it, or the Culo de
Barca, as the natives call it, a remarkable rock — and the
continent, there is no passage, even for a dingy, though it
stands at some little distance from the land ; reefs and a
breaking surf prevent a passage either by land or water.

VOL. 1. (i

li!/'^

:i' t'' 'J

THE VOYA(iK OV II. M.S. HKRALl). [^farc/t,

riio tides arc strong and irregular, a rise and fall of eight
fiu!t at tlu^ n(>a])s and twelve at the springs ; the ebb sets
to the south-west, and the flood to the east-iiorth-cast.

On tlic 7th we had a Buenaventura gale, a singles
rcHifed topsail and top-gallant brtieze, rather fresh, and
aceonipanied with heavy rain. After continuing for two
or three hours, it settled into a cahn, dull, miu-ky day,
hardly enabling us to work against the tide. The ship
tried to shift her Ixvrth more to the northward, but
being unable to do it, anchored about sunset to the
southward of the Negrillos, an awkward patch of rocks,
twelve miles west W. by N. J N. from the entrance to the
river. A part of that reef is always above water, and
there is a clear passage about three miles broad between
them and the Palmas Isles. On the 9th of March, the
rains being fast increasing formed a great drawback to
our work ; and having examined the coast as far as Point
Chirand)ira, it was deternnned to proceed to Panama.
The winds were contrary, generally from the northward,
with frequent cabiis. We made the land twice, — the first
time off Cape Corrientes, a high bliiff point, rising almost
perpendicularly from the sea, in lat. 5° 28' north, and
pointed out both from a north and south bearing by two
remarkable truncated pyramidal hills, one of which is
called the Dome, the other the Pyramid ; the second time
in the vicinity of Point Quemada, a bold bluff head-
land, so named by Pizarro, and distinguished as being
the place of his first encounter with the natives of South
A merica.

On the 23rd of March, in the morning, we made the
land about Punta Brava, in the Bay of Panama, and about

March,

1 S if).]

U.W OK PANAMA.

:)f eight
jbh sets
-cast.
I single
)sh, and
for two
rky (lay,
Che ship
ard, but
t to the
of rocks,
cc to the
atcr, and
between
arch, the
wback to
as Point
Panama.
)rthward,
-the first
ig ahiiost
irth, and
y by two
which is
»nd thne
iff head-
las being
of South

noon ob.s(Tved the island of (jinlera. VVe ran between it
and tlu! Pearl Islands, tluM'eby avoiding the Sail Jose bank,
which had not then been examined. At midnight it fell
calm, and we were obliged to anchor till daylight. The

ind

make but

continued ligl
tie [)rogrcss

and variable, and we were able to

Nowhere will steam h(\ more ap-

pr(;ciated than on this coast, and in this bay in particnlar.
About noon it again fell calm, and wi; anchored between
Chepillo and Taboguilla. Chepillo has been called the
pleasantest island in the bay, — perhaps from its nearnijss
to Panama. It is a fertih; level spot, abounding in fruits,
and more open to the breezes from the north-west than
Panama itself. On the 25th we at last reached the
anchorage off Flaminco Island, and about ten o'clock in
the evenhig receiviul onr letters, the first since lefiving
England.

lade the
lid about

'G 2

CIlArTKH V]

V' ;

City of I'ananin — lliiiiis of I'iiiiiiina Vicjo— 'I'lio islnnds of l''|jniiinro,
Taboga, and Taho^iiilla — Dcpartiin; for the Straits of Juan clc
l'\icn — Coyba — Death of semiicn — An Aiuurican vessel — Seaweed
— Cape T'lattery rocks.

Panama makes from tlic sea a tiiK; appoaraiicc. Tlic
clmrchcs, towiTs, and lioiiscs, sliovviiig al)0V(3 the line of
tlu! fortifications, stand out from tlie dark Itills inland
with an air of grandeur and pretension to which there is
no etpial on the west coast of Aijierica. It tells of diiys
when the church and the fort arose together, and ])0WTr
and dominion, both spiritual and temporal, went hand in
hand. We landed just before sunrise, always in the
tropics the most beautiful time of day, and at the height
of the si)ring tide, at the Monk's Gate, in the sea-front of
the fortification. The first building we came to was a
nunnery, with a wide receding doorway and a turning
cupboard for maintaining communication without seeing
with whom. The Callc Real, in which the convent is
situated, is a respectable street, running east and west*
and having a quiet, stately, comfortless air. The clumsy

1840.

CITY OK PANAMA.

s.-)

lo was a

halcouics in the upper stories are l)iit little relieved l»y
the mij^lazed j^rated windows, the plain doorways on the
ground-floor, l)y any variety in the ])uildinj^s, or by the
open sliop-windows to which English cities owe so nmch
of their gay appearance.

Panama has several buildings which should be noticed.
Tiic Jesuits' College in particular, though not completed,
is worth seeing, ami evidently bears witness to the staid
and sober magniticence with which that order ever con-
structed their public edifices. Luna itself has not a
building so perfect in design, chaste and fhiished in detail
and execution, as this half-completed yet ruinous pile.
The church unroofed is a garden and poultry-yard, the
great court a barrack for soldiers ; the beautiful facade
of the south front is blocked up with sheds and ill-built
cottages. If completed, it vvoidd have been a vast edi-
fice. Over the principal gateway is the date 1758, only
Kfteen years before the Order was abolished by Po[)e
Clement XIV., and over the chm'ch-door is their famous
motto, all but defaced and torn down, — " In nomhie
Jesu omne genu flectatur."

Another edifice in ruins attracted our attention ; it
had been a church, but little more than the four walls
remained, and the area was filled with the orange, banana,
pomegranate, and cocoa-nut palm. Two large and rich-
toned bells were just elevated off the ground, and a flat
arch of very peciUiar construction, having the least possi-
ble aniouni of upward curve, were the chief objects of
interest. The span of the arch, apparently as firm as
when first built, was forty feet. The nunnery of Santa
Clara, the tower of which, although in ruins, still over-

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[Jpril,

looks the north-cast bastion, is turned into stables ; and
of the eight parochial churches and thirty chapels which
the city was once said to contain, only six besides the
cathedral icmain. The cathedi'al is a large, lofty build-
ing, on the west side of the Plaza : its situation is an
admirable onej but the structure is not w^orthy of it,
being a large rambling edifice, of bastard Italian style,
in very bad taste both inside and out, — gaudy tinsel,
and pretension without elegance. The towers are large
and lofty, redeeming it from insignificance ; but although
imposing, and an ornament to the city from a tlistance,
they are by no means well proportioned.

We found the streets gloomy and the houses dirty ;
the wooden balconies and the unglazed windows preva-
lent. Yet the town is European in its aspect, and there
is a solidity, an air of having seen better days about
the place, that made it, as a whole, not displeasing to us,
accustomed as we had been to the make-shift temporary
buildings, and mean, paltry houses, in all the towns on
the coast. The fortifications art; admirably constructed,
but in many parts completely ruined. The north-east
bastion has fallen down within the last few years ; the
south and west ramparts are still in good condition,
affording delightful walks, and displaying some fine spe-
cimens of ordnance in thirty-two-pounder brass guns,
bearing the royal arms of Spain and the date "1773,
Anno XVII., 1779, Anno xxiii., CaroH III. Rex Hispa-
niae et Ind." These were from the arsenals of Barcelona
and Carthagena. " Tcmpora mutantiir' one may say at
every step.

The best view of Parinvna is gained from the hill of

1846.]

PANAMA VIEJO.

Ancon, behind the town. St. Lawrence shoukl be the
patron sahit of the city, for its sha})e much resembles a
gridiron, the part outside forming the handle. Tlie city,
that part ^vithin the walls, is called San Felipe; it is
nearly square, and surrounded by the sea. The suburb,
or Santa Ana, is almost as extensive as the city itself,
though not so well built. The markets make a fair dis-
play; one is held close to the Watergate, in a narrow
inconvenient shed, which however they were about be-
ginning to rebuild. The landing at this gate is bad,
even at high water ; but at ebb-tide it is execrable,
which is the more provoking because a natiu'al pier, or
the foundation of it, is ready made in the extensive
reefs lying nearly half a mile east and south-east of the
ramparts. The most extensive market, however, is held
in the suburbs; the supply of vegetables, fruit, grain,
and fish is generally very good. Eggs are plentiful,
poultry not so much so, and the meat is of inferior
quality.

On the 11th of April we rode over to the ruins of
Panama Viejo, the town destroyed by Sir Henry Mor-
gan, the buccaneer, in the year 1673. The Spaniards,
however, say that they had been before weary of the
place, and had determined to leave it on account of its
having no harbour. Certainly the new site is in every
respect superior, and they had reason on their side in
being weary of it on account of the bad landing. An
extensive mud-flat renders it impracticable at ebb-tide ;
and at high water, from its extreme shallowness, it is
very inconvenient. The spot is now deserted, and it
is necessar}' to have a guide, a pracHco, to find it. A

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[JprU,

I ('.pt;|

tower, well and solidly constructed, is lis firm as when
first built. An arch, two or three piers of a bridge, and
some fragments of a w all, and a chapel, are the only other
remains to be found. The spot is hardly ever visited,
except by foreigners. Flat hills, and copses of wood ;
savanas, — that beautiful word, which alw ays seems to ex-
press more than it actually means, is very appropriate
here ; — grassy slopes, loshig themselves in wild thickets,
or in w ooded glades, where the trees stand as in a park,
make the neighbourhood of Panama very pleasing. But
roads are wanting, and in the wet season, which more or
less comprises two-thirds, and very nearly three-fourths,
of the year, the country is almost im})assable, and will con-
tinue so until some great improvement is made in drain-
ing, and in the formation of the roads, wdiich, constructed
as they are at present, without suitable regard to soil or
foundation, and with no means of carrying oft' the tor-
rents which occasionally flood them, cannot be expected
to last very long.

For the last few years the Admiralty have occupied
a store on Flaminco Island, in which we found our })ro-
visions. Flaminco is a pleasant spot, and almost a i)yra-
mid in shape. The only flat is on the north-east side,
where a Mr. Dawson, a Russian, expecting that they
would be permanently occupied by the Government, has
erected several houses and sheds. It is not however
convenient, either for landing or bringing off heavy stores
at any time, except at the top of high water, and even
then it is difficult. Taboga is two miles long to north-
west and east-south-cast, and does not average one mile
in l)readtli ; its highest hill, the south-east peak, is,

iiiNi!!!':

1840.]

DEPARTUKK FOR JUAN UK FUCA.

according to barometrical incasurcmcnt, 935 feet above
the level of the sea. The island, though rocky, is fertile,
and, considering its size, as delightful a spot as ran })e
found. The people are kind and obliging, and have
many of those good qualities in which the milder races
of southern climes appear to excel, — those qualities which
go so far towards making life agreeable and smoothing
its rugged path. The Taboga briques, which are little
more than large and clumsy canoes, go daily with the
tide to Panama, laden with eggs, fowls, i)igs, yams,
bananas, camotes, and pine-apples. Taboguilla, the
neighbouring island, is similar to Taboga, by whose in-
habitants it is partially cultivated. The island is 7l()
feet above the sea, and has little level ground, except at
the summit.

We now made preparations for our voyage to the
Straits of Juan de Fuca, and received three bullocks on
l)oard. The respective weights were 196 lbs., 2GS lbs.,
and 201 lbs., which will give a fair notion of the small
size and poor condition of the animals generally met with
on this coast. On the 16th of April, 1846, we departed,
and at noon, with a fresh northerly breeze, ran out of
the Bay of Panama, going seven or eight knots an hour.
This was an unhoped-for piece of good fortune, as the
bay is remarkable for baffling winds and calms, and ships
are often as many as six days before clearing Punta Mala.
On the 18tli, about noon, the Pandora was struck by a
waterspout. She was about four miles and a half from
us, north-east. A squall of wind and rain took us from
south-west, and when it reached her a waterspout de-
scended and ra})idly a})proaclied. Lieutenant Wood

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[April,

*•:

I*;. I
Ik :

I':

describes it as gyrating from left to right, — an observa-
tion of some interest, coinciding as it does with the ro-
tatory motion of the hm-ricane-storms in the northern
hemisphere, — that is, from east to west, round by the
north. The column of water was about thirty feet in
diameter at the base, small in the centre, and crooked in
its direction or elevation. It broke before it struck the
vessel, but again united, and then took her aback, and
gave her a shower of salt water. The precaution of
covering the hatchways having been taken, no incon-
venience was experienced. The barometer, standing at
thirty inches, was not affected, and the breeze returned
to south-west soon afterwards.

Quibo or Coyboa, which we now approached, has been
noticed from the earliest times. Dampier, who visited it
ill 1085, says, "It is extremely convenient for woodhig
and watering ; a rapid stream runs into the sea, with a
sandy beach, on which boats land with ease, while large
trees grow close to the water's edge." In December,
1742, Anson, in the Centurion,, completed his supplies
of wood and water here in two days.

Light, variable winds, calms, occasional squalls or
puffs, for they were not heavy, with a pretty good quan-
tmii of rain, thunder, and lightning — so vivid and close,
that again and again we thanked Sir William Snow
Harris for his invaluable conductors, — formed our wea-
ther for many days. On the 25th of April we appeared
to be among opposing currents, ripples, freshes, and a
general disturbance or irregular motion in the surface
of the water. At nine a.m. we were watching an eclipse
of the sun ; it lasted nearly three hours, and, although

lii'i.^'

184G.J

DEATH OF SEAMEN.

111 con-

only partial, it had a considerable effect on the heat and
light.

On the 23rd of April, William Murphy, quaiter-nias-
ter, died from fever and a variety of chronic complaints,
which the trying cUinate of the last few months had
brought to a crisis ; and on the 1st of May, Frederick
Brandt, A.B. Both were old, as seamen's lives go, —
fifty years or upwards. The climate, though perhaps
aiding their death, certahily did not cause it. A few
days afterwards, on the 13tli of May, a third death
occurred — that of James Cook, our rope-maker. The
beautiful service for the dead appears more impressive
at sea than in other situations. The silence within the
ship, disturbed by nothing but the slow tolling of the
bell, — the attentive and even pious demeanour of the
men, — the unmarked spot in which the body is com-
mitted to the deep, — seem to shadow forth the un-
known and illimitable eternity far more than the most
solemn pageantry on land.

On the 16th of May, in 10° north and 100° 39' west,
we fell in with the first spirit of the trade-wind ; it sprang
up in the forenoon, first from north-north-west, then it
failed again for about an hour, but before sunset came
fresh and steady, varying between north-north-east and
east-north-east J its general direction being north-north-
east. On the 24th of May, in 12° north and 116° 42'
west, we experienced a decrease in the temperature ; the
thermometer stood at 77° and 78°; but the change from
86° and 88° seemed to us immense — it was a new cli-
mate. The nights began to be more cloudy j strong
breezes, with a head sea, roused us as well as the change

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[Jtmt',

■Ai

ft?;-

of tcinperaturc. The Pandora caught occasionally sonic
bonita, but we were not so fortunate*.

On the morning of the 3rd of June we passed the
tropic of Cancer in 130° west. On the previous day
the sun was vertical, and the weather seemed cooler
the nearer we approached it. This has freciuently been
noticed, and is analogous in some measure to the dis-
tribution of heat dmng the day : the highest degree of
temperature is generally not observed at noon, but about
two P.M. On the 4th we had a sort of epitome of the
weather dming the passage ; calm, light winds, and fresh
breezes succeedhig each other. A giant petrel was shot
and picked up. The down and feathers of the breast
of this bii'd were extraorduiarily thick, adapted, one
would imagine, more for arctic than tropical regions. It
weighed about six pounds, and measured, from wing to
wing, ten feet.

On the 7th of June, in the forenoon, a sail was re-
ported — the first we had seen since leaving Panama.
Pier movements caused some intcjrest. We were on the

i' ■-?■;

rii , i

' %.'b

* On the 12th of May, 9° north, 97° west, we tried for soundings,
and obtained the following results : —

At 500 fathoms, U° Fahrenheit.

Surface 87".
J, Tcuiperature of air, 84".

,, Barometer, 30' 04 inches.

400

300

200

100

A plate seen at 22 fathoms dcptii.

1 1'. 1

1S40.J

AMKRTCAN VKSSKT-.

!):^

starboard and slic on the opposite tack, vvlun, perceiving
lis, she hauled the niainsnil up, took top-gallant sails and
royals in, and dodged about, as if waiting for us, having
nn American ensign and pendant with a signal flying.
However, about noon, when still hull down, she made
sail, and, being the better sailer, soon left us behind.
She was probably waiting for her consort, or iniagincMl
us to l)elong to her squadron, and as soon as the mistake
was discovered, thought it not worth while to waste more
time. Our heads were full of the American war, in conse-
(juence of the dispute about the Oregon territory, which
no doubt aided the interest felt in seeing a sail for the
first time durnig a long and tedious voyage.

On the 12th of June, in lat. 33° north, long. 140°
west, we considered that the trade -wind failed us. It
had not been very propitious, but moderate and fine.
The wind, varying between south-south-west and west,
carried us to the northward. The temperatiu'e ra})idly
decreased, which braced us up more sharply than was
altogether pleasant, living as we had been in a sort of
warm bath for six months.

On the 23rd of June, in lat. 47° 21' N., we passed a
shoal of porpoises, a flock of quebrante-huesos (bone-
breakers), and complete trees of kelp, the stems of some
being four inches in diameter. Captain Cook met with
seaweed of an extraordinary size about the same latitude.
At daylight on the 24th we found ourselves off Cape
Flattery rocks ; and thus, after a seventy days' passage
without seeing land, was our voyage concluded ; yet,
thanks to our admirable chronometers, we made the
land within a mile, — a nicety of calculation which in

THE VOYAOE OF H.M.R. HKHALD.

[J,

une.

it!'

ft''

I: Ml"

these days is not much to boast of, being performed by
three-fourths of the vessels of England and America, as
well as France and Holland ; but looking back thirty or
forty years, the change is immense*.

* On the Gth of June, Int. 26° 38' north, long. 133° 20' west, we
tried for soundings with the following depths and temperatures : —
At 500 fathoms, 43° Fahrenheit.

400

44-6

Surface, 71°.

300

4(5

Air, 70°.

200

Barometer 3019 inehes

100

64-5

»>

On the 20th of June, lat. 45° 30' north, long. 133° west, the tem-
perature was, at the depth of

500 fathoms, 42° Fahrenheit.

400

Surfaec, 52°.

300

Air, 51°.

200

Barometer 30*24 inches

100

hh^i'.-'

yiif

CHAPTER VII.

(Jape Flattery rocks — Tatoochc Island — Indians — Entrance into tlu;
Straits of Juan dc Fuca — Historical notice — Port Victoria — Har-
bour of Es(iuimalt — Fort of Victoria — Port Discovery — Towns-
hend — New Dungencss — Quadra's and Vancouver's Island — Mace
Islands — Neagh Bay — Departure for the South.

Cape Flattery rocks arc three in number, the northern-
most of which is a white barren mass, the others are
wooded. The Cape was named by Cook in 1778, from
its presenting at a distance the entrance of a safe port,
which, on a near approach, proved to be deceptive ; it is
three or four leagues to the southward of Cape Classet, a
steep and abrupt promontory, beyond which the coast
rises considerably in hills covered with wood. Off Cape
Classet hes Tatooche Island, which, having no trees,
forms a great contrast to the mainland. The shores are
lined with rocks in curious shape, with edges as sharp
as if in a newly-cut quarry. The island is divided into
two parts, and covered with houses. We went outside
Duncan Rock*, though there is a deep water passage be-

* Duncan Rock, so named by Vancouver, from the officer who dis-
covered it, must not be omitted in describing our entrance into the

THK VOYACK OF H.M.S. IIKHAM).

[•hnic,

I! ' ''

twcen it and the isljuul, hut nothing would be gained In-
trying it ; and if l)affk'd aa we were shortly afterwards
witli liglit winds and calms, a ship is a groat deal better
outsider all*.

From a cove, which nearly divides the island into two
parts, and seems to have been formed by art with some
view of protecting them from the winter storms, a gn^at
many Indians came off to us in their canoes. They boarded
us without the least fear, and we had some difficulty in
preventing more from coming than would have been
agreeable. Their dress consisted of a blanket thrown
loosely round the body, — so loosely indeed, that on many
occasions it certainly did not answer the purposes in-
tended. They managed their canoes with great skill,
seemed good-humoured and friendly, holding up fish,
skins, etc., to trade with.

We ran into the straits with a fresh westerly breeze,
and were surrounded by numberless canoes, the natives
vociferating in their extraordinary drawling tones, ex-
pressions of surprise, delight, or .annoyance, as they were
allowed to come to or were kept away from the ship.

h !. ■ ■ ' i:

straits of Juan de Fuca. It is only just clear of the water's edge, and
the surf beats heavily on it with any wind ; from the north-west ex-
treme of Classet Island it bears north 21°, east (true), ^ mile distant.
There is a ledge to the northward, which must be avoided. Between
Duncan Rock and Tatooche Island, as well as between the latter and
the main, there is a clear passage. The latter is less than half a mile
broad, and there are rocks a cable-length south-east of the island ; the
former is broader, and has deep water ; but it is better, unless with a
leading wind, and plenty of it, to give both a wide berth, and go to the
northward.

* Captain Kellett discovered a rock, which dries at low water, bear-
ing from Duncan Rock north 45°, east (true), two miles distant.

[JtfNC,

\>M).

KNTHANCK INTO IIIK srUM'I'.S.

1)7

:orwnr(ls
III better

into two
itli some
, u grcmt
boarded
iculty in
ivc been
; thrown
on many
30ses in-

eat skill,
up fish,

y breeze,
natives
mes, cx-
ley were
he ship.

edge, and
Ih-west ex-
ile distant.
Between
[latter and
half a mile
iland; the
33S with a
go to the

iter, bear-
mt.

The breeze tailed iis as we jj;ot two or tlwcc miles within
the strait ; l)Ut just as we wen; drii'liii<^ out ai^^aiii will)
a stron*^ tide, a light air iiiahled us to stem it, and }j;et
into Xea^ili IJav, i'onr miles inside 'iatooelie Island.
Letting go the anehor, and the ('ontii\ued action of the
chain rattling throngh the hawse, excited the attention of
the natives in a high degree ; their hallooing almost ovi-r-
eame the noise. The conntry around our anchorage was
rather pretty. Ihit an uninhabited, uncultivated coun-
try is always wanting in one grand attribute; of the pic-
turesque — the industry of man. 'i'he country, though
far from being uninhabited, was certainly th'stitute in this
res[)ect. Houses, cleju'cd land, and symptoms of atten-
tion and labour, wonderfully im[)rove a laiulscape.

The Straits of .Juan de Fuca appear to have been first
visited in the latter part of the sixteenth century. A
Ce})halonian pilot or shi})master, Apostolos \'nlerian, who,
in compliance with the custom of that age, took, on
entering the service of Spahi, a new name, that of Juan
de Fuca, sailed under the auspices of the Viceroy of
Mexico from Acapulco in the year 1592, to discover tlu;
long-talked-of passage conneethig the Atlantic and Pacitie
Oceans, a passage still searched for. There is little doubt
from his latitude that he entered these straits ; but his
rambling account and the habit of making sup[)()sition a
groundwork for fact — a habit, by the way, the world is not
even yet cpiite clear of — have caused him to be treated as
an impostor. Judging from the want of knowledge exist-
ing in those days, we can imagine the excitenumt and hope
caused on entering this noble hdet, nearly a hundred miles
long, averaghig ten or fifteen in breadth, diverging north

VOL. I. il

'If

<)H

TIIK VOVAdK Ol" II.M.H. HKIIALD.

[June,

:-.3i

niid sonlli into (1('(>|) and .Mj)|)!ir(Mitly endless elmiiiiels.
h(!iii^e()iitiniiMlly in sipjlit ot" linid, Juan de Kuca i)n)l)al)ly
overrated his distance, and finding his way once niore
into the open sea to tlie northward of wliat is now called
Quadra's and Vancouver's Island, he doul)tlcss imagined
that he had solved the problt'ni, and returned to solicit
in vain the reward for his discovery, — a discovery which,
even as he himself related it, nuist in those times have
appeared probable, from the belief then universally pre-
vailing, that America on the north as on the south was
terminated ])y a promontory. It was this belief which
encouraged those persevering and ar(bious attempts in
search of a north-west passage. 1 lad the actual forma-
tion of these regions becui understood, the early voyagers,
daring as they were, might have been deterred from so
vast an undertaking. In this case, as in otliers, weak-
ness proves strength. Animated by hope and energy,
man goes on, seeking perhaps a chimera, but discovering
realities which surpass what he imagined.

After Juan de Fuca's voyagp, the coast appears to
have been neglected for nearly 200 years. Cook's geo-
gra})hical discoveries, with exaggerated reports of the
value of the furs procured by the crews of the Resolu-
tion and Discovery, again directed to it the attention of
the commercial world. Several voyages from Bombay
and Bengal preceded that of Meares, who in 178()
wintered in Prince William's Sound, where, in the
Nootka, a small vessel of 200 tons, unprepared for such
inclement service, he and his crcAV endured all the mise-
ries that cold, sickness, and insufficient food and shelter
can be supposed to produce ; and out of a crew of forty

[June,

IS.M5.

IIISTOHK \l. NOTICK.

•lumiuils.
[)r(>l)iil)Iy
ice iiion;
)W called
imagined
to solicit
:y which,
lies have
sally pre-
outh was
Let' wliich
einpts in
al foniia-
voyagers,
I from so
;rs, weak-
d energy,
scovering

)])ears to

9k' s geo-

s of the

Resolu-

mtion of

Bombay

in 1786

in the

for such

;he mise-

sheltcr

of forty

l']uroi)eans and ten Lascars he huried twenty-tlifei- during
this wretched winti-r. In IT'^S he made a second niort;
successful voyage, and parti;illy explored tlie Straits of
Juan de JMica. lie conimnnM uted with the inliahitants,
and gave iiineli information about their savage and tilthy
habits, and the valnal)le >^kins tla-y had to dispose of.
It is from Meares that wv. ha\e tlu; nanu! of the island at
the entrance of the strait ; Tatooehe was the chief of it
and the country to the southward. I [is (li!seripti()ii of the
natives is unfavourabU', and of Tatooehe in particular he
says, **he was the most surly and forbidding character
we had yet seen." Portlock and Dixon, ('oliiett and
Duncan also gained considerabh; knowledge of these
coasts, although, generally speaking, it was of the more
northern parts*. No accurate information li()W(;ver
beguis previous to Vancouver, who, in 1702, -3, and -4,
examined the whole with scientific accuracy. His work
is still referred to for its agreeable truthfulness, and must
ever be valued as an excellent chronicle of the savage
tribes of the country, as wh'11 as a faithful guide to the
travciller and navigator.

On the 24th of June we stood up the straits with a
light westerly breeze. At eight o'clock we observed a
steam-vessel, the Cormorant, which had been ordered to
take us in tow, and lugged us up about sixty or seventy
miles, until we had passed Port Victoria. Our knowledge
of the place not extending beyond Vancouver's iiifor-

* The Spaniards also, during the viceroyalty of Bucarelli, a.d. 1775,
sent an expedition to examine the coast from Cape Mendocino j but they
advanced no further than 57° north, and their discoveries are neitlier
accurate nor satisfactory.

n ,t>

lUO

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[Jff///,

ll f

Illation, we did not know where to look for the Hudson's
Bay C'onipany's settlement. An Enghsh merchant-ship
showed her colours when we were near the port, and tluj
marks for the buoy rock were also seen ; but the latter
were taken for native signal-posts and little attended to.
Numbers of canoes loaded with fish were met witli, and
we were soon feasting on as fine sahnon as could be
found in Billingsgate. After a seventy d.iys' passage it
was most acceptable to the ship's company, — indeed to
us all, if we may judge by the way the huge dishes of
fried sahnon disappeared.

The Cormorant towed us at the rate of seven knots an
hour, but the wind was aft, the water was smooth, and
we had all plain sail set. In the afternoon it grew thick,
and drizzling rain and mist came on, so that not knowing
om' port we stood as far as we could go to the eastward,
and in the evening came to an anchor in the Canal de
Haro, about half a mile from the shore. On the 27th
drizzling rain and light wind continued, and made the
Cormorant's steam-power very, serviceable. She towed
us back again, with the Pandora astern of us. At
seven a.m. we observed Port Victoria, the Hudson's Bay
settlement, dignified with the name of Fort, and were
soo'^ at anchor.

In the afternoon, a strong north-east breeze having
sprung up, and clearing off" the misty hazy weather which
we had had for three days, the snowy peaks of Mounts
Rainier, Baker, and Olympus shone out in splendour.
It continued fine, with a southerly wind until the 1st of
July, when an easterly wind brought cloudy gloomy
weather. A south-wx^st breeze followed so strong that

[ludsoii's
liant-sliip
, and tluj
;lie latter
Glided to.
with, and
could be
)assage it
indeed to
dishes of

knots an

ooth, and

rew thick,

. knowing

eastward,

Canal de

the 27th

nade the

le towed

us. At

on's Bay

md were

B having
ler which
[ Mounts
)lendour.

le 1st of
gloomy

ong that

1840. J

MARHOIK OF KSQLl M ALT

101

tlie bo.'its were una )le to go on with the sounding. On
the 2nd the wind went down, and remained moderate
diu'ing our stay, but the sky was cloudy, almost gloomy,
and the sun was rarelv seen, which was no doubt attri-
butable to the vicinity of the mountains.

The harbour of Victoria is little more than a winding
and intricate creek ; l)ut three mikis to the westward is
Esquinialt, a very good one, of which the Pandora after-
wards made an accurate survey. Although the entrance
of the latter is less than a quarter of a mile wide, yet the
d(>pth of water is so convenient that there would be
no difficulty in warping a vessel in, and then the most
perfect little harbour opens out. The first bay on the
right hand going in is slieltered from every wind, and
has a de})th from five to seven fathoms within a hundred
yards of the shore. Victoria may be the ftirni, but
Ksquimalt will be the trading port. At present, however,
subsistence being the chief object, Victoria no doubt is
the most advantageous site for the settlement.

There appears to ho a want of fresh water in this har-
bour as well as at Victoria. Boring has been tried in the
fort at Vancouver, but at present without success, and the
Avhole of the south coast of Vancouver may be expected
to be deficient in this respect. However, science will
easily overcome this difficulty by pointing out where
Artesian wells may be made with advantage.

The Hudson's Bay Company selected Victoria from the
excellent natiu-e of the soil, and, anticipating the surrender
of the Oregon territory to the United States, intended to
make it their chief settlement on this coast. In w^alking
from Ogden Point round to Fort Victoria, a distance of

102

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[July,

I EM;

little more than a iiiilc, we thought we had never seen
a more beautiful country ; it quite exceeded our expec-
tation ; and yet Vancouver's descriptions made us look
for something beyond common scenery. It is a natural
park ; noble oaks and ferns are seen in the greatest luxu-
riance, thickets of the hazel and the willow, shrubberies
of the poplar and the alder, are dotted about. One
could hardly believe that this was not the work of art ;
more particularly when finding signs of cultivation in
every direction, enclosed pasture-land, fields of wheat,
potatoes, and turnips. Civilization had encroached upon
the beautiful domain, and the savage could no longer exist
in the filth and indolence of mere animal life. The
prospect is cheering, the change gladdening ; for after
making every allowance for the crimes of civilization,
still man in a savage state exists in all his grossness, and
in more than all his grossness. While nature has im-
parted to most animals a desire of cleanliness, unciviUzed
man, with all the intelligence, ingenuity, cunning, and
skill of his class, seems in general to be uncleanly, to
revel in filth.

The fort of Victoria was founded in 1843, and stands
on the east shore of the harbour, or rather creek, about
a mile from the entrance. The approach is pretty by
nature, though somewhat rude by art. The first place
we came to was the dairy, an establishment of great im-
portance to the fort, milk being their principal drink ;
the rules of the company in a great measure debarring
the use of wine and spirits. The attendants are generally
half-caste. We were astonished at all w^e saw. About
U)0 acres are cidtivated with oats, wheat, potatoes, tur-

\July,

1840.]

FORT OF VICTORIA.

103

lever seen
►ur expec-
e us look

a natural
,test luxu-
irubbcries
ut. One
rk of art ;
Lvation in
of wheat,
3lied upon
nger exist
ife. The

for after
vilization,
^ness, and
has im-
ncivilized

ing, and
|leanly, to

id stands
ik, about
)retty by
Irst place
;reat im-
11 drink;
[ebarring
generally
About
Iocs, tur-

f--!
#

'it

nips, caiTots, and other vcg( tables, and every day more
land is converted into tield.s. Bin-ely three years had
elnpsed since the settlement was made, yet all the ner'cs-
saries and most of the comforts of civilized life already
existed in what was a wilderness. The com|)any, when
forming an establishment such as Victoria, provide the
party with food for the first year, and necessary seed for
the forthcoming season ; after that time it is expected that
the settlements will provide completely for their future
subsistence. Of course the settlers have maiiv facilities,
— the fertility of a virgin soil, an abundant su})})ly of the
best seed, and that great indncement to industry, the de-
sire of independence, and the assurance, almost amount-
ing to certainty, that success will attend their endeavours.
The fort itself is a square enclosiu'e, stockaded with
poles about twenty feet high and eight or ten inches in
diameter, placed close together, and secured with a cross
piece of nearly e(pial size. At the transverse corners of
the square there are strong octagonal towers, mounted
with four nine-pounder gmis, flanking each side, so that
an attack by savages would be out of the question ; and,
if defended with spirit, a disci})lined force without artil-
lery would find considerable difficulty in forcing the de-
fences. The square is about 120 yards ; but an increase,
which will nearly double its length from north to south, is
contemplated. The building is even now, though plain to
a fault, imposing from its mass or extent, while the bas-
tions or towers diminish the tameness which its regidar
outhne would otherwise produce. The interior is occu-
pied by the officers' houses, — or apartments, they should
rather be called, — stores, and a trading-house, in which

104

THK VOY.\(iK OF H.M.S. IIKHALI).

[//////,

>■;;'■■

'■■'•■ \

ii:.

small T l)nrp:ains nrc concluded, and tools, agricidtural
ini])l('i lents, blankets, sliaAvls, beads, and all the multifa-
rious products of Sheffield, Birniingliant, Manchester, and
Leeds, are oft'ered at exorbitant ])rices. There being no
competition, the conn)any has it all its own way. it does
not profess to supply the public ; indeed, although it
does not object to sell to ])eople situated as we were, yet
th(^ stores are for the trade in furs, to supply the native
hunters with the goods which they most value, as also
for the use of its owu de})en(lants, who, receiving little
pay, are usually in debt to the company, and are there-
fore nuich in its power. In fact, the people employed
arc rarely those to whom returning home is an object ;
they have mostly been taken from poverty, and have at
all events food and clothing. The work is hard, but
with health and strength this is a blessing rather than
otherwise. Want of white women appears to be the
drawback to this ])rospect of success, and generally leads
to connections with the natives, from which spring half-
castes, who, from the specimens mt saw, appear to in-
herit the vices of both races ; they are active and shrewd,
but violent and coarse, while neither their education nor
condnct admits them into the society of the European
settlers. This must engender a bad state of feeling,
and might be remedied by taking more pains with the
education and training of these hardy and enterprising,
jet more than half brutalized people. We felt quite dis-
gusted in seeing one of these half-castes, bearing as good
a name as any in Scotland, beating and kicking a score
of Indians out of the fort, with as little compunction as
if they had been dogs, scorning them as natives, though

\Jl(1}l,

1840.]

POLICY TOWARDS THE INDIANS.

105

jriciiltural
multifa-
estcr, and
being no
J : it docs
thondi it
were, vet
he native
?, as also
'ing little
u'e there-
employed
,n object ;
d have at
liard, but
ther than

be the
allv leads

ing half-
ar to in-
shre^vd,
tion nor
European
feeling,

1 with the
Irprising,
luite dis-

as good
a score

ktion as
though

■I

his mother had b(>en taken from one of their tribe and
liad been no more educated than thev were.

j\lr. Finlayson, the gentleman in charge of the esta-
bhshnient, appears to be an intelligent man, who by
p(U'severance and a uniform system of adhering to his
word and offering stated prices in barter, never receding
or offerhig less, seems to have succeeded in impressing
the natives with a considerable degree of resj)ect for
himself and the fort. Only one brush has the company
had with the Indians, but it ended in a dav or two :
the gates of the fort having been closed, a nine-pounder
tired several times to show what could be done, and
judicious and conciliatory advances made to the chief,
the peaceable intercourse — from which sprang blank(>ts,
hatchets, knives, fish-hooks, and harpoons — was speedily
re-established.

On the opposite side of the harbour is a large native
village ; the distance across is only 400 yards, and canoes
keep up a constant coinnmnication betw^een it and the
fort. Certain supplies to the chiefs keep them in
good humour with their intruding visitors. Although
all is not done that might be effected, yet some good
must result even from this intercourse. The present
generation will not change, but their descendants may
do so, and improvement will be the consequence. The
houses are dirty in the extreme, and the odour with
wdiich they are infested almost forbids close examination ;
but they are built with solidity, the climate rendering it
necessary to guard against the cold, — and arranged with
some degree of order in streets or lanes with passages
running up between them. Several families occupy the

, V,

100

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

\July,

:! ! •

Mv I

same house — one large shed, Uttle better than an open
cow-house or stable in an indifferent inn, the compart-
ments or walls hardly excluding the sight of one family
from another. There are chests and boxes rudely made,
in which blankets, Tars, and smaller fishing gear are kept;
indeed the natives seem to resemble their forefathers, as
Captain Cook describes them, as much as it is possible
for one set of men to resemble another.

On the 4th of July we heard that a miu-der had been
committed on the chief of Neagh Bay, who called himself
King George. This man came on board the Herald
when we were off Tatooche Island and remained a night ;
he left early the next morning, and a few days afterwards
we saw him at Fort Victoria, bargaining about a sea-otter
skin, for which he received eight blankets. On his way
home he was waylaid by some Chinooks, who had
witnessed the bartering, and either shot or stabbed him.
He had doubtless in his time played many tricks of the
same kind as that to which he now fell a victim ; they
usually act aixd ^'eact one upqn the other. This King
George, when visiting us, was accompanied by an Ame-
rican seaman, who lived among the Indians, and had, in
short, become one of them ; we understood that he was in
little repute in the tribe, and was or had been a slave,
and that, after effecting his escape, he had returned
once more to the abominable filthy mode of life. To
what a depth of degradation must that man be reduced,
who, bred up in the poorest ranks of civiUzation, volun-
tarily resumes the habits of a savage ! We imagine it
to be, and no doubt it is so ; nevertheless it is not un-
comimon. It takes an age to raise the savage one step in

' li

[July,

1840.]

PORT DISCOVERY

107

,n an o])cn
D coinpart-
onc family
dely made,
r arc kept;
^fathers, as
is possible

r had been

[led liiinself

;he Herald

)d a night ;

afterwards

a sea-otter

)n his way

who had

ibbed him.

cks of the

tim; they

friiis King

an Anie-

^d had, in

he was in

a slave,

returned

life. To

reduced,

)n, volun-

|magine it

not uh-

le step in

%
I

the scale of humanity, but civilized man often sinks sud-
denly into the bestiality seen among these tribes.

Having finished our survey of Port Victoria and its
vicinity, we stood across the straits for Port Discovery.
This excellent and commodious harboiu*, named by Van-
couver after his ship, has only one fault, the depth of
the water being rather too great. Protection Island, as
it is aptly termed, forms a breakwater, and a vessel in
any part of it is completely landlocked. Vancouver has
described it so well that there is little to add. Several
streams of good water fall into it, the holding ground is
very good, the shores are generally steep, and there is no
danger in working in or out. A few ruined villages and
burial-places are seen on the shore; and the pathless
woods, preventing in almost every direction any ingress
into the country, render the scene rather monotonous.
At the time of our visit, too, the trees were one mass of
uniform green ; had it been autumn we should have en-
joyed all those diversified colom's of the foliage so charac-
teristic of a North American forest — the sombre brown,
the light yellow, and the bright scarlet.

Few natives visited us at this place ; they prefer, it
would seem, the outer coast, as being nearer the fishing-
ground. Those w^e came in contact with were friendly,
and brought abundant supplies of salmon. They are
fully aware of what a man-of-war is, and, if goodwill
had been wanting, our numbers would have deterred
them from hostility. Finnness, showing that one is pre-
pared to resist encroachment, and at the same time con-
ciliatory conduct in little things, and taking care to be
just in all transactions of barter, will always overawe and

1()S

TIIK VOYAGK OF H.M.S. HERAJil).

/////,

iiidurc thcTii to behave properly. Tlicy arc great beg-
gars, and, except sahnon, have little to offer in exchange.
Their vociferations are hulicrons in the extreme : " Jack
you patlach me shirt," " Makook salmon," *' Clooosh
salmon," " Waake jacket," are specimens of them. * Pat-
lach ' is give; 'makook,' buy; 'clooosh,' very good; and
' waAke,' very bad. If something very old and bad is
offered, they turn it over with scorn, pronouncing it to be
' pceshaaak,' a term of contempt and reproach, for which
they seem to have a great aversion if applied to them-
selves. Although the women arc said to be not much con-
sidered, and have to do a great deal of drudgery, yet we
observed that before concluding any bargain their opinion
was always final. In barter, knives, hatchets, clothes of
all kinds, if not too old and if free from holes, arc valued.
They sometimes ask for ' muk-a-muk,' something to eat,
and oftener for 't-chuckk,' something to drink. *Pill-pill,'
or vermilion paint, and ' pullale,' or gunpowder, are also
in request. They display considerable ingenuity in
making arrows, fish-hooks, grotesquely carved figures,
masks, and, from the gut of the whale and deer, ropes.
Their canoes are quite symmetrical, and we saw one forty
feet long and fom* broad ; they are hollow^ed out with
an iron instrument fitting into a handle, something like
a cooper's adze. The wood is first charred, and then
worked away with this gouge sort of chisel adze. The
curious process of flattening the foreheads is practised
by all the tribes we saw.

On the 13th of July we anchored in Port Townshend.
The distance between the latter and Port Discovery by
sea is not more than eleven or twelve miles ; by land the

I
I

[//V//,

Is 1(3.]

TOWNSHENJ).

lOi)

groat bog-
n exclinugc.
I lie : " Jack
" Clooosli
leni. * Pat-
good ; and
and bad is
ing it to bo
1, for which
3d to tlicni-
t much con-
;ery, yet we
heir opinion
5, clothes of
, arc vahied.
ling to eat,
'Pill-pill,'

er, arc also
genuity in

d figures,
lleer, ropes.

,v one forty
out with

lething like
and then

Idze. The
practised

)wnshend.

pcovery by

land the

two are not five miles distant. Townshend is a more
convenient harbonr than the former, and water, though
it is not so plentiful, can l)e obtained more easily. The
land rises more gradually from the sea, and is not so en-
cumbered with wood. The natives we found civil aiu
obliging. They are very dirty in their habits and perfectly
indifi'ereiit to exposure ; decency has no meaning in their
language. The costume of the men is a blanket loosely
tied over the neck and shouhlers ; even the women have
nothing in addition, save a sort of girdle round the mid-
dle, made of the fibre of the cypress-tree, a substance
wliich is also made into ropes and fishing-lines. They
keep dogs, the hair of which is manufactured hito a
kind of coverlet or blanket, which, in addition to tlu;
skins of bears, wolves, and deer, attbrd them abundance
of clotlihig. Since the Hudson's Bay Company have
established themselves in this neighbourhood, English
blankets have been so much in recpiest, that the dog's-
liair manutacture has been rather at a discount, eight or
ten blankets being given for one sea-otter skin. Their
mode of fishing is ingenious. The Hue is made either of
kel}) or the fibre of the cypress, and to it is attached an
inflated bladder, which is held in the same hand as the
j)addle. When the bait is taken the bladder is let go,
the fish is buoyed up, and, hi its eff'ort to go down, soon
becomes exhausted.

On the 21st of July we sailed for New Dungeness,
named by Vancouver from its resemblance to the point
in Kent. New Dungeness juts out three or foiu' miles
north-east-by-north (magnetic), forming a seciu-e an-
chorage with all winds, except north-north-east and

110

THE VOVA(JE OF H.M.S. IlKRALD.

{.July,

,11

'111

south-east. This sandy flat, being about four miles long,
and at the base two broad, is hollowed out with lagoons
jind pools, so that it is a shell of sand and not a flat.
The beacons seen by Vancouver stiU have their successors
on this coast ; they must have been erected with consi-
derable trouble and labour; the upright centre-piece,
supported by spurs diagonally phiced, was in one instanci^
thirty feet, in another twenty-seven feet high. Their
use, or the intention with which they were erected, is
still unknown.

On the 22nd we stood across the straits for Quadra's
and Vancouver's Island, and anchored nearly in the same
spot as that to which we had been towed by the Cor-
morant on our first arrival. Three trees with a dark
patch of ground so exactly resembled the masts and hufl
of a vessel, that — the weather being hazy — every one
was deceived. Cordova Bay, as our anchorage was
called, brings a pleasant circumstance in Vancouver's
career to remembrance — his uniting with the Spanish
Commandant Quadra in all friendly olfico«', and giving
him all the aid and information in his power, though
Spain and Great Britain had at the time some dispute
about the possession of Nootka Sound. The fame and
name — albeit famous in those days — of the Spanish
armament of 1790 has passed, but it should not be for-
gotten that in this distant part of the world commanders
belonging to rival nations joined in acts which tended
permanently to benefit mankind ; and it is to be hoped
that the name given to this island will be retained, and
that Quadra and Vancouver may remind future ages
when and how to agree.

{.July,

• miles long,
^ith lagoons
not rt flat.
ir successors
with consi-
XMitre-piece,
3ne instances
Their
5 erected, is

istO.]

UACK ISLANDS.

Ill

igh

or Quadra's

in the same

by the Cor-

tvitli a dark

,sts and hull

— every one

horagc was

Vancouver's

he Spanish

and giving

er, though

me dispute

fame and

e Spanish

not be for-

mmanders

ich tended

be hoped

ained, and

ture ages

v.--

On the 20th we worked round to Victoria, and n thu>
1st of August we anchored to the nortiiward of tlic i{aeo
Islands, about eight miles from Victoria. This (lan^> .ous
group, which juts out a mile and a half into the fairway
of the strait, is appropriately named, for the tide mak(!s
a jx'rfcct race round it. We tried to shift to Sooke Jiay,
about ten miles to the westward, but it blew so fresh,
that after battering at it for nearly six hours we were
compelled to bear up and anchor in the same place. On
the 7th om' attempts to reach the bay succeeded, and we
found that it woidd be no desirable anchorage during
south-westerly gales.

On the 10th we got under way, working for Neagh
Bay. It came on thick and hazy, and about noon the
breeze freshened much, and Ave could neither see nor do
anything. The tides being strong and irregular, our
position was one of some anxiety. In the afternoon we
got a glimpse of the land, which showed that we were
very near the shore, close to Sooke Bay. The vessel was
kept away, and we came to an anchor almost in the spot
we left on the 12th. These details will give some notion
of the navigation of the straits, which, unless the an-
chorages are well known, must always be attended with
difficulty and danger.

The climate of this region is milder than that of Eng-
land. From April to August the weather is generally fine,
but occasionally interrupted by rain, fogs, and breezes.
Heavy rain is expected in September, October, and No-
vember, gales between December and March. During
oiu' stay the weather was generally beautiful ; the nights
were finer than the days. It was seldom, however, that

112

TIIK VOYA(}K OK II. M.S. IIKUAI.I). \.ln(/tfsf.

l-i;' I

.11

tlu; (loiihlc peak of Mount HakiT or \W suow-cliid \'{\\\\S('
of Olympus were in sijrhr. The liuiit of perpetual suow
ill latitude 15° is ^iven as '6'M)i\ feet al)ov(; the sea ; if
the theory is correct, these mountains are fully as hi<>;li,
for the summer was far advanced, yet no diminution
was ap[)arent in their snowy mantles.

On the ISth wi; anchored in Neagh Hay. Thi! fo;;-
was so dense that nothinj.; could l)e seen a hundred
yards oft'. In the winter this bay is fretpiented l)y
whalers — Boston ships, as the Indians call them; while
English men-of-war arc termed King George's ships.
A large village, or rather a series of villages, exists in the
neighbourhood. The Ca])tain visited the chic;!', Flattery
Jack, who received him lying down on a raised bench —
which iismdly extends all round the native abodes, — his
favourite wife reclining on a board close to his feet.
On the rafters overhead were fish in every state of drying;
Winifred Jenkins would have been reminded of the old
town of Edhiburgh, and would have said that there were;

no fits m the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

On the 29tli of August the survey was finished, not so
much to the satisfaction of Cai)tain Kellett as he could
have wished, but the fogs in August had been so dense
and continuous that the month was in a great measure
lost. On the 2nd of September we bade adieu to Victoria
and Mr. Finlayson, the company's officer in charge of the
fort, to whom we were so much indebted for his uniform
hospitality and kindness.

[JU(/Hsf.

v-('lii(l niiigi'
■pctiiiil snow

tlic sea ; it"
illy as lii<;li,

(liiiiiimtioii

y. Tlic too-
1 a limidrcd
•(|iiL'iit('(l l)_y
tlu'iu ; while
irg(.*'s ships,
exists in the
licif, Flattery
sed bench —
iibocles, — his
to his feet,
te of drying;
of the old
there were;

ished, not so
as he could
en so dense
iat measure
to Victoria
large of the
his uniform

ciiAi'TKit vm.

dapo Mendocino — San Francisco — Visit to llio Mission — Monterey
— Islands on the Coast of Ijower California — Excnrsion on Ccrros
Island — Mazatlan — 'lepic — San Bias.

On the 14th of September we made Capi; Mendocino, a
remarkable promontory, with several detached rocks otV
it. On the 1 7th we anchored, in a thick fog, thinking
the place to be Hodegas, but on landing found it to ])e
merely a spacious bay inside Punta i\(\ los Reyes, that
point bearing west of us. It is a good anchorage; for
at least nine months of the year, and from it San l''ran-
cisco can be approached easily.

On the 1 8th we ran into the Bay of San Francisco,
about which we had heard and read so nnicli ; but wc;
were disappointed. A harboiu* it can hardly be called ;
rather an hdand sea, into which three large rivers, the
Sacramento, the San Joa(|uim, and tlu; Tale fall. These
cause rapid tides and numerous shoals, so that its depth
of water is not conmiensurate with the extent of the bay.
On the banks of the Sacramento and San Joaquim tlu^re is
much fin(! land, but not equal to the speculator's hopes. The

VOL. I. I

lit

TIIK V()YA(iK OF H.M.S. lIKirM-D,

[S'cpfcf/i/jcr,

Sacianionto, th(3 Colorado of California, iind the soulhcr)!
branch of the Columbia, are believed to have their source
about the same spot, 110" or 111° W., iV or 42° N., in
the Rocky Mountains. The entrance of the Sacramento
is twenty miles to the northward of Yierba Bueua. Thv
anchorage of Yierba Bucna is perhaps the best in the bay;
it is free from the irregularities, ripplings, and overfalls
which the strong tides cause in the other parts. The
passage up to it is also free from these annoyances ; it
has howTver the fault of having no fresh water, nor does
the supply seem abundant even for shore consumption
or irrigation. The Bay of San Francisco, from its depth
in some places, and its extreme shallowness in others,
is in a great part unavailable ; while the bar off its mouth,
with the heavy swell so frequently upon it, renders egress
and ingress often dangerous.

We anchored in Yierba Buena cove, where we found
the U.S. corvette Portsmouth, of twenty-four guns (sixty-
eight pounders) and 1320 tons. Our arrival seemed to
cause surprise, and we were at first mistaken for the
Erebus. A lieutenant came on board, with the news that
the Americans were in possession of California, and that
several of the officers and men of the vessel were on shore
engaged in organizing parties for the defence of the
country.

Some of us paid a visit to the Mission of San Francis-
co. The junction of religion and civilization appears at
first sight to promise nuich, and to be what every well-
disposed mind woidd desire. Like many other theories,
however, its application has proved to be impracticable.
Nothing could b imagined more philanthropic or more

v^?

he soiithcni
tlicir source
)r 42° N., ill
Sacramento
ueiia. The
t in the bay ;
nd overfalls
parts. The
ioyances ; it
cr, nor does
•onsuniption
)ni its depth
s in others,
[Fits mouth,
nders egress

re we found
guns (sixty-
l seemed to
cen for the
e news that
a, and that
re on shore
ce of the

m Francis-
appears at
3very well-
er theories,
Iracticable.
Ic or more

is 10.]

SAN IHAvriSf'O.

115

-1

si
m

worthy of success than the plan ol' llicse i-siahlishnuMits ;
bnt their failiu'e, which has arisen from a variety of causes,
has been lamentable and complete. The very shadow
of their former fame has passed away, and it may almost
be said that injurious instead of beneiicial elf'ects have
been the result.

About twenty houses were scattered about the plain,
iuid the only siicn of activitv witnessed was a bullock
being brought in. The road to the Mission was fatigning
and monotonous, and led through thickets of low trees
aiul deep sand. The surrounding country was far from
being picturesque ; we saw it moreover under sad aus-
[)ices — ruinous, dirty, and about to become the abodes of
the Mormonites. The church of the Mission, a slovenly,
ill-built edifice, decorated in a tawdry, unpleasant style,
connnon in the poorer churches in Sj)ain and Itidy, was
still in repair. The houses intended for the Indians
were of the meanest description — mere nmd hovels, with
only one apartment, but dis})osed regularly in ranges
and streets. These were for the married cou})les ; those
Indians who remained single were locked \\\) in a (jua-
drangle, formed by the houses of the superior, the [)riests,
and officers of the establishment. The church, the fac-
tories or workshops, and the prison, everything was car-
ried on within itself; carpentering, weaving, 1)lacksmith's
work, were all pursued with success under' the auspic(^s
of the industrious, pains-taking Padres. However, th(!
confinement in which the Indians were kept, and a soli-
tary life, were usually found so irksonu', that few of them
continued long under lock and key ; they soon accpiiesced
in that state of passive obedience, which it was the aim

I 'I

116

THE VOYAOE OV H.M.S. IlKUAr.I).

[^Scpfenifjcr,

of the iiistitiitioii to establish. That tlie fathers did not
go beyond ap{)e{irs to have been their great fault, the
rock on wliich tlieir system struck. We found the house
of tlie superior in the possession of some Mormons, who
had arrived in great force : they are a peculiar sect, with
sensual maxims, but apparently, as long as they can exist
in plenty, disposed to be harmless.

At the time of our visit the gold had not been dis-
covered, and San Francisco was extremely dull. One
evening, however, an American whaler, the Magnolia, of
Boston, gave a ball, and all our young people went to it ;
and judging from the numerous little anecdotes and inci-
dents which were afterwards told of that ball, they must
have enjoyed themselves very much. There was a very
motley company, and gin was in great request. One of
the officers asked a mother if she would permit him to
dance with her daughter. " IIow^ can you dance with
her when she doesn't know your name?" was the reply.
" Whiffi?^ is my name. Madam." " Here, Betsey," said
the mother, " here's WhifF^^r* wants you." And off the
pair started. •

On the 22nd we made all plain sail out of the Bay of
San Francisco. The wind was fresh, and it was not until
the afternoon that we succeeded in working out against
it. A heavy swell as usual was on the bar at the en-
trance, and as several whalers were departing at the same
time, it was an exciting scene. The swell and the breeze
accompanied us until the following day, when we were
off Monterey. The Pandora went in to obtain a letter
left by the Admiral. She found the U.S. frigate Con-
stitution there, and the Americans in full occupation of

yScplenilun',

icrs did not
it fault, the
id the housu
^rnioiis, who
ar sect, with
licy can exist

lot been dis-
dull. One
MagnoHa, of
e went to it ;
tes and inci-
11, they must
e was a very
est. One of
3rmit him to
I dance with
as the reply.
Betsey," said
And off the

the Bay of
ras not until
out against

at the en-
at the same
tl the breeze
|en we w^ere

ain a letter
rigate Con-
Icupation of

IMd.J

MONTKUEV

117

the place. Monterey resembles Callao and N^dparaiso,
l)eing an open roadstead, expo cd to the northward, and
having a mere bend in the coast for its southern ex-
treme. Nevertheless it is considered safe, as the north-
west winds, though semling a heavy swell into the bay,
do not blow home, and when at all fresh cause an effect
wliich makes vessels ride easy at their anchors ; but, as
on this coast generally, the great danger is from the
soutli-east gales, which occur between Novend)er and
April, and usually give warnhig of their approach by
heavy dark clouds, swell rolling in from the southward,
and })ouring rain. On these indications ships innnedi-
ately slip and run to sea, and they are sometimes five or
six days before they are able to return. Fortunately,
though sufficiently so to require a sharp look-out, these
gales are not of frecpient occurrence. The town of
Monterey is at the south extremity of the bay, protected
from the southward by Punta Pinos. Under the Spanish
rule and that of the Mexican Republic, it has ne\er risen
from obscurity. It remahis to be seen what the more
enterprising and energetic American will effect.

On the 2Gth we spoke a Mexican brig, which was
bound to San Francisco, and was fifty days from Maza-
tlan. She did not express any alarm at the war, but we
heard afterward that she fell into the hands of the Ame-
ricans, and was used by them as a transport vessel.
They probal)ly paid for her, as their principle was not to
offend or irritate the people more than they could help.
The war was for an object against the Government ; liad
the Americans made it u war of races, their end would
have been frustrated, whatever might have been their

lis

rilK VOYAdE (»F II. M.S. IIKHAJM).

\(ktolH',\

^r%'H

temporary success. After we had parted company with
the bi'i«j:, a dense fog caine on so suddenly that wc lost
sight of the Pandora, which was rather annoying, as Mr.
Wood was with us employed upon the charts. How-
ever, after an hour or two's firing, ringing the bell, and
beating the drmn, we got a glimpse of the vessel, and
put him on board. These fogs are peculiar and frequent
on this coast, continuing sometimes for several days in
succession.

On the ;27th we Hxed the position of John Begge's
reef in 33° 22' 0'' north, 119° 44' i)" west. This dan-
gerous rock has deep water round it, and lies to the
west-north-west of San Nicolas Island, one of the groups
which line the Californian coast in this latitude. Wc
also surveyed San Nicolas, San Clemcnte, and the Coro-
nados Islands. The Pandora went into San Diego, the
Herald remained ott' the low, arid, and uninteresting
shores. The land had a denuded aspect ; neither lake nor
river gladdened the eye. The only object to enliven the
scene was the mission of San Diego. The building re-
sembled that of San Prancisco, but, as far as could be
ascertained with our glasses, it had more pretension, and
the church towxr w\as higher. The village, or houses of
the Indians, however, did not cover the same extent of
ground.

On the 2nd of October we were enveloped in a thick
fog ; all at once it cleared off, and we found ourselves
close to the barren and lofty Coronados, a group com-
posed of three islands. We anchored off the southern-
most island : this, though the most fertile, only produces
grass and low shrubs, which, like everything else at this

\()duhei\

IS4().

cohonados islands.

IIU

iiipany with
liat wc lost
ing, as Mr.
rts. How-
lic bell, and
vessel, and
md frequent
)ral days in

)hn Bcgge's
This dan-
lies to the
' the groups
itude. Wc
d the Coro-
i Diego, the
iiinteresting
lerlake nor
enliven the
luildhig re-
Is could be
snsion, and
houses of
extent of

in a thick
ourselves

roup com-
southern-
produccs

Use at this

season, were dried up and withered. Jiy biu'onietrical
measurement, the highest peak of the island was found to
be 575 feet above the sea. On the to}) we caught three
rattle-snakes and a tarantula ; the former ^vere very fierce,
darting at everything placed near the glass vase in which
they were confined. The length of time these reptiles
existed without any sustenance was remarkable ; one
continued not only alive, but as fierce as when first cap-
tured, for eight months afterwards. The northern Co-
ronado is a mere rock ; Mr. llill however got to the
summit, and found it as sharp as a camel's back, with
hardly room to place the theodolite. Seals abound on
the rocky shores, and the Americans often detach their
boats from theii' vessels, establish fires in the island, and
shoot down these animals in vast )uind)ers, boiling down
the l)lubber ready for the ship on her return.

On the 11th the weather was most beautiful — a mild
balmy air in the finest climate in the world ; but on
shore there was not a shrub, not a blade of grass to re-
joice in. About noon we anchored ofl:' the steep rugged
Cape Collnett, named after a navigator and lieutenant
who, in tl-. year 1790, connnanded a trading vessel,
the Argonaut. This promontory is a remarkable point,
something like the South Foreland, or Cape Dimitri in
the island of Gozo. A bay runs up from it to the north-
east, in which landing might be effected. The mission
of San Tomas is j)laced four miles inland.

On the 14th wc were close to the double-peaked
island of San Martin, a most barren and desolate spot,
apparently an extinct volcano. The rocks were swarm-
ing with seals ; we had never seen them in greater

\-2i)

Tin; V()^A(iK OF II. M.S. IIKKAI.I). [(Jch/j('l\

'M -r

abnndaua! ; and tlicir liowliiig, shrieking, and barking
rcMidiTcd tlicni most unpleasant nciglibours. The posi-
tion of the island is in lat. 30° 28' 0" north, and long.
1 15° 57' 0'' west ; the riglit peak is 567 feet higli. On the
1 5th wc anchored off the shallow port of San Quintin,
which is distinguished by five remarkably regular peaks
some miles inland. Rabbits, hares, quail, curlew, sand-
lings, the mackerel, smelt, and crayfish are abundant,
and give San Quintin, though a poor port in other
respects, a good name on such a desolate coast as that
of Lower California.

On the .'22nd we passed San Geronimo Island, find-
ing the channel between it and the mainland five miles
broad, and on the 25th anchored under the east coast of
Cedros or Cerros Island. This island presents extraor-
dinary features, looking as if some deluge had swept the
low lands, leaving them smooth and level as a newly-
made road. " Cerros" is certainly the most appropriate
appellation for the place ; it is a mass of hills piled on
hills ; and although here and there groves of cedars are
met with, yet they are hardly in sufficient numbers to
give a name to the island. Wild goats are abundant*,
llie extreme dryness of the atmosphere is remarkable.
We found two graves of the year 1819; one of John
l^rown Sinclair, who was drowned when belonging to
the Harriet, the other of Justin Finch, of the Shakspeare,
both London ships. The head-boards were of slight

* Mr. John Goodriclge, surgeon of the Herald, discovered in this
island a curious cactus, which, on being submitted to Prince Salm-
Dyck, the best authority in these matters, was called Mamillaria Good-
ridy'd, S. Dyck. Al'tcrwurds this rare species was found at Guaymas,
Gulf of California, but the specimens died before reaching England.

[Octohrr,

111(1 barking
The posi-
h, and long,
ligh. On the
^an Quintin,
?gular peaks
ui'lew, sand-
e abundant,
)rt in other
^oast as that

[slaiid, find-
d five miles
east coast of
cnts cxtraor-
id swept the
as a newly-
appropriate
ills piled on
cedars are
numbers to
abmidant*.
emarkable.
ne of John
longing to
jhakspeare,
|e of slight

)vered in this
Prince Salm-

lillaria Good-
at Gua^mas,
England.

'^m

1840. J

CKKKOS IS|,.\M).

121

(leal, yet the wood was uiidecayed, and the inscriptions
were (piite l('gil)le. The bay of the island was surveyed,
and its position proved to be long. 2b° 3' 0" north, lat.
115° 11' if west (soutii point).

Two of the otHcers ascended to the suinniit. " The
niiirch," says Mr. Henry Trollope, " was rugged and
more fatiguhig than wc had anticipated. In going up,
liardly a drojj of water could be found, though occa-
sionally traces of where it had been were observed ; in
coming down we struck upon a ravine with a stream in
it, which in many places was four or five feet deep. If
we had had sufficient daylight we could have followed
it to the sea, where it might have proved serviceable for
shipping. The sides of this watercourse were lined with
beautiful shrubs, and even trees, which formed a pleas-
ing contrast to the utterly desolate and l)arren nature of
the surrounding country. The stream had nearly led us
wrong. It appeared to wind round to the west side of
the island. Expecting a change in its direction, we
followed it until sunset surprised us, well-nigh exhausted,
at the edge of a precipice which we coidd not descend.
Wc were obliged to climb up the side of the ravine, and
fortunately were able to distinguish the ship at the an-
chorage before darkness had set in. Though the way was
still rugged, we had now a more level space. The sight
of the sea and vessel had renewed our strength ; but we
were thoroughly tired, and whenever we stopped to rest
we were asleep almost immediately. Awakened by the
coldness of the night air, w^e trudged on again, and
when we reached the beach we were still u})wards of
three miles from the ship, and it w{is ten o'clock before

TIIK V(>YA(}K OV n.M.S. IlKRAM).

[^/^0l1c'm/Jct•,

\vc arrived on board, thorou<i;hly fagged out. Unfor-
tunately we had with us no compass nor liaronieter; but
a rough trigonometrical measurement gave the height of
the island 2500 feet."

Having left Cerros Island, wc anchored on the 2nd of
November in the fine harbour of Magdalcna Bay, where
the Herald was refitted. The country adjacent was
barren and devoid of water, but the shooting parties
were- very successful with hares and curlew. Abundance
of bass, mullet, a sort of skipjack, and silver fish, were
caught in abundance ; several tiu'tles and a shark W(3re
also taken. On the lltli wc made Cape San Lucas,
the extreme point of the Californian peninsula, distin-
guished by patches of sand-cliffs close to it, and several
detached rocks resembling the Needles in the Isle of
Wight. On the following day wc entered the port of
Mazatlan, and found that our letters were at San Bias,
and thfit the Palinurus transport was in the bay with
stores and provisions for us.

Some of us had seen Mazatlan in 1832. Vcnado
Island, Adth its green and rocky cliffs, the downs divid-
ing the chain of fresh-water lagoons from the sea, the
Morro, with the white cottages and the bright beach
beyond, v/ere still there; but Mazatlan itself was no
longer a rural village, but a commercial town, full
of busy merchants and bustling traders : the apathy
of the indolent Creole was supplanted by the activity
of the English, the German, the French, and the
American. Mazatlan is not a good port ; it is no
more than a bay, entirely open east-by-soutli to south-
west, with shallow water in every part, and vessels of

\N()cem/jcr,

\^M\

MAZATLAN.

Vl'6

out. Uufor-
roinetcr; but
the lieight of

11 the 2 11(1 of
I Bay, where
idjaceiit was
)tiiig parties

Abuiidaiic(>
er fish, were
I shark were

San Lucas,
isula, distiu-
, and several

the Isle of

the port of
at San Bias,
ic bay with

2. Vcnado
owns divid-
ihe sea, the
right beach
3lf was no
town, full
[the apathy
pe activity
and the
it is no
to south-
vessels of

anv size have to lie two or three miles from the town.
In the centre of this open anchorage Captain Ikvchey
foniid a rock having only eleven feet of water upon it.
The port however is less unhealthy than San Bias ; and
between November and June — the months when it is
advisable to be on this coast — south-west gales are un-
known, arc! invigorating land and sea breezes prevail.

The town was full of soldiers, who talked as if they
intended to repel any attack the North Americans might
be inclined to make. This boasting however was not
borne out : a few montlis afterwards the place fell almost
without a struggle. The fact is, there is no public spirit
ill Mexico. The strife of parties has so utterly broken
1 1 J) all nationahty that the mass of the people would be
glad to receive any strong government that would afford
them ])rotection and security for life and property.

On the 21si of November we sailed for San Bias,
having on board as passengers Mr. Romainc and Mr.
Macnamara. The latter, a Roman Catholic priest, had the
intention of founding in California a colony of Irishmen,
who would swear fealty to Mexico, and resist the further
encroachment of the Americans. This project nearly
forestalled the occupation of San Francisco by the United
States, and would in all probability either have led to
the establishment of an Irish colony, or compelled the
British Government to occupy the country.

San Bias is pointed out by the high peak of San Juan,
upwards of 6200 feet high, immediately over the town ;
but the Rock of the Sea, Piedra del Mar, a steep white
mass 130 feet high, with from ten to twelve fathoms of
water all round, and situated ten miles west of the ah-

iJ^^

124

Till-; voVAOK OF II. M.S. II KHALI). [Noccntficr

choragt!, nMidors the approach to Sail Bias ivtuarkahh'.
There is also another rock, Piedra de la Tierra, similar in
shap(!, but smaller, about two-thirds of a mile from the
land. On the 28rd we dropped our anchor off the old
town. Mr. llomaine and Mr. Macnamara landed imnuN
diately, and a courier went up with them to Tepic to
bring down our letters. In thirty-six hours he returned

ith the 1{

.pected

communications from home, and
wiiai joy tiiey caused nuisi oe leir to tiiose to imagiiK-
who are blessed with kind friends. " As cold water is to
a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."

Tepic is the second town of importance in the state
of Jalisco. In 183G, says Captain Beechey, it contained
SOOO inhabitants, and in the rainy season the nund)er
is much augmented by the influx of visitors. It stands
in a plain nearly surrounded l)y mountains, and is 2900
feet above the sea, — in itself, one would think, a guarantee
against any amount o^ insalubrity, wdiich some attribute
to it. Tepic is only twenty-two miles in direct distance
from San Bias; by the road however, which is tedious
[Uid fatiguing, it is fifty-six. San Bias, although now
ruined and deserted, still retains many marks of ancient
grandeur. The houses are solidly built of stone, but the
town has long been in a state of decay, and the rise of
Mazatlan has thrown it altogether in the shade. In the
days of the Spaniards it had an arsenal and dockyard ;
the remains of the rope-walk and a store-house are still
to be seen; but its day is gone by, and nothing in its situa-
tion appears to render it desirable that it should again
emerge from obscurity.

We shifted our berth for the purpose of watering from

fir ! i
111. I

rciniirkaMc.
[•a, similar in

ilc flOMl till'

r off tlie old

iiitlcd iinnu!-

to Topic to

he returned

a home, and

i to imagine

:l water is to

untry."

in the state

it contained

the number

It stands

md is 2900

a guarantee

nc attribute

ect distance

1 is tedious

lOugh now

of ancient

)ne, but the

the rise of

ie. In the

dockyard ;

se are still

in its situa-

lould again

lering from

I^IO.J

SAN ULAS.

1 •>

the Santiago, upon which San Hlas is situated. Tin'ough
a path in tlu; woods we rolled our casks into the stream, and

took in our supj)ly s[)ee(lily, not however without consic
able fati^jrue and a terrible conflict with the mosc

'1'

oes.

From this part of the coast there was a bejuitil'ul walk
into the town about two miles distant, which, though
steep and I'ugged, was arclu'd over with a dense canopy of
leaves, and keeps out the sun. We could only pity the
indolence of the natives, wlio with such an avenue almost
formed by nature could siiffer it to remain in such an
inconvenient state.

We departed on the 27th, standing to the south-west,
between the islands Tres Manas and the main. On the
following day we were off the Bay of i^andieras, between
(\a[)e Corrientes and Corvetena, a ])lace of some interest
as the scene of one of Dampier's skirmishes witn the
Spaniards. The sea-breeze was neither regular nor strong,
but we managed to creep along at the rate of fifty miles
a day, with the sight of the shore to enliven us. On the
1 st of December we fixed the position of a remarkable
Headland, near the unhealthy river jVIanzanilla, a whiter
mass of rock something like Arica liead, making it lat.
18° 49' 0" north and long. 104° 23' 0" west.

I 'i(\

(JIIAITKR IX

1"?!:

Sigiiantcnojo — A parly taken prisoner by tlie ^^c•xicalls — Don Vicenir
Amaro — Mr. Wood proocods to Ana))ulco — Captivity — Departure-
Acapuloo — Death of William Harris — Cape Vclas — Coast of Nueva
Granada. — Arrival at Tanama.

On Saturday, December 5th, 1840, we anchored off t lie
Morro do Petatlau, a few miles south of Siguanteiiejo,
intending to examine that port and carry on the cluiin
of magnetic observations. We were now on Anson's
cruizing ground, when watching for the Acapulco galleon.
Indeed, Mr. Walter, tlie historian of his voyage, describes a
bay in latitude 17° 36' 0" north, about thirty leagues west
of Acapulco, which, considering his means of ascertaining
the true position, accords sufficiently with our calculations
to render it almost certain that the place in which we
had anchored was the same as that in which the Centu-
rion refitted and watered. Even without these recollec-
tions of bygone times, the bay itself was pleasing enougli
to interest us. A steep and rugged coast, bounded by
white rocks and barren islets, with a heavy surf breaking
upon them, opened out into a pretty little cove about

:r]'

I s Ki

SlcrANTF.NK.lO.

le?

s — l)c)ii Viccnii

y — Dcparliirc

Const of NiKivii

liorcd off the

nguanteiu'jo,

ju the cluiin

on Anson's

iilco galleon.

describes a

('agues west

ascertaining

calculations

n which we

the Centu-

Dse recoUec-

ing cnougli

jounded by

irf breaking

cove about

;i mile and abainnde[)tli and less than thre<'-(|iiarters
oi" a mile broad. The Centurion a[)|)ears to havo been
the first foreign ship that visited Signanteiiejo, the
Spaniards, in aceordanei? with their tbrnier policy, [)ro-
liibiting all intercoiu'se with the intermediate [jorts. It
is a snng little port, and at present a depot for logwood,
a valuable ])iu*t of the raw produce of Mexico; still, with
Acapuico so near, the state of the country must be widely
changed before it can become of importance.

On Sunday, the 0th of Decend)er, we pulled in the
port with two boats, and landed in the north-east bight
of the bay, in order to avoid the surf. Nothing could
exceed the placidity of the scene; the ])each was smooth
and silvery, and fringed by beautiful shrubs and trees.
We imagined from the silence and absence of cultivation
that the neighbourhood was uninhal)ited ; and although
we found signs of wood-cutting, aiul evident marks of
men having recently been there, yet the idea that we
were intruding or that any one could dream of molesting
us was far from om* thoughts.

The purser and surgeon proceeded to shoot and to
collect specimens of natural history, Mr. Wood and Mr.
Staunton had just landed, and Mr. Hill and Mr. Trollo})e
were putting up the instruments and getting everything
ready for the captain to commence observations, when
all at once a rush of men and a cry from some of our
people, " Here are the natives !" was heard. From every
break hi the wood came out a sort of Falstalf' s ragged
regiment, fully armed however, who drew up in tole-
rable order. The words of conunand, " Make ready — pre-
parar — pronto," were given, and the double file presented

128

TIIK VOYAr.K OF II. M.S. UKH.M,!), \_l)crrmh(>i\

arms, not as a mark of honour, but a])pfn'ently as if a))oiit
to fire. We were surpris(!cl beyond measure. It was
totally unexpected ; we were unarmed, and all we could
do was to confront the motley guard so suddenly turned
out for o\ir reception. Captain Kellett advanced, and
endeavoured to explain to the chief of the party who and
what we were. The only reply he received was, that \M'
must remain where we were until the arrival of " el Senor
Comandante." We commenced takhig observations,
displayed the books, and pointed out the " London"
marked on most of them ; but it was of no avail to us(^
such arguments to the people we had to deal with.

In half an hour the "Comandante" made his ap-
pearance. He came on horseback, in a loose cotton
jacket, a coarse country hat on his head, and a huge
sabre by his side. He was fidl of assumed importance ;
and after a considtation, in which he displayed his igno-
rance and uncertainty as to the coiu-se he ought to adopt,
he came to the conclusion that, as our language and that
of the Americans was the same, we might be citizens of
the United States, and that at all events it was safer for
him to consider us so. Unfortunately we had no ordi-
nance from the Mexican Government, as to the purport
of our voyage. The books, the instruments, our unarmed
condition, and buttons with the crown upon them, and
numerous other little circumstances, would have con-
vinced any one of connnon discernment or education that
we were what we stated ourselves to be ; but it had no
effect upon this obstinate and ignorant maiT, and aftei'
half an hour's delay he intimated that we nuist go to u
logwood shed on a little eminence about half a mile dis-

1846.]

SIGUANTENEJO.

129

tant, and that Mr. Wood, the connnander of the Pandora,
should be allowed to proceed to Acapulco and receive in-
structions from the Captain- General of the State. On
being told that on board there were sick, who needed as-
sistance, he permitted the surgeon, Mr. Goodridge, to re-
turn; the rest were told to consider themselves prisoners.

Great was the excitement when the news became
known on board. Some were eager for a rescue, and
the ship immediately weighed, but light winds and calms
prevented her from making any progress, and she was
obliged to anchor again. Our night on shore was passed
miserably; the morning brought better things. Mr.
Goodridge arrived with a good breakfast ; after which a
clean shirt and a shave made us look upon our condition,
captives as we were, with different eyes. About noon
the Herald came in with the sea-breeze, and took up her
position within half a mile of us. The Comandante,
who rejoiced in the name of Don Vicente Amaro, seemed
rather alarmed at the size of the ship, and evidently
feared that a rescue or an attack would be attempted.
He assiu*ed Captain Kellett that if he saw any prei)ara-
tions for that purpose, he would immediately mount us
on horses, and send us into the interior. No doubt an
attack from the vessel would have repulsed treble the
number opposed ; but in the meantime we were unarmed,
and could have offered little resistance, and we should
have been in the interior and our guards dispersed in all
directions.

On Monday we erected a tent, and communication by
the dingy took place three or four times. We were
supplied with good fresh meat and vegetables, and,

VOL. 1. K

If'

130

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD. \_Decembe)\

flif
h

though provoked l)y the needless and irritating detention,
we occupied our time better than in useless complaining.
Don Vicente Aniaro became occasionally excited and
violent ; he appeared overcome with the difficulties of the
position he had placed himself in, and got half-drunk to
ease his mind. Then he Avould ask us for spirits, and
Captain Kellett would send him a bottle of mild claret —
rather a febrifuge than a means of excitement — as better
adapted to his condition. One day he brought down
his daughters, really very nice girls, who were much in-
terested in looking at the ship. On that occasion he
made a long bombastic speech to the effect that, as he
was to be in the bosom of his family, it was to be a
day of peace. His visits were most annoying. The
purser, the late Mr. T. Woodward, from his excellent
knowledge of Spanish, was the usual spokesman on
these occasions. The conferences generally ended witli
Amaro's embracing us in the Mexican fashion, and l)eg-
ging the Captain to send him some agtm cmliente. Mr.
TYollope always avoided him, and on observing this con-
duct he particularly sought to speak to that officer, gra-
ciously saying, " You need not be alarmed for the result ;
I have no bad intentions." Mr. Trollope, in the best
Spanish he could get up, assured him that the English
were not in the habit of fearing the Mexicans.

The natives were far from uncivil. We were objects
of curiosity to all : they pressed around us, looked into
the tent, and examined every article we permitted them
to look at. A good deal of nonsense was uttered by the
boys of tJie place ; one saying that he should wait for the
hanging, another making signs that we were to have our

1840.J

SIGUANTENEJO.

131

throats cut, and a third showing a pit in wliich we were
to be biu'ied. Tlic women however with one accord
declared that they would not have us hurt ; and no doubt
had any extreme measiu'es been attempted this pet-
ticoat interest woidd have been exerted in our behalf.
Foreigners with blue eyes and fair complexions generally
produce too favoiu-able an impression upon Spanish
senoritas to be easily forgotten. Among the nations of
Teutonic descent, the English, the Dutch, or the Germans,
those who have dark eyes and hair are considered the
most handsome ; among the Spaniards and their descen-
dants the reverse is the case, and a piu*e Saxon — even
with hair of the reddest hue — ^is generally admired by
the fair sex.

The group of people which usually crowded around us
was, as regards form, feature, and colour, as diversified as
anything r..^ be supposed to be. There was the glossy
skin and tt 1 js of the negro, the angular feature and
the long hail- ol the Aztec, the lively eye and the hand-
some countenance of the Spaniard, and e/cry shade of
difference which an intermixture of those widely different
races had produced. Leperos — not meaning literally
lepers, but houseless, half-clad beggars, whose only dress
consisted of a pair of trowsers, a light cloak, and a jacket
— formed by far the greater proportion. It was tridy a
motley group — small in stature, various in colour, ignorant
and ill-clad, — a mob at whose mercy we should not have
liked to have been, though their conduct towards us was
civil and even kind.

Close to our tent there was a fresh- water stream form-
ing a deep pool, in which we bathed, until the last day,

K 2

ii?

-h

13:2

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. iiKHAT,!). ^Dceemhcr,

when we were deterred by finding a number of alligators
basking in it. Well might we have exclaimed, " Where
ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." The nights were
cool and pleasant, the forenoons hot until the sea-breeze
set in, when the temperature became delightful. It was
the healthy season, and no one suffered ; had the deten-
tion taken place at Manzanilla, a locality notorious for
its insalubrity, we might have had a different talc to tell.

The scenery was very picturesque. It might have
been called a dense wood, with patches of savanas, and
avenues here and there. Aroimd our tent were palms,
American aloes, tamarind-trees, and bananas. The roads
were mere paths .; and some of oiu* men, who went up to
the Puebla, eight or ten miles distant, reported the
country clear of wood, but poorly cultivated. We might
have made an excursion, but we did not consider it
proper to ask a favoiu' from the worthy Don Vicente
Amaro. The men, it appears, went on sufferance, and
Captain Kellett did not hear of it until we had returned
to the ship, or else this little escapade would not have
taken place. *

On Saturday the Pandora retiu-ned from Acapulco
with a reprimand from the Governor- General to the
Comandante for his stupidity, and a caution how he in
his ignorance committed his country. Don Vicente on
hearing this seemed quite crest-fallen, and we never saw
him afterwards. The crowds of soldiers and idlers, men,
women, and children, disappeared as if by magic, and
within an hour the place was as quiet as it had been on
our arrival on Sunday. Having nothing further to detain
us, we continued our voyage (December 14th) to Panama.

[ December,

of alligattjrs
ofl, " Where
! nights were
LC sea-breeze
tfiil. It was
id the deteii-
lotorioua for
it talc to tell.

might have
savanas, and
; were pahiis,
. The roads
10 wxnt up to
reported the
. We might
>t consider it
I Don Vicente
ifFerance, and
had returned
uld not have

)m Acapulco
neral to the
)n how he in
n Vicente on
^■e never saw
i idlers, men,
magic, and
had been on
her to detain
) to Panama.

lb4G.]

ACAPULCO.

133

The shore between Siguantencjo and Acapulco is re-
markably bold, the mountains rising from the sea almost
innnediately, while to the eastward of the highland of
JMarques, a long plain, thickly covered with trees, extends
some leagues inland before any perceptible rise takes
place. From this circumstance Acapulco is easy to be
distinguished, particularly wdien coming from the east-
ward, as the alteration in the featiu-es of the coast is
most apparent. Although the distance between the two
ports is only 120 miles, yet we were detained so much
by calms and hght winds, that wc did not anchor at
Acapidco before the IGth. The sea-breeze generally
dies away about nine or ten o'clock in the forenoon,
and calm prevails for the rest of the day. By keeping
closer in shore and taking advantage of the land-breeze
more progress would no doubt be made, but for this
pm'pose an amount of local knowledge would be re-
quired which at present we do not possess.

About sunrise the mountains of Acapulco are beheld
in all their splendour ; their sunmiits are then free from
clouds and mist, which is never the case when the day is
advanced. The remarkable Tetas de Coyuca, fonr leagues
from the entrance of the port, are the highjst peaks of the
range, and from an excellent landmark. In approaching
closer to Acapulco the Farallon del Obispo, a curious
white islet in the northern part of the outer bay, will
be seen. It is about fifty feet high, and from wliatever
direction a vessel is coming furnishes a distinguishing
mark.

To speak of Acai)ulco would only be a repetition of
what all navigators, from the days of Cortes to the

134

Till-: voYACii-: OF 11. M.S. iiKKALi). [December,

present time, have said. It seems always to have had
a greater name than it deserved. Its sole reconnnen-
dation was its port — a perfect harbour, — where the gold
and silver of Mexico and Peru and the rich fabrics of the
East met at an annual fair, on the arrival and departm'e oi
the treasure-ships. True, a communication between it
and Callao and Guayaquil was kept up, but this inter-
course did not nmch conduce to the wealth and fame of
the place. Apart from its magnificent harbour and the
annual visits of the Spanish treasure-ships, Acapulco
was never a place of any importance. In 1748 it was
described by Bowen as ** being, except at the fair, a dirty,
paltry town of two or three hundred thatched houses
and hovels." In 1768 a French traveller, M. de Pages,
called it " a miserable little place, though dignified with
the name of a city," an epithet it still deserves.

Ih the golden days of Spain, the Castellan, or chief
justice, received 20,000 dollars a year, besides all his
perquisites and fees of office, which enabled the Spa-
nish officials to return to their native country with large
fortunes, whatever the salary might happen to be. This
practice was so well known and acted upon so openly,
that offices, even those with a mere nominal salary, were
notoriously put up for sale, realizing great profits to
the minister or his subordinates. In this very port of
Acapulco the Cura's nominal income was only 180 dol-
lars, yet he was in the habit of making 14,000 or 15,000
by means of fees. When such a state of things pre-
vailed we can excuse much that is wrong in these un-
happy countries.

The castle of San Carlos connnands the harbour and

1846.J

ACAl'ULCO.

135

the town. Its ramparts and bastions make a tine ap-
pearance, and shed an air of grandenr over the place,
which on landing is soon dissipated. The castle, thongii
well and skilfully constructed, is itself conmianded l)y
the adjacent heights, and offered no resistance to the
North Americans when they occupied all the ports of
Mexico. But it was sufficiently strong for its day ; the
Indians on one side and the Buccaneers on the other
were the only enemies Spain had to fear. The town is
poor and miserable ; there are two cluuv'i^ j of no note,
about thirty or forty houses, and a subui o of huts and
reed hovels. Earthquakes have been numerous, and
slight shocks are frequently felt.

In the harbour we found an Ecuador ship of 300
tons, a Hawaiian brig, a Mexican schooner, and five or
six small coasters. The authorities were full of civility.
The captain of the port spoke English fluently, and he
as well as the Governor seemed anxious to efface every
recollection of the unfortunate and blundering zeal of
our friend Don Vicente Amaro.

On the night of the 1 7th of December, Willam Harris,
one of our carpenters, lowered himself down from a main-
deck port under the half-deck, and attempted to swim on
shore. He had hardly got fifty yards off when he cried
out for help. A boat was inmiediately despatched to
render assistance, but it did not succeed in reaching
him. Several sharks were cruizing round the ship, and
it is probable that they tore him to pieces and devoured
him. On the following day we tried our utmost to
recover the body, by creeping for it, but not a particle
could be found. It was a fearful end of a wretched life.

fl;

136

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD. \J(mum'y,

The poor unhappy man did not appear to possess a rc-
deonr'ng quality. In order to be exempted from work,
he had, for nearly a twelvemonth, feigned to be crippled
in his right arm, l)y checking the circulation of the blood ;
and so well had he succeeded, that even the surgeons
were partially deceived. At last the fraud was disco-
vered, and the impostor placed as prisoner under the
half-deck, whence he endeavoured to effect his escape.

On the 1 9th we sailed from Acapidco, and crept along
the shore at the rate of twenty or thirty miles a day.
Tlie lofty peaks of the mountains of Guatemala were in
sight, and for many days we carried a chain of trigono-
metrical heights and distances. On Christmas-day we
had a strong breeze from north-west, a Tehuantepic gale,
as it is called. All oiu" old sails were bent, and many
si)lit ; the festivities were interfurud witli, and pics, pud-
dings, pates, jellies, and soup, got ready for the occasion,
made an oil a podrida in the midshipman's berth. On
the following day it cleared off; but the Herald lay to,
while the Pandora ran, and* thereby succeeded in reach-
ing Panama a fortnight before us.

On the 1st of January, 1847, w^e sighted Cape Velas,
well described in its name, the rocks being white and
steep, and resend)ling the sails of a vessel. We were
baffled there, as we had been all the voyage, with light
winds and calms; and sighting Cape Blanco, Punta
Gioncs, and Cagno Isle, we were, on the 11th, off Mon-
tuoso, a wooded island, standing almost by itself in the
midst of the ocean. Coyba, or Quibo, and Quicara were
in sight at night. The former used to be a favourite
resort of tlie Bucraneers, on account of the water and

1847.]

COAST OF NUKVA GRANADA.

187

wood to be procured tlierc. Captain Belcher, however,
when touching at the place in 1837, w^as unable to find
a watering place. In an island of such size, many
streams may have been overlooked ; in our own survey
in 1848 and -49 abundance of water was discovered.
Quicara differs in aspect from Coyba, being as rugged
and steep as the other is wooded and luxuriant.

Since leavhig San Francisco, until off the Bay of
Panama, we had been in sight of land, thus coasting
nearly 2500 miles. On the 15tli of January however
we saw nothing but the sky and water ; but our })roxi-
niity to Panama was sufficiently evinced by the appear-
ance of buques, large canoes with set s(piare sails, which
perform coasting voyages of some distance. On the
16th we were off the island of Galera, its und)rella-tree
(probably some Stercu/iacea) standing up hke a beacon
to warn the navigator of the proximity of the dangerous
shoal of San Jose. The Punta de Cocos, the south ex-
treme of San Miguel Island, is crowned with a most
flourishing tree, which covers it hi a remarkable manner.
It is a curious coincidence, that one of the passages to
Panama should thus be pointed out by two trees so ex-
traordinary in shape. On entering the Bay of Panama
strong tides arc felt, as may be huagined from the fact
of the rise and fall being, in high spring-tides, at the
city of Panama, twenty-one feet. We experienced them
in their full strength ; the ship, though going two and
a half knots, appeared to stand still.

On the 17th the breeze freshened up into a northerly
wind, bringhig clear weather. We seemed to rush past
the northernmost of the Pearl Islands, — Saii liartolome

138

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.8. HERALD. \January.

with its cocoa-nut palms, and Saboga and Paclic(iuc
with their bright sandy beaches and piles of pearl oyster
shells. We sighted the tree on Chepillo Island, another
remarkable beacon in the bay, and before sunset an-
chored off Flaminco Island, the tower of Panama Viejo
l)earing N. 5° E., and the cathedral of the city of
Panama N. 53° W.

ir. 4.

II: I :

If i

■u:

a &

I'M', I'

'V;..;!

' i !

\:V,)

CHAPTER X.

Survey of the western coast of Nucva Granada — Return to I'anaina
— Departure for Peru — Coyl)a — Ij^uana Island — Payta — (/allao —
Viscount d'Ozery — Limn — Payta — Journey through the desert —
Piura — Travelling in the interior.

On the 26tli of January, 1847, wc left the Port of
Perico, to coinnience surveying the Bay of Panama, and
until the end of April we were employed in sounding,
taking angles and sights, working out the observations,
and laying down the results on charts. Hydrographical
surveys are always tedious and laborious, but they are
peculiarly so on a coast like that of New Granada, where
heavy showers of rain are followed by the sudden aj)-
pearancc of the sun, and noxious vapoiu's which such
a change produces ; where muddy mangrove-swamps,
swarming with alligators and generating unhealthy mi-
asmata, line the shores for miles together ; where in
some places mosquitoes are so mnucrous, that the sur-
veyor requires more than human patience to endure
the stings to which he is subjected; and where the
nights are often so hot and oppressive, that sleep is

140

THE VOYACIE OF H.M.8. HEllAI-I).

[Jpri/,

sought in vain. A chart may sccni to hv very sini[)lc
to those whu are not aware of the skill, diUgcncc!, and
expense recjuired to eonipk^te it ; but those who liavc
watched its ])rogress, and the amount of labour recpiiri'd
to finish even a small piece of such a delineation, look
upon it with difierent eyes, and are able to appreciate
the vast treasures which the llydrograi)hical Office, by
its publications, is constantly ottering to the public.

We carried on the surveyuig operations along the
coast of Panama and Darien, imtil the rains, towards
the end of April, began to be so incessant that we were
compelled to discontinue our task, and go back to Vi\-
nama road. On the 21st of April, II.M.St.S. Sampson,
with Rear-Admiral Sir George Seymour, lU'rived from
Callao. On the following day we saluted the flag of
Nueva Granada with twenty-one guns. The Republic
returned the compliment, and Don Tomas Herrera, who
was at that time Governor of the province of Panama,
gave a ball in honour of the Admiral and Captain Kel-
lett's expedition ; indeed, there ^as a great deal of good
feeUng manifested by the inhabitants. At the ball all
the "belles" of the city were assembled; there was a
profusion of pearls on that occasion, the ladies being
generally well supplied with that article, pearl-fishing
having been pursued on the coast ever since the dis-
covery of the Pacific Ocean. Most of the Panamian
ladies have handsome countenances, regular features,
dark sparkling eyes, and fine black hair. Their figure,
however, is generally defective : being in the habit of
having their dresses open behind when at home, and not
wearing any stays, they have no waist, and do not look

'.;!:

1817.

PANAMA.

141

well in ball rostimic. The (lann»s pcrfonncd wcrr mostly
alow walt/A's, coutradanci's, and ([nadiillcs, polkas and
gallops being too luating in snch a climate as that of
Panama. Towards tlio rnd of the festivity we were en-
tertained by the introdnction of the " puuffi,'' n dance
performed only by a single pair, and being a great fa-
vourite among the negroes and zand)()es, but now almost
proscribed in refined circles, — which, by the bye, from
its frivolous tendency, is not to ])e regretted : of course;
it was only shown to us in order to give us a notion of
one of the ** rosh/nihrcs del payn!^

On the last day of April we departed from Tanama,
towed by the Sampson, and on the 1st of May anchored
off' the island of Coyba, coast of Veragnas, for the \i\\x-
posc of watering and wooding. Some of t' j carpr iten>
of the steamer were blinded for several days at tlv^ iJace,
from having cut down Manzanilla-trees(///)'/^«v/r///6' Man-
ciiiel/a, Lnui.), and got some of the poitono ;s milk of
that plant into their eyes. Not being aware that salt
water is an efficacious remedy, they had to suff'er very
great pain. A boat's crew of the Herald, when survey-
ing on the coast of Darien, had the same misfortune
from having lighted a fire with the branches ; and 1
myself, I may mention, having gathered specimens of the
tree for the herbarium, lost ?ny siq^ht for more than a
day, and had to endure a smaruiig of the most ax^ute
nature, coupled with the fearful thought that I was never
to see daylight again.

On the Gth of May we sailed, touching at Iguana
Island, near Punta Mala, where we were joined by the
Pandora, and then directed our course southwards, to

142

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[June,

\i -^

Pom. After l)eating against baffling winds, wc reached
Payta, and, having remained there two days, we con-
tinued our voyage and on the 28th of June anchored in
the port of Callao, where H.M.S. Colling\vood was m^t
with. This part of the passage is most tedious, and
the viceroys and liigh dignitaries during the old Spanish
rule were well aware of it; for when coming from
Panama, they always disembarked at Payta, and per-
formed the journey to Lima by land : a road leading
through a desert was preferred to calms and contrary
winds.

The Pemvian newspapers were filled with accounts of
a frightful nmrder which had been committed on the
person of the French Viscount d'Ozery, who was ex-
ploring the interior of Peru. It appears that he em-
barked in the village of Bcllavista, province of Jaen,
accompanied by foar native guides. When at a place
called Puerto do Yusamaro, on the Maranon, one of
the guides stabbed him with a dirk. The unhappy
victim instantly fell to the ground, but, not being quite
dead, another of the treacherous guides inflicted upon
him the final blows. The four then divided the property
and valuables amongst themselves, and returned to their
village, saying that the Viscount had been slain by the
hands of the Gebaros, a savage tribe of Indians. How-
ever, suspicion soon arose, a legal investigation took
place, and the crime was traced to those who perpetrated
it. Two of the guides were sentenced to suffer the ex-
treme penalty of the law, and the others, who had had
no active part in the foul deed, were condemned to im-
prisonment. Considering that the life taken was that of

\June,

reached
kve con-
lored in
kvas mot
ms, and
Spanish
g from
nd per-
leading
contrary

ounts of
on the
was cx-
hc em-
)f Jaen,
a place
one of
nhappy
g qnite
i upon
•operty
o their
by the
How-
took
trated
le cx-
d had
im-
ihat of

1847.]

LIMA.

143

a foreigner, — that great tracts of comitry still in the pos-
session of wihl Indians, over which the Republic has
no control, had to be explored to ascertain the fate of
the traveller, — and that the complicated nature of the
case rendered its investigation extremely ditticult, great
praise is due to the Peruvian Goveniment for the pains
it took in bringing the oft'enders to justice.

During our stay, the ship's company of the Herald
obtained " liberty," and the officers anuised themselves
as Avell as they could, playing cricket, riding on horse-
back, going to Lim#, and seeing everything that was to
be seen. There were no bull-fights at this season, but the
theatre was open, and Victor Hugo's " highly successful
draniii," as an EngUsh manager woidd say, was repeated
several times. The play-house is about the size of the
Adelphi theatre in London, but very dirty, find so full
of fleas that a person has to take a more than ordinary
interest in the performance to disregard the imtatiiig
operations to which he is exposed. It is almost as
amusing to watch the movements of the audience as
it is those of the actors. In the last two or three
years, however, some improvements have been made,
and an Italian opera company has been engaged to
give variety to the Lima " season," and perform the
mast(3rpieces of their native land ; for whatever our
northern critics may say about the lyric dramas of the
Italians, peoj)le of the south do enjoy them more than
the classical compositions. Light nnisic juid light read-
ing is what they admire. That thought fmd recreation,
study and pleasure, may be coupled together, and even
constitute one of the purest enjoyments of northern

i':'i

144

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[Jl/fy,

\ t

ti ;!

ll ill

1:1

■k5

nations, is a fact which but few of them arc able to
understand.

On the 23rd of July, 1847, H.M.S. Herald left the
harbour of Callao, and reached Payta in five days, thus
speedily accomplishing a distance which, in going down,
had occupied her more than three weeks. Payta was
all bustle and festivity. It was the 28th of July, the
anniversary of Peruvian independence. Twenty-seven
years had elapsed since General San Martin obtained
possession of Lima, and proclaimed that Peru and Spain
were no longer governed by the samp head. The inde-
pendence however was not finally secured until Decem-
ber 1824, when General Sucre defeated the Spanish
forces at the battle of Ayacucho. The contest was then
virtually concluded, though General Rodil held the Castle
of Callao until the beginning of 1826. The fall of Callao
deprived Spain of every inch of ground in the continent
of America. Her policy, to secure to selfish and grasping
officials the sole use and benefit of those magnificent
regions, by excluding all foreigners and oppressing the
children of the soil to an intolerable degree, was at an
end, and she herself was lost, paralysed, and decayed
through the very means which she used for self-aggran-
disement; while the countries so long subject to her
misrule, though paying dearly for experience and under-
going severe trials in striving for liberty, are looking on
a much brighter future than that dawning on the
Peninsula.

Payta owes its origin to the invasion of Pizarro, having
been built as early as 1531. It soon attained a consider-
able degree of prosperity, on account of which, and in

1847.]

PAYTA.

145

consL'cjucnce of its exposed situation, it was peculiarly
open to predatory attacks. The tirst sack was made on
the 26tli of May, 1557, by Sir Thomas Cavendish, who
found it " a neat, well-built place, of about two hundred
houses," and left i' ^ alas! a heap of smoking ruins.
The next attack U'*:k i)lace on tlu; 2nd of Xovend)er,
1004, under Captain Swan, in the Cygnet, of sixteen
guns and 140 men, and the Bachelor's Delight, a tine;
vessel of thirty-six guns, l^y this descent the town was
again burnt, after an offer by the rover to leave it im-
molested if the hdiabitants would ransom it with ;30()()
11)8. of flovu*, fSOO lbs. of sugar, 25 jars of wine, and 1000
jars of water, had been rejected. Another attack was
made ])y Captain George Shelvocke, in the Speedwell, a
vessel of twenty guns and 130 or 1 lO men. The sliip,
on the 2lst of March, 1720, hove-to off the Pena llora-
dado, a remarkable rock about four miles from the i)orl,
when Shelvocke landed in his boats with sixtv or seventv
men. Fniding the town deserted, and the Spaniards
refusing to ransom it for 1000 dollars, "it was l)ui'iit
to the ground by w'ay of farewell." While the greater
part of the crew were engaged in shipping off all con-
venient moveables, a Spanish shij) of fifty guns came
into the bay ; but the master, although he had only fifty
men on board, gallantly engaged and beat her off. Tlui
next misfortune of the devoted town was brought al)out
by more dignified actors. Connnodorc George Anson,
in H.B.M.S. Centurion, attacked Payta on the 12th ol'
November, 1741 ; he appears to have occupied three
days in shipping off all he could get, — boat-loads ol'
hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, besides money aiid
VOIi. I. h

14G

TIIK VOYACK OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[/■'/'/,

jewels. Tlie burning of the place seems to have been
wanton and unnecessary, but it was a custom which is
only now beginning to disappear.

At present Payta is the most frequented seaport in
northern Peru. Its climate is healthy, its harbour secure,
its inhabitants liospitable ; but beauties as a town it has
none, and of charms of situation it is destitute. It stands
at the foot of a ridge of barren and desolate-looking
mountains. The houses are about eight hundred in num-
ber, and built of band){)os and mud, and are, with a few
exceptions, only one story high. The streets tu'e narro\y,
irregidar, and unpaved, the principal ones rmming from
east to west. There are two churches, both dedicated to
the rites of Roman Catholic worship. The only public
square is the market-])lace. Wood being scarce, earth-
([uakes frequent, and labour dear, all the pubUc edifices
are small, and undeserving of special description. The
number of inhabitants is stated to be about 3000 ;
they are chiefly of Indian descent ; whites, negroes, and
the various shades produced by their intermixture are
few. Since the Peruvian independence, several English
merchants, who devote their attention principally to the
Quina trade, have taken up their residence there.

The country adjacent being a desert, there arc but
few^ articles to be obtained at Payta. Salt, a product of
Colan, is one of the chief exports : being of superior
quality, and cheap, it is nuich disposed of to southern
Peru, and also snmggled in considerable quantities into
Ecuador, where salt forms one of the Government mono-
polies. Wood and water, the most necessary wants of
shipping, are scarce ; the latter is brought on donkeys

LS47.J

I'AYTA.

147

;o the

from Cliira, ii riv(M' ahout twelve or fourteen miles dis-
tant ; hiteiitioiis are however entertnined of horiiig Ar-
tesian wells in different [)laees on the Peruvian roast,
which, if carried into execution, will prove most bene-
ficial. Goats, })oultry, potatoes, camotes, yuciis, yams,
and Indian corn are brought from the ulterior, and are
always to bo had at a cheap rate. Sea-tish of a delicious
flavour is caught in great variety, and appears to be the
only eatable that Nature has dealt out Avith a bountiful
hand to the place.

The Herald was to })rocee(l from Payta to (iuaya(iuil,
in order to survey the river ; and as that operaticm would
employ the vessel several months, an opportunity was
aftbrded to carry out a favourite idea of mine — exploring
a part of the interior of South America. T intended to
start from Payta, visit the towns of Piura, Loj.a, Cuenca,
Riobamba, and Quito, and rejoin the Herald at Guayji-
quil ; the views of Captain Kellett fortunately coincided
with my own, and he permitted my friend Bedford Pini
to accompany me. In makhig preparations for our de-
partm*e, we were assisted by Mr. Higginson, the British
Vice-consul, who kindly procured the necessary passports,
nmles, and guides.

On the 2yth we departed. It was late in the after-
noon when we reached the top of the mountain-ridge
surrounding the town. We stopped a moment to take
a last look at the place. Payta was as gay as on tht»
previous day : nuisic, dancing, and festivity were still
kept up, flags were waving, and boats plying in the har-
bour. But what a difterence when we turned towards our
destination ! A region of sand, a country without water,

1. 2

148

Till-; VOYACK or H.M.S. IIKRM.I).

Jtf/l/,

a dreary wilderness mvX our view. We stood at the
entrance of the des(^rt, a traet of land extendinji; over
twenty-five degrees of latitu(h' — more tlian fifteen lum-
dred miles.

Our mules seemed to know that we were proceeding
towards Piura, tlieir home ; for notwithstanding the deep
sand, they walked at a steady pjice and without stopping
till eleven o'clock, when we saw a light, and shortly after
came to an inn. The Iniilduig was surrounded by
several hundred nudes and donkeys. The animals were
feeding; the nmleteers either sleeping, wrapt up in their
ponchos, or sitting together in groups, chatting and smok-
ing. I'he landlord, wlio seemed to have been roused
from sleej), conducted us uito a clean apartment, cei'-
tainly one of the most respectiibli^-looking we met with
in Peru. Our sui)per, consisting of omelet, tasajo, and
coffee, was soon got ready ; and while we were eating,
the landlord entertained us, telling us that his was the
lialf-way house, the only house between Payta and Piura,
and that we shoidd have; to ride; from six to seven hours
before we could reach the town ; then, turning more
to his })rivate affairs, he explained how great were the
difficulties hi ])ringhig food and water to the inn, and
how considerable the expenses wdiic^ su(;h a trans})orta-
tion caused.

Having to wait for the rising of the moon before the
journey could be resumed, and being exhausted by our
preparations for starting and by the long ride, we did
not keep awake long after supper, but lay down without
undressing, and slept till one of the guides aroused
us. We mounted our animals, and in a few minutes

S',

Jtt/t/,

IS47.]

PliUl'VlAN DKSKUT.

It)

hull-

••c the
py oui'
^c did
itliout.
)iis(m1

llHltoS

li.'id It'ft tlu! iiiii hrliind us. Most of (lu* iiudi'ti'crs luid
the sturt of us, hut en; loii<>; \\v eaiiie up with theui,
juul proeee(hnii; to the same th'stiuation we soon heeanie
friends. Their son<(s, the many httk; aneeth)tes thev
tohl, and the numerous (juestions wliieh wi' had to an-
swer, all tencK'd to shortcMi tlie ni^lit, and to make the
journey K^ss tiresome; still the ride was far from au;i'eeal)l(!
— the eold was aeutely felt, and whrn dawn eonnneneed
our teeth were ehatterino" violently. Luekily the dawn
in the tropies is of short duration. The sim soon rose,
and diifused a more ^vnial tt'm[)erature ; hut what a
landseai)e did it illumine ! As far as the eve eould reaeli
nothing was seen save a greyish sand and a few Alga-
roba-trees. Skeletons of animals, fallen vietims lo thirst
and fatigue, were seattered ahout. The rotui was indi-
eated at short distanees hy high jjoles, and wound along
amidst momuls of shifting sand, the mueh-dreaded Me-
daiios, the tond)s of so many travi'lKrs.

Hoth ourselves and the nudes began to get tired. The
poor beasts besides seemed to suller greatly from thirst ;
now and then they took a mouthful of sand, probably
to (jueneh the thirst by eolleeting the saliva. \\'e were
therefore delighted to behold towards eight o'eloek the
towers of i'iura, and to stand half an hour lati'r at the
entranee of the town. Our elothes were thieklv eovered
with dust, and whilst we were eleaning them the guides
ottered uj) prayers to the patron of the road, w hose; elfigy
we saw L^anding amidst a group of trees. Sending
one of the men to Don Nareiso l!]s[)inosa with a letter of
introiluetion, we proeeeded to the raneho of the guides.
The messenger soon returned, stating that the gentleman

150

TilK VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

S^AlKjml,

to whom wc liad ])(.'en rccoiimu'iidcd was still nslcq),
but that his wife had taken tlio letter and promised to
deliver it instantly. About an hour after Don Narciso
arrived; he excused himself for coming so late, and
informed us that from want of room he was unable
to receive us into his house, but that he had procured
lodgings for us at the residence of a friend. The owner
of the house to which we w^ere conducted received us
kindly ; he proved to be a gentleman from Lima, who
had come to Piura to get cured of rheumatism, a disease
for which the climate and the sand-hills of the neighbour-
hood arc said to be excellent remedies. The patients are
buried for nine days in the hot sand of the desert, with
all save their heads covered, and afterwards have to lie
in bed an equal space of time, cojistantly drinking de-
coctions of sarsparilla.

Our intention w as to leave Piura as soon as possible,
in order to penetrate fiu'ther into the ulterior. We made
a bargain for mules and donkeys to carry us as far as
Sarsaranga, the first village in Ecuador ; and submitted
our passports to the sub-prefect of the province, Don
Manuel Cailote. The official, however, treated us most
uncivilly, telling us in vehement language that the docu-
ment we carried w^as merely intended from Peru, and
that, if we wanted to go to Ecuador, we should have to
get another passport, the cost of which w^ould be three
dollars. Vexing as it w^as to have to give three dollars
for a piece of paper that would neither further our object
nor indentify our persons, we had to pay.

ITjiving finished our arrangcnnents we intended to
leave on the 2nd of August, early in the morning. At

1847.]

I'lUKA.

If)!

)ssiblo,
made

far as

mitted

Don

most

docu-

, and

avc to
three
ollars

object

the a|)|)ointed hour we had our l)oxes packeci, oiu' spurs
put on, and everythinji; got hi reachncss. But we had to
wait till tlie afternoon, when the ohh'st of the guicK's
arrived, trying to make a h)ng face, and reporting that
the nniles had been in his court-yard, but tliat during
the night several had esea[)ed, and that hitherto his ex-
ertions to catch them had been unsuccessful. Having
in accordance with the custom of the country paid in ad-
vance the whole sum for the hiring of the beasts, no
alternative was left l)ut to wait. To be entii'elv in the
hands of these people is one of the greatest annoyances
of South American travelling. Threats are of no avail,
kindness is lost upon them, mid paying in advance de-
prives the traveller of every check which othei'wise he
mi<»;ht exercise on their conduct. Buvin<J!: animals is

o I/O

e(jually disadvantageous : unless the beasts belong to
the nudeteers, they pay no attention to them ; the food,
whenever a chance presents itself, is withheKl and sold,
and it not unfrequently happens that during the night
the animals change masters.

At first we were at a loss to account for the sudden
reluctance of our guides to proceed, but the truth was
soon revealed. For some time the vicinity of Piura had
been disturbed by a band of robbers ; several nuu'ders
had been conunitted, and on the very day our depar-
ture was to have taken place two people had been killed.
Various stories were in circulation. It was said that a
woman possessed of great courage was the chief of the
band ; and other statements equally singular passed from
mouth to mouth. Detachments of soldiers had been
sent in pm'suit of the peace-distm-bers, but had hitherto

1 5:2

Tin; v(nA(jii of ii.m.s. iikuald.

[.■h/^if<s/,

\)(VA\ imsiicci;asfiil ; in fine, Piiim wns in a ^tnU) of rx-
citcnicnt, and it was cnidcnt that yo long as it lasted our
nndi's would not bo cauglit.

Tlic stay thus enforced cnahk'd us to make acquaint-
ance witli various persons, and from their conversatiou
as well as from our own ohseiTation we obtained a
tolerable knowledge of Piura and its vicinity. Piura,
— or San IVIiguel de Piura, as its name at full length is
written, — was the first settlement made by the Spaniards
after their entry iuto the country, and the first place where
a C'hristian church was erected. The position however
of this early colony was not at the spot at ])resent oc-
cupied by tile town, but a few miles distant, the site
having be(Mi changed on accouut of the climate. Piura
is the capital of a province of the same name, and the
lai'gest town in northern Peru, standing on the left bank
of the river Piiu'a. The best houses are in the ceutre of
the town ; they are mostly one story high, built of a(h)bes,
Miul, agreeably to a law, white-washed ; their uiternal
arningements are simihu' to those ol)serve(l hi Lima, with
verandas and i)ateos. The outer portiou of the town
consists of mere huts {ranchos), the habitations of the
|:oorer classes and Indians, l^he streets are small, irre-
gular, and unpaved. In the centre of the town is the
I'laza, with a statue of Liberty ; two churches, Matriz
and Helen, the town hall, the Government offices, and
several private buildings form the sides of the square,
besides che two churches mentioned, there are five others.
Near one of them is a college, which was opened in 1840,
and had at the time of om- visit about a hundred and
twenty pu[)ils ; Latin, Spanish gianunar, aiul natural

,4*

1S47.]

I'll UA.

IT) 3

|)liiI()S()|)liy nrc the l)niiich('s of h^jirnin^ taught in tlu' I's-
tJil)lishm('nt. TIu'I'l' arc also several preparatory schools,
and ill sonu^ of theiu it is custoiiiary to give eggs instead
of paying money.

The nuniher of inhabitants is said to amount to
h»,()()0. About a tenth [)art of them are whites, hardly
a tenth negroes, and the rest Indians; their vernacular
langmige is Spanish, but the Quiehua is also understood.
In civilization the Piurans arc; not so far behind as might
have been expected from a [)eople who live in a desert.
Every week there appears a nevvspaj)er, ' El Vijia,' which
contains the political news not only of Peru and South
America, but also those of every part of the world. In
drawing and painting many of then; arc; very skilful,
and we met a young man, Luis M( ntero, who, though
he had never left Piura, nor received any instruction ex-
cept from his own townspeople, painted in a masterly
style. Music is much practised, an(i in walking through
the streets in the evening the mnnber of pianos heard
is striking. Keeping uj) the comnumication ])etween
the coast and the interior is the chief occupation of the
inhabitants. The rearing of goats, and the cultivation
of cotton on the banks of the river, are other sources of
employment. Agriculture on a large scale is not prac-
tised, the nature of the climate, the sandy soil, and the
want of water being mifavourable to it.

The river on which the town is built has only sufH-
cient water as long as the rains in the Andes continue ;
whenever they cease it bi'gins to diminish, and not un-
fre(|iientlv dries up altogether. In Piura itself rain does
not fall sometimes for seven oi eight years, a thick mist

1 54

Tllli NOV AOL OV ll.M.H. IIKRALI).

[/l/f^Hfif,

or ail oc'CMsioiial driz/liii^ Iniiig the only substitutes.
That it Uiivcr rains in the l\'ruvian (U'scrt is ()n(! of those
fanciful notions so frecjuently met with in 'he accounts
of the old travellers. On the contrarj rometijnes in
the month of Fehruary the clouds pour ,.,vvn inunense
masses of water. In iSiil- the showers were so violent,
and followed each other in such (|uick succession, that
mounds had to be raised in the streets of Piura to keep
the water out of the houses ; some of these mounds are
still to be seen. The effect which such a rain produces
on the desert is said to ])e wonderful : everywhere vege-
tation jip])ears ; everywhere water-melons, Indian corn,
and numerous grasses spring up ; and food becomes so
plentiful, that the Indians of the mountains are for a time
compelled to leave ott' bringing supplies.

The vicinity of Piura is a flat country, only varied
lusre and there l)y mounds of shifting sand {nicdaNths).
Like the greater portion, or perha[)s the whole, of the
Peruvian coast, it seems to have been at one period
below the level of the ocean, and only to have been ele-
vated to its i)resent position in modern times. Num-
bers of shells, intermixed with the sand, juul belonging
to species still inhabiting the adjacent sea, the prej)on-
derance of saline matter, and the occurrence of littoral
plants, sucli as Frosopis horrida, Varronia rotund) folia,
Capparis scabrida, and C. aviccunicBfolia, are in favoui"
of the supposition.

Prom the nature of the country, it cannot be expected
that the flora and fauna* should be well represented.

* tScc nil excellent account of the animals in Tschudi'3 ' Untcrsuch-
lumen iibcr die Fauna Peruana.'

IM.7.]

nriiA.

155

)ectecl
Iciited.

Icrsuch-

Tlicn; arc only five species of plants tliat t'onii wood.
The largest and most coniinon is the Ali^aroha (/Vovo/y/*
hon'fdd, W'illd.), a tree tlii' l)eans of wliicli liniiisli snl)-
sistciico for nndcs, donkeys, and jjjoats. Tlic Overal
{Fdrronia rofftndifoHa, DC.) is a lar«^(^ bnsliy slu'nl),
yieldinj.^ a berry which fattens cattle and poultry. The
physical circumstances luider which these plants ^row
being similar to those existing in Ascension, and their
fruits highly useful, 1 have reconnnended their introduc-
tion into tiiat island. The Za[)oti! de pi'rro {Cdpiuirix
Hcabnda, \\. Vt. ct K.) and Cfi/jparin crolonoidcs, II. W. et
K., are woody ])lants, very common, but without known
use, and not even touched by animals. The Yierba
blanca {Telc'tdNfhcra Peruviana, Mo(|.), a whitish herb,
creeping on the sand, is, in the absence of belter fod-
(Ut, given to cattle. When Cactuses, Aloes, and other
succulent forms are met with in arid places, it seems
natural, and we can account for it ; but wliisn such as
the Algaroba, Za])ote de perro, and Visacha, plants of a
dry woody texture, lu'e foiuid in a region deprived of
rain sometimes for years, it nmst ever be a matter of
surprise.

On the l)anks of the river vegetation is more luxuriant.
The Algaroba-trees attain a height of from thirty to forty
feet, growing with the Peruvian willow {Sa/i\v falcala,
II. B. ?), and forming thickets inhabited l)y parrots, car-
pinteros, putitas {^}fijoarchus coronatus, Cab.), and other
birds. Almost every spot is cultivated either with the
shrid)by cotton-plant, or maize, w^ater-nielons, plantains,
sweet-potatoes, cassjiva-root, and bird's-eye ])epper. All
the productions of the district, as well as those brought

TIIK VOYACiK OF II. M.S. IIKU.MJ).

[ Aii(jusf,

from tilt' mountains, arc3 every inornin<i; at sunrise t'X})osc'(l
tor sale, — on week-days in tlie Plaza, on Sundays in the
Plazuella de la Restauracion.

Near Piiu'a are numerous tond)s of the ancient Peru-
vians, which for the sake of gain are frequently opened,
especially oii Good Friday, which, according to poi)ular
belief, is a lucky (hiy. The objects met with are dried-up
bodies and earthen vessels ; gold is seklom found. The
vessels are neatly made, and generally have whistles,
which either produce a sound when blown, or when the
vi'ssel is tilled with water. One of the latter obtained bv
us imitated the voice of the turkey-buzzard in an extra-
ordinary degree ; another vessel, re[)resenting a number
of Indians carrying a corpse, was shown to us, which,
on being tilK'd with li([uid and moved, caused a sound
similar to that of a body of men crying. lS[)i'cimens of
this pottery are freijuently sent to luirope ; but, as is the
case with ancient ilomtm coins, the demand for them is
so great, that imitations are passed oti' for genuine ones.

On the 4th of Aui'-ust the soldiers returnetl, brinu-iny;
.several robbers, and, strange to relate, our guides and
animals shortly after made their ap[)earance. Having
everything in readiness, we stmled at once. It was
[)leasant to see the little caravan trotting along : eight
donkeys, carryhig water-thisks, [)rovisions, and fodder,
opened the train, two mules loaded with travelling neces-
saries followed, Avhile the guides and ourselves brought
up the; rear. The road led for the most i)art along the
banks of the Piura, and was for the first few leagues most
monotonous. Hy degrees the country became undulating,
the Algaroba-trees attained a ;^'reater height, and occa-

1S47.J

I, A I'KNKTE,

157

Liivmg

WilS
(Mgllt

ig the

OCCfl-

sioiially a scarlet parasitic plant {LornnllniH) was seen in
their branches ; and here and there arose some tidl Cac-
tuses, which, though little calculated to enliven the land-
scape, were hailed with delight as friends in ad\'ersity,
their fleshy stems snp])lying both food and water to the
beasts.

Towards evening we reached La Pefiete, a collection of
huts chiefly inhabited by goatherds. Tlu^ guides took
us to the house of their relation, a Limenian, who evinced
much joy in hearing news from her native town. Aftei*
su])per she treated us witii I'over stories, and inspired
our ])eo])le with such horror that they could hardly Ix^
j)ersuaded to move fivMii our sides. Having on the fol-
lowhig day to pass the district hi which the scenes re-
ii'.tcd had taken place, the information wjis not disi'e-
garded by us : we loaded our arms, and nuule every
preparation to re))ulse attacks. In La Penete however
nothing occurred. We started early the next morning,
and, before the sun's rays had obtained any power, tra-
velled over a considerable piece of ground. Tlu; road, oi-
])ath, as properly speaking it nnist Ix; termed, ascended
slightly ; the soil changed from a loose sand into a hard
clay, and several river-beds, though em})ty, showed that
wc had reached a region more subject to rain and mois-
ture than that left beliuul.

After riding the whole day without meeting any wati'r,
and being almost suflbcated by heat and dust, we were
delighted to arrive towards evening at the banks of the
Siupira. Having crossed the river, we met a wom.m
who invited us to stay the night in her house. She
])roved to be a widow, and the ])ro|)rietor of El Piuro,

158

THE VOYAGE OF II. M R. HERAT.l).

S^AuguHl,

a little farm. The building to which we were coiKlucted
stood on an eminence, and was like all those of the dis-
trict, — the greater portion was a mere shed, with a flat
roof loosely thatcluKl with straw of Indian corn. The
walls were made of sticks arranged close to each other,
but tiie sticks being all crooked — the country not pro-
ducing any straight ones — the whole had an irregular
and untidy appearance. The after part of the house con-
sisted of one large room, and was more substantially
built, having a tiled roof, a door, and windows, and being
furnished with ])eds, a table, and a few chairs. The
kitchen was in a side wing, and as rude as the rest of
the establishment. The fire-place was on the floor, and
a few pots and gom'd-shells were all the cooking utensils
that could be seen.

While my companion was making a ])lace to sleej)
u})on — bed it could not be called, — I prepared the supper.
The hostess and her daughter, a nice girl of about sixteen
years of age, assisted. When the meal was ready we
invited them to partaken of it, but they coulc' iiot be per-
suaded ; indeed the South Americans consider it an im-
propriety to eat with a guest who has just come from a
journey, thinking that in doing so he would restrain him-
self, and not eat heartily. Having on the following morn-
ing refreshed ourselves with a bath and taken breakfast,
we departed. The country l)egan to get more woody,
aiid grou])s of Cactuses, both Mc/ocftcfi and Ccrei, were
passed : the latter formed trees from thirty to forty feet
high, and their wood was as h.ard as ebony. Goats and
sheej) became more numerous, and bullocks were occa-
sionallv met with. At noon we rested hv about an hour in

■lttffit.9f,

1847.J

QIIROS.

151)

ducted
he dis-
i a flat
. The
other,
,ot pro-
regular
sc con-
imtially
1 being
The
rest of
or, and
utensils

sleep

su])per.

sixteen

idy we

be per-

an ini-

tVom a

n hini-

niorn-

akfast,

*voo(ly,

were
Ity feet
Its and

occa-
lourin

the shade of a tree, and towards sunset reached tlie river
Quiros. The banks M-ere hned with willows, and the
bed about a hundred yards across. Close by was a hut,
the most miserable and filthy we had as yet met with.
Mosquitoes and sandflies were so munerous that we had
alwjiys to s\UTound oiu'selves with smoke to avoid their
irritating operations. The inhabitants were extremely
poor, and could not spare either food for ourselves or

fodder for the animah

A few Alirarob.'i be

uis Avere

given to the latter, (md \\v managed to scrap(! toge-
ther the renmants of our provisions, and made a kiiul of
stew, consisting of rice, some potatoes, cheese, a crust of
bread, and a slice of tasajo : bad as was the mixture, it
was made worse by beijig burnt.

The pe()])l(; we were staying with looked very suspi-
cious, and caused us to be on our guard. An occurrence
during the night justified our apprehensions. About oiu;
o'clock somebody entered the ap.u-tment, and slowly
advanced towards the corner in which we were lying.
Thinking that we were asleep, the ])erson stretched out
his haiul across our bodies to tjdsc hold of our guns.
Being kept awake by mos(|uitoes, I observed every move-
ment, and just when the robbery was to be connuitted
I jumped up and drciw my dirk; but before Pim awoke,
or 1 could lay hold of the arm, the person had escaped.
At first we thought some robber had come into the house;
when however we heard om* host and hostess whisper-
ing together, we entertainc'd little doubt that they them-
selves liad first attempted to steal our guns, and [jroba-
bly afterwards intended to kill us with them. Slecj) for
the rest of the night had fled. We awaited the dawn

100

THE VOYAC.K OF II. M.S. HKUALl).

[/1f///f/.sf.

with anxiety, niid it was still dark when we eoiitinued
our mnrch. We passed Siiya and Ijas Pampas de
Chirina, but in neither of these phices eould any provi-
sions be obtained. About noon we came to a farm,
and although (piantities of fodder were lying in the court-
yard the proprietor could not be induced to dispose of
juiy. Tlic beasts were now quite exhausted, and the
greatest exertions had to be used to drive them on. At
last we gained the Macara, the riv(;r which sepaniti^s the
Republics of Peru and Ecuador, and without difficulty
we crossed over to the opposite side.

iil

CMAPTKR XL

Hcpuhlic of Kcuador — llaoioiida of Soviango — Sasaran^n - TaMibo of
Colosacapi — Cariainaii<<;o— (ron/aiiama — River ('alnin.iyo— Arriviil
ill Loja — Mr. ?iIn'^; .loiiriicy to I'iscobaiiiha.

We halted undur souk; willows, and observed with de-
light th(! animals feeding upon the tine grass with whieh
the banks were elad. We ourselves were not so tortn-

natc as to obtain

food : the ti

d us I)

JUiy lood : nie rrees around us Dore no
eatable fruit, and tliough wea])|)lie(l ourselves assiduously
to find some nutritious root, our botanical researehes were
unproductive, and we had to content ourselves with the
hope of arriving in the evening at the hacienda of So-
viango. Aft(^r sto[iping twci hours our journey was con-
tinued. Iliere was a great imjirovenient in the asju'ct of
the country : hills had changed into uioiintniiis, arid plains
into well-watered valleys, and groups of crippled trees
had been su])erseded by shady forests. In the expecta-
tion however of reaching Soviango we were disappointed :
the beasts were too fatigued with the march tluongh
the desert to make nuich progress, and ere long we were
benighted, aiul compelled to bivouac on the top of a
vol,, i. .M

\(y2

THE VOYACK OF II. M.S. IIKUALD.

[J/U/ffft/,

mountain. Tlu; provisions left consisted of two })lan-
tains and some cotfco, — sniiill allowance indeed for four
persons who liave been travellinfif all day, and, wliat is
worse, been disappointed in obtaining su))j)lies. Ibning
on tlic previous night burned the meal, my companion
did not permit me to show my cuHnary acquirements :
he himself undertook to roast the plantains and boil
the coffee. In the verv outset liowever he met with
o])stacles : as it was dark, and the ground around the
camp steep and rocky, no water could be found, and
the little ''^ft in the gourd-flask was not suificien' ; still
he used it, put in the coffee, and in order to make the
beverage, as he said, strong and good, it had to boil uj)
thee times. Twice the pot was drawn back at the pro[)er
1 loment, but v. hen the ex[)eriment was re])eate(l he for-
*/<)[ to ])rotect his linger when touching the handle, — he
!)urnt liimself, th(^ vessel drojiped, juul the ctvtfee flowed
< i tliC ground. The accideiif would have been anmsing
iiad we possessed any other !)everage, but, having nothing
to quench our thirst, it was rather vexing. After su})per
— /. r. after the two ])lautains had been consumed —
we slung our launmocks betw(>en some trees, while the
guides lay down close to the fire. However, none of us
slept much : avs empty stomach, is the most inq)atieut
creditor (>xi.^ting, who, after once making a call, is not
(|uieted U!''(il the whole, or at lejist the grc^ater portion,
of the (Ijht due to him has becMi ])ai(l.

We started at da' iejfht, i)ut if was not until we hjul
travelled seven hom'j^ ti»at we reaciii d Soviango, an estate
surrounded by sugar plantations and standing on an emi-
nence. Our approach had apparently been observed :

,'■>»?

tlff/Hfit,

1847.

irACIKNDA OF soVIANdo.

; na

) plan-
Dr tour
vliiit is
laving
panion
incuts :
1(1 boil
't Avith
nd tlu;
(1, and
t- still
:ikt' the
boil up
proper
lie for-
le,- — \\v
flowed
nusing
lothiug
supper
ued —
ile the
' of us
)atient
is not
lortiou,

e had
estate
n enii-

M'Vcd :

at tlio ])riucipnl building \v(! were met by two ladies, one
of whom proved to ])e the pro})rietress of the estate, and
begged us to })ut up in the house. Plenty of Indian
corn and Guinea-grass was given to the beasts, and a
breakfast immediately got readv for us. Tl

le meal was

nearly eoncluded, and we were b(>ginning to feel com-
fortable, when a cry of tire arose. All rushed into the
court-yard: ])ehind the sugar-mill a (K'lise smoke was
ascending — thi; |)lantations had caught lire. The whole
estate was in an uproiir ; the labourers were seen nuniing
down the hill, iuid the voice of the major-domo was hcMrd
giving orders. W(^ followed the ladies behind tlu; mill,
where a lamentable s])ectacle presented itself: sever;il
fields had already been reduced to iishes, and the llame.
iissisted by a strong breeze, was making rapid |)rogress
The tire had hardly touched a field when the cane m;i(le w
noise like musketry and Hi^w up into the air. The work-
men, armed with sticks, tried to knock it out, hut tluii
exertions were of no nvail ; iit last the llame reached ii
rivulet, and (>xpired for want of combustibles.

The damage done was considerable, but the ladies did
notsccan to be all'ected by it, bi-ing iis cheei'ful iis before ;
their only anxiety was, win ther any one had bi'cn hurt
When observing our [)re])arations for starting, they beggi'd
us to remain. To these tempting solicitations we could
not accede: intending to visit (^uifo, and being still ii
a great distance from that ciipitiil, e\ery hour was ol
inn)ortance. \\v therefore took our h^ave, thanking the
ladies for the hospitable treiitm<i!l tlu'y had hestowed
upon

us.

e now coiiinunced ;is(rn(lmg lli« jii iitcipiil cliiim it!

104

TIIK VOYAOE OF M.M.S. MF,nAM).

\/tif(/ltsf.

tlio Andes. Tho teinporMf iirc Ixraiiic loAvcr, tlic air purer,
nnd the vep;etnl)le and animal kingdoms displayed tlie
most diversified forms. Yellow ('(ilcvohiruiH were grow-
\\\^ amidst searlet Sr/lrlns and 1)lue lh'(nr(i//ifts ; Innn-
ming-birds were resting; on the twigs of F/fcZ/sins; butter-
flies and beetles \\{'re swarming abont, while little black
snakes leaped dexteronsly among the stones. What a
profusion of life ! whiit a contrast of colours ! Really
the aspect of a tropical forest is grand ; but that of the
Andes a few thonsand feet above the sea is beautiful —
the whole seems a garden.

Having gained the summit of the mountains separating
Soviango from Sasaranga, a fine view broke upon us :
on one si(l(> we b(>held the estate, Avith its sugar-fields of

ith the

le most vivid green, charnungly contrasting wi
roads, streams, and habitations ; on the other, Sasaranga,
a village of about fifty houses, and a neat-looking church.
The road was onc^ continued ziiirzair, and it took iis about
an hour to descend. The habitations in the villafi;e beiuf;
very small, we were comiu'lled to put u]) at the Cabildo
(town-house), a building containing the |)rison and two
larg(* rooms.

A\'e Avere forced to nMiiain a day at Sasaranga, our
P(M'uvian muleteers having left us, and fr-.'sh animals not
havinii; Ixen caught. The mode of tra\elling in Mci

la-

dor is p(>cnliar. On tl

le principal roads, at

every six or

eight leagues, there are iarnhofi — buildings for the r(>cep-
tion of travellers ; jit each of them a faiHbrro, or inn-
keeper, is stationed, who is appointed by riovernnient, and
Avhose duty is to assist in loading and unloading, to fetch
fuel, water, and provisions, and ])r()cure animals for the

IS47,]

TAMHO OF COLOSACAl'l.

1()5

juuriioV; and a cook, — tor iiis trouble he receives one real
a (lay from each party, and the cook half a real. The
price for each animal, whether horse or mule, is four reals
from one minbo to another, \\ hile in Ecuador we always

availed ourselves ot tins mstitution, and, altlioufj^h m many
[)laces great disoi'der and slowness prevails, it proved on
the whole highly advantageous. The tamhoa originated
in the time of the Incas ; they were the post-stages where
the royal mes.sengers met and delivered to each other the
mysterious (jnipo.s. The comnumication was at that time
so well ke[)t up, that the kings, at their table at Cuzco,
had lish fresh from the sea daily. Tlu^ descenihmts of
these messengers are still })ointe(l out, and we have had
occasion to observe the swiftness with which some of
them would keep puce with oiu' animals for leagues
togtther.

On the yth of August the mules arrived, and we pro-
ceeded to. adjust our boxes on their backs, but felt the
loss of our skilfid LVruvians most seveielv, as we were
nearly half an hour gc tting ready what tiny did in ten
minutes. Our new guides stood by (juite coolly, and
dii' not display the slightest wish to assist us. At last
we started for the tamho of Colosacapi : although the
distance is only six leagues, yet, our boxes continually
slipi)ing oil", wi' did not reach our destination \mtil late.
A large caravan of nmles laden with (^uina-bark from
Loja was arriving at the same time. Kach mule carried
two bales, fnnn two tmd a half to three feet long, and
a toot and a half broad. The Imnho was a wretched
place, — fnll of holes, vei-y dirly, and the Hoor covered
with cowdimg and other tilth. .V tire was made, but

KiO

THE VOYACi; OF II. M.S. IIKHALI).

[ At((jiiiit,

tlicrp IxMii}^ no cliiiniU'V, wo had to sullri' IVom the smoke
all iii^lit. 'I'lu; tdtiifjcrft, an old wotnafi; very thin and
lean, made hci' appearance ; slie was accompanied l)y
lier doj^, which had all its lioncs stickinj^ ont, looking
c(pially miserable. She at one.' proceeded to cook
some sonj) lor ns : water was first colonred witli some

)ro\vne(l oiuons, and inen some

I th

Ind

lan corn an(

I Ji t

eggs thrown in, one egg to a pint of wati.r. This mix-
tnre, with a fail' allowance of dirt, was, it need scarcely he
added, very weak, hut hungry travellers, who coidd get
nothing else, had to he content.

The next morning there was nol)()dy near the place,
.save the old woman, who informed ns that the people
had gone out for oiu" heasts of burden. At noon, find-
ing that no one appeared, we ourselves went ont and
managed to catch three mnles ; an additional one was
bi'onght in soon after, and at four o'clock we left for
Cariamango, accompanied by two Indian gnides, who
were as stupid as our former ones. It was with great
dilKcnlty that we hiduced them to start, as a thick fog
was coming on and the wind began to get up. Notwith-
sta.iding tins we departed, but were vuiable to travel
more than two leagues, and were obliged to put up at
a rancho which we were fortunate enough to fall in
with. The hostess, an Indian woman, was in very bad
humoiu", and professed to have; no food of any kind to
spare. Mer daughter however was otherwise disposed,
and, when her mother was absent, pointed out a nice goiit
just killed, and also the i)lace where the potatoes and the
maize; were kept. When the mistress of the house re-
turned, she could no Ioniser refuse to sell us sufficient to

1847

( AIMAMANdO AM> (ION/AN AM A.

107

niak(! a supper of, wliich in soiiu' nicnsurt" nuulc up for
till' l)Ji(l fare oi" \\\c previous d

Alter leaving the ranclio, the eouiitrv heeauu' very
varied, — woods, liiil.s, and some heautitiil valleys in a
state of (.'ultivatioii ; (here were however hut few iidia-
l)itants, as was indeed tlu; case alonu: the whole of oi

1 C

road. Late in the afternoon we reached i;ananianij:o
seven leagues from ('olisaea|)i, where we were lod^i'd
in the Cahildo. Cariamango is huilt on a plain, and
consists of about a hundred houbi's, most of which have
tiled roofs. It is surrounded by mountains, covered with
Qnina-forests, which are the property of the villa}j;e, and
from which any one may <• ct as much as he pleases ;

the Oi

nma howevci

is of ii

dit

ii.. nor quality, ano sells on

s])()t for from sixteen to eighteen reals the aroha. W)
the northward of the village there is a remarkable moun-
tain rising like a pillar into the clouds, iind having a large
cross on the to}), which, on high festivals, is visited by
religious processions.

Our next stage w.as (ionzanama, a village of al)()ut fifty
houses, hicluding a church and a chajx'l, and situated at
the foot of the Cerro de (Jolumbo. The neighbourhood
would a})pear to ali'ord great inducement for settling,
being clear of trees, having an excellent soil, well watered
])y luunerous streams, and producing peas, beans, pota-
toes, wheat, and other vegetables commonly grown in
northern Kiu'ope, besides those peculiar to the Andes.
The climate is delightful ; during our stay the thermo-
meter did not rise liigher tluui 07° Fahr. The wet season
lasts from November until the middle oi" Mav, but duriuir

t' e other mon

ths si

lowers are occasionally experiiincei

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

<
^

1.0

I.I

bil^ |2.S

■ 50 '^^^ ffllfliK

2.0

1.8

1.25 1.4 1.6

•• 6"

►

Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

m?.,

U.A

1G8

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

\^Au</U8t,

The only complaint made by the inhabitants is of the
strong gales of wind, which now and then blow off the
roois of tlie houses, and sometimes even throw down
the buildings. The Quina-trees are abundant in the ad-
jacent mountains ; we also for the first time met with the
Culen {Fsoralea glanddosa^ Linn.), a shrub about five
feet high, with small bluish flowers, and growing in
sunny j)laccs, on the roadsides, and on the whole Cor-
dillera, from Chile to Quito : its leaves are used as a
substitute for tea, but do not produce a very aromatic
beverage.

There is no cablldo nor tambo at Gonzanama, but we
did not experience any inconvenience on that account,
as we were most liospitably received by Don Juan Cueva,
the tcnienle of the place, who happened to be standing
before his house, and invited us to stay with him. He
w as a gentlemanly person, and had a great predilection
for the English, — so much so, that on leaving he wrote
in our passports, which he, as chief authority, had to
sign, that he had given us all th^ assistance in his power,
and had done so the more readily as the Republic of
L]cuador was so deeply indebted to Great Britain.

We stayed two days at Gonzanama. In the evenings
our host entertained us with ghost stories, accounts of
witches, and fairy tales ; for the inhabitants of the Andes,
like those of other mountainous regions, such as the
Highlands of Scotland, the Hartz, and the Alps, have
their superstitions, to which they cling with tenacity — a
circumstance for which Sir Walter Scott has sufficiently
accoimted. His favourite subject however was the de-
struction of the town of Zamora. In the neighbourhood

1 1

1847.]

DESTRUCTION OF ZAMORA.

109

of that place were sonic rich gold-mines ; the Spaniards,
not content with their produce, tried, by imposing
heavy contributions upon the natives, to augment their
treasures, until the Indians, unable to bear any longer
the oppressive yoke, rose in defence of their liberty. The
Spaniards taken were put to death, and tlie Governor
and chief officials were forced to swallow liquid gold, in
order that, as the enraged natives expressed themselves,
tliey might at last be able to quench their thirst for that
metal. Zamora itself was destroyed, and a heap of ruins
indicates at present the spot where once stood one of th(3
richest towns of Upper Peru. Herrera, the Spanish his-
torian, mentions Zamora, and says that lumps of gold
weighhig four pounds had been found in the muies, and
that even one piece of twelve pounds had been sent to
the King of Spain. Even now it might be profitable
to work these mines ; but it appears that the Indians in
the neighbourhood are so hostile, that no white man is
permitted to enter their territory.

Don Juan Cueva also acted as judge, and on Sunday,
after mass, several men W(3re brought before him for
fighting; he was engaged with the trials until five
o'clock, and sentenced some to the stocks and others to
be beaten. In the afternoon a great many people as-
sembled in the Plaza, to have a game resembling cricket,
but without the bat : the object was to knock down the
three wickets, and at the same time to drive the ball as
far as possible. The priest joined his parishioners, and
appeared to enjoy himself very much. In the evening
service was performed, when the images of the saints
were paraded and fireworks displayed ; music and dancing

170

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD. [Juf/USt,

i •^'

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S Jin

were kept up nearly the whole night. We thought that
the quantity of cMc/ia, a beer made of Indian corn, that
was drunk, tended to make the people rather more noisy
than was consistent with the ceremony.

On the 1 6th of August we succeeded in procm-ing a
couple of Indians sober enough to conduct us as far as
Loja, and in the afternoon we left, nuich to the regret
of the kind Don Juan Cueva. On the road, about a
league from Gonzanama, we visited the ruins of a village
built by the Incas, and situated in a plain. There was
one large house, two hundred and fifty feet long and fifty
feet in breadth, and standing east and west : the walls
were three feet in thickness and built of stone ; the door-
ways were six feet broad. Nothing was standing save
the walls, and these were very low and decayed. The art of
building arches was unknown to the ancient Peruvians ;
the roofs of the houses and those of the temples were
thatched with straw, and could not long withstand the
influence of the weather.

Not being able to reach any house for the night, we
were obliged to bivouac under some berberry-bushes, and,
after some difficulty, owing to the wetness of the wood,
we managed to kindle a fire and prepare some supper.
The night passed most unpleasantly; a drizzling rain
soon made our ponchos and blankets wet through, and
towards morning we were so cold and stiff" that we could
hardly move our limbs.

When we got up, the beasts — which, as is customary
in Ecuador, had been let loose dm'ing the night to feed —
had strayed, and it was not until after a couple of hours'
search that our guides, with the assistance of another

1847.]

CHIRIMOYA-TREES.

171

Indian who was passing by, succeeded in finding them.
After leaving the place, we descended into a hot valley,
where the vegetation had the character of the lower tro-
pical region, the thickets consisting of Crotons, Cactuses,
Fig-trees, and shrubby ConvolviUacea ; on the whole
there was little verdiu'c, the eftect of the dry season
being everywhere visible. About noon we entered a
forest, consisting of Cliirinioya-trees {Jiiona CherimoJia,
Mill.), which were lo;uled with delicious fruit. The Pine-
apple, the Mangosteen, and the Cliirinioya are considered
the finest fniits in the world ; I have tasted them in
those localities in which they are su[)posed to attain their
highest perfection, — the Pine-apple in Guayaquil, the
Mangosteen in the Indian Arcliipelago, and the Chiri-
moya on the slopes of the Andes, — and if I wer(; called
upon to act the part of a Paris, I would without hesita-
tion assign " the apple" to the Cliirinioya; its taste in-
deed surpasses that of every other fruit, and lianke was
quite right when he called it a "masterpiece of nature."
Having rested ourselves half an hour in an Indian hut,
and eaten a few eggs and plantains, we continued our
march, crossing the river Catamayo, and ascending a ridge
of mountains. The road wound in a most circuitous
manner, in many places along the edge of precipices, and
was barely wide enough to allow the animals to pass.
The wind blew a gale, and w^as accompanied with rain,
making our journey very unpleasant. The sun was just
setting when we obtained the first sight of the beautiful
valley of Cujibamba and the town of Loja. It took
us nearly two hours to descend : the rains had made
the roads so slippery that the animals could not walk,

172

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. IIEUALIJ. \^At((/USt,

hut were obliged to put their feet together and sUde down
— an operation so unpleasant that we were glad when we
had reached the bottom in safety. It was eight o'clock
before we entered the town, having had to cross one of
the rivers between which Loja is situated. We proceeded
to the house of Dr. Richard Ekins, an Englishman who
had settled and married in the country, and to whom we
had a letter of introduction from the British Vice-consul
at Payta. Unfortunately the Doctor and his Avife were
absent from home, but his brother-in-law accommodated
us for the night. As there is no inn at Loja we hired,
nmch to the disappointment of our host, several large
rooms in the hospital, for which we had to pay a very
trifling sum. We also engaged an Indian w^oman to cook
for us. She charged us about two shillings a day, and fur-
nislied us with breakfast and dinner, and such a variety
of dishes that we could not comprehend how she could
provide so nmch for so small a sum; still she always
tried to excuse herself that the meals were not so good
as they ought to be, and whenever there was anything
wanting which she considered mdispensable, she threw
all the blame on the state of the weather, telling us that
as the rivers were much swollen the supplies could not
have come across. Certainly Ecuador is the land of
cheap living ; but unfortunately provisions cannot be ob-
tained in all parts of the republic.

The Governor of Loja, Don Mariano Riofrio, behaved
very kindly towards us, sending us many little things
necessary for our comfort, lending us mules and horses
to make excursions, and making us acquainted with all
that he considered curious and interesting. He had a

i'-.

1847.1

JOURNEY TO l»lS{'On.\MHA,

17;^

groat desire tlint we sliould visit the mines of Piseo-
})aniba, to obtain some notion of the riches of liis pro-
vince ; but as the neiglibourhood of Lojii was a very
profitable locality for making collections in Natnral His-
tory, we did not consider it advisable tliat botli of ns
should leave it ; it was therefore agreed that Pim should
proceed to Piscobamba, especially as Dr. R. Ekins, from
whom we hoped to obtain some; extensive information,
was staying at that ])lace.

"The Governor," says my companion, "lent me a
nude, and accompanied me himself some distance. After
riding hard the wliole day, I could not reach Piscobamba,
and was obliged to put up at Vilacaband)a, a little village
containing about 1 50 inhabitants. The next morning,
the tcniente of the ])lace, and some of his friends, went
with me. The first part of the road was over pampas,
covered with beautiful grass ; we then entered the hot
valley of Piscobamba, which had much the appearance
of the deserts of Peru, — the change was most sudden ;
I also for the first time saw the snow-capped mountains
of the Andes. In the afternoon I arrived at the hacienda
where Dr. Ekins was stopping : he, as well as the pro-
prietor of the farm, Don Jose Miguel, whom he was
treating for paralysis, and to whom I had a letter of in-
troduction, received me very kindly.

" During my stay at Piscobamba I was out all day visit-
ing mines, or rather holes sunk in an inclined plane to
a depth of about two hundi'ed and fifty feet. The work-
ing had been stopped by water. I broke off some of the
best specimens I could find — gold, silver, and copper.
Report says that once these mines afforded considerable

174

TTIK VOYAOE OF H.M.S. UKRATJ) \.1f/f/lfsf,

t I": t

I II',

revenues. I was also taken to an immense hole, wliich
had been excavated at the expense of a company of mer-
chants, in order to obtain a treasure supposed to have
been buried in that spot. The story runs thus : — When
Atahualpa, the last Inca of Peru, had l)ccome the pri-
soner of Pizarro, he sent Indians to the principal citic^s of
his realm to collect the ransom that was demanded for
his liberation. Those carrying part of the treasure, when
they arrived at Piscobaml^a, on their way to the Spanish
camp, hearing that their king had been murdered, buried
their precious burden, to conceal it from the enemy. One
of the Indians however confessed the proceeding to a
Spanish priest, and with his assistance drew a chart,
which, on being discovered a few years ago, gave rise to
the formation of a company. The map enabled the asso-
ciation to pitch upon a spot which, from the number of
jars, bones, and other remnants that were discovered, bore
evidence that it had previously been overturned by the
hands of man ; but after digging for a long time the
funds became low, and the work had to be discontinued
for want of capital.

" On the 28th, early in the morning, I departed. My
nude was laden with two pair of saddle-bags full of mi-
neralogical, botanical, and zoological specimens. The
Doctor and Don Jose Miguel, wishing to show me a
silver-mine in the parish of Malacartos, went with me
some distance, but by a different road from that by
which I came : the mine, though much larger, was, like
the others, a mere large hole. I had been told that
I should reach Loja in good time. In spite of these
assurances, evening overtook me when I was yet three

1847.]

.TOURNEY TO I'ISCOUAMBA.

1 /i)

leagues distant, (piitc alone, ignorant wliich way to turn,
and the nuile sinking up to liis belly in the mud. I had
read of the sagjicity of mules, so throwing the reins on
the animal's neck, I let him follow his own road ; he KhI
me through the most out-of-the-way places, and about
ten o'clock stopped before a gate. In Ecuador gates
are differently made from those in England, consisting
merely of two upright posts with large holes at regular
distances, through which poles are inserted. Heing ex-
tremely tired I did not get off, but took out as many of
the poles as I. could reach, and reined my animal back
to take a leap, which he did right well ; unfortunately
my gun caught across the uprights, and took me out of
the saddle ; my foot was held fast in the stirrup, and [
was regularly hung. The mule, after capering about a
little, broke the stirrup-leather, and thus released me. I
then walked a short distance, and came to a house, which
proved to be the Governor's, and was the place where
the mide had been foaled. The people, after some
trouble, roused up one of the Indians, to guide me to
the town. I arrived at Loja in about an hour ; all the
things were brought in the next da3% and the only incon-
venience I experienced w^as from a pain in the righi
shoulder, caused bv a kick from the mule."

.' \ ^

170

CHAPTER XII.

ii 1'.^

Mliil

Loja — Las Juntas — San Lucas — Saragura — Ona — Losing the way —
Cochopato — Navon.

The town of Loja (Loxa), or, as it was formerly called,
Zarza, is situated in the valley of Cujibaniba, at the junc-
tion of the rivers Malacartos and Zamora, tributaries of
the Amazon. It was founded in the year 1546, by Cap-
tain Antonio de Mercadillo, and soon rose to importance,
partly owing to its favourable situation on the high road
connecting Cuzco with CuencpT Riobamba, and Quito,
and partly by its trade in Quina and annual fair. But
during the latter part of the Spanish domination it shared
in the gradual decline of South America, and the poli-
tical convulsions which followed gave it a severe blow,
until it arrived at the state in which we found it —
dull, decayed, and dirty. The principal streets run from
south to north, and are crossed by others at right angles,
thus dividing the town into regular squares; they are
all paved, and streams of water run down the centre of
each. The houses are one or two stories high, and built

lllM'

Ht7.

I.OJA.

177

of adolx's. Most ot" I lie liir^j^cr lioiiscs liiivc l)iil('onit's ;
glass windows nn; not niucli s -ii, wooden slnittcrs sup-
plying their |)liic('s. Tlu' dwellings iiiv dirty and full of
fleas and jiggt'rs {Pn/('.r pritcfrans, Liiui.), The latter
is a minute animal, which introduces itself into the
softer parts of the hody, especially the feet, where it
grows most ra])idly and deposits its eggs, and cim only
with (lifHcultv l)c extracted ; n(>arlv evi-rv dav four or
five of these intruders have to he tiiken out -an ope-
ration in which the natives have acquired considei'ahle
skill. In the centn; of the town there is a lariz:e
s(piare, with a fountain in the middle, the sides consist-
ing of the government offices, an unfinished chiu'ch,
i\ college, and several privates buildings. i.oja has
seven churches, a nunnery (Concepcion), — contain-
ing at the time of our visit twenty -two mms, — and a
hospital. The treatment of the patients in the latter
establishment is entrusted to women, who gather their
remedies in the neighbourhood. The only nu^dical man
in Loja is Dr. Ekins ; but as he is mostly attending
patients in different ])arts of the; country, the inhabi-
tants derive little benefit from his skill, and have to
depend upon the vague knowledge of the virtues of
plants and animals which tradition has hanch^l down to
them.

The climate of Loja and the whole valley of Cujibamba
is very moist. The wet season connuences in Jamiary
and lasts until the end of April, and sometimes until
the middle of May ; in Jvme, July, and August there arc^
heavy rains, accompanied by strong gales of wind ; from
September to January there is generally fine weather,

VO].. 1. N

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I7H

TIIK V()YA(JK (U' II. M.S. IIKHAIJ). \.tH(/Hst,

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iiM

ill|:ii''

l)iit n really dry season it cannot he called, — occasional
showers of rain fall even at that time of the year. Tlu;
averap;e annnal teni[)eratnre of lioja has not yet been
ascertained ; duriii}.? our stay the thernionieter stood *^v-
nenilly, at six o'ch)ck in the morning, at 50° Fahr., at
two P.M. 05°, and at ten at night 58° ; when tlu^ sun is
south of the c(juator, some; of the days are said to be very
warm. Notwithstanding the damp climate, the inhabit-
ants look remarkably healthy, and instances of longevity
an; not unfre([uent, some people having arrived at tiie age
of one hundred years.

The number of inhabitants is (estimated at 5000, con-
sisting of whites, Indians, aiul half-castes. They are
good-natured and hospitable, but, like most races who
have descended from the Spaniards or owe their civi-
lization to them, they are indolent, dirty, licentious,
and fond of gambling. The men arc tall and well
proportioned : in the streets they wear a straw-hat,
and a cloak or a gay-coloured poncho ; otherwise they
are dressed in the European fashion. The women, al-
though they have fine faces, arc short and ill-shaped ;
they also dress more or less in our style, but they never
wear caps or bonnets, and only when riding on horse-
back Panama hats.

Smoking is practised by both sexes. The women
use small paper cigaritas, which it is courtesy to pre-
sent to them ; however, as the softer sex in the other
towns of Ecuador do not indulge in the same habit,
they feel a certain reluctance to smoke before strangers,
and some of the ladies endeavoured to persuade us
that they only used tobacco on accoimt of the damp

IHI.7.

r.oiA.

17!)

cliiniitc. Itiiindy is dniiik in ^roil <|iiiiiilitM-s. mul In
nil cluHrtcs. At tlicii reunions it is custoninrv lor a per-
son to hold ii ^diisst'id in his hnnd, nnd, howin^' to
iinotluT, to say, "Con Tsted ;" the jxTson thus ad-
dressed, it' lie does not wish to \f'\\r oll'enee, answers,
"Con nnieho j^nisto," and ein|)ties his own ^dass ; it is
luniecessary to inU\ the result of this proeeedinjj:. As a
general rule, the women are not allowed to take their
meals with the men, hut have to eat in the kitchen;
the Governor however, and a lew others of the more
civilized, have broken throui^li this absurd eustom. Mo-
rality is at a low ebb, in a ji;reat measure owin<i to thi-
|)riests, whose charges for marriages, we were t(jl(l, an- 1'\-
orbitant, compelling many people to live together w ithout
the marriage ceremony, or at least giving them a plausible
pretext for doing so. •

The inhabitants are employed in collecting (^uina and
in tradhig in that article, in mamifacturing pillons and
ponchos, and in cultivating wheat. Every yeju", in Sep-
tember, there is a great fair, which begins on the 8th
of that month and lasts several weeks ; it is visited by
people from all parts of the country. As a prologue to
it, there is a religious procession in honoiu' of Nuestra
Sefiora de la Feria, a female saint sj)ecially created for
the occasion. On the 22nd of August, when " Our
Lady" entered, the town was in a state of excitement.
In the morning, a band, consisting of five drummers and
three ^fjrs, paraded throngh the streets to announce \\vy
advent. The honses in those parts of the town through
wdiich the saint was to pass w^ere covcn'ed with curtiiins,
carpets, bedclothes, etc., of the most diversihiHl siiapes

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180

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.s. HERALD. [^September,

4^:

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|Ni;:

jind colours, and the streets were strewed with flowers.
A body of Indians, headed by the alcahle, preceded the
party ; many of them wore alhgator-heads as masks,
and all were performing hideous grimaces to their own
music, and frequently taking draughts of chicka. This
is a part of the old superstitions, which the politic
Spaniards, in order to reconcile the natives, have al-
lowed to be mixed up with the rites of the Roman
Catholic religion.

The vegetation around Loja is most luxuriant. There
are a great many bright and large flowers ; tree-ferns
are plentiful, and Calceolarias, Fuchsias, Convo/vii/acecc,
Siphocamjjjilos, and some fine J'Jricacea are abundant.
The Quina of Loja is celebrated, but there are at j)resent
only a few trees in the neighbourhood of the town, and in
order to get the bark the people, have to go some dis-
tance. It may be collected at any season, and an axe
and a knife arc the only implements required for that
purpose. One man is able, in a favourable locality, to
gather about an aroba daily ; an aroba of the best sort,
the Quina fina de Loja {Ci7ichon» Condaminea, H. et B.),
sells for about tw^elve shillings, the other kinds for much
less. The Achira {Canna discolor, Lindl.) is a plant com-
monly cultivated for the sake of its tuberous roots, which
are eaten, and look like camotes. Peas, beans, potatoes,
bananas {Musa sapientiim, Linn.), sweet potatoes, and
wheat are grown in great quantities.

On the 1st of September we departed from Loja. We
intended to leave early in the morning ; unfortunately
the men were so drunk that we w^ere obliged to load
the animals ourselves, and even then we had the great-

1847.]

l.AS JUNTAS.

l^l

est difficultv in niakiiiij: the Indians acconiiKinv \is. The
weather was most unpromising — very rahiy, with every
prospect of its continuance. The road was most diificidt
to pass ; the horses and mules, also a bidl tiiat carried
one of our bags, were sinking up to their bellies in nuid,
and we did not escape without some tumbles. Not
being able to reach a house, w^e had to bivouac in the
woods, under a pouring rain, covered with nuid from
head to foot, and the ground a regidar swamp ; with
a great deal of trouble we managed to g(^t a cup of hot
cocoa to keep out the cold, and, as may be supposed, we
passed a most miserable night.

We started at daybreak with the same kind of roads,
and every bone aching with rheumatic pains. About
noon w^e crossed the river Las Juntas, on a bridge of
Indian workmanship, made of trunks of trees strewn over
with twigs and gravel, without any side-rail, and not
more than about six feet in breadth ; and we reached
the tambo of the same name, two huts, where we ought
to have slept the previous night. We got a meal of
eggs and cliickn, and pushed on for the village of San
Lucas. At a short distance from Las Juntas, both the
weather and the roads changed, becoming equally dry,
and the scenery w^as most beautifvd. As we were rid-
ing along we had the good fortune to meet the cura
of San Lucas, who proved to be the brother of the hos-
pitable tcnlente at Gonzanama, and treated us with equal
kindness.

San Lucas we found to be an assemblage of Indian
huts, and built on the side of a hill, the most tremendous
we had yet had to j)ass : steps had been cut on its sides,

; J I
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III!'-
ill

182

TFiK, voYAfJE OF n.M.s. UKRALD. [^September,

to assist tlic iniiles both in ascent and descent. Near the
vilhigc there are the ruins of a Spanish town, which was
destroyed by an invasion of the wikl Indians of Zaniora.
The tree-fern is so plentifid around San Lucas that the
|)eople use the wood for tlic commonest purposes.

The next morning we started for Saragura, fifteen
kuigues from Loja. For nearly a league after leaving
San Lucas the road Avas drv, but after that it became
liorrible ; the liills were steep and covered with nuid,
obliging the beasts to put their fore feet together
and slide down the best way they could. After many
tumbles we arj'ived at Saragura, where we Avere kindly
welcomed by the fenlehte of the place. He told us that
the village; contained 2000 inhabitants ; it did not ap-
pear to us that there were so many, but the houses were
very scatterc^d, and covered a large space of ground. The
church, both internally and externally, was the prettiest
we had seen, and was kept clean and neat. The land
around Saragura was in a high state of cultivation, and
wheat abundant. The thermometer stood at 60° in the
evening. The only white people iiving in the place were
the priest, the teniente, and two'or three merchants ; the
latter have a trade in cascarilla, but that article is of in-
ferior quality, and not worth more than six or seven reals
the aroba of 25 lbs.

After staying for the night at Saragura, we proceeded
on oiu' journey ; fresh mules — much to our surprise —
having arrived for us early in the morning. We were
anmsed by the numerous cavalcades we passed, which
were on tlieir way to the fair at Loja : both men and
women were jaded and covered with mud, the Avomen ap-

1847.

SARAdURA.

183

peariiig as hardy as the men. Only tlic wealthier people
put up at a house during th(! night, the rest camping out
in the fields.

A league from Saragiu-a the vegetation became very
scarce ; the country had a rather arid appearance, and
the hills were of the most fantastic shapes. At four
o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at the village of
Ofivi, five leagues from Sartigura. The parish contains
about 2000 inhabitants, but the village itself not more
than one or two hundred ; it possesses a good church,
with a fine large house for the ciu-a ; the tambo is cheap
and clean, the best we had seen. There are no mines in
this district ; cultivation is scai'ce, though there are corn-
fields ; the sowing time, as at Saragura, is in January,
February, and even March, and the harvest hi October.

On the 5th of September we left Oila. The morning
was charming ; while the valleys were still enveloped
in the long shadows of the mountains, the lofty sum-
mits of the Cordillera were already gilded by the rising
sun, and singularly contrasted with the deep azure of
the sky. We felt all the beauties, and none of the in-
conveniences, of the tropics. The air was pure and
refreshing, the landscape grand and bold, and around
us lay fields cultivated with grain and fruit, which re-
minded us of our own happy climate, and for a moment
made us forget that we were travelling in an equinoctial

region.

Our animals being in high spirits, and the road hard
and dry, we soon left our luggage-nudes behind, and
long before noon reached Coc^opato, a small village.
Hiere we intended to await the arrival of the muleteers.

I, '■

184

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H'lidiii '

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fi'V;

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S|!i''

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. llERAl-1). [^September,

l)ut when after a considerable time they did not make
their appearance, we resolved to proceed withont them
to Navon, the next stopping-place. From Oila to Co-
chopato there had been only one road, and we had
hitherto experienced no difficulty in following it ; but
now two presented themselves : the one led over plains,
while the other, branchuig oft' to the left, wound along
the mountains. Though entertahiing no doubt that the
first was the one we ought to follow, yet, in order to be
(piite certain, Ave rode up to an Indian shepherdess, and,
pointing to the road which traversed the plains, asked
her, "Is this the highway to Navon?" She nodded,
and replied, " JrV — a word which, as we afterwards
learned, signifies " yes" in Quichua ; but, as our question
was put in Spanish, we expected lh answer in the same
language, and therefore very naturally niistook her a?}
for a corruption of arriva (up).

Fidly convinced that we were following the right di-
rection, we ascended the mountain road, traversed a
dark-looking forest, and entered, after a few^ hours' ride,
one of those extensive grassy plains, or pamjjas, so nume-
rous in the Andes. For some time we went along the
banks of a rivulet, then descended into a valley, and
were soon surrounded by a number of hillocks. I was
so much engaged in collecting specimens that I paid httle
attention to the road; but when my principal harvest
was over, I began to look around, and was at once
convinced that we were upon a mere track made by
cattle. I was prevented from communicating this ob-
servation to my companion, as he had gone ahead, and
was resting himself in a little valley. Not being within

1847.]

A LKSSON IN tilH'lll'A,

1^5

spwikiiig distance, I took my poncho, wuving liini to conio
buck; he mack similar signs in return, and I, satisfied
that he had understood me, eonnneneed retracing my
steps. My former inattention to the road liowever proved
very disadvantageous. In a short time I tound myself
among a grove of trees, where I remained a few nunutes,
in order to collect some specimens ; but, seeing that I had
mistaken the path, I turned back, and reached the stream
along the banks of which we h;id come. This places I
thought a very good one for awaiting my companion's
return. I dismounted, and stopped about a (piarter of
an hour, but he did not appear. I hastened back to
the valley where I had last seen him ; it was deserted.
I now thought he nuist have passed when I was auiong
the groves, and therefore took the proi)er direction to Co-
chopato. I succeeded in following the rivulet frjr about
two miles, when the stream took a sudden turn, and 1
stood before a number of small paths branching oft' into
different directions. I first took the central, as the one
most likely to lead to the village — it conducted me to
a lagoon, whither the cattle repaired to water : I was
obliged to return ; and all the other paths terminated in
similar obstacles — I either arrived at a swamp or came
to a grove, amidst which the track was lost.

With riding to and fro I had become completely be-
wildered; all my attempts to discover the right path
had failed. Twilight had commenced, and I was still
wtttidering over the vast pampas, shivering with cold and
exhausted with fatigue and hunger. I had lost all, —
my companion, my guides, and my way. Suddenly a
ray of hope burst upon me : in one of the })aths I found

iii '

180

THK VOYAGE OF 11. M.S. HERALD. \ Scpfcmhr)',

an article beloiipjing to Pini's saddle ; surely he could
not be far distant. I called his name ; I shouted. No
reply followed, — only the echo imitating my voice. My
rejoicing was speedily changed into ap|)rehension. What
could have become of him ? Perhaps he had been slain
by the hands of treacherous Indians, or been attacked by
wild animals.

My companion had been equally unlucky. When 1
was making signs to him he imagined that I had lost
something and was returning to search for it ; but, find-
ing that I remained rather too long, he went back to the
rivulet, and probably passed it when I was hidden by the
trees. A short time after, his horse shied, and made such
violent jumps that one of the stirrups was carried away,
the finding of which caused me so nmch api)rcliension.
My companion, like myself, had lost his way, but for-
tunately observed in one of the valleys a hut, which with
some difficulty he succeeded in reaching ; he persuaded
one of the inhabitants to serve him as a guide, and ar-
rived without any accident at Navon. He repaired to
the house of the cura, in hopTes of finding there both
myself and the nmleteers. The latter he met witli, but
he learnt with surprise that nothing had been heard of
me. The cura exhibited great anxiety, and informed
my companion that the part of the sierra in which I had
been lost was uninhabited, and rendered dangerous by
the inroads of savage Indians. He at once despatched
six natives, whom he loaded with provisions and directed
to fire guns at elevated positions in order to attract my
attention. He went still further : by his influence his
brother and several other gentlemen of the place offered

'I ' ;,0'!!i

<- jhijiii:!!!

1847.]

COCHOPATO.

IS7

to accompany my friend on the following morning to en-
deavour to discover traces of the loi^ traveller.

When darkness closed around nie, I gave up all hopes
of finding my way. I was more than 8000 feet above
the sea, and felt both cold and hungry ; but, seeing no
prospect of remedying the evil, I determined to make
the best of my situation. Tying my horse to a low shrub,
I took the saddle as a pillow, the saddle-cloth as a mat-
tress, and, throwing the poncho over me, delivered my-
self into the arms of Morpheus. I had just arrived at
that state when the exhausted frame feels that sleep is
approaching, when voices became audible. 1 listened in
breathless anxiety : it was no deception ; they came
closer and closer, and at last I distinguished the bleating
of a flock of sheep, intermingled with the notes of an
Indian song. I was near a valley, and the sounds pro-
ceeded from below. I descended as quickly as the nature
of the ground would permit, and in less than ten minutes
stood amid the flock. The sheep were driven by two
Indian girls, who, at my unexpected appearance, screamed
and ran away. I followed one of them at full gallop,
and succeeded in overtaking her ; upon my inqiviries
she told me that I was not far from Cochopato, the place
we had passed in the forenoon, and that Navon was more
than four leagues distant.

Having now a substantial road before me, I moved on
in a pleasant trot, and soon fell in with a young man
who was carrying a bundle of wood. He informed me
that he belonged to the village, and that his parents
would be glad to receive me into their house. And so
indeed it proved : both his father and mother showed

H ! I!|

■lll

1 :

: 1

■

ill

I* ■ ''{'■

s m\

: !'!''

jiH,;! ;':ji!

il ill h'il

,1:1 ||I|I

t\f ■ i^'

ill

li«;,l';il

:l |||i

1H8

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.s. HERALD. [September,

me every mark of attention, and while the one acted the
entertaining host, the other performed the duties of a
good housewife, and placed before me a supper, consist-
ing of a roasted Guinea-pig, potatoes, and some excellent
cream-cheese. Though it was late, yet my arrival soon
spread through the village, and in a short time the
room was crowded with visitors, who came to look at
the stranger.

The landlord tried to persuade me to remain for the
night, but to that proposal I could not consent. I had
heard that the guides as well as Pim had passed the vil-
lage, and kncAV that they would be anxious at not finding
me at Navon ; so having obtained a guide I started about
midnight and reached the village at four o'clock in the
morning. Our muleteers were at the iamho, and I learnt
from them that my companion was sleeping in the house
of the cura. I repaired thither, but a number of furious
dogs prevented me from effecting an entrance. Having
retm'ned to the to mho, I wrapped a blanket around me,
and was almost instantly asleep. I had hardly enjoyed
rest more than half an hour when I felt a touch on my
shoulder ; I awoke — the companion of my travels stood
once more before me. He had risen early in order to
commence searching, and was agreeably surprised at
finding me so soon.

Thus ended our lesson in Quichua, the cost of which,
including all delays and expenses caused by it, amounted
to nearly ten dollars. After that time both of us paid
more attention to the language of the Incas : we noted
down words and learned sentences, and before reaching
(tuayaquil we could at least so far make ourselves in-

1847.1

NAVON.

Ibi)

tclligiblc as to ask for the necessaries of life. Although
now, from want of practice, wc; have forgotten many
expressions, yet we still remember that an means i/ett,
and that from the confusion of ari and arriva serious
consequences may ensue.

■J

MM)

CHAPTER xin

■*||,:

;.; (>'':■

;; illi'

Navon — Marivina — Cmiihi — Cuenca — Quinoas — Giiaicunse — Molla-
tiira — Yerba Buena — Cave of Cliacayaque — Navaiijal — Arrival in
Guayaquil.

The village of Navon contains about two hundred in-
habitants, and the whole parish scarcely more than a
thousand, chiefly Indians. The chniate differs little from
that of the other places through which our route lay.
The wet season commences in December and lasts until
the beginning of May, but the rains are not continuous,
and dming the so-called dry season showers are not un-
frequent. From May until December there are strong
gales of wind. Wheat is sown in February and March,
and ripens towards the middle of August, and, as in
all elevated regions in South America, it grows scarcely
more than two feet high ; potatoes are planted in De-
cember.

We observed near the houses a number of sticks piled
together, and on inquiry fo\md that they had been placed
there to enable the poultry to take refuge from the con-

liiii

1^47.]

MAHIVINA.

IDI

dors, which (Icscciid with jjjri'Mt rapidity upon thrir prcv.
From those rnoinics tlic inhfi])itants have a good mode
of freeing themselves. An old horse, nude, or other
large animal, is killed and left in the fields. A condor,
|)crceiving the dead body, descends, and devours so
nuich of the flesh as to be thereby prevented from fly-
ing. The natives then throw over its head a poncho, a
square piece of cloth with a hole in the centre, and thus,
with the help of the Uko, make a prisoner of " the king
of l)irds."

On the 7th of September we continued our inarch.
The nudeteers we had hired were so drunk that we w(>re
compelled to send them back, and take two boys instead ;
the mides also were inferior, and in crossing a river one
of them stumbled, wetting two boxes containing some of
our most valuable specimens. We hastened to reach a
habitation ; evening however overtook us on a grassy
plain, with isolated BromeHacete. We bivouacked im-
der some bushes {Macleania^), but as it rained and blew
very hard we could not dry our specimens, 'ro a na-
turalist there can be nothing so distressing as to sec the
collections which he has formed with such care, at great
expense, and often at the peril of his life, on the point
of being spoiled. We w^ere thinking the whole night of
our wet boxes, and started at the first sign of day. The
night had been a most miserable one, and we were ex-
posed, without a tent, to the full influence of the incle-
ment weather. Fortunately we soon reached the tand)o
of Marivifia, and, making a good fire, Ave set to work
drying our papers and plants — a task which occupied us
several hours.

102

TMK V()YA(JK ()!• II. M.S. IIKKVLI). \ S('juff'//t/jrr,

''I !'■■'!

i V,

Pilji

We Imd grcjit clilliculty in obtaiiiiuj; imilcs iind liorsos
to tnki; us to Cuencu, having to catch tluMii ourselves,
wliicli, ns tlic aniuiiils were very wild, was not acconi-
plislied without (;()usi(h'ra])l(; trouble. Ilowi'ver, before
(hu'k we succeed(!d in fjjettiuf^ to (Juud)i, a viilaf^e plea-
santly situated in a large valley. The eura of the place,
a fat, jolly priest, received us liospitably, and invited ns
to partake with liim of an excellent suj)j)er. lie was
astonished at our not drinking the liberal allowance oi'
spirits which it is customary to ])lace before a stranger;
indeed all with whom we came in contact were surprised
thiit we did not drink sj)irits, that we al)stain(!(l from
smoking, and that we washed every morning in cold
water. They told us that it was imprudent to wash
the face and haiuls so early in tlu; day, as rheumatism
would be the conse(|uence. They still reuiembenid an
Englishman, Mr. William Lobb, who had passed through
the country a few^ years previously, and who, the inhabi-
tants said, had been as fond of using cold water in the;
morning as we were. The natives themselves are very
reluctant to touch water, fuid do not wash themselves
regularly, — perhaps but once a Ave(^k, or even at still
greater intervals.

Soon after supper our host went to bed, and we w^ert;
conducted into a room destitute of all furniture. In
Ecuador, as indeed in most parts of Spanish America, a
traveller is expected to carry his bedding with him ; hospi-
tality, though including food and lodging, does not extend
to a bed. As we dispensed with that article, we spread
out our pi/lotfs (the coverings worn over the saddles) on
the floor, lay dowm upon them, and wrapped ourselves

\^n.

( imhi

I \):\

ill our hiniikcts. Wwt us soon ns tlic ciiiwlli- Wiis cs-
liii{^iiislu'(l we were visited l)v n ihimiIm r ol" rats, wliicli

inn uboiit the

l)o(li

room nnd over oiir IxkIics, and lu>p;Mn to

il i)

u^iuiw at our boxes, lu-anii^' they might injure our eol-
leetion, a part of wliieh we had ,>,('nreelv (h'ied again, ue
got up and (h'ove them away , they ri'turned however

le moment we

hiv (1

own.

we determined that whih'

one of us was sleeping tlie other sliould watrli — an cNpe-
(hent whieh was the more neci'ssary, as, from not having
slept th(; night l)i'fore, we were l)otli extremely tired.

The following' morning we started for (hienea. The
country was perfeetly Hat, — an agreeable change after
descending and ascending so many mountains rendered
slippery hy the rains. There were some tine meadows,
and herds of cattle — goats, horses, cows, and oxen —
grazing. We had the good fortiiJie to join coin[)any
with two ladies who were riding intc) the city ; they
were very connnunicative, and pointed out everything
curious on tlu; road,— the place wluuv the mail had been
robbed of a larije amount of nionev (an umisual occur-
rcnce in Ecuador), now indicated by a large cross, and
the localities where some of the skirmishes of tlie devo-
lution had been fought.

We reached Cueuca at an early lumr, and went to
the house of T)r. James Taylor, a Scotchman, who re-
ceived us with the greatest possible kindness. We
fouiul there a letter written by Ca])tain Kellett, which,
(lir(!cting us to rejoin the Herald as soon as possibles,
compelled us to take the nearest road to Guayacpiil,
and abandon our plan of visiting Quito. Her Majesty's
Consul at Guayaquil, Walter Coi)e, Esij., had also sent

VOL. 1. o

194

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD. \Septemh('r,

I;:-

1^:.:

letters to dift'ereiit friends of his in Cucnca, begging tlieni
to forward our views — a request to whieh they acceded
most cordially.

On the 12th Dr. Taylor invited a number of frieiuls
to an evening party in honour of our arrival. Many
healths were drunk, and dancing and singing were kept
up until a late, or rather an early, hour. The three
Englishmen living in Cucnca, Colonels Harris and Tal-
bot and Dr. Jervis, were with us. The two former had
fought through the whole war of independence, having
been amongst the first volunteers who swelled the ranks
of Bolivar's army. Dr. Jervis was the nephew of the
Earl of St. Vincent, and, although seventy-three years
of age, he was very active ; some of his anecdotes of the
sea-service in which he was engaged were most amusing.
The Doctor had been a long time in South America, but
had never learnt to speak Spanish fluently, and his con-
versation was a strange mixture of English and Spanish,
occasionally varied by a few words of Quichua.

Cuenca is considered the finest town in Ecuador ; it
is situated in a plain near the* river Matador, and its
churches and convents impart to it an air of grandeur.
According to Herrera it was formerly called Baniba,
and was founded by the Marciuis of Canete, when he
wa> Viceroy of Peru. Like most towns built by the
Spaniards in America, Cuenca is divided into regular
squares. The streets are of moderate breadth, and
paved ; the principal ones have a footpath for passen-
gers, and through each there runs a stream of water.
It has twelve churches, including those attached to the
convents. In the centre of the city there is a large

1.S47.]

CUKNCA.

11)5

public square (Plnza Mayor) with a fountain in the
middle, and at thj sides the government oifiees and the
Cathedral ; tlu'ee smaller squares (Plazuelas) are situated
in different parts of the town. The houses are built of
adobes, and are generally of one, seldom of two stories ;
the walls are, on account of the earth(|uak(;s, of great
thickness. The windows are secured witli iron bars, Hke
those; of our prisons, but as the people bear an excellent
character, this is done more because G;lass is too costlv
to be accessible to all classes, than on account of house-
breakers. None of the public buildings are deserving
of j)articular description : the convents and churclu!s are
remarkable neither for their style, size, nor wealth. In
the college there were at the time of our visit about five
hundred students, who were instructed in tlieology, Ijatin,
and Spanish. In approaclnng Cuenca from Cumbi, the
traveller passes a fine stone bridge with two arches, lead-
ing over the Matador, a deep and rai)id river. A short
distance from the town are the remains of a bridge (Iiica-
chaca) i)uilt by tlie Incas across the river Tahjui, or, as it
is also termed, Chaguarchimbana.

The population amounts to about 20,000, but no ac-
curate census exists. They arc chiefly of Indian descent,
only one-third of the inhabitants being white ; they call
themselves Mm'lacos, a name the derivation of which is
obscure. The inhabitants have a fine healthy colour,
even the Indians having red cheeks. Diseases are few,
and those prevalent seem to be caused more by unclean-
liness than l)y the effect of climate. The costume of the
white men is European; the women wear the mantilla,
which, when walking in the streets, is thrown over their

(> '-2

190

TiiK voYAdE OF II. M.S. II KHALI). [^Scjjtcmbrr,

F! '-'m

'■ii

heads, and soinctiiiies topped by a Paiiaiua hat. Ciiencji,
being tlie see of a bisho]), and having several convents,
swarms witli priests of all grades. Shopkeepers arc;
also a numerous class, every man seennng to take a
j)ride in liavhig something to sell. However, the town
cannot boast of any great commerce : there used to be
a considerable trade in blankets and flannels, the })ro-
duce of native industry, but since foreign goods may l)c
had cheaper, and at the same time better, it has ceased.
The Indians still manufacture a cloth which a])pears to
be in use aieong all ranks. A few hides are occasion-
ally sent to Guayaquil, and many other rjiw products
might be taken to that port if the traftic were not ren-
dered impossible by the want of good roads. Wheat
the people of Guayacjuil are obliged to buy from Chile,
although the highlands of PJcuador produce an immense
quantity. Coal is abundant in the neighbourhood of
Cuenca, and if there was a highway it might be sold at
the port of Naranjal at five or six dollars a ton. A new
road was being formed to the coast ; the i)art completed
Avas little better than a gravel walk in an English g{U'-
dcn, but for Ecuador it might be called excellent, and if
finished would be of incalculable value.

The people of Cuenca, like those of the other places
through which we passed, eat more vegetable than ani-
mal food, and take several meals during the day. Early
in tlie morning they drink coffee or chocolate ; at ten
o'ch)ck they have breakfast, composed of made-dishes,
soups, eggs, etc. ; and at two or three o'clock in the
afternoon, dinner, which, is much the same as the break-
fast. Guinea-})'go form a favoiu'ite dish with every class.

fcmhrr,

1847.]

CUKNCA.

197

Ciienca,
nivcnts,
icrs an;
take a
he town
id to l)r
tlic pro-
may be
I ceased,
pears to
iccasion-
jroducts
not reii-
AVheat
111 Chile,
immense
fliood of
sold at
A new
upleted
ish gar-
and if

Ir places

lian ani-
Early
at ten

l-dishes,
in the
l)i'eak-

[y class,

to nlace them l)ef(

ffuest

and, among the Indiai
considered as a mark of honour. Supper is taken at an
early hour. The courses arc brought on the tal))e in as
many plates as there are persons eating — every one gets
a plate to himself; lorro, a kind of sou}) made chiefly
of potatoes, concludes every meal. If any one tiiuls on
liis plate a good piece, and desires to be ])o]ite t() his
neighbour, he hands it to him, accom])anying the action
with some complimentary phrase. The women are not
allowed to take their meals with the men, but have to
wait until the latter have finished. There are besides
several other customs too trifling to mention, but all in-
dicating a rather primitive state of civilization.

There are no places of amusement ; the people seem
to pass their thue in siestas, lounghig in the streets
and plazas, smoking cigars, and talking scandal. The
Quichua language is in general use, and even spoken by
the whites among themselves ; it occupies about the
same position as Platt-deutsch does in Northern Ger-
many. Most of the people are able to read, espt^cially
those born since the independence of the country, but
their general knowledge is limited, and of great men
they hardly know any besides Bolivar, Iliunboldt, and
Napoleon ; in geography they make sad blunders, calling
France, for instance, the capital of Paris.

The Indians of the neighbourhood of Cuenca, and all
those of Ecuador speaking the Quichua language, have
changed so little in appearance, dress, customs, and
manners, since Pizarro's invasion, that the best account
of them would be a transcript of that which the old
Spanish historians have handed down to us. They still

198

TMK voYAGF, ov H.M.s. HEKALD. [September,

\y-'%

W(\':

s[)cak tlu; langiiapjc of their forefathers, and the voca-
bulary vvhieh we collected agrees well with the earliest
specimens of Qnichua pubhshed ; the men still wear a
shirt, knee-breeches, and a poncho, all of wool, and
made by their own hands ; the women still dress in
petticoats reaching a little below the knee, short body-
coats, and a scarf worn like a shawl and secured on the
})reast with a large silver pin. They have changed their
religion, and perhaj)s in many instances are sincerely at-
tached to the Roman Catholic Church, but at heart many
of them still venerate the ititi (sun), and the part they
take in religious processions — dancing before the images
of the saints, and dressing in fantastic garments — woidd
seem to be more deeply rooted than in mere usage. In-
deed it is not likely that a people who in other respects
cling to old customs wdth such pertinacity, shoidd have
so easily been induced to change what is dear to most
men — their religion ; for the Spaniards, after conquer-
ing the New World, did not adopt the course which is
pursued with so much zeal and ability by missionaries at
the present day. That instructio'n must precede convic-
tion was a maxim the Spaniards were not prepared to
uj)hold : they were satisfied if the natives could be in-
duced to become nominal converts. Hence we find that
the spirit of Christianity was seldom comprehended by
the Indians, and that in many instances they worship
the Roman Catholic saints, believing that they are doing
homage to their own gods merely with another name.

The Indians are strong and hardy, and are very nume-
rous in places where they have avoided connections with
the whites or negroes, — for this, after all, a})pears to be

tember,

1847.]

CUENCA.

199

ic voca-

earlicst

wear a

ol, and

Iress in

t body-

l on tlio

cd tlieiv

;rely at-

L't many

irt they

images

—would

;c. In-

respccts

Id have

to most

nqner-

lich is

nries at

convic-

ared to

])e in-

d that

led by

orship

doing

me.

nnnie-

s with

; to be

the great secret to preserve them from destruction. We
have been told re})eatedly, that when a race becomes
extinct after having become civihzed, it is because it
has acquired all the vices and few or none of the vir-
tues of civilization. This assertion however nuist be
regarded as mere cant; closer investigation shows that
even if the highly refined European desired to instruct
the savage in new vices, he woukl be unable to carry
out his intention. Those who read old historical works
and journals will find that most nations, before they
caKie in contact vvitli us, were as demoralized as man
caa possibly be. Even ardent spirits were by no means
new to most savage tribes ; intoxicating drinks far more
noxious than ours were known to tliem : the Mexicans
had their pulque, the Peruvians their chicha, the Sand-
wich Islanders extracted a beverage from the Ki and
the Ava plants, while the Kamtchadales were skilled in
obtaining a strong drink from the roots of the Spiraa
Kamtschatica.

The Indians arc well aware that they have been the
lords of the country, and they are often heard to say that
if they steal anything belonging to a white man they are
not guilty of theft, because they are taking what origin-
ally belonged to them. How injurious such reasoning
must be to society at large may easily be imagined ;
it proves that the consequences of a foul deed — as the
conquest of Peru must be pronounced to be — are felt
even after the lapse of centuries. That the Indians en-
tertain a hope of freeing themselves from their oppres-
sors, by " driving them into the sea," seems to be a well
established fact. Whether they arc sufficiently united

200

TJIE V()YA(JK OF II. M.S. IIEUAIJ). \Srpt('mb('r,

llRi'c

to act ill concert tor carrying out this plan is difficult to
(U'tcrniinc, hut it has been ascertained tliat there is an
alHance between all the Indians speaking Quichua, called
Los Gentiles by the Spaniards, and the more barbarous
tribes living in the uistnesses of the primeval forests.
Should they persevere in their intention, they will find
it every day more easy, imless the face of the interior of
Kcuador and Peru is greatly altered, for the white aud
mixed population, since immigration has ceased, or at
least been less numerous, is decreasing, while the In-
dians, wherever they have kept themselves free from
intermixture with other races, are steadily incrcashig.

The climate of Cuenca and its neighbourhood is agrjc-
able : during our stay the temperature in the middle of
the day was not higher than TO'^Fahr., and we were told
that slight night-frosts are not uncommon in September.
The wet season begins in November and ends towards
the middle of May. The soil is fertile, producing abun-
dant harvests of Indian corn, wheat potatoes, and Alfalfa
{Medkago sativu, linn.). The Aracacha, a root like
that of the Dahlia, and considei'ed by some the finest
esculent tuber existing, thrives well, and is the more
valuable because it is not subject to so many diseases
as the potato ami the cassava ; in Cuenca two varie-
ties of it are grown, the one has a yellow, the other a
white root. Those Avho take an interest hi agriculture
will remember that prizes have been offered for the suc-
cessful cultivation of the Aracacha in Northern Europe,
but that hitherto all attempts to naturalize this valuable
vegetabh' in our latitudes have [)roved jd)ortiv('. In
luniadtu' the tops of the tubers are cut ofi' and left on

1M.7.

( IKNCA.

•201

:lclle of

re told

cnibiT.

)\vards

ahuii-

Ifalfa

t like

finest

seases

varie-

lier a

ilture

suc-

rope,

liable

Til

it on

the field; tlieir vitality is so <jjreat, that alter tliey have
been tinis exposed for months to the intliienee of the
weather, they will grow* as soon as they are pnt into the
ijjroimd. One wonld think that a [)lant of siieli a nature,
and a native of the same eonntry as the potato, might be
aeclimatized with iis, although experiments made seem
to lead to a contrary conclnsion. With the exception
of the different kinds of cabbage, which caimot be grown
excerpt from European seeds, all kinds of vegetables —
turnips, carrots, lettuce, peas, etc. — succeed well. Of
fruit there is a great variety — oranges, chirimoyas, ba-
nanas, plantains, ap])les, peaches, chand)uros, and many
others. The gooseberry-shrub was introduced a few
years ago, from England, by Don Horacio Alvarez. At
the market provisions may be obtained in profusion and
extraordinarily cheap : a bullock may be had for 24a\,
a fat pig for from 10*. to 206., a sheep for 4ft., twenty-
four eggs for Sr/., and a cream-cheese, nine inches long
and three inches in thickness, for ^d. Vegetables, both
native and European, are oftcred at low prices ; indeed
such a (piantity do the people get for the smallest piece
of money, that, if they w^ant to buy the provisions neces-
sary for the day, they purchase eggs, and then barter with
them for the articles required.

All our domestic animals thrive exceedingly well, and
the prices of meat mentioned above will show that the
rearing of cattle must be very easy. The llama is used
as a beast of burden, but not frecpiently ; Guinea-pigs
are kept in great numbers, especially by the Indians.
Indeed, not only at Cnenea, but in all the towns and
villages of EciukUh" through which our journey lay, pro-

202

THE VOYA(iK OF II. M.S. HKRALI). [Sepfc/Zidcr,

ir.^:tf

i ':;

'i|;

visions were plentiful. The country only requires to be
in the hands of an active population to be one of the
most flourisliing on the face of the earth. Proviaence
has lavished upon it not only high mountains, cxttnt'.ivc
meadows, and valuable Quina-forests, but a licalthy and
temperate climate, inexhaustible mines of all kinds of
metals, and a fertile soil, and moreover placed it in the
centre of the inhabited globe, between one of the largest
rivers in the world, the Amazon, and the great Pacific
Ocean. Ecuador presents a vast field for enterprise, and
if the tide of emigration which has now set in with such
force towards North America and Australia could but be
directed for a few weeks to Ecuador, the political and
social condition of the country would be altered in a
short space of time. It is now so thinly peopled, and
inhabited by so limited a number of whites, that about
twelve thousand immigrants would effect surprising
changes. They would not only exercise a most salutary
influence upon the elections, by placing the supreme
power in the hands of superior men, but they would
also be able to destroy the ommpotence of the clergy,
who have hitherto resisted the public exercise of Pro-
testant worship ; and they would have no difficulty in
keeping in order the negroes and zamboes of Guayaquil,
the chief promoters of most of the revolutions that have
disgraced the annals of this republic.

On the 18th of September we bade adieu to Cuenca,
where we had met with such a warm reception. Our
English Mends gave us nearly a mule-load of provisions,
and Dr. Taylor and Colonels Harris and Talbot accom-
panied us some distance. The road was up hills which

fern her.

lft47.]

(iUINOAS.

203

s to be

of the

t^iacncc

ttnr.ivc

hy and

inds of

i in the

largest

Pacitic

Lse, and

th such

but be

3al and

;d in a

ed, and

: about

•prising

alutary

ipreme

would

clergy,

f Pro-

ty in

lyaquil,

t have

fuenca,
Our

[isions,
Icconi-
which

were mostly well-wooded, but after surmounting the
last of them the country l)ecame open and grassy, A
ride of fom* leagues brought us to the tambo of Quinojis,
where we remained for the night, and, as there was
nothing to be obtained, the provisions with which oui
friends liad presented us were of the greatest use. The
l)uilding was full of holes, exposing us to a fresh lu'eeze.
Early in the morning it was excessively cold ; lioar-frost
lay thick upon the ground, and we were obliged to run
about in order to get warm.

On proceeding the country became very interesting,
being covered with grass and almost destitute of trees ;
rocks towering to a tremendous height, and in some
places overhanging, imparted an air of grandeur to the
whole. About noon we arrived at the Punta de Caja,
considered to be about 14,000 feet above the level of the
sea. On our right was a mountain covered with snow :
from the summit we had a view of about fifty lagoons ;
there were some fine shrubby Composifa growing ncjir
the top, among them the curious Baccharia thijoides,
Pers., which looks at first sight like the arbor-vita?.
After passing the Punta de Caja we began to descend,
and found the temperature on the western side of the
mountains considerably higher than on the eastern.
The ground for some distance was covered with skulls
and other bones of men, horses, and mules : a body of
troops, coming from the coast to attack Cuenca, had
been overtaken by a snow-storm, and, escape being im-
possible, nearly all perished. In the afternoon we entered
a thick forest, chicifly composed of Podocarp'fs-iYCi^^, and
at sunset we were glad to reach the tandx) of Ouaicuasc,

\-y

= - -

if:

■■■'I'

';■•'

'""n

i 1i

,1!,;

1:1

'■',{

HHj

^^^B

■ .:\\.

ill

204

llill

^»,r;lt

I'lIK VOVA(JK OF II. M.S. IIKllAM). \S('/)fc)uh('l\

to dry our clothos, sovcnii sliowrrs of rain hnving wotted
us tliorougldy.

TIk; next inorniug wc passed Mollatura, a village con-
taining only fourteen inlia))itants, hut having a neat little
cliapcl. On the followuig day we arrived at the tanibo
of Yer])a Bucnia, which is about 5000 feet above the sea,
and takes its name from a phmt {Mcnllui, s[).) growing
in abunchmce in the neighbourhood. Several passengers
from Guayacpiil were stopping at the place, all complain-
ing of the frightful state of the road froui Naranjal. A
lady who had just arrived was nearly exhaust(Hl by the
fatigue of the journey, having had to sleep in the forest
the previous night, and to ride on horseback all day ;
we assisted her as nmch as we could, and, having jilenty
of provisions, wc were able to give her and her husbai^d
a good supper.

We had to remain a whole day in Ycrba Bucna, two
of the mules having strayed during the night, and pro-
bably returned to Cuenca, and, to make matters worse,
one of our Indians was taken ill with fever. There Avas
a thick fog, but, although we cotdd sec only a short dis-
tance before us, Pirn and I discovered some fine plants,
— among them was the Fuchsia spcctabills. Hook., one
of the most beautiful species known. In the afternoon
the sky became clear, the fog rose like a curtain, and a
magnificent view% including the Pacific Ocean, the river
Guayaquil, numerous lagoons, and the Chimborazo, pre-
sented itself.

On the 23rd, about noon, the muleteers returned
without havhig succeeded in finding the animals ; but
as they left their own goods behind, we were able to

liij'

lifcmhcr.

1S47.]

(AVK OK ( IIA('AYA(^rK.

jor.

\ wetttMl

IgC COll-

'at little
I' tainbo
tlic sea,
growing
sscngcrs
)iu])laiM-
ijal. A
I l)y the
ic forest
ill day ;
^ l)leiity
iiusLund

na, two
lid pro-
> worse,
ere was
ort dis-
plaiits,
k., one
;ernoon
I, and a
le river
;o, pre-

Iturned
but
Ible to

depart. As we wen^ starting a party arrived w • \\[\A
lost two mules over a precipiee. The state ol the louds
had not been exaggerated: they wert; so niudd I hat
tlu; mules fairly plunged through ; afterwards, as we
eoinnienced descending, the |)oor animals had to slidi;
down the side of the mountain at least a hundred yards
at a time in a zigzag direction : it was frightful. Tlu;
mules were left to their own sagacity, and it was won-
derful to see them, in parts which ran by preci[)ices, slide
past, keeping their balance with the greatest nicety.

Rain was jiouring, and, the ground being a perfect
swam]), it was im[)ossible to stop for the night. How-
ever, although it was difficult to drive the guides on, as it
was intliffereiit to them whether they were wet or dry,
yet we were determined to reach the cave of Cliacaya(pie,
the usual resting-place of travellers. We luid to cross
several rivers after dark : none of them were; deeper than
the mules' saddle-girths, but they were so ivapid jis
almost to occasion the loss of one of the boxes; the
utmost strength of the men was required to urge tlu^
nearly exhausted mule through the water. We reached
the cave about ten o'clock at night : it was little better
than the ground outside ; the rain had been blown into
it and wetted it thoroughly. We were unable to light a
fire ; and being very wet, and disturbed by bats, mos-
quitoes, and sand-flies, we did not sleep.

The river Chacayaque we found to be of considerable
size ; its banks, as also the pathw^ay, were thickly strewed
with mica, so that our boots and leggings became co-
vered w^th it. With the first streak of daylight we left
the cave : our road lay through a dense forest, in which

200

TIIK VOYAflK OF H.M.s. IIKHM,!). [Srjjff'fNlfer,

[minis mid trcc-ferna ftliouiidcd, and wc crossed sevcnil
svvjunps, partly caused hy the decay of veg(!tal)le matter;
the efHuviuni they emitted was sickeninjjf. After about
two leagiKJs' ride through these unhealthy places, the
ground became drier, and we observed a great number
of chameleons, presenting a beautiful spectacle as they
were running between the stones and roots of the trci^s.
At noon we entered Naranjal, a small town of about 4(10
inhabitants, chiefly negroes. Its houses are built upon
poles, like those in the Bay of Choco. In the vicinity
there are extensive plantations of cacao, for which the
moist climate is very favoiu*able ; orange-trec^s {naran-
joH) are not very much cultivated, although the name of
the place would lead one to expect large groves of tluMu.

Don Manuel Pico, the teniente of the place, to whom
we had a letter of introduction, and who moreover had
been informed of our arrival by Walter Coj)e, Escj., the
British Consul at Guayacpiil, behaved with great kind-
ness towards us. At his house we found a note from
oui' surgeon, Mr. John Goodridge, who had been thei'e
with the Consul, hoping to meet us. In the after-
noon we went to the port of Naranjal, a distance of two
leagues : there were only two houses, which were situ-
ated on the bank of a ditch, with several canoes on it ;
we could see the masts of some larger craft a little
further down, where the river widens. Colonel Talbot,
in his letter, had requested the teniente to su[)ply us with
mosquito-curtains, which were indeed a luxm-y ; without
them the mosquitoes woiUd have tormented us most ter-
ribly ; even the negroes have their beds thus protected.

At one of the houses we found four ladies from Guava-

3l' two

situ-
011 it ;

little
ulbot,

with
thout

it tCT-

:tc(l
uava-

IS47.J

AUUIVAI, IN CMAVACini,.

207

(|uil waiting for their horses tu proceed to Cueiica; the
mother, having just recovered from a severe fever, was
to be taken to tlie elevated regions of the Anch^s, to en-
joy the benefit of the mountain air. We heartily pitied
these travellers; and as they anxiously asked us about
the state of the roads we were obliged to tell them the
truth. The next morning we end)arked on board a
c/ni/e, a small vessel which was loaded with cacao. The
river, as we descended it, widened considerably, until at
its mouth it could not have been less than three-(juarters
of a mile in breadth. Tin; banks were clothed with man-
goes ; alligators abounded, but although we lired at th(!m
repeatedly, we did not succeed in killing any. At the
mouth of the Naranjal wc got a fine breeze, which, with
the tide, took us rajndly up the river Guaya(piil. About
sunset it became calm, with heavy rain, compelling us to
anchor for thi^ night. When tlu; tide turned, the; r/fr//f''
was once more got under way, and early in the morning
came alongside the wharf of Guaya(piil.

•.>(h

CIIAl*'ri']R XIV.

i«

■ h
I

i'li:

(Juay.'Kiuil — SaiUa Kh-iia — Solan^o — Manta — Mouto (!liristi — Sua-
Ksmc raldas — 'riiinaco — Bav ol' Clioco — Arrival in I'aiianui.

The city of Giiaya([iiil was tbriiiei-ly called Culanta, and,
according to Hcrrcni, its foundation was laid hy tlic
Adclantado Bclalsar ; hut in one of those rebellions of
the Indians wliich succeeded the Conquest it was almost
destroyed, and many Spaniards lost their lives. lu 1 537
however Captain IVanzisco de Orellana commenced re-
l)iiildhig it. The Buccaneers nu'ide several attacks upon
the place, in one of which they succeeded in captimng
it, and extorting a considerable sum for ransom. Dnr-
ing the war of independence the city declared itself an
independent state, and could only with difficulty be
iiuhiced to join Cok)mbia, the republic founded by
Bolivar, and since split into Venezuela, Nm^va Granada,
and Ecuador. In recent times Guayacpiil has always
been a troid)le to the head government of Ecuador ; the
negroes and zamboes, of which the great mass of its
population consists, are always ready for a revolution.

1847.

(;i AVAQrii.

'2i)\)

— Sua -

ii, and,
hy the
ions ot*
almost
1 1 587
cd re-
s upon
|)timng
Dur-
self an
Ity be
cd by
anada,
always
r ; the
of its
liition.

As Guaya([nil is the cliicf port ot" the rcpnblit' and has
nearly always succeeded in upsetting the government
of the State wlicnever it suited its ])urpose, the supreme
power has contemplated opening the port of Esmeraldas,
and thus avoid Guayacpiil altogether; but the disadvan-
tages that woidd attend the measure, and the inferiority
of the i)ort of b^smeraldas have hitherto prevented the
(jxccution of this plan, and it is probiible that it nevei'
will be carried out.

Guayaquil has no builchngs of architectural importance,
— indeed few cities in Spanish America possess nnicli
interest in this respect. The churches are constructed
in a light fantastic style, not unimposing by moonlighl,
but h)oking too nuich like structures of card-pajx'r to
please in the day-time ; in the interior they are d(>-
corated in a tawdry manner, without taste or elegances
The streets, as usual in Spanish-built cities, are at right
angles; but the plan, though regular, is not |)erfectly
carried out, the area which the town occupies not being
half built upon or inhabited. The chief object to adnun^
is the fine Quay, or Marina, extending for a mile ami a
half along the banks of the river Guaya(piil ; it is sixty
feet broad, coped with stone, and lined with a row oi'
respectable and even splendid houses, which make a tine
display from the water, especially in the evening, when
the rooms are lighted up. In the morning an immense
number of canoes and boats, loaded with fruit, anchor
off the Quay, and one knows not which to admire most,
the great variety of these productions or the high stale
of perfection in which they are [)resented.

The city nund)ers 1H,00(I inhabitants; they ai'e in

VOL. i. I'

210

THE VOYAGE O? II. M.S. HERAI.I).

[^Scptcmhpr,

'0 '

jj;'!!-;:

much the same state as those of France and England
are described to have been during the reigns of Louis
XIV. and Charles II, We were always struck, wh(?n
visiting these towns, by the resemblance which they
bear to those of bygone days, of which we read as of
another world, hardly supposing there could be anything
like them at present. In Guayaquil there are all the in-
conveniences arising from filthy open drains, gutters in
the middle of the streets, and young ladies — beautiful in
person, though not in deed — pouring out of a window
something, whether an abomination or otherwise, while
the unfortunate wayfarer is looking about in unconscious
wonder at the strange scene, until the reverie is dis-
turbed by the streaming shower, neither pure nor limpid.
Gay, in his * Trivia, or the Art of Walking the Streets of
London,' written about a hundred and twenty years ago,
gives a fair idea of what Lima and Guayaquil are at the
present day ; a description of Paris in the time of the
Regency or of Louis XV. is still more appropriate.

There is some fine land near the town, which, from its
flatness and the number of catfle grazing, looks much
like the fen country in Cambridgeshire and Hunting-
donshire. There are however some hills and some of
the highest mountains in the world in the vicinity of
this half-submerged district. To the north of Guayaquil
stand three hills, known as the "Cross Hills," there being
a cross on the brow of each ; the eastern hill is 247 feet
above the sea, the middle 326, and the western 284: tra-
dition points them out as having been the site of a city
in the time of the Incas. One clear afternoon we had a
good view of Chimborazo — El lindo Chimborazo, as the

iemher,

nglaiid
[ Louis

li thcv
I as of
lytliing

the in •
Iters ill
itifiil ill
window
), while
m scions

is dis-

Uinpid.

treets of

ars ago,

- at the

of the

Tom its
s much
unting-
ome of
nity of
layaquil
re being
I47 feet
^4: tra-
a city
had a
as the

1847.J

(U AVAQUll..

.211

(juayaquik'uiaiis call it. Tlie niountiiin, though upwards
of one hundred miles distant, was a maud sio-ht, more
striking even than Mount Etna r the Peak of Teneritle.
Chimborazo is a huge irregular double-peaked mass mon-
than 21,000 feet high, and, as the limit of perixtual'snow
on the C(juator is 15,000 feet, its height above that ele-
vation will be clad for ever with an icy garment.

The river Guayaquil is a noble stream ; at the island
of Puna it is eight or nine miles 1)r()a(l, and off the city
there are six fathoms of water; [it high tide a line-of-
battle ship might ascend it, even without the aid of
steam. True there are in its bed awkward Hats and
several rocks which are difficult to pass, but the survey
made by Captain Kellett will enable vessels to guard
against them. In ascending, the wind is generally fair
from south-south-west, but in descending, having to beat
down, the difficulty of avoidhig the shoals is considerable.
This river remhids one of the Thames, — that is, as far
as tropical scenery can remind one of that of more tem-
perate climates. Puna, the large island at the mouth,
might stand for Sheppey, the terrible mud-flats men-
tioned for those off Grain Island and in the reaches of the
Medway; there is also a false river n(!arly as large as the
main stream, which may carry out a fair resend)lance to
the Medway, though it is in fact no river, but merely w
mlado, as the Spanish term it, — a salt creek or estuary.
In one of the revolutions to which l^^cuador has been
subjected, General Flores landed a force from this creek
and took Guayaquil. The march was said to have Ix.'en
a terrible one, over the half-subuK^'ged roots of the
mangrove-trees; "but," says Mr. Henry 'IVollo])e in his

!• 2

fell

212

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. IIE|{\[,|).

[September,

li;:.;:

diary, " Mr. I lull and myself went up to the head of tlie
creek in the ' whaler,' and walked in ten minutes by a
capital path to an open space, where we had a full view
of the city, and were within a cjuarter of a mile of the
nearest church."

The banks of the mlado, as well as those of the
river Guayaquil, are lined with inn)enetrable mangrove-
swamps ; there is hardly a spot on which landing is
possible. Punta Piedra, about fifteen miles from Puna,
is one of the places where a person may venture to step
on firm ground ; it was formerly the site of a fort, the
ruins of which are still to be found ; its epithet, stoni/, or
rocky, it deserves only by comparison. Ycasa, the estate
of a Dona Josefina, is another of the spots which one
gladly hails after looking so many days on the inter-
minable mangrove-forest. Prescott, in his ' History of
the Conquest of Peru,' draws a charming picture of the
entry of the followers of Pizarro and Almagro into " the
beautiful Gulf of Guayaquil." But a more unpromising
sight — barring the desert — is seldom to be met with,
than the swampy shores of this' gulf. The tangled un-
derwood, the long roots, and the dense foliage, are all
that the eye perceives, and how much that is in a flat
country may be easily imagined. Alligators swarm on
the mud-banks at low water, and it is difficult to dis-
turb them. They smell abominably ; the inhabitants ima-
ghie that, like the turkey-buzzards of these countries, and
the dogs of Constantinople, they act as scavengers, and
tend to keep down the mass of corruption which would
otherwise accumulate.

We must now return to the Herald. That vessel,

tern her,

1847.]

SALAN(i().

n'6

I of the
DS by a
ill view
■ of the

of the
ngrove-
ding is

1 Pima,
to step

brt, th(^
toni/, or
e estate
ich one

2 inter-
story of
c of the

the
mising
with,
ed un-
are all
a flat
iirm on
dis-
s ima-
es, and
rs, and
would

vessel.

after leaving Payta in July, })ro('ecded northwards, and,
during the months of August and September, was em-
ployed surveying the river Guayatpiil, from the island
of Puna to the eity of Guayacpiil, and also the Salado
and Mandragon, two channels accessible for the largest
ifliips. On the 21)th of September she anchored in Punta
Santa Elena Bay, to re-survey it, and to complete the
Gulf of Guaya(piil, of which Santa Elena is the northern
boundary. When Pim and myself reached Giiaya(|uil
the Herald had departed, and we had to remain in the
city until Lieutenant Wood arrived, informing us that
the Pandora was at Punta Espanol, Island of Puna, and
was ready to take us to our ship. We left without delay,
and rejoined the Herald at Punta Santa Elena.

On the 6th of October, during the night, the Herald
and Pandora proceeded up the coast, and on the 7th
anchored off Salango Island, which, possesshig an ex-
tremely moist climate, bears a most luxuriant vegetation.
We found but few inhabitants ; they employ themselves
in plaiting Panama hats, for the hats known by this
name are not all made in the Isthmus of Panama, — by
far the gre; ^r number, and those of the best quality,
are manufactured in Manta, Monte Christi, and other
parts of Ecuador. The hats are worn throughout nearly
the whole American continent and the West Indies, and
would probably be equally used in Europe, did not their
high price, varying from two to a hundred and fifty dol-
lars, prevent their importation. They are distinguished
from other straw hats by consisting only of a single piece,
by their lightnesss, and by their flexibility ; they may be
rolled up and put into the pocket without injury. During

214

TIIK VOVAOK OF H.M.S. HERALD.

\ October,

the rainy season they are apt to get blaek, l)nt by wash-
ing them witli soap and water, then with Hnie-juiec or any
other aeid, and exposing them to the sun, their whiteness
is easily restored. So Uttle is known about these hats
that it may not be deemed out of place to insert here a
notice of their manufacture. The plant, the leaves of
which are used for this purpose, is commonly called
"Jipijape" or "Portorico," and by botanists Ccwludovica
pahnata, Ruiz et Pav. It has the appepvance of a palm,
and is found along the western shores of Nueva Granada
and Ecuador, extending over twelve degrees of latitude.
The "straw" {paja), previous to plaiting, undergoes several
processes. The leaves are gathered before they unfold,
all their ribs and coarser veins removed, and the rest,
without being separated from the upper end of the
leaf-stalk, is reduced to shreds ; after exposure to the
sini for a day, the straw is tied into a knot, and im-
mersed in boiling water until it becomes white ; it is
then hung up in a shady place, and subsequently
bleached for several days. The straw is now ready for
use, and in this state is sent to various places, especially
to Peru, where the Indians manufacture it into beau-
tiful cigar-cases, which sometimes fetch as much as £6
a-piecc. The hats are made on a block placed on the
knees, and they require to be constantly pressed with the
breast. The plaiting is troublesome ; it commences at
the crown and finishes at the brim. According to the
quality, more or less time is occupied in their comple-
tion : the coarser ones may be finished in tw^o or three
days, the finest take as many months. The best times
for plaiting are when the atmosphere is moist, as in the

October,

1847.]

MONTH CHHISTl.

215

y wash-
;c or any
hiteness
cse hats
't here a
eaves of
y called
ludovica
' a palm,
Granada
latitude.
s several
I unfold,
^he rest,
of the
3 to the
and im-
e ; it is
quently
|eady for
pecially
lo beau-
1 as £6
on the
ith the
inces at
to the
oniple-
ir three
times
in the

rainy season and the morning hours ; in dry weather,
and in the middle of the day, the straw is apt to break,
which, when the hats are finished, is betrayed by knots,
and diminishes their value.

The most remarkable features of the coast of Ecuador
are the sudden changes in the aspect and climate of the
country ; places separated but a few miles (lifter widely
from each other. At Guayaquil there are niangi'cTve-
swamps and impenetrable thickets ; at Santa Elena
aridity and a scanty vegetation ; at Salango an atmo-
sphere loaded with moistm'e, abundance of rain, and a
soil densely covered with plants ; at Manta a tlescrt ;
and in the Bay of Atacamas again thick forests and
plenty of rain. A graphic [)icture might be drawn of
the western coast of America ; there are all the contrasts
a writer could wish for, — the inclement weather of the
Polar seas, regions scorched by the sun, groves of beau-
tiful timber, and arid deserts ; the gloomy climate of
Clioco, and the bright sunny days of Lower California ;
the palm and the pine ; the alligator and the walrus ;
free-men and slaves ; negroes and whites.

On the 10th of October we anchored off" Manta, and
on the 13th a party went to Monte Christi, of which the
former is the seaport. We passed the village of Colo-
rado, a mere collection of huts, and had a very dusty
ride. Monte Christi, a portion of which had been burnt
dowai on the day of our arrival in the port, is built of
bamboos; it is said to have 3000 inhabitants, but I should
think that estimate too high. The surrounding country
is a mere desert, and, except Indian corn and cassava,
nothing is cultivated. The rainy season lasts from

210

Till", VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[ October y

December until the middle of March ; aft(!r that time
[){isturage is so scarce that tlie cattle liavc to be fed on
the bark of a tree {Pnchira sp.) and some epiphytal
Bromc/iftcea. Even the Jipijapa, the leaves of which are
used by the inhabitants for making hats, does not flourish.
All the vegetation we saw consisted of shrubby cotton-
})lants, a few cactuses, the Zapote de perro {Colicoden-
(Iron scahrhluni, Seem.), and some Crotons.

On the ] Oth we left Manta, and, after visiting Punta
Galena, directed our course to the Sua river, where we
arrived on the 18th. Most of us paid a visit to the
grave of Thomas Edmonston. The luxuriant vegeta-
tion had spread a verdant mantle over the tomb, and
surrounded it with brilliant flowers. It was to all a sad
recollection ; many an expression of pity was uttered, and
Mr. J. G. Whiffin, who was present on the occurrence of
the accident which deprived poor Edmonston of his life,
penned the following Acrostic : —

'T was from this beautiful and rock-bound bay
H eaven deem'd it right to call hi^ soul away ;
O ne moment's warning was to him denied ;
'Midst life, and youth, and health, and hope he died.
A las ! that boastful Science could not save
S apt a scholar from his early grave.

E ven those who knew not of his private worth
D eplore his talents buried in the earth.
'M ong flowers that gem the softly verdant ground,
O'erspread with trees his grave is to be found.
N o crowd his resting-place shall ever view ;
S till sad afl'ection will induce a few
T o gaze where plants o'er which he lavish'd years,
O 'er him, now silent, shed their dewy tears,
N or seek to hide a grief denied to nobler biers.

October,

I>5l7.

KS.MKR\1J)AS.

X>17

(it time
fed on
)iphytal
liicli are
lourish.
cotton -
5 Punta
here we
to the
vegeta-
ib, and
ill a sad
red, and
pence of
his life,

At the viUano of Sua, almiit a mile inhind, there are
extensive plantations of sugar-cane, for manufacturing
((f/tfardicnlc. Tobficco is grown on a large scale, and
smuggled into Nueva Granada, where that articK; is a
government monopoly, and fetches a high price ; oranges
are abundant, and excellent in flavour ; pine-apples, witii
leaves witliout spines, are cultivated on the sea-beach in
great numbers.

On the 23rd we reached the mouth of the Esmeraldas.
This river takes its rise in tlu^ Andes, and, although of
considerable size, is full of shoals, and unfit for s(;a-going
vessels. About six miles from its mouth is the town of
Esmeraldas, a place containing about 4000 inhabitants,
mostly negroes and zamboes. There are mines of eme-
ralds in th(; vicinity, formerly worked by the Jesuits ;
but since the expulsion of that Order this branch of in-
dustry has been neglected ; the popular belief is, that
the places where the precious stones are to be found are
haunted by evil spirits, wdiich will probably coiitinue to
reside there until the Jesuits shall again establish their
sway over the country.

On the 25th we set sail, and on the follow^ing day an-
chored off the island of Tumaco, where we proceeded to
survey the river and bay of the same name. Our ope-
rations were much hindered by the rain, and excursions
on shore were attended with difficulty, the ground being
in many places a perfect swamp, and in others quite in-
undated, compelling us to wade through the water. On
the island of Morro we obtained some excellent oysters
for oiu" table, and added a fine species of Pholas to our
conchological collection. The town of Tumaco is a mere

218

THE VOYAGE OP M.M.K. HERALD. [Norrm6('r.

■ inf

village, with unj)aved streets and houses of bamboo; it
is well supplied with fruit, and exports timber, chiefly
mangrove and eedro.

On the 3rd (>f November we visited the island of Gor-
gona, and two days after anchored oft' the Buenaventura,
Bay of Choco, to finish the survey. This bay is probably
the most rainy place on the globe, and its vegetation tlu;
most luxuriant that can be conceived. Our task being
finished, we departed on the 10th, and, meeting with
strong westerly breezes, reached on the 14th the island
of Flaniinco in the Bay of Panama, where we received
despatches, letters, and newspapers from England.

jiii

: :

y '.■>

"11

S II,

; 1,

!|:i;

•rr

mber.

1 1

boo ; it
, chiefly

of Gor-
irciitura,
irobal)ly
tion the
k being
ig with
c island
received
i.

CHAPTER XV.

Survey of the Coast of Darieii — Garacliiiic — Bay of Ardita — (/upica —
Sail Fraiizisco — Solauo — Utria — Caj)c Corrientes — River San Juan
— llcturn to Panama.

Wf, remained in the Panama roads imtil tlie 1st of
December, when we commenced the survey of the coast
from Punta de Garachine, in the Gulf of San Miguel, to
the rivu' San Juan. During this sm'vey we had fre-
(juently bad weather, heavy rains, light winds, and the
thermometer connnonly at 84° and 86° Fahr. We took
advantage of the intervals of sunshine in carrying out
our operations, and constantly anchored in very deep
water, — forty-four, fifty-four, fifty-six, sixty, and even
sixty-two fathoms were often put down in the log-
book. The coast is interesang as the scene of the trials
of Pizarro and Almagro ere conquering Peru. It is
still as the early voyagers described it : dense forests,
drenched by torrents of rain, extend to the verge of the
ocean, and human habitations are few and far between.
The only change that seems to have taken place is in
the character of the Indians : when the natives first

220

TIIK VOYA(JK OK II. M.S. IIKH.VM). \ Dcrvmhci',

cmnc in contact with l*]iin)|U'ims they were warlike, luul
rre(|U(Mitly eiig)i<^e(l in skirmislies with tlieni ; to ns thiiy
e\hil)ite(l the other extreme, — tliey were sliy, and, on
seein<j; our vessels, tied into the woods, and oidy retnrni;d
when they felt assured tliat we had no hostile intentions.

On the .*ird of December we reached Pnnta de Gani-
chine, where a party landed. Several of the marks
iTccted in the previous year — large trees — had grown
out again, and put forth shoots six feet long, so moist
is the climate. On the 8th we were ott' Piuita de Cara-
coles, and on the 14th ofl' Punta de Pifias ; at the latter
place no inliabitants nor any traces of then> were met
with, although formerly it was thickly peo})led. Conti-
nuing in a southerly direction we reached, on the 20th,
the l^ay of Ardita. On shore there were several canoes,
and in some of them we found fresh plantains, but not
a soul was to be seen. The following day however a
canoe, with a white flag, came to the ship, carrying four
Indians and two negroes. One of the former introduced
himself as the alcalde of the village of Jorado : he had
a stick with a silver knob, and* was the only one wdio
wore any dress ; his companions were in the Adamite
costume. They brought plantains, sugar-cane, eggs, and
parrots for barter, and in a short time hud disposed of
everything. The alcalde told us that three rivers emptied
themselves into the bay — the Ardita, the Jurador, and
the Bocorichichi.

On the 28th we anchored in the Bay of Cupica, one
of the finest natural harbours on this coast of Darien.
The alcalde of the place, an Indian, seemed to be an
hitelligent man, and, as he spoke Spanish fluently, we

hn\

rem

kc, ami
us tlu;y
Mul, on
I'turncd
uitions.
u Guni-

niaiks

^rown
moist
Ic ('ara-
10 latt(;r
;3re met

Coiiti-
ic 20th,

canoes,
hut not
A'ever a
ng four
'oducecl
he had
be who

damite
|gs, and
loscd of

inpticd

)r, and

|ca, one

larien.

he an

tly, we

|n47.

( riMCA.

ol)taino(l from him much information ; we alsti toM
him of o\n' })a('ific intentions, that lie miglit inform the
iidiahitants, wiio, it ai)[)ears, had tied into the interior.
He knew all about the close a[)i)roaeh of the river \ai-
|)ipi, a tributary of the Atrato, to the Hay of Cupiea.
Captain Kellett and Jiieutenant-Coimnander Wood went
afterwards to test the fidelity of his accounts, aiul after
wafking several houi's the\ came to a river, which they
supposed or were told Mowed into the Atlantic Ocean.
If such was really the case, it might atlbrd facilities for
constructing a (;aniil to connect the two seas ; indeed ji
company is now forming in London for the [)urp<)se of
carrying out this project, and it is with regret I am com-
pelled to confess that I possess no data which might
enable me to pronoimce an opinion on the feasibility of
the scheme. Captain Kellett never spoke on the sub-
ject, probably because lie was not certain wlujther the
river that the party reached actually flowed into tlu;
Atrato, and that portion of his journal relating to Darieii
is unfortunately wanting ; Mr. Trollope, the assistant
surveyor, had at the time a severe attack of fever ; j\lr.
Wood's account, as given in several publications, is all
I know about it. The land around the Bay of Cupiea
is hilly, but how far in the interior the country has tlu?
same character we had no means of ascertaining ; the
vapours continually hanging over the dense forests pre-
clude a distant view. The rainy season lasts almost
throughout the year.

On shore we found a small village, situated on the
banks of the river Cupiea. The houses were Iniilt upon
poles and reached by ladders, hke those in the Bay of

222

THE VOYAOE OF IT.^r.s HERALD. [December,

Choco ; indeed this style of building may be traced from
Guayaquil to the Gulf of San Miguel ; from the latter
place to Central America a different mode prevails. The
Indians cultivate pine-apples, guayavas {Psidhim ponn-
fertim), plantains, cassava, oto {Arum), and maize. They
told us that a long time ago, there was a large town in
the bay, which had been "swallowed up" by the sea;
perhaps that town — if town it was — shared the fate of
old Callao.

We made several excursions up the river Cupica, and
were delighted with the luxuriance of the vegetation,
and the vast groves of vegetable ivory {Fhytelephas sp.).
The " nuts" of this beautiful palm-like plant are now ex-
tensively used by turners, and converted into knol)s for
walking-sticks, buttons, toys, and various other articles.
The Indians call this species, which is probably distinct
from the one found on the Magdalena, Anta, It grows
in low damp localities, principally on the banks of rivi^rs
and rivulets, and is diffused over the southern parts of
Darien and the vicinity of Portobelo, districts which are
almost throughout the year deluged by torrents of rain,
or enveloped in the thick vapour that constantly arises
from the humidity of the soil and the rankness of the
vegetation. It is always found in separate groves, sel-
dom or never intermixed with other trees or bushes, and
where even herbs are rarely met with, the ground a})-
pearing as if it had been swept. In habit it resembles
the Corozo Colorado, or Oil Palm {Elais welanococcu,
Gaertn.), — so much so indeed that at first sight the two
are easily mistaken for each other. Both affect similar
localities, and have trunks which, after creeping along

cemfjcr,

1847.]

VEGETABLE IVORY.

O.)

:23

}d from
c latter
s. The
I pomi-
They
town in
lie sea ;
fate of

ica, and
;etation,

\a8 sp.)-
now ex-
iol)s for
articles,
distinct
t grows
)f I'ivers
)arts of
icli are
3f rain,
y arises
of tlie
es, Sel-
es, and
id ap-
enibles
ococca,
he two
similar
along

the jT^round a few yards, ascend, and attain about an
equal height ; the leaves also resemble each other ; and
their fruit grows in a similar way, attached to short
peduncles, and almost hidden in the axils. The habit,
however, is nearly the only hnk that connects the Arita
with the order of Palms : in flower, stamens, the org.'uii-
zation of the fruit, indeed in almost every essential cha-
racter, it differs so widely from that family, that it can-
not but be separated, and united with Fandancce. The
trunk creeps along the ground, and then ascends, seldom
however higher than from four to six feet ; it is always
dragged down, partly by its own weight, partly by the
aerial roots, and thus forms a creeping caudex, which is
not unfrcquently more than twenty feet long. - The top
is crowned with from twelve to sixteen pinnatifid leaves,
the entire length of which is from eighteen to twenty
feet. All the plants that I saw were dioecious, the males
being more robust, and their trunks higher and more
erect than the females. The flowers of both emit a most
penetrating almond-like smell, which attracts swarms of
honey-bees, chiefly the stingless species inhabiting the
forests. The male flowers are attached to fleshy spikes,
which are from four to five feet long, and hang down ;
the female flowers appear in bundles, on short thick ])e-
duncles, and stand erect. The fruit, being a collection
of drupes, forms large heads, and is at first erect, but
when approaching maturity its wxight increases, and
when the leaf-stalks, wdiich so long supported the bulky
mass, have rotted away, it hangs down. A plant bears at
one time from six to eight of these heads, each containing
on an average (Mghty seeds, and weighs, when ripe, about

224

THE VOYACJK OF II. M.S. IlEH ALl). \JanuailJ,

|S;i

l,i'"

ISiil!'

twenty-five pounds. The uses to whieli tlic Anta is ap-
plied by the Indians are nearly the same as elsewhere :
with its leaves their huts are thatehed, and the young
liquid albumen is eaten ; the " nuts" howev^er are turned
to no useful purpose. The Spanish Isthmians did not
know, before I visited the Isthmus, that ve</e table horij,
or Marjil vegetal as they call it, existed in their country ;
and although they have been told that with the produce
of the grove? of Darien whole ships might be loaded, no
one has yet taken advantage of the discovery.

After leaving Cupica we passed, on the 1st of January,
1848, Cape San Franzisco Solano, and on the 3rd an-
chored in the Bay of Solano. The followhig day was an
unfortunate one. The surf ran so high that landing and
re-embarking were extremely difficult. In proceeding
on shore in the dingy I was capsized, losing all I had
in the boat, and had not the waves thrown me on shore
I should have perished. Mr. Jago and Mr. Parkinson
effected a safe landing, but in the evening they were
unable to return to the ship ; it was already dark, when,
through the exertions of the first Jieutenant, Mr. Maguire,
they were brought on board. On comparing notes, it
was found that on that day nearly every one had met
with some accident, or had lost something, verifying the
old proverb, " misfortunes never come alone." But none
of us had been in a more critical position than Mr.
Whiffin.

" Endeavouring," says Mr. Whiffin, " to pass from
the beach of the Bay of Salano into a small nook se-
parated from it by a bold, precipitous cape, where thei'i;
appeared greater facility for a boat to land, a party of

htnuaiij,

'a is ap-
cwhere =
} young
e turned
did not
le ivori/,
country ;
produce
ided, no

January,

3rd an-

r was an

ling and

Dceeding

11 I had

3n shore

irkinson

ey were

, when,

"aguire,

lotes, it

ad met

dug the

lut none

Ian Mr.

es from
)ok se-
fe then;
({U'ty of

lb4b.J

SOLANO.

t^ rm *f

officers, consisting of the surgeon, the purser, and my-
self, found it necessjiry to force our way along the edge of
this headland, through the dense forest wliich crowded
the summit. Each havuig with him a gun, no little
difficulty was experienced in climbing up the steej) slip-
pery hill, and breaking through the creepers and hangers
entangled amongst the trees and brushwood. IMie s(>a-
son of the periodical rains had ])iit just conchuh'd, and
the succeeding few days of sunshine had been una])le
to evaporate the moisture with which the soil was sod-
den. Trunks of decayed trees, apparently sound, were
strewed in every direction, and shivered into pieces on
being kicked ; while smaller trees, perfectly rotten, and
only kept upright by the surroundhig branches, crnin-
bled hi the hand that delusively grasped at them for
support.

"Even !'/e or ten minutes we had to cross small
cascades, r^ , . ;• down their rocky sli})})ery courses, and
either falling into the sea or losing themselves amidst
some brushwood. Occasionally assisting each other to
surmount the different barriers which impeded our [)ro-
gress, and convert!ng each little mishap into a source; of
joke and amusement, we had accomplished p(n-haps two-
thirds of the joiurney when we came upon one of thos(;
torrents to which I have alluded. It was larger than
any we had yet met with, and certainly an ugly place to
get over. The water ran lazily down a smootli, rocky
inclined plane, from eight to ten feet wide, terminating
about thirty feet below in a precipice u])war{ls of a hun-
dred feet deep, beneath which the sea dashed and roarinl
violently.

VOL. \. Q

■

220

THE VOYAGE OE 11. M.S. HERALD. [Jfamarj/,

" My companions, with tlic help of the overhaiiging
branches, effected the stride safely ; but in making mine
I caught at a rotten 3tem — it powdered in my hand, —
my foot slipped, — and oh ! awful to think of, I found
myself sliding at a rapid pace down the slimy declivity
into the foaming pit. Thoughts of all kinds crowded
into my mind ; home — friends — the horrid death await-
ing me — all were instantaneously reviewed. My im-
petus increased ; in vain I relintpiished my gun ; in
vain I tried to clutch the slippery, watery slab of rock ;
in vain I endeavoured to plant my heels in some ine-
(piality — all was of no use ' my fate appeared certain.
Providentially my faculties were spared me, Avith even
more than their wonted power. Still sliding, still Hear-
ing the awful brink, striving to retard my descent by all
the muscular pressure in my power, I descried, on the
opposite side of the watercourse to that on which 1 was,
a small twig shooting between the fissures of the rocks.
Oh, thought I, that it were on this side ! that switch
might save me ! But how can I ever reach it ? How-
ever, it was my only chance, — thg only ray of ho})e which
deterred me from resigning myself to destruction. By
an instinct almost incredible, (I have not the presump-
tion to term it presence of mind,) I so twisted my
body as to give it the direction requisite to enable me
to gaui the desired object. I approached nearer —
nearer, — but when about to grasp it new ap})rehensions
seized me. Would it hold me ? — was that also rotten ?
— would not my weight and the force I had acquired
either break it or root it \q)? No! I chitched it — it
held ; I tightened my grasp, looked n\), and saw my

amiart/,

184.S.

SOLANO.

007

langing
g mine
land, —
. found
cclivity
rowded

I await-
V[y ini-
un ; in
f rock ;
nc ine-
ccrtain.
til even

II ncar-
t l)y all
, on the

1 was,

rocks.

switch

How-

which

,. By

L'snnip-

ed my

)le me

[arer —

bnsions

lotten ?

[(juired

it— it

[w my

two com])ani()ns standing, as if transfixed, at the edge of
the declivity. They rnshed towards \\w., and with tlieir
promptitude and assistance I was soon extricated from
my perilous situation, and conducted to a place of
safety, where my head, for the first time, whirled witli
dizziness. At this moment my hat fell otf, and slid
down the slope into the gulf beneath, as if to impress
upon me the horrible death from which I had been
rescued."

Solano is a beautiful bay, with dee}) water, plenty ot'
fish and w^ood, and a great (piantity of wild cocoa-nut
palms. The latter are found on the whole coast of
Darien, in places Avhere no human beings or any signs
of them were to be seen, — thus corroborating the oj)i-
nion of Martins, that the Isthmus of Panama is their
native country, and that thence they s])rea(l over the
tropical regions of both hemispheres.

Steering southwards, we were on the 9th of January
off the Bav of Utria, a fine natural harbour, which
seems to have been unknown to geographers previous
to Captain Kellctt's survey ; indeed the western coast
of Darien, which was formerly a mere straight line in
our charts, has, since the expedition of the Herald, as-
sumed a different aspect, and is found to possess excel-
lent ports and shelter for both small and large vessels.
On the 13th we anchored off the river Nuqui. There
was only a single white man living at the place, nnd
he was an Englishman ; all the other inhabitants were
Indians, who s])oke the same language as th()S(> at Cn-

pica.

On the IGth we arrived oft' Cape (^orrieiitcs, a pro-

32S

TiiK vovA(iK OF II. M.S. TiKRAi.i). \Jm)vnry,

moiitory easily (iistiiigiuslied by its dome-like mountain,
the Janano, and, on eoming from Chirambira, by its
being the first high land seen by the voyager. We
landed several times at this cape, but from that place
until we reached the river San Juan we were prevented
from going on shore, as the surf ran so high that it was
dangerous to risk a boat in the attempt.

On the 28th we dropped anchor off the island of
Chirambira, and for several days were employed survey-
ing the mouths of the San Juan, one of the largest rivers
in Darien. It is to be regretted that Captain Kellett
was prevented from exploring this fine river, especially
as it is known to approach the Atrato within a few
miles, and, if reports may be relied upon, is actually
connected with the latter by a canal, by means of which
canoes pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The San
Juan has several mouths, the principal one of which is
between the islands of Cacagual and Chirambira. In
Chirambira there is a small village, w^here we found a
Spaniard who was distilling aguardiente, for which, as
he informed us, there was a good market on the banks
of the river.

Having connected the survey of the Bay of Panama
with Punta Chirambira, w^here our survey of the Bay of
Choco had been discontinued, and thus finished the
delineation of the coast of Western South America, we
set sail on the 1st of February for Panama, and, after
paying another visit to Cape Corrientes, we reached our
destination on the 1 2th.

There w\as a Frenchman at Panama who had a num-
ber of honey-bees, which he had brought from Europe,

ij:;il!i'>

mntain,
by its
r. We
it place
evented
t it was

jland of
survey-
^t rivers

Kellett
;pecially
I a few
actually
)f which
rhe San
A^hich is

ra. In
[found a

lich, as
banks

'anama
Bay of
led the
fica, we
fl, after
lied our

num-
^urope,

184>5.]

PANAMA.

0.)()

<^ «• ty

and wjis going to take to Peru. With great trouble
and expense he had succeeded in conveying the hives
as far as the Isthmus, but most of the bees had died on
entering the tropics, and their nund)er was daily decreas-
ing. It was the second time that he had attempted to
introduce these valuable insects into Peru, and he had
already lost a considerable sum of money in his fruitless
endeavours. The Peruvian government had granted him
a patent for six years, and he thought that if he could
only get a few of the bees to the elevate^' regions of the
Andes, all his outlay would soon be iv o iid.

Mr. Stephens, the enterprishig American traveller, —
to whom I was hitroduced by Mr. Nelson, the United
States' consul, — was staying at the time at Panama; iu;
had been sent by some couipany to make arrangements
about the Californian steamers which were to run be-
tween Panama and San Prancisco. Mr. Stephens is just
such a man as one would fancy him to be from reading
his works ; he is of middle height and very active ; his
face shows nmch determhiation, and has a military aii",
which perhaps is in some measure owdng to his wearing
moustachios.

Towards the end of February the Herald sailed to
siu-vey the coast westward of Punta Mala, the islands of
Coyba and Quicara, and the approaches to the port of
Boca Chica, while I made a journey through parts of
the province of Panama and Veraguas, visiting Chorera,
Nata, Santiago, and David. The whole expedition re-
turned to Panama towards the end of April ; but I shall
omit the narrative of these proceedings, as they would
lead the reader into a maze of details, and give instead

,MMt

}

'^^■r

li*:?

JIf

230

TllF- VOYAOF, OF II. M.S. IIKUAIJ).

[.l/u-i/.

a general sketch of tlie Isthnms of Panama*, whicli, in-
complete as it is, will most pro])al)ly be acceptal)lc at a
time when the narroAV neck of land which connects the
two Ameii.!as is l)eginning to excite the attention of the
connnercial vorhl, and when millions of British capital
are about to be, or are already, invested in roads, rail-
ways, and canals across that country.

* This sketch was originally written for my * History of the Isthmus
of Panama,' and is here inserted in consequence of the numerous ap-
plications for information which 1 have had from persons connected
with the various companies projected, or already formed, for carrying
out an inter-occanic communication.

rf:

[Ipril.

icli, in-
)lo at {I
!cts tlu;
I of tlu;
capital
Is, rail-

•2:31

; Isthmus

ii'ous ap-

;onnectc(l

carrying

CHAPTER XVI.

Geographical Position of the Isthmus of Patiama — Boundaries — Kxtcnt
of Surface — Coast — Islands— Titles — Charts and Maps — Kivcrs —
General Aspect of tlie Country — Geology — Metals — Gold-Mines —
Salines — Volcanoes — Earthquakes — Hot Springs — Climate — Winds
— Waterspouts.

The Isthmus of Panama lies between the 4th and 10th
parallel of north latitude, and the 77th and 88rd of west
longitude ; it belongs i)olitically to the Republic of New
Granada, and comprises the provinces of Panama and
Veraguas and the territories of Darien and Rocas del Toro.
Its least breadth, from sea to sea, is twenty-seven miles,
and its configuration that of a bow, the coast of the Carib-
bean Sea forming the convex line, that of the South Sea
the concave. Rounded on the north and north-east by
the Atlantic, on the south and south-west by the Pacific
Ocean, on the east by the rivers Atrato and San Juan,
and on the west by the Republic of Costa Rica, it pre-
sents, including the adjacent islands, a surface of 34,000
square miles — an extent of territory nearly equal *") that
of Portugal.

TIIK VOVACiE OK II. M.S. IIKUAM).

[.Urn/,

The coast oil the AthiiitK; side cxtciids tVoin ('ostiirica
to thi^ river Atrato — tliree hundred and sixty miles. Its
most west(;rii part is tbrmed by the Lagoon of Chirifjui,
an ohloiig hay, in which the port of Bocas del Toro is
situated. Thence eastward lies the river Beleii, where
Columbus in his fourth voyage tried to establish a settle-
ment, and, in hit. 9° 18' (r north, long. 79° 59' 2'' west,
the port of Chagres, the most fre(|uented on this side
tlu! Isthmus : the port itself is an open roadstead, and
its inner harbour, on account of a rock, is ditticult to
enter, and tit (;nly for vessels of small burden. Much
superior to it is Portobelo, sitmited in lat. 9° 34' 29"
north, long. 79° 43' 40" west. Still following an
easterly direction we come to the Bay of Limones, or
Navy Bay, as some navigators term it. " At the en-
trance," says Mr. J. A. Lloyd, " it is about five miles
wide, and can be approached without danger by day or
night, in any weather ; its opening is due north. On
the western side several projecting points afford seciu'e
and commodious anchorage. The bottom of the bay
curves regularly, and is bounded by a beach of very
tenacious sand, and beyond by a bank, which is raised
a few feet above high-water mark, and formed of shells
thrown up by the sm'f. About three miles from the
east point of the bay the land falls back in another
deep curve, within which is Mazanilla, an island a mile
and a cpiarter long and a mile broad, forming a fine
channel with the mainland, with excellent anchorage for
large ships for some distance within its entrance, and
shelter for smaller vessels to iopair or careen, in a large
lagoon enclosed between the nuiinland and the south-

Tig

ostarica
L'S. Its
liirifiui,
Toro is
, wluTc
I settle-
rs west,
lis side
[1(1, and
icult to
Much
34' '2ir
an
)iies, or
the en-
e miles
(hiy or
h. On
seciu-e
he bay
of very
raised
shells
ni the
notlier
a mile
a fine
ige for
), and
large
Isouth-

LStS.

ISTIIMl'S OK PANAMA.

'2'Mi

eastern end of the island. The depth of the water in
the bay decreases regularly from six fathoms to three,
and one and a half (!ven close to the shore." Passing
the ports of Bastimentos and Retrete, more famous for
the tragical events connected witli them than for com-
mercial advantages, we reach the Puerto de Escoces, de-
riving its name from the Scottish colony that once stood
there. Thence the coast takes a southerly direction, and
forms, in con junction with that of the province of Carta-
gena, the Gulf of Darien or Uraba, known in history as
that part of the Isthnms first discovered and inhabited
by Europeans.

The line which the coast of the Pacific describes, ex-
teiuling from the river Chiricpii Viejo to the mouths of
the San -luan, is six lumdred and sixty miles in length.
T^he shores are, generally speaking, bold and rocky, as far
as Cape Corrientes, but thence to Chirambira fiat, rising
only a few feet above the sea-level. Inhere are several ports
and natural harbours. The most western is Boca Chica,
the principal seaport of the canton of Alanji; (Chiricpii),
situated in hit. 8° 13' north, long. 82° 13' 30'' west, but
the place of embarkation for goods is in lat. 8° 21' 43"
north, long. 82° 20' west. The passage to the latter is
fit only for vessels of small dimensions, ind leads through
a perfect maze of mangroves at the mouths of several
rivers, which empty themselves into the sea through three
channels, the Boca Chica, the Boca del San Pedro, and
the Boca Brava. The Boca Chica is best ada])ted for
coasting-vessels, but the Boca del San Pedro, if sur-
veyed and buoyed, would probably be far easier and
more expeditious. Traversing the coast in an easterly

234

TIIK VOYAOK OK II. MM. HKIIALI).

May,

(iircctioii, w(> Hiid \\\\\\\\\ lio.ulit, ii Hue natural harbour,
Moutijo, tlu; s( aport of vSantiaf^o dc V^'rajijuas, au(i, on
cutcrin^ tli(> liay of Panama at I'unta Mala, tlu; ports of
Aguadiilco, San Carlos, (Jliorcra, and IVriro. Porico, as
that of Panama is called, is an open roadstead, ill ad inted
for a })acket-station ; ships of even less than tin-ee hun-
dred tons have to lie two miles seaward, and, in order to
procure water, are obliged to proceed to the island ol'
Taboga. The site of the city was evidently chosen more
for its security against attack than for the convenience of
commerce, yet, as it is free from violent winds, the an-
chorage is secm'c. The coast, from Panama to the Gulf
of San Miguel, is low, muddy, and destitute of ports.
The Gulf of San Miguel, where Balboa first emharked on
the South Sea, is a spacious basin, in whicli a munber of
rivers empty themselves. Its entrance is limited by two
points, Punta Brava and Punta de Garachine ; the latter
mid Punta Mala form the Bay of Panama. The Pearl
Islands arc nearly in the centre, thus leaving two pas-
sages for entering. Navigators prefer the western during
the wet, the eastern during the dry season ; the eastern
passage however has in its fairway the disadvantage of
the shoal of San Jose, in the middle of which Captain
Kellett discovered a rocky patch with less than three
feet water upon it. From Garachine southwards are the
Bays of Pifios, Ardita, Cupica, San Franzisco Solano, and
near Cape Corrientes that of Utria, all of which offer fine
accommodation for shipphig, and will be of importance
when the country is more civilized and more thickly
peopled, and has fairly become that for which nature
seems to have destined it — the highway of the world.

larhour,

tiiui, un

ports of

fi'ico, us

tul iDtcd

ee Imii-

:n\\vA' to

iland of

311 more

ieiicc of

the an-

lio Gulf

f ports.

rked on

iiiber of

by two

10 latter

le Pearl

W(J pjis-

(luriiig

eastern

tage of

[iptain

1 three

are the

10, and

'er fine

rtance

hickly

natuiH!

kid.

184S.

Ism.MlS Ol' PANAMA

•2:i:»

The eoasts arc fringed witli iiunierous islands. The
largest on the Atlantic side an; tlu; Hscndo de V'eragnas,
and those situated in the Lagoon of Chiri(pii ; others,
of a smaller size, gen(!rally known to the voyager hy the
name of Cayos, or keys, are scattcired along the shores,
and form oeeasionally, as in tlu; ease of the Sand)al()es,
regular chains. Tiie latter group comprises the Isla de
Pinos, the Golden Island, and various others, well known
from being connectcKl with the early history of the coun-
try. All however are but thinly |)eopl('(l, and at present
not nnich fre(piented by foreign vessels.

Of greater importance are the islands in the i*acific
Ocean. Several groups, Secos, Par; dez, Ladmnes, and
Contrcras, are situated on the south-we^tcrr coast of
Veraguas, and another cluster, of whicli Coyl.i , Golx ; la-
dora, and Cebaco are the largest, in the Pay of M'vujo.
Coyba, — or Quibo, as it is incorrectly spelt b' fin igners,
— the most extensive, is twenty-four mil<! l(>iig, four-
teen broad, and well supplied with wood and water.
Until lately it was uninhabited, and only visited at cer-
tain seasons by pearl-iishers, and would probably have
remained in that state had not the attention of thi;
New-Granadian Government been suddenlv directed to
it. The survey of Coyba by IT. M.S. Herald, and the
proposal of a North- AmcTican Co., p;;ny to purchase the
island, seemed to be so many proots of its value, and at
last, in 1848, the executive power thought it necessary to
form a settlement, and sent soldiers to hoist the tiag of the
Republic. The Pearl Islands, also known by their syno-
nvms of Islas (U'l Kiv, Islas del Istmo and Islas de Co-
lombia, are valuable from the numl)er of pearls amuially

!30

THK VOYACJK OF If. MS. HKllALD.

[J/«y,

collected on their sliores ; th'-y form a little archipelago at
the entrance of the Bay of Panama, {ind are compos(;d of
sixteen island^s and several rocks. San Miguel is tlie
largest, San Jose, Gonzales, Saboga, Pacheque, Casayos,
and Contadora, arc of secondary, the rest of minor magni-
tude. Smaller, but scarcely less imi)ortant, is the grouj)
in the vicinity of Panama, consisting of Perico, Plaminco,
Otocpie, Taboguilla, and Taboga. The latter is one of
the most delightful spots hi the bay. In its centre rises
a hill about a thousand feet high, which is cultivated
nearly to its suunnit with useful fruits and vegetables,
and sends down streams to the valleys, where, amidst
cocoa-nut palms and tamarind-trees, the habitations of
the natives are ahuost hidden. When walking among
the orange-groves, and seeing the trees loaded with deli-
cious nisperos, alligator-pears, and mangoes, or the sides
of stony hills covered with fields of pine-apples, fancy
almost transports the stranger into some fairy garden.

The difference of the tides l)etween the two oceans is
great : on the Atlantic side, at Chagres, the mean ele-
vation is IIG feet, while at Pairama the highest flow is
twenty -two feet, and it was stated by Mr. J. A. Lloyd
that it rose even to twenty-seven feet. This statement
however has not been corroborated by the observations
of the expeditions of H.M.SS. Sulphur and Herald ;
but as so accurate an observer as Mr. Lloyd is not likely
to have made so gross a mistake, it is but fair to con-
clude that he must have witnessed an additional rise
of five feet, caused by some other force than the tide,
— })crhaps strong winds, or some of those eartlujuakes
which occur at sea, and often cause a rising on the

[Mai/,

lago at
3S{;d of
is the
asayos,
inagiii-
! group
iiuiiico,
one of
re rises
Itivated
etables,
amidst
tions of
among
th deli-
le sides
, fancy
den.
eans is
an ele-
flow is
Lloyd
tenient
vations
erald ;
likely
lo Gon-
ial rise
tide,
[juakes
bn the

lh4S.]

nYDIlUCiUAlMIV.

'1\M

adjacent coasts. For the remarkable difTerence which
exists between the two oceans it is not easy to account
satisfactorily ; it is probable that Panama, at the head of
a deep bay, receives the sudden check which the water
must meet, and that thus the great rise is produced.
This hypothesis appears to be in accordance with the
fact that the tide rises at Taboga nineteen feet, at Saboga
(one of the Pearl Islands) tift(jen feet, and at other places
outside the Bay of Panama only twelve and eleven feet.

The hydrography of the Isthmus is almost complete.
A part of the northern coast was surveyed in 1828 by
Captain Henry Porster, in II. M.S. Chanticleer, and a
considerable portion of the southern during the years
1837, 1838, and 1839, by Sir Edward Pelcher, in
H.M.SS. Sulphur and Starling. The remainder of the
Pacific side was finished during 1840, 1847, 1S48, and
1 849, by the Herald and Pandora, by which the whole coast
was explored, from tlie river San .luan to Point Burica,
thus completing the survey of the south-western shores
of America, a distance of four thousand miles, the charts
of which will remain a monument of the eminent services
rendered by the British nation to the science of geogra-
])hy. Of the interior no general maj), founded upon as-
tronomical or trigonometrical observations, is in existcmce.

A country like the Istlunus, visited by such heavy
rains, abounds in rivers -. not counting the smaller and
periodical streams, their nundier cannot fall short of two
hundred. Of those emptying themselves into the At-
lantic Ocean, the Belen, Veraguas, Chagres, and the nine-
mouthed Atrato are the largest ; among those flowing
into the Pacific, the Chiri(|ui, Tavasara, Santa Maria,

238

THE VOYAOE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[Mat/,

Rio Grande de Natii, Bayaiio, Chiirclmnqui, and San
Juan. Tlicy are mostly shallow, and only navigable in
flat-bottomed canoes. The Chagres was formerly called
Rio de los Lagartos, and, according to Herrera, first ex-
plored in 1527 by Captain Hernando de la Serna and the
pilot Corzo ; it has been more accurately surveyed by Mr.
Lloyd, who has given, in the joiu-nal of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society of London, the following description : —
" The Chagres takes its rise a considerable distance east
of Portobelo, among the high mountains which approach
the Bay of Mandingo, and, after traversing a great tract
of country, Mdien nearly opposite Portobelo receives the
Rio Pe(pieni, which comes from the south-east, and is as
large and broad as itself. The two form a noble river,
too rapid however to be easily navigable, and, although
canoes ascend both branches in the dry season, even
above the common point of junction, the passage is con-
sidered dangerous from the number of falls and rapids.
In proportionate distances its rate abates. At Cruces,
which is twenty-three miles direct from the sea, and forty-
four as the river wuids, it seldom (exceeds three miles or
three miles and a half an hour, even hi the rahiy season ;
at Peiia Blanca it runs two miles, at Gatun scarcely one,
and at Brusa, in sunnner, the current is imperceptible.
Few rivers of its size present more beautiful scenery than
does the Chagres above Cruces : for miles together it is
bounded by abrupt masses of Umestonc, of the most cu-
rious and fantastic forms ; in other parts savanas extend
to the very edge of the river, and the noble bongo-tree
studs tlie banks. In most places the river is shaded by
the higueron {Ficus sp.), a large tree which extends its

[Mat/,

lid San
rabl(3 in
^ called
first ex-
and the
by Mr.
al Geo-
tion : —
ice east
pproach
at tract
Lves the
nd is as
le river,
ilthougli
m, even
is con-
rapids.
Cruces,
d fortv-
niles or
cason ;
ly one,
ptible.
|ry than
kn* it is
lost cn-
I extend
ro-tree
led l)v
lids its

184S.J

RIVERS.

branches across the river. The water generally rnns over
a bed of various kinds of pebbles, and is in sunnner bril-
liantly clear. In many places near its source it is nuich
wider than at its mouth, occasionally l)reaking into dis-
tinct channels, and forming islets, but in the rainy season
those are all conneciLAi. and constitute one broad stream,
with strong sets and eddies, caused by the abru[)t turns,
rendering its navigation peculiarly perilous. ]\Iany ycuu's
Mgo, from continued rains, the river rose until it arrived
at the foundation of the church of Cruces, situate on a
small rise, forty or fifty feet above the ])resent level ; the
greater part of the village was submerged, and for some
weeks no hitcrcourse, exce])t by canoes, could take place.
Towards its mouth it has never been known to rise more
than six or eight feet, and this height the banks easily
confine."

The rivers Atrato and San Juan approach each other
within a distance of tour hundred yards, nc^arly se])arat-
ing the Isthnuis from the continent of South America,
and fornung the natural and })olitical boundary of tlu;
country under consideration. The Atrato, or Darien, is
described as a river full of shoals, dangerous to pass even
for canoes : if small stcnmiers could navigate it, this part
of the Isthnuis might be the most })racticable for cutting
a canal. Another close ap{)roach of rivers exists between
the Chagres and the Rio Grande de Panama, of which
due advantage has been taken in some of the projects
for connecting the two oceans. Most of the rivers have
deltas, which, in many instances, have the ap])earance of
islands ; their vegetation is a mixture of littoral and
inland ])lants, aiul often exhibits species of tlie higher

240

THK VOYAflE OF H.M.S, HKKAI.l)

[Mni/,

nionntnins, ])y which the remote sources of tlie water may
be traced.

The Isthmus is not reinarkablo for high mountains.
The chain of the Andes, after traversing the continent of
South America, diminishes in approacliing it, and in the
province of Panama is liardly recognizable in a ridge of
hills which seldom exceed a thousand feet in height. The
statement that the Cordillera is entirely broken in the
vicinity of Cupica in Darien rests on obscure authority.
A new series of mountains seems to connnence at Punta
de Chame, which attains a greater elevation on entering
the province of Veraguas, and in the volcano of Chiri(|ui
produces the most elevated part of the Isthmus, p peak
seven thousand feet high : this ridge is covi;red Avith
forests, and chiefly confined to the centre and northern
])arts of the country. The districts on the coast of th(!
Pacific Ocean, especially the cantons of Nata, Santiago,
and Alanje. abound in grassy plains {l/a)to.s) of great
(extent, which, in aftbrdhig pasture to numerous herds
of cattle, constitute the princii)al ridies of the country.
I have been informed, l)y persons on whose veracity I
can rely, that from the tops of the mountains situated
between Bocas del Toro and the town of David, both
oceans may be seen at once, — a sight only equalled in
grandeur by that presented in Behring's Strait by Asia
and America. During the whole of my stay in the ele-
vated parts of Veraguas, cither the coast of the Atlantic
or that of the Pacific was enveloped in mist, so tliiit
personally I hav(> not been abl(> to corroborate the state-
ment ; that they may actually be seen I consid(;r proba-
ble, as in Central America, where the breadth of tlu land

1 'J/<V/'
?r may

ntains.
iicnt of

in the
idgc of
t. The

in the
ihority.
, Punta
ntei'inj^

'hiri(jui
p oeak

'(1 witli
ortliern
; of tlie
nitiago,
grciit
s herds
oinitry.
aeity I
itnated
I, botli
died in
)y Asia
he eh'-
tlantic
o that
state-
])i'ol)a-
ic land

184.S.J

MOIN I'MNS.

::i.i

far exceeds tluit of Vei'a^Mias, Mr. Stephens (Hstinetly ol)-
served both tlie Caribl)ean and the Sonlli S(>ii. The Ix-hef
tliat from the monntains neiu" ('rnees the same speetaele
is enjoyed, I liave fonnd to be incorrect, the ehn'ation
bein<^ far too low, and that fi'om thr circumstance of
seein^j: the two oceans at oihh- the name " Veraguas" is
derived, 1 have endeavoured to contradict.

The geological formation is as yt t imperfectly known.
" In some parts auriferous porphyries and granites pre-
vad, ])artiidly inn)regnated with iron pyrites, and en-
closing here and there veins of felspar and basalt ; in
others argillaceous hornblende, slati' of various colours,
and chlorite. Auriferous (piartz is observed in diller-
ent jdaces*." The soil consists of clay, more or less
sprinkled with fossil sea-shells, gold, and iron. The dis-
tricts in which the latter |)revails arc mostly sterile, and,
if left in their natural stati", produce hardl\ anvthinu;
save grass for rearing cattle. Petrified exogenous stems
abound in various pints of Wraguas, and about San-
tiago they are so numerous that the stri'cts of that town
arc partly paved with them : the natives call them
ihimicos jj('trifiv(i(''>-s, and consider them portions of the
Chumico {Cnrafi'/la Anirricdna, Liim.), but, although
there exists a certain resend)lance, it is ditncult, from
the stem alone, to decide whether they are identical.
lUtuminous slate, indicating in many instances the (xist-
enceof coal, has been discovered in the ishmd of Muerto,

* E. Ilojikins's Geologirul ('harartcr of the Isllnnus, MSS. — This
ncoouiit was written at Panama by Mr. Hopkins \\\w\\ in the service ol
the New-dranadian government A Spanish vrrsion of it has, I hc-
lieve, ;ipi)eare(l at MoLiota.

vol,. I K

242

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[Mai/,

v '<

near David. Salines of some extent arc estal)lishe(l at
Agua Dulce, in the canton of Nata, and their produce
is sufficient to supply the demands of the Isthmus ; an-
other salt-spring has been found in the vicinity of La
Mesa, which, according to popular statements, presents
some extraordinary phenomena, deserving the attention
of future travellers.

Copper, iron, and gold are found all over the country;
no indication of silver has as yet been discovered, and
the existence of (piicksilver near Panama is doubtful.
The working of the iron and copper is impracticable, on
accoimt of the high price of labour, and will remain so
as long as the country is thinly h.habited. From the
quantities of gold collected by the first settlers, the
Isthmus received the name of Castilla del Oro, but,
when the wealth of Peru and Mexico became known,
this a])pellation seems to have fallen into disuse. Still,
as long as the Spaniards retained possession of it, the
extraction of gold was carried on to some extent, and it
appears that some of the mines were very productive : the
most important were, and still are, those of the Mineral
de Vcraguas. The gold is found there on plains, and
large pieces are also obtained from the beds of rivers and
rivulets. Up to the year 1804 the revenue which tlu^
provincial treasury collected from the royalty of three per
cent, amounted annually to half a million dollars, a con-
siderable sum, if it is boiTxC in mind that large quantities
were sent away without payment of duty ; since that
time however the produce has decreased, as some think,
because the great deposit has been exhausted, or, as
others contend, because the mines are not worked with

;'!<

[J%,

1848.]

MINKS.

24.S

5hc(l at
iroduco
us ; an-
y of La
Drcsents
ttention

ountry;
cd, and
oubtful.
able, on
main so
rom the
:;rs, the
ro, but,
known,
Still,
■ it, the
, and it
ve : the
Vlincral
ns, and
ers and
icli the
u'ee per
a con-
antities
cc that
think,
or, as
3d with

energy. The mines of Estrella in Chiriqui, and Cana in
Darien, were eelebrated, and still hold a plaee in the
traditions of the country. The latter were closed by
connuand of the King of Spain, to prevent, it is said,
the inroads of the Buccaneers. A few years ago their
n^discovery was much discussed at Panama, and exj)edi-
tions started in search of them ; but, the site being im-
perfectly known, they failed in accom])lishing their object.
The sand of the sea-beach near Panama, and even the
soil on which the city is built, contains gold-dust, —
about as much as will enable one man to extract daily
three or four reals' worth ; t\\v, process however being
rather laborious, it is not mucli resorted to. Gold-wash-
ings are established all over the coimtry, but, although
important to single individuals in tlu; absence of othei*
employment, they are too hisignificant either to engage
the attention of foreign companies, or to alknv of the
investment of large capital.

Volcanoes, all now extinct, exist in different parts. Tin*
highest is that of Chiriqui, already mentioned ; anothei-,
of considerable elevation, about three thousjuid feet
high, the Janano, is seen at Cape Corrientes in Darien,
and several others of great size ixro reported to exist in
Veraguas. " Even the island of T.nboga," says Mr. K.
Hopkins, "appears to have been a portion of a volcanic
crater. It is a broken sedimentary clay-shite, lifted on
the sonthern side, and declining towards the bay, with
its points and fractures filled with melted ferruginous
rocks, large masses of which are seen bordering tlu; bay.
From the gcnc^ral aspect, and the great depth of the
latter, one is led to sup])ose that it was the focus of

i< 2

244

THK VOVAdF. OF 11. M.S. JIKRALO.

[yl%,

cxciiiptioii." Hut altlioughwitliout nrtivc volcniiocs, tlic
Tstlinius is by no nieaii.s free from curtlKjUiikcs. They
occur mostly duriufj; the dry s»\ison, from .liuuiary till
May, and consist of undulating movcmiMits, coming from
th(! west, and having aj)par("ntly their origin in ('cntral
America, — a suj)positiou strengthened hy the fact that
they arc more severely felt in Veraguas than in Panama
or Daricn ; they do not howi.'ver sccmu to exercise any
prejudicial influimce on the vegetation, as is the ease in
Peru, where, after severe shocks, corn-fields have biH'n
known to withtir. Hot springs are to be found in vari-
ous parts of the country, and are nuich used by the na-
tives as medicinal baths. One, named Agua de Sahid, is
near the village of Calobre, in the canton of Santiago ;
others are to be met with at Caldera in Chiricpii, and
Cape Corrientes in Darien : none of them have as yet
been subjected to a chemical anjilysis.

The geographical position of the Istlunus, the almost
entire absence of high mountains, and the vast extent of
forests and other uncultivated parts, tend to produce a
hot and rainy climate, which nevertheless, with the ex-
ception of a few localities, such as Chagres, Portobelo,
and Chirambira, is healthy and more favourable to the
constitution of the Caucasian race than that of most
tropical countries. The most prevalent disease is inter-
mittent fever, which makes its appearance; during the
change of the season ; remittent fever is less frequent,
but generally proves fatal to the patient. Cutaneous
eruptions of a dangerous character arc connnon, espe-
cially among the coloured race, and in those districts
where there is the greatest fall of rain. Persons newly

;'l'

S|v'

[.1%,

1H4.S.

IUKKASKS.

245

IOCS, tlic

Tluy

iiu'v till
n<5 from

Central
act tlint
Panama
nso any

case in
vc Iku'ii

in vari-

the na-
?alud, is
nitiago ;
:|ui, and
3 as yet

almost
xtcnt of
odnci' a
the ex-
irtobelo,
to the
of most
s inter-
in g the
equent,
aneous
1, espc-
listricts
s newlv

arrived from northern climates arc frc(|ue!itly subject to
ulceration : on entering tlu; country their skin, particu-
larly that of the legs and feet, assumes an unusual de-
gree of irritability, and the slightest scratch, or even a
mosquito-1)ite, will often })roduce ulcers and sores, which
take months to heal, and always leave u\Hm the place a
disagreeable bluish hue. {'Elephantiasis and paralysis, the
bane of S})anish Americii, do not occur so frecpiently as
in the elevated regions of the Andes, where indeed, fntm
whatever cause, they prevail to a frightful extent. The
cholera has visited the Isthmus on ditt'erent occasions,
but that disease has shown its(;lf in tem[)erate and torrid
zones, in dry and in wet localities, ui places built on the
sunnnits of high mountahis, as well as in those situated
in the lower coast-region ; in line, it has ravag(,'d districts
which hi physical constitution differ most widely from
t^ach other, so that we may fairly conclude that climate
and geographical i)ositioii, however tlu^y may modify its
character or hicrease its violence, cannot hv considered
as its causes*.

The seasons are regularly divided into wet and dry.
The rains are expected with the new moon in April, and
continue eight months, till the end of December; in the
south of Darien however, and some places on the At-
lantic Ocean, they are prolonged to ten and even elevcni
months. Slight at iirst, the rain gradually increases,
and is fully established towards the end of May, when it
falls in torrents, sometimes for days in succession, and

* A most ingenious explanation of tlie cause of the cliolera was
made known on Se])teiuber 24-, 1853, at Wieshaden, by Dr. Nccs von
I'^iSenbeek, wliich has since been publislied in a sejjarate pamphlet.

240

THK VOYAGE OF II. M.S. II KHALI).

[Mai/,

is mostly accom[)juiic(l l)y tlmiulor and liglitning of tlui
most terrific description. The air is loaded with mois-
ture, and fogs with cahn or light variable winds prevail.
The temperature does not vary more than from 75° to
87" Fahr., still, the perspiration being impeded, the at-
mosphere feels extremely hot and close. In the height
of the wet season, about midsummer, generally on the
2Uth of June, the rains, as in other parts of South Ame-
rica, are suspended for a short time ; for nearly a week
subsecjuent to that day, the sun shines with great bright-
ness, and the sky is clear and serene. Tlu5 occurrence
of the phenomenon is so regular that it is looked for-
ward to by the inhabitants, who call it the " veranito de
San Juan," probably from its taking place almost simul-
taneously with the feast of St. John (June 24th). To-
wards the end of December tlu^ violent rains are less
fre(|uent, the; clouds begin to disperse, and with the
conuncncement of the new year the north-west wind
sets in. An inunediate change follows. The air is now
pure and refreshing, the sun brilliant, the sky blue and
serene, hardly a cloud is to be seen, and the climate dis-
plays all its tropical beauties. The heat, although nuich
greater, ranging between 75° and 94° Fahr., is less felt,
as the atmosphere is almost free from moisture ; the
rays of the sun however are very powerful, and the rise;
of the thermometer to 124° Fahr., when at noon exposed
to their influence, is no uncommon phenomenon. These
statements however have reference only to the lower
regions ; on the higher mountains the climate is modified,
aiul, on account of its lower temperatm'e, better adapted
to the constitution of the white man.

[J%.

184S.]

CLIMATK.

^ of tlu;

til inois-

prcvjiil.

1 75° to

tlic nt-

3 height

/ on the

:h Ame-

ji week

; bright-

nirrciico

kcd for-

[inito (Ic

t simiil-

i). To-

arc less

ith the

, vviiul

is now

ue and

ate dis-

1 nnicli

ss feU,

3 ; the

he rise

xposed

These

lower

)difie{l,

dapted

l)nrin;j; the dry season the climate agrees tolerably
well with a Kuro[)oan. Hut a sunnner day in I'^urope and
one in the Istlnnus — what a diflerenee ! Night and day,
from the vicinity of the country to the e(piator, are
nearly always of ecpial length. Scarcely has dawn com-
menced when everybody is in action — it is the hour of
business and bodily exercise ; nature stands refreshed,
and drops of dew hang on every leaf. Amidst a j)rofu-
sion of flowers, the stately ])alm waves its foliage, and
gay-coloured birds, strongly contrasting with the azure
sky, diffuse animation and life ; in vain however does
the Northman listen, — histead of the sweet nulodies of
nightingales and robins, the disagreeable cries of parrots
and macaws strike his ear. Towards eight o'clock the
heat begins to be felt, and that lassitude, for whicli the
tropics are so well known, seizes everything. The fur-
ther the c uy advances, the more is this influence pcrcej)-
tible : the leaves droop, the wood-pigeons, which all the
morning sent forth their monotonous notes, are silent,
the inhabitants have sought shelter from the scorching
rays in the interior of their dwellings, all living beings
arc reposing, and a stillness prevails almost as profound
as that of midnigiit. By degrees the heat becomes less
oppressive, the breezes increase, and the cool air of the
evening soon calls forth a new life. The forests now
glitter wdth fireflies, crickets chant tluir merry tunes,
and here and there are seen groups of })eople chatting
and enjoying themselves. But nothing can exceed the
beauty of the scene when the fnll-moon rises, shedding
its silvery light over the broad foliage of the tropics ;
whatever may have been the fatigue of the day, what-

2ts

TIIK VOVAdi; Ol II. M.S. IIKU.Vi.l).

[.!/«'/.

cvt'i' the body tmiy linvi- suncifd tVoiii luat and hpj^uor,
all is lorj^otti'ii in tlu- pnscnct! of this spectacle!. Such
nights indeed Uallle description — they are Hie (pniitcs-
seiice of ('(piinoctial lite.

The winds have mostly the clumictei jt nioderutc
hreczes ; they are seldom violent, and hurricanes liavc
never \nv\\ known to occur. During the wet season
they are very variable, but gtuuaally conn; from the south
or south-west, and oidy assume some degree of regu-
larity on the coast, blowing during the night from the;
land, and during the day from the sea ; sometimes how-
ever calms |)revail for seveial days in succession. In the
dry season tlu; prevailing wind is north-west, blowing
regularly, and with more or less force, and only varying
now and then a few points of the compass. It con-
timies till towards the end of Ai)ril, when it becomes
less steady, alternating with calms and variable winds,
and ill the beginning of May dies away. Waterspouts
occur on both coasts, especially during the wet season.

Ir':!:!

[ Mmi.

'I \\\

Such

us have

season

10 soutli

)t' rcgu-

i'OIIl tlU!

OS liow-
In the
blowing
varying
It con-
)oconios
; winds,
jrsj)outs
oason.

ClIAPTKK Wll.

Flora and Fauna of the iHthimis of I'anania — As])('C't and CliaracttT ol
the V'(!g('tatioii — Useful, Noxious, niid Oruanieiilal Plants — Aniumls
— Agriculture.

Tmk aspect of the Horn is inncli more diversified than
the uniformity of the climate and tiie surface of the
coiuitry woidd lead one to expect. The sea-coast and
those parts iniiuenced l)y tlie tides and the imniodiate
evaporation of the sea prochice a (piite peeidiar vegeta-
tion, winch is generally characterized by a leathery glossy
foliage, and leaves with entire margins. In all muddy
[)laces, down to the verge of the ocean, are impenetrable
thickets, formed of mangroves, chietiy H/nzop/wrds and
Jcicennias, which exhale j)utrid miasmata and spread
sickness over the adjacent districts. Occasionally ex-
tensive tracts are covered with the Gna(j(ir(i de piicrco
{Acro(i(ic/n(ni (iHrcum, Linn.), its fronds being as nmch
as ten feet high. Myriads of moscpiitoes and sand-flies
fill the air ; huge alligators sun themselves on the slimy
banks, lying motionless, blinking with their great eyes,
and jumping into the water directly any one a[)proaehcs.

250

THK V()YA(JK OF U.M.S. HERALD.

[J%,

To destroy tliese dreaded swamps is almost im})ossible :
the Avicennias, with their asparagus-like rhizomes, send
lip innumerable young shoots whenever the main stem
is felled ; the llhizoplforas extend, in all directions, their
long aerial roots, which soon reach the ground and ])re-
serve the trees from falling, after their terrestrial roots
have lifted them high above their original level. At
Panama, where the tide rises to the height of twenty-
two feet, these trees are frequently under water, tlu;
heavy surf washing tluur tops, ap})arently without injiu'-
ing or checking their growth ; indeed, so well has nature
provided for them, that the seed of the Bhizophora^ ])e-
ghis to germinate while the fruit is yet attached to the
tree, and it is not until it has sprouted out to the length
of some inches that it drops, as a young plant, into the
nuul below. Rivers, as far as they are subject to the
influence of the ebb and flow, are full of mangroves, and
the highest lihizophoms, which, growing always on that
side where there is the deepest water, assist the natives
in conducting their canoes through the nmd-banks. On
the sand of the sea-beach the TponKca jjcs-caprce grows
in wild luxuriance, producing runners often more than
two hundred feet long. Higher up, where the ground is
firmer, are groves of cocoa-nut palms, poisonous manza-
nillo-trees, and spiny Prosopises and pitajayas, or thickets
of Crcsceniia mcurbitina and Paritimn tiliaceum.

Far different is the veget^'.tion of the savanas. The
ground, being level or slightly undulathig, is clothed
during the greater part of the year with a turf of brilliant
green. Groups of trees and bushes rise here and thej-e ;
silvery streams, herds of cattl'j and deer, and the isolated

[Mat/,

184S.]

FLORA OF THK ISTHMUS.

251

ossiblc :

3S, send

ill stem

IS, tlieir

nd jire-

liI roots

el. At

tweiity-

ter, tlu!

t iiijiu'-

s iiatiu'e

iras l)e-

i to the

2 length

into the

L to thi;

^es, and

on that

natives

grows

re than

oiind is

inaiiza-

;hiekcts

The
clothed
riUiant
tliei'e ;
sola ted

huts of tile natives, tend to givt; variety to the scene,
while the absence of pahns and tree-ferns imparts to
the whole more the appearance of a European park than
of a tract of land in tropical America. The tiu'f is al-
most as dense as in an English garden, and contains,
besides numerous kinds of grasses, many elegant Pa/)i-
lionacecc, Polt//jak'ce, Gcntianece, and Viohirece ; the sen-
sitive plant {.]fuiiosa pudica, Lhin.) prevails in many lo-
cahties, closing its tender leaves even upon the approach
of a heavy footstep. The clumps of trees and shrubs,
over which the Garumos and Pavas arc waving their
large foliage, are composed of Mi/rtacccc, ^FchiHtomccB,
C/iri/fiobalanece, FapUionacecc, Ver/jcnacece, Coniponifce,
Dillcniacca, Jnonacece, i)[a/pi(/Jiiace(S, and Acanllidcccc,
and overspread by Convolvulacece, Anntoloch'Kje, Aporij-
nea, and other climbing or twining phmts. Orchidae
are plentiful in the vicinity of the rivers, where the trees
are literally loaded with them. The vainilla {Vanil/a
s[).) climbs in abundance up the steins of young trees,
juid often increases so much in weight as to cause the
downfall of its supporters. Th(! ChumieaU's, or groves
of sandpaper-trees {Cffrafella Amcrirfi/ia, Linn.), form
cui'ious features in the landscape ; they extend ovci"
whole districts, and their presence indicates a soil im-
pregnated with iroii -. they are about forty feet high,
with crooked branches — an approximation to the twin-
ing habit of the tribe, — and tlieir })aper-like leaves, when
stirred by the wind, occasion a rattling noise, which
strongly reminds one of the European autumn, when
northerly breezes strip the trees of their foliage.

Forests cover at least two-thirds of (he wlio'c tcrri-

252

THE V()YA(iK OK 11. M.S. IIKRALD.

[J%,

■ i;-

tory. The liigli trees, the dense foHage, and tlie imiiie-
rous climbhig and twining plants, almost shnt ont the
rays of the sun, causing a gloom which is the more in-
su|)porta])le as all other ol)j(^cts are hidden from view.
Rain is so frequent, and the moisture so great, that the
hurnhig of these forests is impossible — a striking differ-
ence to those of the temperate regions, where a tire often
consinnes extensive woods in a sliort space of time.
I^'lowers are scarce in proportion to the mass of leaves
with which the places are crowch'd, and in no respect
is the European more disap])ointed -. from cultivating in
his gardens none but the choicest and most brilliant
flowers which tlu^ regions of the sun are capable of pro-
ducing, —from seeing on the stage tropical scenery, which
looks more like a re])res(^ntation of fairv-land than of sub-
binary })laces,--an(l iVom reading the highly-coloured
accounts with which many travelhrs have endeavoured
to embellish their narratives, his imaghuition has drawn
a picture of (equinoctial countries which a comparison
with nature at once demolishes. The E'A\y' .^i {/hmcar-
(iiinn li/ii noon rjj lis, DC.) and the Corotu {Etifcrulohiuw
Tinihoikd, Mart.) are amongst the most gigantic trees,
attainhii^ a luuji-ht of from ninetv to one hundred and
thirty feet, and a circumfenmce of from twenty-four to
thirty feet ; and no better estimate can be formed of
their size, than by an inspection of the port of Panama,
where vessels of twelve tons' burdi^n, made of a single
trunk, ride at anchor. The forests occasionally consist
of a single species of tree ; but generally they are com-
posed of (litf'ereiit kinds, the pri'K"'])iu forms bi'loug-
mg to Sfcrculiacece, Ti/ifhra:, Mi))iOc<'(je, Pajnlionaccd',

nuiMt'-
)iit the
ore in-
;i view.
llJlt tlio
(liffcr-
I'L' often
f time,
leaves
respeet
itiiio; in
)rilli!nit
of pro-
r, wliieli
of sub-
oloiired
ivoured
drawn
)ari8()n
Inacar-
lohium
trees,
d and
onr to
ned of
mania,
single
consist
■e eoni-
)e'long-
nuci'(/\

lb4S.J

|[,()H\ OK IHK ISTIIMI'S.

'i:y.\

Eii.phnrhiacciC, Aunvdrdumur, Jhihiftnuc, M'/ii(i('i'(f', and
Mr/(tstomp/v ; these, and the j)revaK'nee of palms, tree-
ferns, Scifamincdi, and Aroidoie, stamp on them the real
tropical character.

Mountains, exceedi'ig .2000 feet in eh'vation, situated
principally in western W'raguas, ])ossess a veg(>tation
which resembles in many respects tliat of the Mexican
highlands ; in it the forms of the torrid region an^ har-
moniously blended with those of the temperate. Alders
and blackberries are found with /'Vr//-svV/.s' and Salriafi ;
the brake grows in company with lupines and .It/crtt-
ttinhH ; oaks and palms are intermingled; and large
flowers are abundant. Tlu^ gcMiera represented are Sft/rrt.v,
UoiuldetHi, Sri/ria, Ijopoz'i'i, Furlixia, Ccnli'ddciiKi, /h/c-
fffftnit, C()tio^t(\(jia, Lnjiin/fx, llt/per'tcuiii, Frcz'irrti, (idHunt,
Sml/dW, Kiijihorhiii, R/iopah/, l-jinlschmt, C/cni/ifi.s, Clio-
risia, VorhviKi, ('ondaniiin'd, Iii(/a, SohniNui, (Irllira, etc.
The oaks, like most tropical oni's, are scarcely more than
thirty feet in height, resembling neither in size nor in
grandeur those which our h(>athen forel'at hers worshiped ;
their branches are smooth and devoid of that rugged
appear.mce which renders those of the northern species
so [)ictur(»sque.

The Tstlunus is rich in medicinal plants, many of which
ar(» know'> o*;lv to tlu; nativts, who have ably availed
themselves of their properties. As febrifuges, they v.\\\-
ploy Chicorift {F/cp/tanlojjii-s ><j)ica/t(s, Juss.), Corpachi
{Croton), Gt/avifo (ivian/o {Q/fas-sia a/uf/ra, Linn.), Cedrott
{Siiuaha Crdron, Planch.), and several Gcniluneai — her-
baceous plants, which are known by the name of Can-
rhal/f(///as. As p\u-gatives they use the XiD'f im/crio, or

254

TTIK VOYAOK OF II. M.S. IIEHAM).

[Mai/,

Mnlcasnda {AticlcpiaH Cffrnmarica, Liini.), FrijnJillo {Cas-
sia occidentalism Linn.), Canafsfola dc juirgar {Cassia
Fistida, Linn.), LauroTw {Cassia a/afa, Linn.), Jarilhi
{llura crepitans, Linn.), and Coqid/Jo {Jatropha Ciircas,
Linn.). Emetics arc obtained from Garriba de peiia
{Be(jonia sp.) and Frail eci//o {Jatropha gossypifolia,
Linn.). As vulncrarics they nse C/iiriqui {Trixis frittes-
cens, V. Ur.), Guazi)iii!In,ov Palo del so/dado {Wallheria
(jlomcrata, Presl), and Cope chico de suelo {Clnsia S}).).
Anti-syphilitics arc Cardo santo {Aryemove Mexicana,
Linn.), ZarzapariUa {Smilax sp. pi.), and Cuheza del
negro {Dioscorea sp.). Cooling dranghts arc prepared
from the Ferns, Calahuala {Goniophlehiuni attenuatum,
Presl) and Doradilla de palo {Goniophlehium incanifm,
Svvartz). Antidotes for tlie bites of snakes are fonnd in
the stem and leaves of the Guaeo{Mikama Guaco.W. Vt. K.)
and the seeds of the Cedron {Simaha Cedron, Planch.).
Cntaneons diseases are ciu*ed by applying the bark of th.e
Palo de hnha {Jacaranda fdicifolia,Y)o\\), iVanci {Bi/rso-
niina cotini folia, IL B. K.), and the leaves of the Malva
{Malachra capilata, Linn.).

The most dreaded of the poisonous plants arc the
Anumcay {Thevetia neriifolia, Juss.), Cojon del r/ato
{Thevetia nitida, De Cand.), Manzanillo de plai/a {llip-
ponuine Mancinella, Linn.), Florispondio {Datura san-
(jninea, Ruiz ct Pav.), and Bala {Gliricidia maculata,
Kunth). It is said of the Manzanillo de playa that per-
sons have died from sleeping beneath its shade, and that
its milky juice raises blisters on the skin, which arc dif-
ficult to heal : the first of these statements must be re-
garded as fabulous, and the second received with modifi-

[Mai/,

1848.]

POISONOUS I'LANTS.

:25o

'o{Cas-
[ Casmi
Jarilhi
Cicrcfis,
'e pena
pi/oUa,

i/fhcna
in S|).).
(vicann,
?sa (Id
rcparod
luatmn,
icanum,
)imd in
:.B.K.)

anch.)-
of the

Hyrso-
Alalm

c tlio
(J a to

(Wp.

Vt sail-

cf'Infn,

it per-

1 that
re (lif-

bc ro-
nodifi-

cation. Sonic people v.ill hear tlic juice upon the surface
of the bodv witliout beino; in the least affected l)v it,
wliilc others experience tlie utmost pain, tlie differenci^
seeming to depend entirely upon the constitution. Great
caution however is recpiired in protecting the eyes, for if
the least drop enters them, loss of sight and the most
acute smarting for several days are the consecjuence ; the
smoke arising from the wood produces a similar effect.
While siu'veying on the coast of Darien, a boat's crew of
II. M.S. Herald was blinded for some days through having
kindled afire with the branches of this tree. The natives,
when affected by the poison, at once wash the injured
part in salt water : this remedy is most efficacious, and,
as the Manzditillo is always confined to tlu; ('A^'c of the
ocean, of easy ap))lication. It has been stated that the
Indians of the Isthmus dip their arrows in the juice of
the Manzanillo ; there are however reasons for doubt-
ing this asserti(m : first, the poison is, like that of all
Eupliorhiaceoi, extremely volatile, and, however virulent
when first procured, soon loses its power ; secondly, its
effect, even when fresh, is by no means so strong as to
cause the death of human beings, not evc»i producing,
as has been stated, the slightest injury on some consti-
tutions. The statement may tlicrefoKi V)e considered in-
accurate, and we may rather suppose that the Indians,
like those of Guiana, obtain their poison from the two
s]){Ties of Stn/c/nK)S conunon throughout Panama and
Darien. The fruit of the Aniancni/ {Thcrotia norilfo/ia,
Juss.) is also considered very poisonojis, but its dan-
gerous qualities have i)robably been overrated : there is
a gentleman in Panama who when a ])oy, ate four of

'2^)0

TMK V()V\(ii: OF H.M.S. FIKHM.I).

[Ma//,

'iV 1

W-

theso fruits witliout cxpcriciKMiig any otlu^r (^ffVct tliaii
iiicrc griping. The leaves of tlic Ba/a, or, as it is also
called, ^ladera ue/jra {Glliic'idia wacir/afn, Kuntli), are
used to poison rats. 'J1\e Floris/jon(/io {Dafffra saa-
//innca, Uuiz et Pav.) appears always to have played,
and still continues to play, a prominent part in the super-
stition of tro})ical America. The Indians of Darien, as
well as those of Choco, prepare from its seeds a decoction,
which is given to their children to produce a state of ex-
citement in which they are supposed to possess the powei'
of discoveiing gold. In any place where the unhappy
pati(!nt happens to fall down, digging is conunciUH'd ;
jmd, as the soil nearly everywhere abounds with gold-
d iht, an amount of more or less value is obtained, in
nrder to counteract the bad effect of the i)ois(,n, some
'. ur chic/ift tie maiz, a beer made of Indian corn, is sui-
: tinistered.

Many indigenous plants iuar eatablv fruits, some (sf
m(!st delicious flavour. Se\eral spontaneous productions
are used as culinary vegeta))K's. Mnra/hnou famictdft-
ceuni, II. W. K., a plant resemblftig some of the finer sea-
weeds, and gi'owing in most rivers of Veraguas, is es-
teemed so highly by the inhabitants that tliey have called
it Passe-canw i.e. excels or surpasses meat; and, in-
deed, its young ]iuif-stalks, when boil-jd, have a delicate
Jiavour, i">t unlike; that of French beans. The leaves of
i\\(^ Naj/c de espi/ia {Peirescia Bleu, De Caiid.) are eaten
as salad, either raw or hoiieti, lik'^ the yoimg branches of
several OpnntiaH in Mexico ; and in a country where,
I'rouj the nature of the climate, the rearing of lettuces is
attended with ditliculties, thcv form ji toh'rable substi-

[J%,

LS4^.]

rSKFll PLANTS.

ct tlian
t is iilso
itli), nrc

Yd 8(1)1-

l)layiHl,
e siipcr-
iricni, as
;cocti()n,
:() of c'x-
e jxnvei'
iiihappy

lU'lKH'd ;

:h gold-
rd. In
.n, so(n('
1, is j'd-

soinc »»r
luctions
nicidft-
icr sca-
is cs-
called
iiid, in-
delicate
aves of
catoii
Hclics of
\vllcr(^
uces is
suhsti-

tiitc. The foliage of the Col tic Xicortn/na {.Tdlrnpha
)HHlt}Ji(Ja,\A\\\\.) affords another euhnarv vegetahli', losing,
apparently, as do most Eiij)lH)rhhic('(P, its poisonous (pia-
lities by boiling. The seeds of the (lii(/iui {ZdinUi C/iif/na,
Seem.), a plant abounding in the vicinity of ('hirand)ii'a,
after having been boiled and nduced to a mash, are mixed
with milk and sugar, and thus eaten ; a kind of bread
is also prepared from them. As condiments for escu-
lent purpose's, divers ])lants are used. The red berries
of the Ma/cu/tn'fo c/nco or Mnlaf/ncfa hcmhrd {Xi/f(>/)l((
/rf/f('SC('/ffi, Aubl.) are substituted for pi'pper, especinlly
by th(; negroes. The fruit of th(^ rfdnil/a {lliiiilUi sp.)
and Vaht'ilJa r/iira {Sohralla sp.) are spices em[)loved in
flavouring sweetmeats, chocoliite, and puddings. Tlie
leaves of the Toroitj// {Orinf/rni), a coimnon hei-b, are
cho])ped, !uul serve to replace our [)ars](y . Thc^ most
important however of all the aromatics to the I'anamian
cook is the Ciilaitlra- [Ert/n(/u(tit fa'fi(/inn, Linn.); it im-
parts a flavour dillicult for a foreigner to relish ; but the
inhabitants consider it iiulispensable, and are c[uite dis-
tressed when in the soups and sancoeh(;s their favourite
condiment has by some accident been omittcul.

Excellent timber for building, aud wood for cabinet-
makers' purposes, abouml. Dyes the country produces
several: a yellow one is obtained from the wood of the
Macauo {Dijjh^m Carihaf/hiciifiis, .]ac(|.), a scarlet from
the leaves of the Ilojita dc fenir [Linidia C/ilca, Seem),
a blue from the foliagi; of the .7/7/7 .sf/rcsfrc {LH/if/o/c/y/
Jnil, Linn.), a violet from the fruit of the Jfi//na {O'c-
/fi./ja), a red from the pulp of the /?//>/ or ArhoUc {Blva
Ordla/ia, Linn.), and a black from the seeds of the Oji)

vol,, r. s

258

TMK VOVAfiK OF H.M.S. IIKUAT.I).

\M(it/,

(le venaclo {Mucmm sp. pi.). A l)rown colour might bo
extracted from the JJichromena pura, Nees ah E., wliich
al)ouii(ls in the savaiias, and makes on cotton and Hnen
a stain very much Hke thjit cansed l)y the rusting of an
iron nail, whence; the; vernacular name, Cktva, a 7Uii/.
The Indians of Southern Darien paint th(;ir faces with
the colour obtained from the Biva Orollana, Linn., or,
as they themselves term it, Bija. The; scarlet dye ob-
served in tlu; hammocks of Veraguas is not given with
the pur[)l(3 shell [Purpura pntuhiy Lam.), as the ])eople
of Panama assert, but with thi; leaves of the Lundia
Chica.

The cordage which the Isthmians use is solely pro-
cured from indigenous plants. Th(; best and whitest
rope is made from the fibre of the Corfeza {Apciba
Tibourbou, Aubl.). A brownish - looking rope, easily
affected by danii)ness, probably because the tree from
which it is taken has saline properties, is manufactured
from the Majatjua de plai/a {Paritiuni tiliaceum, Adr.
Juss.). The Barri(/nn {Pachira Barriijon, Seem.) and
the Malar/uefo hembra {Xt/lopih frulesccns, Aubl.) also
yield a fibre fit for ropes. The hanmiocks of Veraguas
consist of the fibr(!S of the Cabuya {A(javc s]).), and those
of a palm called Chonta. A strong fibre is contained
in the leaves of the. Pita de zapateros [HrouwUa sp.),
which is pre])ared like; fiax, woven into l)ags, or Chaearas,
by dift'erent Indian tribes, and extensively used by shoe-
nuikers for sewing. The fibre surrounding the wood of
the Cucua or Namar/ua forms a close texture of regular
natural matting, which the natives soak in water, beat,
and make into giu'ments, beds, and ropes, or use as sails

ight 1)0
, whicli

(I lilK'H

g of nil
a nai/.
es witli
nil., or,
lye ob-
iw witli
j)eoplo
Lumlia

ly pro-
whitest
{Apnibn
, easily
;e from
actiircd
I/, Adr.
1.) and

1.) also
'ramias

I those
iitaiiK'd

a s|).),
acaras,
y shoe-
^'ood of
rcgnlar
', beat,
as sails

IS1.S.)

rsKFi'i, ri.wTs.

:2.')!)

for th(nr raiioes. The mats which the poon^r classes use
to alee]) upon an* manufactured from the Hbre of plau-
tain-leaves {Mu.m parndimica, Tiinn.).

Numerous vegetable substances are applied to luiscel-
laneous pur])oses. An infusion of the leaves of the Tr
{(U)rchorus si/irjNosus, Linn.) is drunk instead of tea, and
a similar ])r(^paration may be made from those of the
Frcziern theoidcs, Swartz, a shrub connnon on the vol-
eano of Chiricpii. The aerial roots of the Zdiinra [Iriar-
tca CTorrhiza, Mart.), being clad with numerous spines,
arc used as graters ; and altliough they are not so fine
as thos(! sup])lied by art, yet in a country whei(\ from
the humidity of the climate, tin ones soon get rusty, llicy
are almost preferable: the natives chiefly employ them
for grating cocoa-nuts, which, boiled with rice, com-
pose one of their favourite dishes. Tlu; leaves of the ]^a-
pmjo {Carica Papaya, Linn.) arc a sid)stitut(! for soap.
The wood of the Baha {Ochroma Layopns, Swartz), being
soft and light, like cork, is used for sto])])ing bottles;
the never-sinking rafts, which, at the discovery of South
America, caused such surprise among the early adven-
turers, were then constructed of it and are so still. The
fruit of the Palo dc velas or ('andle4rrn {Parmc7itirra
cereifera, Seem.) serve to fatten cattle. The wool of
various Stercidiacea, the Balsa {Ochroma Lnf/opf/}<,
Swartz), Cciha {Eriodendi'on Carilibaum, Don), and
Barrigon {Pachira Barrujon, Seem.), is employed foi
stuffing pillows, cushions, etc. Hedges are mach' of
the Ortiga {Urtica haccifcra, Linn.), Poroporo {f'och-
lospermnm hibiscoidcs, H. B. (^t Kth.), PUajaya {Ccrrf/s
Pitajaya, De Cand.), and Pinncla [Bromrlia sp.). The

s -J

2(K)

THE V()YA(iK OF II. M.S. IIKH.M.I).

\Mrn,,

IjMi'd shells of the Crrncpnfin (Uijotn, Tiinn., arc turned
into bottles, sieves, ])ails, s])ooiis, and various other
household articles. In catehinp: fish hy stii])elwction,
the natives avail themselves of the juiee of the Manza-
nillo (h play a {Hippomanc ManciucUa, Linn.), the hark
of the Espave {Anacardium Rhinocarpm, I)e Cand.), and
the leavers of the Uarhasco {Otfonia (jlouce^ccnx, Micj.).
Oil isobtainiul from the fruit of the Cornzo cnhjrado {Eln'is
inchinococca, Ga^rtn.), and wine, vinegar, food, habita-
tions, clothing, and numerous other necessaries of life,
from the different palms which inhabit the country. The
leaves of the Chumico {Cura fella Americana, Linn.) and
Chtiiiiico bijuco {Davilla luc'ula, Presl) are used for clean-
ing iron, and for polishing and scouring wood ; indeed,
they serve all the piu'poses of sand-]){iper. From the
Jijnjapa {Carhulovica palmata, Ruiz et Pav.) the far-
famed Panama hats arc phaited.

Nor is the flora destitute of })lants which claim atten-
tion on account of their beauty, rarity, or singular con-
figuration. The Espiritu Safifo, or Holy Ghost plant
{Perisferin data, Hook.), bears' a flower resembling a
dove, and is, like the Flor de scmana muta, another
Orchid, almost held in religious veneration, and eagerly
sought for when in blossom. The Biura {Petraa volu-
hilu, Jac(j.) is a flower of whose beauty those who have
only seeu it in conservatories can form but an inade-
(juate idea : nothing can be more charming than the
sight of whole groves overspread with the long blue
racemes of this creeper, it almost baffles description.
The Falo de Imha {.Tacaranda Jilicifolia, Don) is an-
other of those plants on which ])oets delight to try their

Yv tiiriu'd
(HIS otlior
i])('tw('ti()ii,
ic Munza-
, tlu! l)nrk

and.), iMid
7/.V, Mi((.).
'ado ( Elnis
(1, habitn-
ies of litV',
itry. The
Ijinn.) and
I for clcan-
1 ; indeed,
From tlu'
.) the far-
aim atten-
gnlar eon-
lost })lant
'Uibling a
;, another
id eagerly
iraa volu-
wlio have
an inade-
than the
long blue
scription.
)n) is an-
) try their

l^4s.]

KAUNA (H Till ISTIIMIS.

2()l

pen, and painters their i)rnsh : w hen tins nol)Ie tree
rises on the l)anks of the river, amidst the (hu'k foliage
of a luxuriant vegetation, and waves its large panicles
in tlie air, the foot is involuntarily arrested, and one
gazes for some time lost in wonder and achniration.
There are also numerous plants which exhale a delieious
perfume, and a long list of them could be cited.

America is generally divich'd into two zoological pro-
vinces, separated from each other by the barrier pre-
sented by the Mexican table-land. That these divisions
are well characterized few are inclined to dispute; but,
it may be asked, was or is the barrier suilieient to cheek
the progress of s[)ecies? ^'Mifining ourselves to the
tro])ics, it is possi'./le to ,igrate from (Juaya([uil to
Mazathm, which may be considered their extremes on
till! western coast, without a change! of temperature of
more than a few degrees, and without ascending moun-
tains possessuig a physical constitution ditt'erent from
that of the lower cfpiinoctial ri!gion. That this ])assag(!
has been adopted is evident from the presence of several
South American species hi Northern America ; that
many animals have })assed the Isthmus without stopping
is also proved ; the armadillo, for instance, which indis-
putably belongs to South America, is found in no part
of Panama, but again appears in the neighbourhood of
Mazatlan, in lat. 23° 12' 0'' north. It is no less evident
that the migration of animals, if not otherwise restricted
by change of food, etc., could have avoided the Mexican
tal)le-lan(l, by pushing from the north along the Gulf of
California, a route w^hich, according to ri'cent researches,
Wi > that taken by the Aztec nations in passing to the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

y
^

1.0

I.I

■ 45

!■■ IIM

2.0

11-25 ■ 1.4

1.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. M580

(716) 872-4503

■^

2()2

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. IIERALJ).

[J%,

111

[)l{iins of Aimliuac*. The Isthmus tliorcl'orc, in con-
necting the American continent, promotes not only the
distribution of plants, but also offers facihties for the
migration of animals, and without this passage many
genera and species now connnon to both countries, would
probably have been confined to one.

Mammalia are represented by a variety of forms.
Hosts of monkeys, including the white-headed chapolin
{Ccbm kypoleiica. Gray), inhabit the woods. Bats arc
munerous : a kind of vampire is connnon, causing
dangerous wounds in the cattle ; DicUderm Fref/reisii^
Gray, seems to be a bat peculiar to the Istlnnus. The
jaguar, or, as the natives call it, Ti(/re {Fells cmca,
Limi.), and the puma {Fclis concolor, Linn.), venia-
cularly termed lion, are destructive to cattle, but sel-
dom attack man. A grey opossum {Biddpliis sp.),
called Gato solo from its solitary habits, is frequent.
Several kinds of cornejos, or squirrels, are met with.
Rats and mice, in the Isthmus, as everywhere else, arc
the plague of the dwellings. The Gato de pachorrUy
here and there observed, is a sloth [firadypms didadylus,
Linn.). Sajinos are frequent, but merely eaten by the
dogs. Pigs wander in herds about the forest, and are
tlreaded by the natives, who, when they meet them, seek
safety in flight or by climbing a tree. Tlie tapir {Ta-
pir us Americanus, Linn.), the Macho dc monie^ Danta^
and Gran bestia of the Panamians, is the largest ter-
restrial animal of the Fauna, though in conqjarison with
the Asiatic species {Tapir us Indicus) a mere dwarf. Its

* \ allude hero to the iuvctjligntious of my friend Don Fernando
Kumirez in Duraugo.

[J%,

lb4b.]

MAMMALS.

203

111 con-
only the
for the
e many
s, would

' forms.

cluipolin

3ats are

causing

s. The

18 onca,

, vema-

but sel-

tis sp.),

requent.

t with.

else, are

ackorra,

lactylti8y

[ by the

and are

!m, seek

)ir [Tu-

Danta,

est ter-

on with

rf. Its

Fernando

flesh is eaten, but is insipid ; medicinal virtues are
ascribed to the hoof, which is administered for jiara-
lysis, and a decoction of it is taken ])y women after
cliild-birth.

The only ruminunt aiiininl is the Venado, a species of
deer {Cervm sp. nov.?), met with in herds hi the sava-
nas. Its horns are not simple, like those of Cervus nifiis,
Cuvier, a conmion Peruvian animal, but branched and
divided. The venado is about three feet high, and when
young spotted with white dots ; this colour however soon
changes into a light brown. The meat, very tough when
fresh, becomes tender if kept awhile or boiled with pa-
paya ; the hide is converted into a soft yet durable
leather, well adapted for boots in so hot a climate. The
animal is easily domesticated : Mr. J. Agnew, a gentle-
man in David, had one which had been reared by a bitch
and possessed the habits of a dog, eating meat, running
about the house, and following its master. The people
of Veraguas have a curious mode of hunting the venados.
The bone of a pelican's wing is covered at one end with
a peculiar kind of cobweb, which forms an instrument
that will imitate the cry of a young deer so closely that
the old ones, in the belief that some mishap has befallen
their kid, repair to the place whence the sound proceeds,
and are shot ; the hunters frequently return with twelve
or fifteen of them after one day's sport.

The sea on the Pacific shore is frequented by porpoises
and blackfish, and the manati or sea-cow {Trichechtis
manatm, Linn.), one of the herbivorous Cetacea^ or whale-
tribe, occurs on the coast of the Atlantic : it was well
known to the Buccaneers, who in times of scarcity were

204

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[J%,

compelled to subsist on it. The flesh is suid to resemble
beef in appearance, and to have the taste of pork : the
skin of the back, says an old author, is two fingers thick,
and when dried becomes as hard as whalebone and may
serve to make walking-sticks.

Birds exist in great numbers. The hunnning-birds,
macaws, and parrots are distinguished for the beauty
and brilliancy of their plumage ; pigeons, partridges, and
turkeys for the delicacy of their flesh ; while the gali-
nazos {Discolophus cristatas), pelicans, and others, attract
attention by their singular features and habits.

Reptiles abound. The scales of the turtle form an
article of conunerce. At the time of the discovery of
the country the Spaniards evinced a great repugnance
to the iguanas {Lacarta i(/uana, Linn.), and expressed
disgust at beholding the Indians eating them ; this
feeling is now overcome, and the eggs as well as the
flesh of these animals are considered as delicacies. It is
not the only instance hi which such a change has been
effected : the use of tobacco, another Indian practice,
was equally disliked, now no people indulge more in it
than the Spaniards and their descendants. Alligators
are numerous on the mouths of rivers, where they are
found sunning themselves on the muddy banks; it is
amusing to see how motionless they lie, listening to any
noise and blinking their great eyes, but immediately
any one approaches they jump into the water. Some
of these animals are from foiu'teen to eighteen feet
long. Their eagerness to attack man has often been
asserted, but there is reason to believe that they are
cowards, like most animals belonging to the lizard-tribe.

{May,

1848.]

REl'TILES.

205

L'sciublo
rk : the
's thick,
Liid may

g-birds,
beauty
ges, and
he gah-
I, attract

form an

overy of

ugnancc

^pressed

n ; this

as the

It is

as been

)ractice,

Te in it

igators

ley are

; it is

to any

3diately

Some

en feet

n been

ley are

d-tribe.

I liave only heard of a single instance of a person having
been l)itten, juid that happened during the night, when
he was wading through a rivulet. In the Rio Grande
de Panama children nuiy be seen bathhig when around
them there are numerous alligators ; if the animals were
as rapacious as they are represented, such risks woidd
undoubtedly be avoided.

Both land and sea snakes occur ; the former are some-
times eighteen feet long. The Coral, zonated scarlet and
black, the Vivora, variegated black and brown, and the
Voladora, or flying-snake, of a lively green colour, are
considered the most venomous. The voladora lives in
trees, darting with rapidity from branch to branch, which,
having the appearance of flying, has given rise to the
vernacular name. Before the Cedron was known many
deaths occurred from the bite of snakes. The people
used to wear — and in some parts of the country still
wear — suspended round their necks or legs an alligator's
tooth as a charm against them. I saw once a boy who
had expired two hours after having been bitten, and in
the afternoon the body was swollen to at least double
its former size, presenting a frightful appearance : great
caution is therefore necessary. Fortunately the presence
of a snake is generally known before the animal is seen
or heard : this the natives attribute to a smell peculiar to
these reptiles, but as the smell is not perceived by Euro-
peans, and yet the presence of the snake is known by
them, it must be ascribed to some cause yet to be ex-
plained. Toads, and other frog-hke animals, are most
numerous during the wet season. A very miiuite species,
beautifully spotted with black and red, is said to be

!()()

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. liEUALl).

[J%,

used })y the Indians to poison arrows. The abundance
of toads about Portobelo has often been noticed : "So
prodigious is their number after rain," says Mr. Lloyd,
"that the popular prejudice is that the rain-drops are
changed into toads (' de cado goto viene un sapo') ; and
even the more learned maintain that the eggs of this
animal are raised with the vapour from the adjoinhig
swamps, and, being conveyed to the city by the rains, are
there hatched. The large size of the animals however —
many of them being from four to six inches in breadth —
sufficiently attests their mature growth in more favoura-
ble circumstances. After a night of rain the streets are
almost covered with them, and it is impossible to walk
without crushing some."

The quantity of fish, especially hi the Bay of Panama,
early gave rise to the name of " Panama," or " place
where fish abounds." The market of the capital is well
stocked, particularly with rock-cod, snappers, yellow-
bellies, dolphins, whiting, soles, catfish, bonitas, albicore,
and young sharks. Devilfish, sharks (some measuring
thirty feet), and various other kinds, mfest the sea-coast.
The rivers also abound in fish. The Indians, in order
to procure them, form parties, and after spreading a net
across a shallow part of a river, drive the fish towards it
by beating the water and by loud shouts ; the captives
are killed by a blow, and thrown upon a raft anchored
for that purpose in the middle of the stream. A more
simple method is that of stupefying the fish with the
juice of the Manzanilla {Ilippomane Mancinella^ Linn.),
the bark of Espave {Anacardium Rhinocarpus, De Cand.),
or the leaves of Barbasco {Utlonia (/laucescenSj Miq.). A

WSt

[J%,

184«.J

sill liLS.

:>(i7

imndnnce
ed: "So
r. Lloyd,
Irops are
>o') ; and
fs of this
adjoining
rains, arc
3wcver —
readtli —
! favoimi-
treets arc
3 to walk

Panama,
r " place
al is well
, yellow -
albicorc,
leasuring
lea-coast.

in order
ng a net
)wards it

captives
anchored

A more
with the
, Linn.),
Cand.),

iq.). A

net is stretched iVom bank to bank, and these substances
thrown into the river. The etlect is surprising : the tisli
instantly ap])ear on the surface, and are driven without
resistance against the net, where they are secured. The
law however inflicts a penalty upon this mode of fishing,
as it not only depopulates the rivers, but causes diseases
among the people, who use river-water for every domestic
purpose.

Shells occur in great variety and beauty, and belong
chiefly to the genera Jrca, Joicula, Ihicdiuniiy Cancel-
laria, Ccrlt/iii/m, Chitou, Clavaffella, ColiDuheUa, Conths,
Curfjulu, Ct/prcBct, llarpa, Maryinelld, Miinw, Necera,
Nuctda, OlivUy Ostroia, Patella, Pecten, Phos, Pinna,
Purpura, Pyrula, Scalar ia, Solariuin, Terebra, Triton,
Trophon, and Venus. Species oi Area, and two kinds of
oysters, are used as food ; a purple dye is obtained from
the Caracolilla {Purpura patula, Linn.) ; and pearls from
the Aoicula mar(jaritifera, Bruguiere. Pearl-oysters are
connnon on the whole coast of the Pacific, but more
abundant in the Bay of Panama. Balboa, when he dis-
covered the Sonth Seas (1513), was the first Eiu'opean
who heard of their existence, having been presented with
some pearls by the Cacique Tamaco ; shortly after the;
pearl-fishery commenced, and has continued ever since.
It is now carried on by free labour, a diver receiving,
besides his daily food, fifteen dollars a month : he is
able, if successful, to bring up each time a dozen shells,
four of which he puts between the fingers of the left
hand and eight on the bend of the same arm, while
his right remains free for separating the shells from the
locks. The divers complain of the ayuamulas, or sea-

268

THE VOYA(}E Ol' 11. M.S. HERALD.

[yl%,

nettles, species of Medusa, which cause u severe pain on
toucliing the body ; but they are most in fear of the
sharks, which arc fre(juently fatal to them. Scarcely a
tenth part of the shells are foiuid to contain pearls, and
even among these are many grey and bad-sha[)ed ones,
of little or no value. The pearls are sold by weight,
and vary in price according to shape and colour. The
largest and most perfect one perhaps ever found on the
coast of the Isthmus was obtained at the Paredes Islands,
and is now hi tlu* possession of Mr. James Agnew, at
David ; it is three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and
perfectly round. These shells form a lucrative article of
connnerce, and are much hiquired after by French ves-
sels. The mollusks themselves are strung upon cords,
dried in the air, and eaten. About thirty years ago a
diving bell was sent out by an English company, but it
did not answer expectation : the expense at which the
concern was fitted out and supported was too great, and
the oysters did not lie in banks, as is generally the case,
but were dispersed under rocks and on uneven ground ;
a peculiar ground-swell and motion under the water,
together with a strong current, made it almost impossi-
ble to place the diving-bell in safety or to advantage.

Crabs, shrimps, and prawns may be obtained in any
(juantity required. Spiders and scorpions are frequent,
the bites of the latter producing the utmost pain, great
swelling of the wounded part, and, in some cases, slight
fever. Garrapatas, or ticks {Ixodes sp.), which swarm
in the woods, are a great annoyance to both men and
animals : they adhere fii'mly to all parts of the body, and
can only be removed by scraping them off with a knife

K-Kpfi:

3 pain on

ir of the

carccly a

■arls, and

wA ones,

I weight,

ur. The

1(1 on the

s Islands,

Lgnew, at

loter, and

article of

cncli ves-

lon cords,

ars ago a

iiy, but it

vliich the

;rcat, and

tlie case,

ground ;

le water,

impossi-

itage.

id in any

frequent,

lin, great

es, slight

h swarm

nen and

ody, and

1 a knife

1S4S,]

INSECTS.

200

or washing tlie skin witli sj)irits ; the dry season is most
favov:rable for their development ; during the wet they
are not so frequent, but are more than replaced l)y the
coloraditas, very mimite red insects, which exist in the
grassy plains in prodigious numbers, and the i)ain they
cause by introducing themselves into the skin is of such
an irritating nature that they may justly be considered
as the greatest plague of the Isthnuis. The nigua, or
jigger {Pu/cr penefran.s', Linn.), another aimoying in-
sect, which enters the tender parts of the feet, under
the nails, betw^een the toes, etc., is met with pnnci})ally
on the higher mountains ; its congener, the conmion flea
[PuhiV irritajis, Linn.), and most other vermin common
in cooler regions, arc fortunately rare. Beetles are not
numerous, but those that occur are very beautiful. The
carrion-feeding beetles are scarce, while those that subsist
on vegetable substances are more numerous, — ])robably a
natural consequence of the rapid decom])ositi()n of animal
matter. Some are phosphorescent. The cocullo gives
so brilliant a light that one may read by it ; the women
collect them in the sugar-plantations for the purpose of
decorating their hair in the evening, when these beetles
have the appearai • of diamonds. Myriads of fireflies
swarm in the forests, and several species of cockroaches
{Blafta sp. pi.), stick-insects {Mantis sp.), and many
other Orthoptera, among them various kinds of crickets,
have been noticed ; one cricket, the Cigarro of the
natives, attains a length of six inches, and is probably
the largest of these creatures in existence. The Gorgojo
{Cicada sp.) has the peculiarity of making a sound not
unlike the hissing of snakes, for which strangers are apt

270

TIIK VOYA(iF. OF IIM.K. HFHM.I)

[1%,

to mistake it. When ni Coyha, one of tlic ofTicrrs of
II. M. Steamer S* * * had ventured some distance into
the woods in search of p^ame ; all at once, wliereviir he
turned, the hissing of snakes met his ear ; he hnrried
back to the beach, and arrived quite exhansted with the
exertion he had made to regain a clear i)laee. The cnnse
of the sounds was soon ascertained, and the bold Inmter
became for several days the langhing-stock of his com-
panions. Of Neuroptcra, dragon-flies and various kinds
of ants may be enumerated. The arricro {Atla sp.) is
about an inch long, and very destructive to plantations :
it forms regular roads, occasionally from one to two
miles long, and is always seen carrying ])ortions of leaves,
flowers, and other substances, mostly exceeding its own
weight. A honey-bee is frequently met with, which,
being stingless, may be robbed of its stores without
difficulty ; another species of bee produces a black wax,
which is used for candles. Butterflies appear in great
number in the beginning of the wet season, but, though
some are of exquisite beauty and large size, the g(;ne-
rallity are small, and do not 'display that brilliancy of
colours to which the eye is accustomed in the Tropics.
Mosquitoes and sandflies are the scourge of the sea-coast,
but they are not so numerous in the interior. One of
the most annoying animals is the Gusano del monfe, or
Guinea-worm {Filar ia sp.). Entering the flesh, especially
near the knee, as a very minute being, it grows in about
six weeks to the length of an inch and the thickness of a
good-sized quill. The place where it remains has at first
the appearance of a mere pimple, but gradually becomes
more inflamed, causing stifftiess in the legs and extreme

[Ma,,.

1S.1.H.J

Aoiiicn/rrHK.

271

ifTiccrs of
nice iiUo
jrcver he
D hurried
witli tlic
rhc cniiso
1(1 hunter
his coin-
3US kinds
fa sp.) is
,ntations :
p to two
of leaves,
g its own
h, whieh,
1 witliout
lack wax,
in great
t, though
he g(5n(^
liancy of
Tropics,
sea-coast,
One of
monfe, or
especially
in about
ness of a
IS at first
becomes
extreme

pain. The worm shoiild be cut out, (U- (^Ise it will attack
the bone. Unluckily it is seldom discovered before it has
obtained a considerable size, as the generality of people
look upon the wound as a men; sore, and apply every
remedy but the right one.

In a country like the Tsthnuis, where nature has sup-
plied nearly every want of lifc^ and where the consmup-
tion of a limited population is litth; felt, agricultinv,
deprived of its proper stinudus, cannot make nuich pro-
gress ; it is therefore, in the Isthnnis, in the most pri-
mitive state, — our first parents could hardly have carricul
it on more riulely. A spade is a curiosity, the plough
has never been heard of, and the only implements used
for converting forests into fields are the axe and the ma-
chete (or chopping- knife). A piece of ground intended
for cultivation is selected in the forests, cleared of the
trees by felling and burning them, and surrounded with
a fence. In the beginning of the wet season the field is
set with plants by simply making a hole with the machete,
and placing the seed or root in it ; the extreme h(;at and
moisture soon call them into activity, the f(3rtility of a
virgin soil affords them ample nourishment, and without
the further aid of man a rich harvest is produced. The
same ground is occupied two or three years in succes-
sion ; after that time the soil is so hard, and the old
stumps have thriven with so nuich energy, that a new
spot has to be chosen. In most countries this mode of
cultivation would be found impossible ; but in New
Granada all the unoccupied land is common property, of
which anybody may appropriate as much as he pleases,
provided he encloses it either artificially or by taking

272

TIIK V()Y.\({K OF II. M.S. IIKI(,\I.I>.

[J%,

ndvantapjc of rivers, t]w sen, or mountniiis. As loiijr ns
tlu^ land is enclosed it remains in his possession ; when-
ever the fence is decayed tlie hmd ngain becomes tlie
property of the repuhlic. Colonial produce, such as
sugar, coffee, cacao, tamarinds, etc., which re([uirc more
attention than the inhabitants are wont to ])est()W, are
merely raised for home consumption ; and althou«i;h the
provincial government has tried to encourage this branch
of industry by offering premiums for growing a certain
number of plants, and the soil and (climate are favourable;,
yet none, except a few enterprising foreigners, luive taken
a prominent part in the cultivation ; and there is reason
to believe that while the country remains thiidy popu-
lated, the high price of laboin*, c()ns(!{[uent on such a
state of society, will be a lasting impediment to the es-
tablishment of plantations on a large scale. The cerealia
grown are rice and Indian corn : the former was intro-
duced by the Spaniards ; the latter was known before
the conquest to the Aborigines, who raised it (extensively,
and used to prepare from it their bread, and r/iic/m, a
kind of beer. Some successfitl experiments with wheat
have been made on the mountains of Veraguas, which
will doubtless lead to an extensive cultivation of that
grain. Of dessert fruit probably no country can exhibit
a greater variety. The plantain furnishes the inhabitants
with the chief portion of their food The esculent roots
under cultivation are Name (JJioscot^ea alata, Linn.),
Yuca {Manihot uHHssinia, Pohl), Batata or Camote
{Batatas edulis, Chois.), Otb {Arum escidentum^ Linn.),
and Papas {Sol aim m tuberosum, Linn.). Except the
potato, all these plants arc; propagated by cutting off the

< loll}; as
; wlicil-
iUU!H the
such as
ire more
>t()vv, arc
oiifijli the
IS branch
a certain
vourable,
ive taken
is reason
ily popii-
m sucli a

tlie es-
e cereahn
v'as intro-
iw before
tensivel}',
chic ha, a
ith wheat
IS, which

1 of that
in exhibit
habitants
ent roots

Linn.),
Cam of e

f, Linn.),
cept the
ig off tlie

1848.]

AdHICn.TUHK.

2r-^

top of tht! roots (tubers, conns, etc.). The vitahty of
these cuttings is very great ; tliey may lie left for weeks
on thi! field, expo.sed to sun and rain, without receiving
any injury. Other vegetables grown an; the f'/ta/Zn/c
{Scchium edfflc, Swartz), C!uliieo{Mi(,sasa/)i('iifinii, Linn.),
Guandu {Cajaiius liidicuH, Spr.), Ma/ti {.Irac/iis /nf/Mx/foa,
Linn,), Pepino {CucumiH mtivits, Linn.), Sapa/fo {Cffctfr-
bita Mclopi'po, Linn.), Lcc/H/tja {Laclura -saf/'ra, Linn.),
and Co/ {Brasfi'ica oleracea, Linn.). The lettuce and
cabbage are raised with dithculty in the lower region ;
but they never form heads, and are not much liked.
Toniatos {Li/copcriiicum esculent /nit, Mill.) and difVerent
kinds of Aji {Capsicum sp. pi.) are cultivated in consi-
derable quantities, and are used as condiments for culi-
nary purposes.

Domestic animals were imknown before the arrival of
the Spaniards; they are now widely diffused, but hav(^
degenerated, probably as much from want of proper atten-
tion as from the effect of chniate. Cats and dogs are small
and lean. Pigs thrive tolerably well, and are kept on ac-
count of the lard, which is as indispensable to the Paiia-
inian cook as butter to the European. The horses are small
and lean : I once saw a Em'opean who, on being offered
one of them, took the animal under his arm, to the great
amusement of the bystanders, and lifting it up, exclaimed,
" Here 's a thing for a man to ride upon !" The colour
of most of the horses is grey, or rather dirty white,
and the price of a common one is from five to twenty
dollars. Asses are seldom used, but mules are highly
valued. Goats are not extensively reared ; sheep are
mere objects o.' curiosity. Oxen are so numerous, that

VOL. I. T

^^i

274

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[^May.

11.

Sff

not uncommonly five or six thousand may be seen graz-
ing on one plain ; their price is from one to twelve
dollars. On large estates from five hundred to a thou-
sand are killed at a time ; the meat is cut in stri})s,
slightly salted, and dried in the sun, and sent, under
the name of tasajo, to Choco, where it obtains a good
price ; the hides, worth from six to eight reals a-piece,
are shipped to the United States, the tallow to Peru.
Cheese is made hi small quantities j butter is hardly
knoAvn. Bullocks are seldom used as beasts of bur-
den or draught. The cattle, allowed to roam about at
liberty, have become wild, as is the case in many parts
of tropical and sub-tropicil America, though in south(;rn
Africa, where no more pains are taken to confine them,
horses and bullocks are gentle, and keep in the vicinity
of human habitations. The difference nuist probably
be attributed to the number of carnivorous beasts with
which the Cape Fauna abounds, while in the hotter
portions of America, where few ferocious animals are met
with, the herds may pursue their grazing unmolested,
and no longer require the protection of man.

On poultry more care is bestowed. Domestic fowls
have multiplied to a great extent ; it is reported however
that some localities are unfavourable for rearing them.
Mr. Lloyd asserts that at Portobelo fowls introduced from
Cartagena or Panama cease to lay eggs, and that their
flesh becomes tough and unpalatable.

[^May.

27^

n graz-

twelvc
a thoii-
. strips,
,, under

a good
a-piece,
o Peru.
', liardly
of bur-
ibout at
ny parts
southern
ic them,

vicinity
probably
sts with
e hotter

are met
Liolested,

tic fowls
however
g them,
ced from
lat their

CHAPTER XVI 11.

Topographical Description — Territory of Bocas del Toro — Province of
Veraguas — Province of Panama — Territory of Darien.

The Isthmus of Panama, formerly belonging to the
Crown of Spain, was in the year 1821 incorporated with
Colond)ia, and in 1831, after the division of that state,
it became, and still remains, a part of the Republic of
New Granada. Politically it is divided into two [)ro-
vinces, Panama and Veraguas, — and two territories,
Darien and Bocas del Toro. At the head of the two
former is a governor, at that of the latter a prefect. The
provinces are subdivided into cantons, these again into
parishes. Ecclesiastically the Isthmus is considered as a
bishopric, the head of which resides at Panama ; and ju-
dicially as one of the seven distridos judicial es of which
the Republic of New Granada is composed. The chief
tribunal of justice is in the city of Panama, under the
auspices of two " majistrados ;" there are besides in
every canton one or two judges. In the territories the
prefects are charged with the administration of justice.

276

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

[May,

'{%.

^'^^ I

The Isthmus has one hundred and foiuieen electors, who
have a voice in the election of the President, the Vice-
President, and the higher officers; they also appoint
Senators and representatives to Congress, and name their
own provincial officers.

The territory of Bocas del Toro extends over the north-
west corner of the Isthmus and the islands situated in
the lagoon of Chiriqui, and contains about 721 square
miles. It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean,
on the west by the Republic of Costa Rica, and on the
south and east by the province of Veraguas. Originally
its limits were more extended : a law of the 20th of
November, 1803, given by the King of Spain, placed the
whole coast, as far as Cape Gracias a Dios, under the
jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. As such
boundaries were generally acknowledged when the Spanish
Americans obtained their independence, the Government
at Bogota now claims the whole shore, and has, at least
nominally, incorporated it with this territory. Bocas del
Toro constituted a part of Veraguas until 1843, when
it was formed into a separate territory, and, in order to
induce people to settle, all who lived within its limits
were, till the 31st of August, 1850, exempted from taxa-
tion, and Bocas del Toro, up to the same date, declared
a free port. Having a rather unhealthy climate, it is but
thinly peopled ; indeed, the whole Christianized popula-
tion amounted in 1843 to no more than 595. It is
governed by a prefect, who receives an annual salary of
fifteen hundred dollars. The territory will probably soon
be in a more flourishing condition. The old road con-
necting the town of David with the port of Bocas del

[May,

tors, who
the Vice-
, appoint
ame their

he north-
tuated in
31 square
tic Ocean,
nd on the
Originally
e 20th of
placed the
under the
. As such
lie Spanish
overnment
IS, at least
Bocas del
843, when
in order to
its limits
from tuxa-
;e, declared
;e, it is but
led popula-
)95. It is
al salary of
)l>ably soon
I road con-
f Bocas del

1848.]

VERAGUAS.

277

Toro being so bad that only pedestrians can traverse it,
a new one is about to be conmienced by the Chiriqui
road company, upon which the commerce of Western
Veraguas, and, what is of greater importance, a commu-
nication between the Atlantic and Pacific, will be con-
ducted.

Next to Bocas del Toro lies Veraguas, having the At-
lantic on the north, the territory of Bocas del Toro on
the north-west, the Republic of Costa Rica on the west,
the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the provhice of
Panama on the east. Respecting the derivation of the
name Veraguas various opinions prevail. Some contend
that it is composed of the words ver, to see, and a(/ua,
water, because between the town of David and the port
of Bocas del Toro there is said to be a mountain from
the top of which both oceans are visible. Others declare
it to be a corruption of virde and apia, the waters of
the river Veragua, they say, being at times of a greenish
hue ; this having been observed by the discoverers, it
was termed Virde-aguas, which name was afterwards
changed into Veraguas, and extended over the whole
district. A third party derives it from *' ver agua^
because when Columbus discovered the northern coast
he encountered much rain (" he saw water"), and from
the constant dampness of the weather the clothes of
the voyagers became " acerapmdd" (mouldy) : the verb
averaguar being a provincialism used only in the Isth-
mus, this argument, it must be confessed, looks plau-
sible, but, like the others, it is not in accordance with
history. We find Ferdinand Columbus mentioning the
name Veraguas long before his father had touched at

278

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

y%,

I 'I

iir I

that province. The name was very well known to the
people of Carettc who accompanied Columbus dS pilots,
and the word Veraguas is therefore of Indian, not of
Spanish, origin.

Veraguas covers a surface of about 7416 square miles,
and contains a population of 45,376 souls : it is divided
into two cantons, Santiago and Alanje, the former being
situated in the eastern, the latter in the western part of
the province. Alanje, or Chiriqui, numbers 15,111 in-
habitants, and comprises the parishes of David, Alanje,
Boqueron, Bugaba, Dolega, Gualaca, Remedios, San
Felix, San Lorenzo, and San Pablo. The town of David
is the principal place, or cahecera, of the canton. This
dignity however was conferred upon it only a few years
ago ; it was enjoyed formerly by Santiago de Alanje — or,
as it is also called, Riochico — situated a few miles south-
ward. David lies in lat. 8° 23' north, long. 82° 27' west,
on the left bank of the river of the same name, in a beau-
tiful plain, and is surrounded by the villages of Gualaca,
Dolega, Boqueron, and Bugaba, and by mountains of
considerable elevation. On the 'south-west rises the vol-
cano of Chiriqui, a peak 7000 feet high ; on the north
the Galera de Chorcha, a fiat table -mountain, which, as
the first part of its name indicates, has some resemblance
to a gallery, or corridor; from the top a waterfall de-
scends over huge blocks of granite several hundred feet
in depth. During the wet season, when great quantities
of water are discharged, it is very conspicuous, resem-
bling from a distance a stream of silver, and serving navi-
gators as a landmark in making Boca Chica, the seaport
of David.

111!

\_May,

1848.]

TOWN OF DAVID.

279

n to the
IS pilots,
, not of

re miles,
5 divided
ler being
1 part of
),111 in-
i, Alanje,
ios, San
of David
n. This
ew years
mje — or,
cs south-
ir west,
1 a beau-
Gualaca,
itains of
the voi-
le north
vhich, as
niblance
rfall de-
Ired feet
iiantities
resem-
ng navi-
; seaport

David has about six hundred houses, built of wood and
clay, and generally one story high, and, being all white-
washed, they form several neat-looking streets. There
is only one church, which stands in the centre of the
public square, where also the government offices are
situated. The town contained in 1843, according to
official statements, 4321 inhabitants; their number is
however yearly augmented by immigration. Several
French, Italians, and North Americans have settled there,
and it is principally owing to their exertions that David
has risen within the last fifteen years from a paltry ham-
let to a prosperous town. Though the Davidenians are
mostly of a mixed race, the number of whites is consider-
able ; their employment consists in breeding cattle, agri-
culture, and commerce. The exports of the place are
rice, coffee, sarsaparilla, pearls, hides, turtle-shells, dried
meat, and some gold-dust. Several other natural produc-
tions might be advantageously shipped. The Corpachi
{Croton), the bark of which is highly valuable, grows
plentifully in the forests ; the Quira {Platymiscium poJy-
stachjum, Benth.) is found in abundance in the neigh-
bourhood, and the Saumerio {Sfi/racc), producing an
odoriferous balsam, is seen in extensive groves in the
adjacent mountains. At present all the produce has to
be carried to Panama, but when the road to Bocas del
Toro is completed, and a direct communication with
Europe and North America has been estabhshed, many
productions which at present are not worth sending will
be exported with advantage. The climate of David, if
compared with that of other parts of the Isthmus, is par-
ticularly healthy. Longevity is conmion ; few of the

2bO

THE VOYAGE OF II. M.S. HERALD.

[yl%,

cutaneous eruptions so frequent in other districts arc
experienced; the common fever of the country being
the predominant disease, and even this malady is only
frequent during the change of season. The climate is
anmially improving : if we may believe the tradition of
the country, the rainy season a lumdred years ago was
most violent, making it necessary to navigate from house
to house in canoes.

Among the largest villages of the Canton are San
Lorenzo and Pueblo Nuevo de los Remedios. The
name Remedios for the latter place is now becoming
the general one, as there exists another Pueblo Nuevo
on the Playa of Chiru, in the Bay of Panama, which,
by way of distinction, is termed Pueblo Nuevo de San
Carlos. Remedios is situated on the high road which
c'omiects David with Santiago de Veraguas, in a plain,
at equal distances from the villages of Tole and San
Lorenzo. It consists of four hundred buildings, most
of which are slightly constructed of the bark and leaves
of palms ; only an inconsiderable number are built more
substantially, and furnished with tile roofs and walls
made of adobes. Remedios, being the head of the
[)arish, has a church of considerable size, though smaller
and inferior to the old building, of which the ruins are
still visible. The number of its inhabitants was, in
1 843, according to the census then taken, 1 235; they are
a mixture of the three races usually found in the hotter
parts of Spanish America, the Caucasian, the African, and
the American, mestizoes and mulattoes being the predo-
minant. Remedios was formerly a place of much more
importance, but, as in all places where a mixed population

igfl^

ill

\May,

1848.]

SANTIAGO I)E VERAGUAS.

281

ricts arc
ry being
^ is only
ilimatc is
dition of
ago was
)m house

are San
.s. The
)ecoming

Nuevo
1, which,

1 de San
id which

a plain,

and San

gs, most

d leaves

lilt more

d walls

of the

smaller

uins are

was, in

they are

e hotter

3an, and

3 predo-

ch more

3ulation

prevails, rather a decrease than an increase followed when
inmiigration ceased. The exact time of its foundation
is unknown ; during the latter part of the seventeenth
century it was in prosperous circumstances, so much so,
that the Buccaneers, on the 23rd of May, 1680, thought
it worth while to assault it. The inhabitants however
made a gallant resistance on the river-side; the com-
mander-in-chief of the pirates, Captaiii Sawkins, was
slain, and Sharp, the second in command, disheartened
by his losses, retreated. In another attempt, on the
31st of June, 1685, the rovers were more successful:
the village was taken, and shared the same fate as all
the places which fell into the hands of that terrible as-
sociation.

The canton of Santiago, the eastern portion of Vera-
guas, contains 30,265 inhabitants, and consists of thir-
teen parishes. Santiago de Veraguas, the capital of the
province, is situated in the canton of Santiago, in a
plain on the southern side of the Cordillera, eight
miles northward of the Port of Montijo, about thirteen
miles south-east of the village of Mesa, and forty west
of the town of Nata. The exact period of its founda-
tion is doubtful, as most of the old chroniclers confound
it with Nata : it is highly probable that, like most of
the adjacent places, it was built shortly after the con-
quest. The houses, nine hundred in number, are chiefly
composed of wood, and, with a single exception, are one
story high. Except two churches and an hospital, there
are no pubhc buildings of any importance. The princi-
pal streets run from north to south ; a great part of their
pavement is of petrified wood — the chumicos pdrificados

282

THE VOYAfiK OP H.M.S. HERALD.

[3%,

I;.

^ Sir

of the natives. Santiago, as the capital, is the residence
of the governor and the chief judge of the province ;
the former, elected every four years, receives annually
eighteen hundred dollars. The number of inhabitants
is about five thousand, a great part of whom are whites.
Their principal occupation is breeding cattle, manufactur-
ing hammocks, and plaiting the so-called Panama hats.
Many of the wealthier people are engaged in mining
specidations. There is some nice scenery in the vicinity
of the town. In the wet season the river Chorro forms
a waterfall, which is overhung by graceful trees and
surrounded by bold rocks, and produces a picturesque
effect. In the bed of the river there are extensive
la vers of fossil sea-shells.

•r'

The principal villages of the canton are Calobre, Ca-
fiajas, Mesa, Mineral, Montijo, Palmas, Rio Jesus, Sona,
and Tole. Palmas was founded in 1774 by monks,
Rio Jesus in 1755. In the neighbourhood of the lat-
ter arc the celebrated paradise-trees which I have de-
scribed in Hooker's ' Journal of Botany.' Mineral, about
twenty-two leagues from Santiago, was formerly of im-
portance on account of its gold-mines, but has now
sunk into insignificance. Calobre is famous for its hot
springs. The town of Santafe, described by Herrera,
was destroyed in 1805 by the Indians, and several of
the other places mentioned by the same historian have
disappeared without leaving a trace behnid. Near
Mesa — or " Mesita de Oro" as the village was called
during the last century, on account of its prosperity —
are the remains of a beautiful basaltic column. This
column stood formerly on an eminence which overlooks

[3%,

1848.]

VIliLAOES [N VKUACUAS.

283

esidencc
rovmce ;
annually
labitants
3 whites,
lufactur-
nia hats.
, mining
5 vicinity
ro forms
rees and
;turesque
extensive

)bre, Ca-
ns, Sona,
monks,
the lat-
lave de-
al, about
y of im-
has now
its hot
lerrera,
veral of
an have
Near
called
verity —
This
verlooks

the adjacent country, but about seventy years ago it
was thrown down by an earthquake, and broken into
several pieces ; it is sixteen feet in diameter, and its
height when entire nnist have been about a hundred and
fifty feet. The natives call it Barca de Piedra, — though
it has not the slightest resemblance with a ship, — and
believe it to have been built by the Indians in order
to serve them as a watch-tower — a belief to which its
peculiar formation and former position may have given

rise'

The province of Panama, the most important and po-
pulous district of the Isthmus, is situated to the east of
Veraguas. The northern boundary is the Caribbean Sea,
its western the province of Veraguas, and its southern
the Pacific Ocean and the territory of Darien. It ex-
tends over a surface of about 9139 s(piare miles, has a
population of 10,494 inhabitants, and is composed of
the cantons of Los Santos, Parita, Nata, Chorera, Por-
tobclo, and Panama. The name " Panama" is of Indian
derivation, and was at first applied to a small fishing
village situated where at present the ruins of Panama
Viejo are, was afterwards given to the town, and at last
extended over the whole country.

The cantons of Los Santos and Parita occupy the little
peninsula, of which Punta Mariato and Punta Mala form
the southernmost points. Los Santos, having for its ca-
hecera the village of the same name, is composed of the

* It is not improbable that the column was originally termed
" Balco de Piedra," and that the name was aftersvards corrupted into
Barca. I'he letters I and /• are constantly confounded by the Isth-
mians.

-I ■ ■

4 ■

284

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.8. HERALD.

[Maj/,

•''■ i

parishes of Pedasi, Pocri, Tablas, and Los Santos, con-
taining a population of 14,539. Parita is fornuul by the
parishes of Macaracas, Minas, Ocu, Peso, and Parita,
and has 15,119 inhabitants; the cabecern is Parita.
The people of both these cantons are considered the most
industrious of the country.

The canton of Nata is that part of the province which
touches Eastern Veraguas. It contains 19,010 inhabit-
ants, and comprises the parishes of Anton, Ola, Pene-
nome, Santamaria, and Nata. The town of Nata, the
principal place in the district, is interesting from being
the oldest town of the American continent built by
Europeans, having been founded as early as 1517 by
the Licentiate Gaspar de Espinosa and several other
gentlemen. NotAvithstanding its age, it is but a small
town. It is situated in a plain between the Rio Grande
and Rio Chico de Nata, and has about eight hundred
houses, two churches, irregular unpaved streets, and
contains five thousand inhabitants. At the tune of its
foundation the surrounding district was occupied by
a tribe of Indians, at the head of whom stood a chief
called Nata. From this circumstance, and from its
being founded by a party of gentlemen, the settlement
received the name of Nata de los Cavalleros — an appel-
lation it still retains. The principal villages of this
canton are Santamaria and Anton. At the latter cocoa-
nut palms are so nmnerous as from a distance to resem-
ble a forest.

The canton of Chorera borders that of Nata, and
contains 7559 inhabitants; the parishes belonging to it
are Araijan, Capira, Chame, Chorera, and San Carlos.

itos, con-
xl by the
I Paritii,
s Parita.
the most

ice which
) iiihah it-
la, Peiie-
Vfata, the
QUI being
built by
1517 by
ral other
t a small
Grande

hundred
eets, and
me of its
ipied by
(d a chief

from its
[^ttlement
appel-
of this

1848.]

cnouERA.

2H5

er cocoa-
;o resem-

ata, and
ing to it
Carlos.

Chorcra is the chief village of the canton, and munbers
2500 inhabitants. Having the advantage of a tine river
for bathing, and a cool and salubrious climate (hu'ing the
sunnner, the place is much frequented by families from
Panama, who repair thither for the restoration of their
health, and rural enjoyment. During the wet season
Chorcra is very dirty, tlie nuul and water in the streets
being ankle-(h;ep. Capira is a village of some extent,
and produces cottee of superior (juality. San Carlos, or
Pueblo Nuevo de San Carlos, is a pleasing little village,
situated on the Playa of Chiru. Chame is but a short
distance from San Carlos, and has 1300 inhabitants ; the
name Chame was that of a chief who madt; some resist-
ance at the time of the concpiest. Arraijan is a small
village, situated at about equal distances from Cruses
and Chorcra.

The canton of Portobelo, the north-west corner of
the province of Panama, comprises the four parishes of
Chagres, Minas, Palenque, and Portobelo. The town of
Portobelo, the cabecera of the district, is situated in lat.
9° 34' 29" north, long. 79° 43' 40" west, close to the
sea, at the foot of a high mountain which surrounds the
whole port ; it consists of a long street, circling round
the bay, a few short ones branching off, and two squares,
one in front of the treasury, the other before the church ;
the principal public buildings are the fortifications, the
hospital, the treasury, and the church : but these, as well
as the private houses, are in a very dilapidated state.
Portobelo numbers about 1300 inhabitants, chiefly
negroes and mulattoes; it has an excellent harbour,
but, with this exception, there is nothing to recommend

280

THE VOYAGE OF 11. M.S. HERALD.

[May,

\i'

•,1;;;'

it. The; cliiimtu is tho most unhealthy in the whole
country, and has proviul fatal to nuuiy Kuropeans; there
is seldom a fine day, — the place is almost always en-
veloped in vapour, arising from the rank vegetation of
the neighbourhood, or deluged with rain ; the heat is so
excessive, and the climate so noxious, that few white
men have been able to live there for any time, and even
some species of animals ([uickly degencirate. Formerly a
paved causeway existed between Panama and Portobelo,
but this is at present in a very bad condition ; it has
been broken up by the violent rains, and, being for the
most part overgrown by bushes and high trees, it is
with difficulty traversed on foot.

The harboiu* of Portobelo was discovered in the year
1501 by Columbus, but the town was not commenced
until the reign of Philip II. Soon after its foundation it
became of importance by being made the ])ort through
which all trade between Spain and Western America
was carried on, and by the great annual fair held there.
On account of these advantages Portobelo was looked
upon with envy by other natioHS, and suffered frequent
attacks; the first time by Francis Drake, in 1595,
duiing the war between Philip II. of Spain and Elizabeth
of England. It was sacked twice by the Buccaneers,
in 1624 and 1673 ; and again, when in the reign of
George II. war broke out between Great Britain and
Spain, Portobelo was taken and nearly reduced to ashes
by Admiral Vernon, on the 22nd of November, 1739.
Nine years later, the Spanish galleon and the great fair
were abolished, when Portobelo, which had always been
dreaded on account of its climate, was almost deserted :

[.1%,

le whole
18; tluirc
ways cn-
itation of
iciit is so
jw wbito
and even
)rnierly a
\)rtobclo,
n ; it has
ig for the
oes, it is

the year
mmenced
iidation it
; through
America
uld there.
IS looked
frequent
in 1595,
Elizabeth
Lccaneers,
reign of
tain and
to ashes
r, 1739.
reat fair
ays been
leserted :

1848.]

I'OinOHKLO AND ClIAdllKS.

287

it fell never to rise ngiiin, for after the; war of independ-
enee the trafHe was conducted by way of C'hagrtis, which,
though not a regular harbour, has several advantages
over Portobelo.

The town of Chagrcs is, like Portobelo, one of the
nif»^t miserable and unhealthy in the country ; it lies
at the mouth of the river of tlu; same name, in lat.
9° 18' ()" north, h)ng. 79'' 59' 2" west, and is guarded by
the castle of San Lorenzo, a dark-looking fortification.
This castle is situated on a high rock at the entrance of
the river, and was destroyed in 1071 by conmiand of
Henry Morgan, but a few years after was rebuilt by
the Spaniards. Chagres (lontains about one thousand
inhabitants, nearly all of whom are negroes or juioplt! of
a mixed origin. From the nund)er of steam and sailing
vessels repairing thither, Chagres, during the; last few
years, has become important, but there is little hope; of
its becoming a large town, even if the present moch; of
connimnication between the Atlantic and Pacific should
be continued. The climate conunits fearful ravages
among new arrivals, especially the whites. The rainy
season is prolonged to nine and even to ten months, and
this alone will be a bam^r against a permanent settle-
ment of the Caucasian race. The houses of Chagres are
shghtly built, — mostly of the bark and leaves of palms.

The caiiton of Panama adjoins that of Portobelo and
Chorera, and contains a population of 10,494 souls; it
is divided into nine parishes, San Felipe, Santa Ana,
Cruses, Chepo, Chiman, Gorgona, Pacora, San Juan, and
Taboga. The city of Panama, the capital of the province,
and also the cahecera of the canton, was built in 1G78,

288

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. FIERALU.

[J%,

%'i

ir?

^-::j

two years after the destruction of the old town. Soon
rising into importance through its favourable situation,
it continued prosperous till the time of the abolition of
the Galleon and Portobelo fair, when it became impove-
rished almost as suddenly as it had acquired its wealth :
all the richer merchants left, most of the buildings fell
into ruin, cattle grazed in the streets, the tops and walls
of houses were overgrown with bushes and creepers, and
several disastrous fires added to the mournful aspect of
the city. The first of the conflagrations took place in
1737, the second in 1756, the third in 1781, and the
fourth in 1821 ; the three latter were caused by accident,
the first by incendiaries, natives of Guatemala. It is
more than doubtful, if the Isthmus had remained under
the despotic sway of Spain, whether the city of Pa-
nama would ever have risen again after its fall in the
eighteenth century. The war of independence, and the
great changes produced by it throughout Spanish Ame-
rica, were the causes of its revival : trade Avas opened,
foreigners settled, representatives of different nations were
appointed to reside at Panama, education began to spread,
and thus the town gradually recovered. Nothing however
has raised it more than the establishment of fines of
steamers in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Since the
first appearance of these vessels, and the subsequent dis-
covery of gold in California, the city has so much im-
proved, and such great alterations have taken place, that
one would hardly fancy it the same, — and the Isthmus,
which was formerly merely a road subservient to the
selfish policy of Spain, became from that period the high-
way of nations.

[Mai/,

. Soon
ituation,
)lition of
impovc-
1 wealth :
lings fell
md walls
pers, and
aspect of
place in
, and the
accident,
a. It is
led under
y of Pa-
all in the
i, and the
ish Ame-
opened,
ions were
o spread,
however
lines of
[since the
uent dis-
uch im-
iace, that
|Isthmus,
to the
the high-

1848.]

CITY OF PANAMA.

289

The city of Panama lies in lat. S° 50' 50" north, long.
79° 31' 12" west, at the foot of the Cerro de Ancon, on a
little peninsula connected towards the west with the main-
land. It is divided into two parishes : that within the
walls, the city, is called San Felipe ; that without, the
suburb, Santa Ana. Pr.nama differs considerablv from the
other towns of Spanish America : its high buildhigs, tiled
roofs, munerous churches, and massive walls, give it jin
air reminding one, at first sight, of a European town ; on
a closer inspection hoAvever the peculiarity of the old Spa-
nish style becomes evident. San Felipe, the best and most
regularly built part, is surrounded by walls and watch-
towers, which are at present rather dilapidated ; the for-
tifications are irregular and not strong, though the walls
are high, the bastions having been constructed at varions
times, as the menaces of pirates and other enemies have;
suggested : the most modern seem to be those on the
eastern and southern sides, erected in 1778. The city
has four gates, two opening towards the sea, two towards
the land ; the traveller coming from Chagres enters l)y
the western one, which was formerly strongly defended,
and connected with the mainland bv means of a draw-
bridge. The principal streets run from west to east, and
are crossed by others extending from north to south,
from sea to sea, preservhig a current of air, wiiich
greatly adds to the salubrity of the place. The streets
are paved and regular, but rather narrow, seldom ex-
ceeding more than fifty feet in breadth ; the pavements
for foot-passengers are covered by the balconies of the
houses, and a person may walk almost all over the town
during a shower of rain without getting wet. Theie arc
VOL. 1. i:

290

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERAT, I).

{May,

;i':.f-

foiir public squares, three in San Felipe, and one in Santa
Ana ; the principal is the Plaza del Catedral, situated
nearly in the centre of the city ; its western side is formed
by the cathedral and the Jesuits' College, its southern
by the Town-hall, its northern by the ''Colc(/io'' and its
eastern by private buildings.

Among the public buildings deserving of notice are
the governor's house, the post-office, town-hall, custom-
house, college, barracks, hospitals, cathedral, and con-
vents. The buildings devoted — or rather formerly
devoted — to religious purposes cover one-half of the su-
perficial area of the city, a strong proof of the former
wealth and influence of the place. The cathedral is a
fine edifice, occupying nearly the whole western side of
the Plaza del Catedral; it is built in the old Spanish
style, and has on its eastern facing two spires, and several
statues, representing the Virgin Mary and the Apostles.
It is rich in church ornaments ; the decorations are
tasteless, and the paintings, excepting the portraits of
the Panamian bishops, which possess some historical in-
terest, without any value. There are seven convents,
six of which have partly fallen into decay; only one,
Concepcion, situated in the east end of the town, be-
tween San Francisco and San Domingo, is occupied,
but in 1848 it contained only four nuns, who were all
very old, and as no young ones are received the esta-
blishment will soon be discontinued. San Francisco,
the most extensive of the convents, was inhabited as
lately as 1821 by friars, who converted many of the
Indians of Veraguas to Christianity ; at present it is used
as store-rooms and stables, and nothing of it is in good

[3%,

1S4S.J

CITY OF TAX AM A.

:291

in Santa
situated
is formed
southern
," and its

notice are
I, custom -
and con-
formerly
of the su-
;he former
ledral is a
3rn side of
d Spanisli
and several
Apostles,
•ations arc
portraits of
itorical in-
convents,
only one,
town, be-
occupied,
[o were all
the esta-
Francisco,
liabited as
Iny of the
it is used
is in good

repair

the churcli. Tli

Mit of San D(

save ine cnurcii. ine convent oi »an uonnnj^
is still more dilapidated, having only a small side-chapel
preserved, in which two black women read evening
prayers. In its old church, dcli is quite; overgrown
with creepers, is a remarkably ^straight arch, made of
bricks, and extending from one si(k! to the otlier. Tlu;
old Jesuits' College is the finest ruin in the town ; it was
commenced in 1739, but was not completed in 1773,
when the Society of Jesus was expelled from Spanish
America, and it has never been finished ; it is two stories
high. The church attached to it is now used for public
amusements, theatrical exhibitions, rope-dancers. The
other monasteries, Merced, San Augustin, and San Juan
de Dios, are also, with the excei)tion of their churches, in
ruins. The suburb has one church and a small chapel.
There are two government hospitals : that destined for
males is in the convent of San Juan de Dios, that intended
for females is called San Tomas, and is situated in the
suburb. Dm'ing the last few years some American phy-
sicians have also established houses for the reception of
the sick.

Most of the private buildings of San Felipe are con-
structed of stone, those of Santa Ana of wood. They are
two stories high, surrounded by balconies, and have tiled
roofs, the violence of the rains not permitting the use of
flat ones. All have large doorways, sufficiently spacious to
admit a person on horseback. The halls are small. Ne.'U-
the staircase is a door leading into the courtyard, and to
the stables, the bath-room, and the well. In most lious{;s
the lower story is let to shop-keepers, spirit-sellers, jind
tradespeople; the first floor is inhabited by the servants,

u :l

292

THE VOYAGK OF H.M.S. HEUAT,!).

[May,

Lf .",

I;: I

■If i.^

and the upper, the most sa]ul)rious, by tlie landlord and
his family. All the apartments are large and airy, and
the drawing-rooms are generally thirty feet long, twenty-
four feet wide, and twenty high. The floor is either of
wood, brick, sand-stone, or marble. Every room has
one or more folding-doors, opening towards the balcony,
the wings having a shutter supplying the place of win-
dows. Sometimes a pane of glass is inserted, but regu-
lar windows do not exist, and will probably never be
introduced ; they prevent a free current of air — an in-
dispensable condition in so hot a climate. Besides the
doors there are, higher up, smaller apertures, mostly in
the shape of stars, by means of which a further reduc-
tion of the temperature is produced. The walls are from
two feet to two feet six inches thick ; they are decorated
with pictures, crosses, figures of saints, etc., and are gene-
rally whitewashed, which, though depriving them of that
aspect of comfort by which our papered rooms are dis-
tinguished, makes them look cool and prevents them from
harbouring centipedes, scorpions, and other noxious ani-
mals. The balconies are from four to five feet wide,
protected from sun and rain by the projecting roof, sur-
rounded by w^ooden raihngs, and abinidantly provided
with flower-pots, containing roses, balsams, and carna-
tions. In a shady corner stands the filtering-stone and
several earthenware jars containing water, about which
there is a degree of cleanliness not observed in any other
part of the house. The furniture, which is very simple, is
mostly imported either from Europe, North America, or
China. In all the rooms arc hammocks, in which the
Panamians and the inhabitants of tlie Isthmus in general

[Uord aiul
airy, and
r, tweiity-
\ either of
room has
e balcony,
;c of win-
but rcgu-
never be
lir — an in-
Jesides the
mostly in
her rcduc-
Is are from
3 decorated
d are gene-
lem of that
ms arc dis-
theni from
Dxious ani-
fect wide,
roof, sur-
^ provided
and carna-
stone and
:)out which
1 any other
y simple, is
merica, or
which the
in general

1848.] (iTV Ol' PANAMA. 298

may be seen swinging themselves for hours hi succes-
sion.

Panama, especially tlu; suburb of Siiiita Ana, is (hiily
increasing in extent. The mind)er of inhabitants is also
augnienthig: in 1848 the place counted no more tlum
4897, only one-tenth of which were white, the rest In-
dians, negroes, or people of mixed origin ; at that tinu!
there were but fifteen foreigners. The popuhition now
amounts to upwards of 10, ()()(). Tlieir principal occupa-
tion is commerce, the transportation of goods across the
country, and supplyuig the wants of passengers.

About a mile west of Panama is the Cerro de Ancon,
which, according to Sir Edward Belcher, is 500 feet
high. From the summit there is a fine panoramic view,
including the city, the islands of the bay, the neigh-
bouring plantations, the mountains towards Veraguas,
the elevated chain between Portobelo and Panama, the
Rio Grande, and the low lands towards Panama Viejo,
the Chepo, and Pacora. At the foot of this hill are the
Catholic and Protestant burial-grounds. At the latter
only three persons had been interred in 1848; how
many more have since been added ! The Catholic bu-
rial-place is of an oblong shape, and has a high arched
gateway, of modern construction and extremely tasteless ;
the Panamians expended on it a considerable sum, and
think it a very elegant piece of architectiu-e. Around
the wall are sepulchres, in which the bodies of the
wealthier are placed two years previously to being ad-
mitted into the churches of the town. Hardly any save
the bodies of the rich are enclosed in coffins ; most of the
poorer inhabitants are merely wrapped in winding-sheets.

21)4

TMK VOVAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

\_May,

1 1)1

»1F

'•m'

The ruins of Panama Viejo (Old Panama) lie about
four miles to the eastward, and are at present quite de-
serted. The principal remains are those of a cathedral, a
church, a bridge, and several watch-towers. The vicinity
of Paiiiuna is very beautiful, especially at the place called
Losaria, where many of the wealthier people have country
residences.

The principal villages belonging to the canton of Pa-
nama are San Juan, Chepo, Gorgona, Cruces, and Taboga.
T^he latter is situated on the island of the same name ;
Chepo on the river Bayano ; while San Juan, Gorgona,
and Cruces are built on the left bank of the Chagres.
Gorgona is of very recent date; Cruces however was known
in the thne of Herrera, who calls it a " venfa.'' In 1671
the Buccaneers found it • a considerable village ; since
that period it has suffered several times from inundations
and conflagrations; in 18.28 nearly the whole village was
destroyed by fire. Had it not a rival in Gorgona it would
soon become a town. The two villages have each a
church and several inns. Thg inhabitants are nearly
all either owners of canoes and beasts of burden, or
store-keepers, who take charge of goods, or ho(jar, per-
sons working the canoes.

The territory of Darien is the fourth great political
division of the Isthmus. It is bounded on the north by
the Atlantic, on the south by the river San Juan, on the
west by the Pacific and the province of Panama, and on
the east by the Atrato. Including the Pearl Islands,
which belong to its jiiii^diction, Darien covers a super-
ficial area of about 16,941 square miles. It contains the
parishes of Chapigana, Islas del Istmo, Molineca, Pi-

[_Mai/,

lie about
quite de-
ithedral, a
le vicinity
ace called
e country

;on of Pa-
id Taboga.
ne name ;
, Gorgona,
3 Chagres.
kvas known
In 1671
age ; since
lundations
illage was
a it would
,ve each a
are nearly
urden, or
o(/ar, per-

it political
north by
m, on the
lia, and on
\\ Islands,
Is a super-
Mitains the
lineca, Pi-

1»41.]

DARIEN.

295

nogana, Santamaria, Tucuti, and Yabisa. Yabisa, the
cabecera of the district, contains 332 inhabitants, and is
the residence of the Prefect, who receives an tunuial
salary of a thousand dollars. Darien is principally inha-
bited by savage Indians, the nund)er of whom is doubt-
ful. Civilization is chiefly confined to the neighbour-
hood of the Gulf of San Miguel, where Yabisa and the
other villages are situated. The nund)er of the entire
population now professing the Christian faith amounts
to 3148, 1941 of whom belong to the Pearl Islands.
Although it was in Darien that the first European set-
tlements were made, yet our knowledge respecting this
district is very limited. Since the time of Paterson no
scientific man, except Dr. Cullen, has crossed the coun-
try, and our knowledge of it is chiefly derived from the
writings of Wafer, Dampier, and Ringrove.

V.H)

CHAPTER XIX.

Inhabitants of the Isthmus — Their Number — Whites — Negroes —
llali-eastes — Their Customs and Manners.

The population of the Istlunus, like that of the greater
part of Spanish America, is composed of three races, the
Caucasian, the African, and the American, and the nume-
rous shades and varieties produced by their intermixture.
So long as the country remahied a colony of Spain, colour
was of importance on account of the privileges or disad-
vantages connected with it; the distinction of castes
formed a part of the Spanish policy. Shice however these
distinctions have been abolished, any man, whether he
be black, brown, or white, may hold the highest office
of the state. In accordance with these principles no
particular mention is made in the census respecting the
coloured inhabitants, and it is therefore impossible to
speak with any degree of certainty of their number, but,
judging froui appearance, they would seem to constitute
about two-thirds of the population.

The exact number of inhabitants is also a matter of
doubt. In almost every part of the country there are

^'' h

1848.]

NUMBER OF* INHAIUTANTS.

297

tribes of savage Indians, whose number docs not appear
in official documents ; they nnist amount to at U'ust
10,000. Assuming this estimate to be correct, the po-
pulation of the Is*' nus would be 12\),()\)7. The in-
crease of the population from 1822 to 1843 has been
18,147, or about 8 per cent, in ten years, as the follow-
ing table will show.

Censua taken in the Years 1822 and 1843.

-Negroes —

he greater
races, the

the nume-

crmixture.

ain, coloui"
or disad-
of castes

ever these
lether he
lest office
[ciples no
3cting the
ossible to
iber, but,
^'onstitute

patter of
Itherc are

Province of Panama.

Canio?i

of Panama

1822.

J'anama (San

Felipe and

Santa Ana) 10,730

Criiees

1,200

Chepo

1,933

Cbiman ....

238

Gorgonn ....

549

Pacora

657

San Juan . .

174

Taboga ....

543

Canton

of Chorera

Cborera (ca-

becera). . . .

4,000

Araijan ....

834

Capira ....

1,000

Charae

1,000

San Carlos . .

577

1843.

4,897
1,091
1,818
276
617
659
165
971

2,937

851

1,461

1,329

981

Canton of Los Santos.

Los Santos (cfl-

becera).... 4,318 6,051
Pcdasi .... 1,544 701

1822. 1843.

Pocri 1,939 2,299

Tablas 3,577 5,488

Canton of Nata.

Nata (cabece-

ra) 4,262 5,504

Anton 1,281 1,749

Ola 360 564

Penenomc . . 8,643 8,598

Santamaria . . 2,562 3,195

Canton of Parita.

Parita {cabe-

cera) 2,170 3,258

Macaracas .. 2,33S 3,806

Minas 1,141 1,886

Ocil 1,179 2,027

Peso 3,142 4,142

Canton of Portobelo.

Portobelo {ca-

becera).... 1,257 1,340

Chagres 856 1,340

Minas .... No returns 114

Palenque. ... 312 463

298

THE VOYAdK OF H.M.8. IIERALU.

[J%,

I'llOVINCE OF VeRA(1UAS.

Canton of Santiago.
1822.

Suntinf^o (ca-
pital) ....
Atalaya ....
Calobrc ....
Canazas ....
Mesa .....
Mineral . .
Montijo .
Palrnas
Posinga .
Rio Jesus
Sau Franzisco 4,387

Sona 1,184

Tole 409

4,568

785
1,463
2.542
4,451
No returns
1,182

545

509
1,276

1843.

5,974
1,084
1,923
3,924
3,534

301
2,281
2,345

363
1,183
5,358
1,343

652

Canton of /llanje.

1822.

1843.

David {cahe-

cera) . . .

2,385

4,321

Alanje

2,611

2,998

Boqiieron

334

629

liugaba . . .

242

361

Dolcga . . .

739

1,583

Gualaca . . .

842

1,019

Remcdios .

1,800

1,235

San Felix .

324

451

San Lorenzo

2,477

1,781

San Pablo .

312

733

T:;uuiTORt of Darien
1822. 1843.

Yabisa (cabe-

cera) .... 341 332

Chapigana . . 262 296

Islas delists 1 700 1,941

1822. 1843.

Molineea ..35 78

Pinogana. ... 176 142

Santamaria . . 245 204

Tucuti 113 155

Territory of Bocas del Toro.

Bocas del Toro No returns

Totals.

Province of Panama

Province of Veraguas

Territory of Darien

Territory of Bocas del Toro
Supposed number of Indians

1822.

1843.

returns

595

1822.

1843.

64,316

70,5786

35,367

45,376

1,872

3,148

595

10,000

Grand Total 111,550 129,697

{Mdi/,

ye.

18(3.

1,321
2,998

629

3G1
1,583
1,019
1,235

451
1,781

733

1843.

142

204

155

1843.
595

843.

)786
,376
,148
595
,000

,697

1848.J

WHITKS.

21)9

With tlu' fX('( iitidui of luc of tht- iiioiv n^wt citWrs,
the white Isthii uis are t' Sjmu -h desn it. Tfie men
are ratlier tall, slightly but wt ' .iiilt. ' xi have black
hair ; their eoniplexioii is |)ale, ^ tlumt t .(• least tinge of
colour, and their countenance i!> enhven«'(l by dark and
flashing eyes. The women are small, and have delicate^
feet and hands, generally tine faces, but bad figures ;
not vising stays, and always having their dress untied,
they have no waist, and look very migraceful in public.
The men are very fond of dress, and (>.\hil)it much more
taste in their attin; than the women ; even those who
cannot afford to spend nmch money, will ratlu^r un-
dergo })rivations than be deprived of the pleasure of ap-
pearing as dandies. They are generally seen in straw-
hats, and what we call summer dresses, adhering as closely
to Parisian fashions as the nature of the climate permits.
The women also imitate the European style. They are
never seen \\ ithout a shawl of blue cotton or silk around
their shoulders, but wear neither caps nor bonnets when
in the streets. Stockings are not in general use, being
only worn on particular occasions. At balls and on gala-
days they display a profusion of pearls, gold chains, and
other ornaments : there are several ladies whose pearls
alone amount to a small fortune.

The worst features in th(3 character of the Isthmians
are want of moral prhiciple and steadhiess of purpose.
For the first their rchgion may account, for the second
the enervating climate. They are indolent, licentious,
fond of gambling, and, although not destitute of talent,
without much a])plication . The country has not ])ro-
duced a single hidividual who has raised himself above

300

TUK \()V\(iIi OK II. M.S. IIKIIAI.I).

[•'/".'/.

r;iii

mediocrity. VVitli tlicsc had (|Uiiliti('s they possess jilso
.some pood ones. 'Hiey are lio.s|)ital)Ie, obli^inj^ to-
wards straii'.^ers, and {.generous towards the poor and
intirni : almost every family of eoiisecpieiiee has se-
veral pensioners, who eome rej^nlarly t^very Satnrday
to receive ahns ; hnt it i:Mist be admitted that in many
instances rather too nnieh display is made of this libe-
rality. With the exception of thos(^ who have heen
bronji;ht up in Europe or in North America, their edu-
cation is defective ; they derive tlicrefore no pleasure
from rational conversation, readiiifi;, or any other intel-
lectual occupation. The women especially are ill-hi-
formed, and are hif^hly delighted if any one talks to
them in high-sounding phrases, however empty they
may be. This however is the fault of the Isthmians in
general, and is ])rol)ably the reason why tliey show a
greater likhig for the French than for other foreigners.
Yet sensible men are fully aware, that to the English aiul
North American, and not to the Gallic race, they are in-
debted for their present j)rosperit_^. All the French ever
did for the Isthnuis consists in having talked and written
about assisting in carrying out various improvements ;
here however their friendship stopped. But when the
Anglo-Saxon appeared, the country began to revive and
prosper. With all these defects however the Isthmians
stand far above the Spanish Americans. Fre([uent in-
tercourse with foreigners has greatly cUminished their
bigotry, and rendered them more liberal than their neigh-
bours, a tendency which will soon emancipate them from
those prejudices which Spanish priestcraft and tyranny
have bequeatlied to them.

^i ^

^sesa 111 St)

ijriiijr to-
poor and
lias so-
Saturdav
in many
tliis lilu'-
lavi' lu'cn
their cdu-
I pleasure
her intel-
[in; ill-hi-
; talks to
i»|)ty they
hniians in
ly show a
i'orei^iiers.
iglish and
ey are in-
eiich ever
id written
)vemeiits ;
when the
evivc and
[st hniians
([luuit hi-
lled their
_'ir neigh-
"lieni from
tyranny

I His.

NKOHOKS

:\{)\

The negroj's are trejwherons, thievish, and extreinely
indolent. Those who ari' tree, work pcihaps one or tw(»
djiys and then cease, until necessity compels them to
resume their occupation. "Only Tools and horses work"
is one of their favoiuite sayings, and is tlii' principle on
which thev act -. for this reason thev will alwavs lill
subordinate situations, although the law places them on
a level with the rest of their countrymen. They are very
noisy, and their continual s[)itting, screaming, and loud
laughing make them disagreeabh' companions. Slavery
exists to a limiti'd extent. Slaves, it imist he remeuj-
bered, were [)rivate property, and the Hepublican (iovern-
UKMit, although prohibiting tluir imj)ortalion, could not
at once emancipate them without disregarding individual
inter(^sts. Hut as the inunorality of the system called
for reform, a course was adopted which seems to have
satisfied all parties. V]\v\'y slave was allowed to pur-
chase his own freedom, and all children born of slaves
aftcn* the 21st of June, IS^I, were declared free. The
proprietors have to clothe, feed, and educate them, and
the children in return have to work till their eighteenth
year for tluiir mothers' masters. This law will speedily
effect the emancipation of the slave poj)ulation, whhout
injury to private interests, or snddenly throwing a niim-
bcr of labonn^rs out of employment. Although the shivc-
tradc is j)roliibit(3d, yet a few years ago a nnndier of
negroes were sent from Panama to Pern, where they
were smuggled on shore, the law of that country not per-
mitting them to be landed o{)enly. It must however be
adch'd, for the honour of the Isthmians, tliat they had no
part in the proceeding, the culprit being a Frenchman.

'M)'2

THK VOYAfJE OF H.M.S. IIKHALI).

[Maj/,

'Vhv Britisli consul protested against th(; act, as ecjnally
opposed to the constitution of New Granada and to her
treaty with England ; unfortunately the mischief was done
before any more effectual measiu'es could })e adopted.

The character of th(; half-castes is, if possible, worse
than that of the negroes. Th(!se people liave idl the vices
and none of the virtues of their ])arents. They are weak
in body, and are more liable to disease than either the
whites or other races. It seems that as long as p\u'(^
blood is added the half-castes ])ros})er ; when they hiter-
marry only with their own colour they have many chil-
dren, but these do not live to grow uj), while in families
of unmixed blood the offspring are fewer, but of longei*
lives. As the physical circumstances under which both
are placed are the same, there nuist really be a specific
disthiction between the races, and their intermixture b(3
considered as an infringement of the law of nature. The
negroes and half-castes, who, with a few exceptions, arc
the poorest of the inhabitants, dress very simply. The
men, if they follow a trade or. profession, wear whitt;
trowsers and jackets ; the slaves, carriers, and labourers,
a straw-hat, a shirt, and a pair of short breeches, reach-
ing a little below the knee. The women are seen in loose
go^^^ls, which hang negligently around their shoulders,
and frequently slip down. They have gold chains round
their necks, to which cscuditas or other gold coins are
fastened, a custom which, however ostentatious it may
appear, is not without its good effect : if the money wen^
kept in a box it would be spent, but having it about their
persons, vanity makes them preserve it, and in case of
distress they have always something to resort to. The

\Maij,

1848.]

CUSTOMS AND MANNERS.

80;i

lul to her
\ was (lone
[opted.
l)le, worse
11 tlie viees
1 are weak
either the
ig as pure
they inter-
iiiaiiy cliil-
in fainihes
; of longer
kvhich both
3 a speeitie
iiiixture be
ture. The
)tions, are
iply. The
vear white
labourers,
hes, reach-
icn in loose
shoulders,
ams round
coins are
lus it may
oney were
bout their
in case of
to. The

coloured children wear a straw-hat and a shirt, very often
only tlie former, especially in the country districts.

The upper classes are sober and regular in their habits.
They rise and go to bed early, take breakfast about ten
o'clock, a siesta in the middle of the day, then a bath,
and about three or four o'clock dinner ; after which the
men ride on horseback, and the women sit on the bal-
conies or in the verandas, conversing. Their meals are
varied and s\d)stantial ; even the ])oorer people always
have rice, vegetables, and meat, and if they are told
that in Europe there are many who cannot purchase
meat for days or even weeks, they hardly credit it:
never having known any real poverty, they are unable
to form an idea of it ; and having hi;ard so nmch of the
splendour and riches of the Old World, they entertain
just as extravagant notions respecting that country as
many Europeans in regard to America. The connnon
bread of the Istlnnus consists of tortiUm do mah, or
cakes made of Indian corn, which (lifter from those of
Mexico and Central America by being about a foot
across and an inch thick, or of a cylindrical shape, and
rolled in palm-leaves. Bread made of wheat is only to
be procured in towns and iarge villages. The meat
most in use is pork and beef ; the latter, when cut into
thin, long slices, slightly salted, and dried in the air, is
called " tasajo,'' and is in some parts sold by the yard.
The whites are temperate in drinking, and carefully avoid
strong coffee, tea, beer, or spirits. Intoxication is of rare
occurrence among them, but more frequent among the
negroes and zamboes. The beverages most in demand
are those made in the country, viz. ar/unrdienfe (brandy),

304

THK VOYAOE Ol' H.M.S. HERALD.

\_May,

extracted from the sugiir-caiie, chicha, a beer made from
Indian corn or the pine-a[)ple, and pahn wmc. The
latter is obtained by feUing the tree, and making, nnder
the crown, where tlie leaves take their rise, a square iiole ;
the sap, in ascending, is thus stopped, and the hole filled
with a delicious fluid, which resembles champagne, and
is drunk without further prciparation. Exce})t by the
white ladies, especially the young ones, smoking is
generally practised, although it is a rather expensive
habit, the sale of tobacco being a government mono-
poly. The negroes often put the biu'ning end of the
cigar in their mouths, and are so skilful hi holding it,
that they are able to carry on long conversations with-
out ever burning their tongues or taking the cigar out of
tlieir mouths. The children connnence smokinjj: at four
or five years of age ; and, strange to relate, even babies,
when they scream, are quieted by putting a cigar in their
mouths. Their fond mothers imagine that nothing is
more calculated to pacify their darlings than giving them
a thing which they themselves, consider the height of
luxury. The mode of swimming pursued generally by
the Isthmians is the same as that practised by several
tribes of North American Indians — it is that of turning
from side to side, and throwing out the arms alternately :
this manner is said to save the strain upon the breast
and spine.

Notwithstanding the prevailing absence of honourabk!
principles, comparatively few crimes are conunitted. A
superficial observer might take this fact as a proof of the
high moral standard of the })opulati()n, but it is far from
])ehig so : few men will connnit (mtrages hi cold blood ;

{May,

ade from
ic. The
ig, under
lare hole ;
liole filled
ignc, and
)t by the
loking is
expensive
;nt mono-
nd of the
lolding it,
ions with-
igar out of
inii; at four
/en babies,
ar in their
nothing is
ving them
height of
pnerally by
Iby several
turning
Iternately :
I the breast

lionourabh;
liitted. A
poof of the
Is far from
l)ld blood ;

1848.]

CUSTOMS AND MANNKRS.

;3()r)

tlie generality are (litlier infiuenced by passion, or faney
tlieniselves driven to it by necessity, and, as tlie Isth-
mians are neither passionate nor deprived of the eoiu-
mcm means of existence, tiiey have little to impel them to
crime. The country is therefore perfectly safe : liigliway
robberies are never heard of, nnu'der is rarely committed,
and great tlieft is unfre(pient ; tlie negroes, it is true, ai'c
nnich inclined to stealing, but they confine' themselves to
small articles, and such as are not easily missed. That
the people have little fear of burglary, a glance at their
dwellings will show : no iron bars guard the windows
and doors as in most parts of S[)anish iVmerica, in fact
they are so slightly proti^cted that the least exertion will
open a passage. Perhaps the greatest crimes with which
the Isthmians can be charged are those arising tVcuu
their licentious habits. Unnatural crhnes do not seem to
prevail ; it is well known however tha*^ the Avomen are
occasionally guilty of using, in ordcH* to procme abortion,
several herbs, the most eft'ectnal of which is said to 1)(^
the CulanfriUa dc po::() {Anoiiiff Seemrmni, Hook.). But
being without the Book of books to guide them, having
a number of ignorant and sluggish priests who confuse
their ideas of right and wrong by indidging in everything
contrary to morality and respectable conduct, and living
in a tropical climate, where exposures which would cause
people of a colder climate to blush are every-day occur-
rences, they must not be judged too severely.

Schools havhig only been established in the country
districts since the war of independence, the education of
the poorer classes, especially of the older [)eople, is very
backward, and reading and writing not much dift'used.

VOL. 1. X

306

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

{May,

m \

i. r

1 i

What appears strange is their total ignorance of time and
distance, and even measure and weight. If tliey want to
express that they left a place at eight p.m., and reached
th.eir destination at noon, they say, " We left when the
smi was there (pointing to the sky), and reached our des-
tination when it was just above us." They have a faint
idea that there are such divisions as leagues, but if any-
body asks them about the distance from one place to
another, they are unable to give a decisive answer, though
they may frequently have traversed it.

The Roman Catholic religion, professed by all the
natives, is maintained by the state, but other creeds are
not prohibited, so long as the laws of the republic are
not infringed. Protestant worship, established since the
arrival of the North Americans, is performed in private
houses. Some of the ceremonies connected with the
cultm of Catholicism at Panama are probably quite pecu-
liar. Towards Easter the city becomes more lively than
usual by the great influx of strangers from all parts of
the country ; nearly every night- processions are formed,
which are attended by vast crowds, singing, 'aying, and
strewing flowers. On the morning of Palm Sunday
all assemble in the cathedral; the bishop and several
priests, bearing palm-leaves, proceed to its principal
gate, begging permission to enter. Their chanting is
responded to by the congregation within, and after se-
veral interrogations and answers, and a heavy knock at
the door, the party is admitted. The interior of the ca-
thedral is handsomely decorated, and the clergy, with
banners and crosses, and all the young Panamians holding
tapers and palm-leaves, march several times round the

. ^ 11:

\May,

1848.]

RELIGION,

807

time and
^ want to
(1 reached
when the
[1 our des-
ive a faint
lut if any-
B place to
er, though

by all the
creeds are
spublic are
i since the
in private
I with the
|uite pecu-
lively than
H parts of
re formed,
jaying, and
m Sunday
ind several
principal
ihanting is
Id after se-
knock at
of the ca-
[ergy, with
[ns holding
round the

nave. In the afternoon the whole town is alive ; the
balconies, ornamented with palm-leaves and gay-eoloured
hangings, are filled with spectators, multitudes stroll
through the streets, all the hells of the churches and
convents are set ringing, — Christ makes his entry ; a
wooden image, with a gilt "gloiy" around the head,
placed u])on a she-ass, is followed by a priest walking
under a blue canopy, a number of boys blowing instru-
ments made of palm-leaves, and crowds of people who
give vent to their feelings by screaming, whistling, jest-
ing, and laughing. The procession entering the principal
gate, proceeds to the Plaza del Catedral, and thence to
the Convent of Concepcion, where the ass is entertained
with " sweatineats and wine." After the image and ani-
mal have been delivered to the nuns, a boxing-match takes
place. The connection between this fight and the reli-
gious ceremony the Panamians are not able to explain :
it is an old custom, and thought indispensable. On the
eve of Good Friday all the churches are illumiiuited and
thrown open. During the night parties consisting of
forty to sixty go thither, walking slowly, and praying
aloud; the women have white or black kerchiefs over
their heads, the men carry their hats in their hands ;
the pilgrims cast themselves before the altars, repeat a
number of prayers, and then proceed to another [)lace
of worship. On Good Friday everything is quiet, but
at noon on Saturday a curious scene ensues. Silence
had reigned up to that time, but just when the clocks
strike twelve all the bells begin to ring, cannons are
fired, and the people all rush into the streets, making
as much noise as possible : some scream, others strike

X 2

308

THE VOYAdE OF II. M.S. IIKHALT).

[.)/r(//,

stones together, here are seen l)oys sending up roeketf

heholdiim" thi

pi'i

.nicie

LJ women dancnig. A
ccedings tor the first tini(
ness has seized upon tlie popuhition, and if, after tlie
noise has abated, lie asks what all signifies, he learns, to
his surprise, that it is tlu; way in which the Pananiians
celebrate the resurrection of the Savioiu*. On Easter
Sunuay mass is performed with great pomp, and the
afternoon dedicated to the huruing of Judas. A figure,
filhxl inside with rockets, is susi)ended across the Calle
Princii)al, and, while a band of musicians is playing,
moved up and down till it explodes, to the great joy of
the nudtitude. The ceremonies attending the other fes-
tivals are equally strange, but this may be a sufficient
specimen of the manner in which they are conducted.

The prhicipal amusements arc horse-rachig, cock-
fighting, dancing, nuisic, singing, billiard-playing, cards,
and gambling ; bull-fights, which in most Spanish coun-
tries are the great source of diversion, are so much re-
stricted in New Granada, that they are little practised.
It is to be hoped that the government will soon find
itself strong enough to prohibit also the demoralizhig
practice of cock-fighting. Balls arc conducted in al-
most the same manner as in Europe, beginning at nine
or ten o'clock, and lasting till three or four hi the morn-
ing. At midnight a room is opened, where a table is
spread, covered with sweatmeats, fruits, and wines ; the
ladies are conducted thither, stand around it, and after
partaking of the refi'cshments, they are taken back to
the ball-room ; the gentlemen then return to have their
share of the supper. The dances are slow waltzes,

p rockets,
licsc pro-
of iiiad-
aftor tlu'
learns, to
^anaiiiians
)n Easter
, ami the
A figure,
, the Calle
,s playing,
i-eat joy of
other fes-
i sufficient
ducted,
ing, cock-
ng, cards,
nish coun-
niuch re-
practised,
soon find
moralizhig
ed in al-
ig at nine
the niorn-
a table is
ines ; the
and after
11 hack to
Ihavc their
waltzes,

184S.]

AMUSKMKNTS.

301)

contra-dances, and ([uach'illes ; the polka is too heating,
and therefore not luueh hked I'lie punta, a dance pe-
culiar to the country, is now seldom seen in hall-rooms,
— a matter of little regret : it is performed by only one
})air, and consists of a series of quiet movements with the
feet, and waving with handkerchiefs. The negroids are
very fond of dancing : in moonlight nights they assem-
ble and dance till the morning, accompanied by chant-
ing, a drum made of the hollow trunk of a tree, and an
instrument i)f band)0() filled with pebbles. There are ge-
nerally conjurors, ro})e-dancers, and bands of comedians
at l\maina, who always attract a great mass of s})ectators.

The anmsements of the children are characteristic of
the country, being such as recpiire but little bodily ex-
ercise, and devoid of that aaiety and wildness which
attend the juvenile games in northern regions. Fire-
works, kite-flying, " pitch and toss," and mimicking re-
ligious processions, form their })rhK'ipal games. The
latter, far from being displeasing, is, on the contrary,
encom'aged ; the parents delight in seeing their ofi-
spring, at so early an age, practising the outer forms of
their worship. But the yonng soon lay playthhigs aside,
and early assume the air and dress of grown-np people,
rescmbhng in this respect most Spanish Americans, of
whom it has been sarcastically said, that they are never
children and never become men.

The Spanish language, the vernacular tongue, is spoken
with greater piuity than in most parts of America. It
abounds however in provincialisms, and Castilians find
nnich to censure. The letters c and z are never lisped ;
the s is generally left out if at the end of a word ; the d

:310

THE VOYAOE OF JI.M.H. IIERALU.

[Maij.

is not pronounced in many instances ; the / and /• are
often interchanged. Besides these peculiarities, a num-
ber of expressions arc peculiar to the country, and origi-
nated either hi the corruption of Indian words or in local
causes. French, Itahan, and Portuguese, from their close
resemblance to Spanish, are understood by mai:y educated
people. But it appears that respecting English, some
misconception prevails. Captain Basil Hall, when visiting
Panama in 1822, met several negroes who could speak the
latter, and hence concluded that that language, on account
of the intercourse with Jamaica and other British colonies
in the West Indies, was much diffused. The conclusion
was far from being correct. Before the arrival of the
North Americans, there were only few w^ho had mastered
it ; at present several nev^^papers are published in Eng-
lish ; it is also taught in the College, which will un •
doubtedly greatly assist in spreading it. Those however
who think that within a few years it will become the ver-
nacular tongue, seem to be rather sanguine in their ex-
pectations. Many attempts have been made to establish
English in Wales, Ireland, and the Highlands of Scot-
land, French in Alsace, and Danish in Holstein, but
little progress has yet been made. To suppress a lan-
guage by substituting another, is a most difficult and
tedious task : a satisfactory result must be the work of
centuries.

\}Iau.

311

[uul /• are
;, n imui-
uid origi-
)r ill local
licir close
y educated
ish, some
Dn visiting
speak the
)n account
ill colonies
conclusion
val of the
1 mastered
id hi Eng-
i will un-
,e however
le the ver-
I their ex-
3 estabUsh
of Scot-
stein, but
a lan-
cult and
le work of

CHAPTER XX.

The Indians of the Isthmus — Their early Intercourse with Mexico and
Peru — Dorachos — Savauerics — San Bias Indians — Bayauos —
Cholos.

Had the invasion of the Spaniards been delayed a few
centimes, the Isthmus would probably have witnessed a
collision between the two greatest nations of America, —
the ancient Peruvians and the Mexicans. While the
Incas were pushing their conquests to the north, the
Aztec monarchs extended their empire toward the south-
east, and ere long they woidd have come in contact.
Although there is a diiference of opinion amongst histo-
rians as to whether these nations possessed a knowledge
of each other's existence, there can be no doubt that
the aboiigines of the Isthmus were aware of the opu-
lence and power of both. At the time of the discovery a
constant intercourse was kept up between Veraguas and
Central America, which was intimately connected with,
or, as others assert, formed a part of the Mexican em-
pire. Peru was equally known to the Isthmians. Balboa,
long before reaching the Pacific Ocean, received informa-

:U2

TUK VOYAdE Ol' II. M.S. lll'.U.VIJ).

[.l/«y,

hi.

5 :

.'1

tioii conceminfj; an ciiipiiv of great wealth ; and after he
had arrived at the (lulf of San Mi<jjnel, the fiuhaiis traeed
oil the sand the outhne of the Haina, an animal peculiar
to Peru. As pictorial illustrations, to whieli the Ineas
were strangers, could not have couvey(;d to the Dariens
an idea of the animal, it is not unreasonable to conclude
that the informers had actually visitcul the dominions,
the productions of which they described, for which their
never-sinkiug rafts of balsa-wood and the light winds of
the south-west coast offered great facilities. Cundina-
marca w\is still nearer ; and if thi'y were accpiainted
with regions so distant, they could hardly be ignorant
of that degree of civilization which the inhabitants of
thost! parts enjoyed in which at present the city of Bogota
stands.

But the aboriginal Isthmians, however extensive their
knowledge of foreign nations may have been, had derived
little benefit from it. They were rude anJ. barbarous
savages, who, divided into many hostile tribes, waged
continual w^arfare with each other. It is only in Western
Veraguas that traces of a more civilized people are found.
These parts w'cre inhabited by a nuuKTOus tribe, the
Dorachos, and still show their remains, — toinl)s, monu-
nunits, and columns of different sizes, covered with fan-
tastic figures, or representations of natural objects, dif-
fering entirely from either the hieroglyphics of Mexico
or those of Central America. At Caldera, a few leagues
from the town of David, lies a granite T)lock, known to
the country-people as the " Piedra phital," or painted
stone. It is fifteen feet high, nearly fifty feet in circum-
ference, and flat on the top. Every j)art, es})ecially the

Mdf/,

IS4^.

A NCI K NT TOM lis.

:\ I '.\

1(1 at't(T lie
lans traced
il peculiar

the liicas
lie Darieiis
conclude
:lonunious,
vlucli their
it winds of

Cundina-
accjuainted
e ignorant
ibitants of
^ of Bogota

nisivc their
ad derived
l)arl)arous
>es, waged
n Western
are found,
tribe, the
bs, monu-
with fan-
)jects, dif-
of Mexico
w leagues
known to
r painted
in circuni-
lecially the

eastern sicU;, is coveriul wilh figures. One represents a
radiant sun ; it is followed by a series of heads, all with
some variation, scorpions, and fantastic tiguri's. The top
aiul the other sides have signs of a circular and oval form,
crossed by lines. IMie sculpture is ascribed to the I)o-
rachos, l)ut to what pnrjjose the stone was applied, no
historal account nor ti'adition reveals ; it seems [)roba-
ble however that it was intended to commemorate their
annals. Many Indian nations claim (h'scent from the
sun, and perhaps on that accomit a representation of that
body is placed first ; the heads may possibly denote the
different chiefs, and the various appendages be meant
to ex[)ress particular occurrences of their reigns. What
the other characters may signify is difficult to say, but
they [U'e too irregidar and too much scattered about to
be mere ornaments : synnnetry is the first aim of the
savage in ])eautifying. The characters are an inch deep ;
on the weather sich; however they are nesu'ly effaced.
As they no doubt were all originally of the same depth,
an enormous time nmst have elapsed before the granite
ce-.'.ld thus be worn away, and a much higher anticpiity
nmst be assigned to these hieroglyphics than to the
other monuments of America. Several columns arc seen
in the town of David, where they are used for building
purposes ; the characters on them differ from those of
the " Piedra pintal," by being raised and considerably
smaller.

The Guacos, or tombs, of the Dorachos an? of interest ;
they are extremely numerous, and attest that the country
was thickly p()[)ulated. They are of two descriptions :
those upon which the most })ains have been bestowed,

314

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.8. HERALI).

{May,

and which j)ro])al)ly enclosed mciii])LTs of tlic wcnhlncr
classes, consist of flat stones j)iit together, resembling
in shape and size the collins used hi Northern Europe;
they are slightly covered with mould, and earthen vases
are found withhi ; the vessels are of good workman-
ship, and in the shape of basins or of tripods, the legs
being hollow, and containing several loose balls. Oc-
casionally roiuid agates, with a hole in their centre, and
small eagles have been met with. It seems to have been
customary among the Doracho tribe to wear these eagles
around the neck, by way of ornament ; Ferdinand Co-
lumbus frequently mentions them when sjx'aking of
Veraguas and the adjacent Mosquito shore. Several
have been found in the last few years; most of them
measure from wing to wing about foiu* inches. Tombs
of the second class are more frequent : they consist of a
heap of large pebbles, from three to four feet in height,
and descending as nmch below the sm'face ; no vases or
ornaments are found in these graves, but always one or
more stones for grinding Indian corn, made, like most of
the vessels, with three legs. The present inhabitants,
who still pursue the same method of making bread as
those who formerly occupied the country, value these
stones highly, and pay a high price for them. In several
instances bodies have been met with, which however at
the shghtest touch crumbled into dust. The inhabitants
of the canton of Alanje speak of other remarkable re-
mains in the Northern Cordillera, one of which is said
to be a rocking-stone, but no satisfactory account could
be procured.

From the scanty information left by historians, it is

\}lay.

184H.1

INDIANS.

;U5

wenltluiM'
scnibliii^
Europe ;
len vases
v'orkiumi-
, the legs
11a. Oe-
iitre, and
lave been
i3se eagles
imnd Co-
making of

Several
of them

Tombs

nsist of a

n height,

) vases or

ys one or

:e most of

labitants,

bread as

lue these

W. several

3wever at

habitants

vable re-

h is said

int could

[ins, it is

inipossibh; to deeidi; whether the tribes who inhabited
Northern VeraguaH at the time of its discovery were con-
nected with the Dorachos. Ferdinand Cohunbns says,
" Tluiy are divided into several sniiill coniiunnities, and
governed by caci(|ues. 'W\v principal towns of the (lis-
trict are Zobraba, Urira, Veragua, Dnrnri, and ('ateba.
The customs are for the most part the sann; as those of
llispaniola and the adjacent islands. The people of
Veragua and the neighbouring country, when talking to
one another, are constantly turning their backs, and they
are always chewing an herb, which we believe to be the
reason that their teeth are rotten and decayed. Th(;ir
principal food is lish ; they have abundance of maize, from
which they make red and white chic/ia, or beer ; they
also prepare several sorts of wine from the pith of palms
and the fruit of several other trees. They are skilful in
manufacturing golden ornaments, and keep up a constant
intercourse with the inhabitants of Central America*."

At the time of the discovery the Indians of Darien and
Panama had made less progress towards civilization than
those of Veraguas, though they were more polished than
the aborigines of Santamarta and the coast previously
explored by the Spaniards. There were no monuments,
nor any towns or villages, the houses being scattered at
irregular distances. War was frequent between the dif-
ferent tribes, and the flesh of the enemies was devoured
by the victors. The men, when not engaged in flghting,
occupied themselves with fishing, hunting, and culti-
vating the fields, while the women performed domestic
duties. Both sexes had some kind of dress, diftering in

* Kerr's Voyages and Travels, vol. iii. chap. i.

310

THE VOYAGE OF 11. M.S. \ ZRALI).

[3/a//,

this respect considerably from the natives of the West
India Islands ; the men wore around their loins a cover-
ing composed of sea-shells, the wonieii garments of cot-
ton, which reached to the feet. Polygamy prevailed, but
only the eklest son of one wife was considered k'giti-
niate. When a chief died, the heir and twelve of the
chief's people, wrapt in sheets, sat all night around the
corpse, singing in a melancholy tone the exploits and
history of the deceased ; the canoes, arms, fishing imi)le-
nients, etc., were burnt, in the belief that the smoke
ascended to the place whither their lost friend was gone.
All the concubines were interred with the chief, it being
believed that they would go with him to a place where
their services would again be required. The corpse,
after being enclosed in the best blankets {nm?iim), and
decorated with golden ornaments, was suspended over a
fire, and the grease dropping out carefully collected into
earthen vessels ; when dry, the body was interred, or, in
some districts, preserved above ground.

The natives seem to have had some knoAvledgc of
a Supreme Being, to whom ^as attributed the power
of causing the celestial movements, sunshhie, rain, etc.,
and they attached much faith to certain men called
Masters, who were supposed to be gifted with super-
natural powx'rs, and capable of foretelling the future.
Each of these " Masters" possessed a hut, without either
door or roof, and on being consulted went into his hut,
whence, after repeating a prayer, he returned with an an-
swer. The belief in witchcraft also existed, the v/itches
being thought to be connected with the devil, and ca])able
of injuring infants, and even adults. Evil spirits were

of the West
oiiis a cover-
iients of cot-
H'evailed, hut
idered legiti-
twelve of the
t around the
exploits and
isliing iniph'-
,t the smoke
lid Avas gone,
hief, it being

l)lace \vliei'(!

The corpse,
iiiantaf^), and
ended over a
jollected into
terred, or, in

nowledge of
the power

le, rain, etc.,
men called
with super-
the future.

ithout either

iito his hut,
with an an-
the witches
and ca])al)le
spirits were

1 848. J

KlNfl I.OHA Mi^NTKZFMA.

317

seen in different shapes, generally in that of a beautiful
youth ; the latter a})})earance was adopted not to frighten
the victims, and secure them mon^ easilv. There was a
tradition of a deluge : when the flood came a man with
his wife and three sons escaped in a large canoe, and
afterwards [)eopled the world*.

The Indians who at present inhabit the Isthmns are
scattered over Bocas del Ti)ro, the northern portions of
Veraguas, the north-eastern shores of Panama, and al-
most the whole of Darien, and consist ])rincii)ally of four
tribes, the Savanerics, the San Bias Indians, the Bayanos,
and the Cholos. Each tribe speaks a different language,
and they are not unfrecpiently at war with each other.
A campaign of some dm-ation took place in 1847 between
the Bayanos and San Bias Indians, and engagcjd tlie
energies of the former to such an extent that for some
time their trading voyages to Panama were sus[)ended,
which caused a scarcity of provisions amongst the inha-
bitants of that city.

The Savanerics oecui)y the northern portion of Veraguas,
and appear to be most numerous in a district situated a
few days' journey from the village of Las Palnuis. One of
their chiefs has adopted the pompous title of King Lora
Montezuma, and pretends to be a descendant of the Mexi-
can Emperor conquered by Cortez ; ahnost every year lu;
sends andjassadors to Santiago, the capital of Veraguas, to
inform the authorities that he is the legitimate lord of the
country, and that he protests against any assumption on
the part of the New-Granadian government. These am-
bassadors, who appear in mean dresses, and make known

* llerreia, ' liistona (jieueral,' Dec. IV. libro i. rap. 10 y 11.

318

THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

{May,

their mission in broken Spanish, are generally treated
with ridicule. Although no credit can be attached to
the assertion of King Lora that he is a descendant of the
great Montezuma, yet there is reason to suppose — and
futm'e investigations may tend to corroborate the sup-
position — that his subjects are a remote branch of the
great family of Anahuac. Direct intercourse existed at
the time of the discovery between the southern portions
of the Mexican empire and Veraguas ; little eagles, the
national emblem of Mexico, are frequently met w^itli in
the tombs of the district, and chocolate is still the preva-
lent drink. Such facts are, in themselves, important
enough to draw upon this tribe the attention of the eth-
nologist. Unfortunately no European has as yet had
time to study it, and the Spanish inhabitants are too indo-
lent, and, it may be added, too nuich prejudiced against
the Indians, ever to arrive at correct concj. t or to
make proper use of the rich materials scatte.^a around
them. How they reason may be inferred from the fol-
lowing : A gentleman, more intelligent than the generality
of his countrymen, said, " The very fact that that Indian
takes the name of Lora, that of a parrot, is sufficient to
show what a man he must be." I told him however
that " Lora," in the language of the natives, might have
an entirely different signification, and that the mere si-
milarity of sound was no proof of identity of meaning,
and that the proceedings of this Indian chief looked so
business-like, that, in my opinion, he must either be
himself a superior man, or must have some European
counsellor to direct his movements.

The Savanerics are a fine athletic race, but nre hardly

{May,

lly treated
ittached to
;lant of the
pose — and
e the sup-
nch of the

existed at
rn portions
eagles, the
let with in
i the preva-

iniportant
of the eth-
is yet had
re too indo-
rsed against
; or to

a around
an the fol-

generaUty
lliat Indian
lufficient to

ii however
bight have
mere si-
meaning,

looked so

either be

I European

nre hardly

1848.]

SAVANERICS.

319

distinguishable from their neighbours by any peculiarity
of features. Their dress consists of short loose breeches,
a kind of frock, and a broad hat. The garments are
made cither of wool, cotton, or the fibre of the Cucua.
Dresses of the latter are connnon to all the Indians of
the Isthmus, and, if well made, are perfectly waterproof.
Their arms consist of boAvs, arrows, and spears, better
adapted perhaps for hunting than for war. In their vil-
lages they live together in palcnques, circular buildings,
containing in the centre a spacious hall, and on the sides
smaller apartments, in which the different families, or
perhaps the branches of one large family, reside. Poly-
gamy prevails universally, and, as in most communities
where this institution exists, the women are considered
as inferior beings ; they have to perform all the hard
labour, — however heavy the burden, however great the
distance to which it has to be transported, the wives
have to carry it, while their husbands, with their l)ows
and arrows in their hands, leisurely walk by the side,
and probably amuse themselves by playing with the dogs
or shooting birds.

Their food consists chiefly of Indian corn. They catch
fish by poisoning the water with the pounded leaves of
the Barbasco, and make excursions which furnish deer,
sajinos, pigs, and wild turkeys. Cacao and maize, roasted
and reduced to powder, arc used for making theii- prin-
cipal beverage. Their mode of disposing of the dead is
the same as that of their forefathers. The corpse is
wrapped in bandages, slowly dried over the fire, then
deposited on a scaffold, and for some time supplied with
food and drink. Besides their own clothing, the Indians

320

TFIK VOYAGK OF ll.iM.S. HKHAM).

[J%,

inanufactiir(3 from the fibres of the Pita {BromcUn sp.)
bags of all sizes and colours, known by the name of
chacaraii, and they collect the resin of the Samnerio
{Sti/raa:), which, emitting an agreeable odour, is burnt
as incense in the churches of Veraguas. Mules, horses,
donkeys, siiid cattle arc bred by them in great numbers,
and taken to the adjacent towns and villages. What-
ever may be disposed of, they seldom taccept money in
exchange ; the most welcome return are knives, machetes,
and other cutting instruments, and above all dogs, for
which they have a great liking ; unfortunately their fond-
ness does not seem to be exercised in the same manner
as among civilized people ; the poor animals, after hav-
ing been some time with their new masters, become very
lean and skinny.

In order to ascertain i\.^ height of an object, a pecu-
liar method of measurement is in use. In measuring
the height of a tree, for instance, a man proceeds from
its base to a point where, on tiu'uing the back towards
it, and putting the head betAveen the legs, he can just
see the top. At the spot where he is able to do this, he
makes a mark on the ground, and then paces the dis-
tance to the base of the tree : this distance is ecpial to
the height. This method, in which, from constant prac-
tice, the Indians have attained a skill almost approaclung
to geometrical accuracy, answers the common purposes
of ilife, and is universally practised by the Spaniards
of Veraguas.

The Manzanillo, or San Bias Indians, inhabit the
north-eastern portion of the province of Panama. They
occasionally visit Portobelo and the neighl)ouring vil-

{Mail,

^romclia sp.)
:lie name of
K> Saumerio
mr, is burnt
[ules, liorsos,
?at numbers,
Tcs. Wliat-
pt money in
28, machetes,
all dogs, for
y their fond-
ame manner
Is, after hav-
become verv

)ject, a pecu-

11 measuring

oceeds from

ack towards

he can just

do this, he
ces the dis-

is e(|ual to
nstant prac-
approaching
en purposes
3 Spaniards

inhabit the
una. They
i)om'hig vil-

lb4S.]

C HOLDS.

3:21

lages, and live in almost constant feud with the Bayanos.
It was probably this tribe that came in conflict with Co-
lumbus's crew during his fourth voyage of discovery,
when, unlike most savages, they exhibited no fear at the
discharge of the cannons ; the thunder of man probably
appeared to tluMu insignificant when compared with the
terrible tornadoes that so frequently visit their coast.
But this nmst at present remain a matter of conjecture,
as our knowledge; of the tribe is very limited ; of its lan-
guage we are totally ignorant.

The Bayanos inhabit the district about the river Chepo,
and are a warlike people, who up to this time have pre-
served their independence, jealously guarding their terri-
tory against the white man. Their dislike of S])aniar(ls
andthcirdescendants is intense, and strongly contrasts with
their friendly disposition towards the English, — a feeling
entertahied since the days of Dampier and Wafer. Bri-
tish vessels annually touch at the northern coast for the
pm-pose of trading, and it is probably from that source
that some of the Bayanos have obtained a smattering of
English. Their cacique has frequently paid visits to the
British representative at Panama, but there the friend-
ship ended : the consul, on asking permission to show
the same mark of attention to the chief, was told that no
Em'opeans were allowed to enter the country, and if he
attempted such a journey it would cost him his life.

The Cholo Indians are a widely diftVised tribe, ex-
tending from the Gulf of San Miguel to the Bay of Choco,
and thence with a few interruptions to the northern parts
of the Republic of Ecuador. They may be traced along
the coast by their peculiar mode of raising their habita-

VOL. I. Y

322

THE VOYACiE OF H.M.S. HERALD.

In;,'

m
■I

Is I

tions upon [)oles six or eight feet above the ground.
Their wide range explains an liistorical difficulty. In
reading of the discovery of Peru, how the Spaniards gra-
dually pushed southwards, everywhere making iufpiiries
about the empire of the Incas, and even obtaining infor-
mation of the city of Cuzco, we are at a loss to under-
stand how it was that the accounts given by the natives
were intelligible to them. Even the best historians have
left this enigma unex})lained. But the fact that the same
language is spoken from San Miguel to tIios(; districts
where the Qnichua conunences, and that it was familiar
to the Spaniards before they started, enables us to com-
prehend how tlie existence of the dominions of Atahualpa
could be known on the banks of the Churchunque, how
Balboa could receive information respecting the llama,
and how Pizarro and his followers could converse with
natives who had never ])efore beheld the face of a white
man.

ENn or VOL. 1.

PRINTED ISV JOll.N tUWAKD TAVLOB.
LITTLE aUEEN STUEET. LINCOLN'S INN H!LI)S.

D ground,
nilty. Ill
liards gra-
; iiKiuiries
ling infor-
to iiiidcr-
lic natives
ri.'ins have
t the same
e districts
as taniihar
IS to coni-
Atahualpa
nqiie, how
the Hania,
verse with
of a white