Show from prom the N Y herald INDIANS very interesting intelligence from the isthmus of panama GORGOSA april 24 IM jmes GORDON besset BESKET esq here I 1 am in excellent company I 1 fell in with col hughes Il engineer in chief of the panama railroad a few days since I 1 am by liis his kindness to accompany his party on an ILI expedition ollay isthmus of panama for the local localities itTes I 1 must refer yo you u to the map imp which will save me the trouble of scribing describing ee places in the company are H sidell esq hs he 13 is the chief on one engineer p ineer of the panama division wm norris esq who is chief engineer of the chagres chabre 8 division and dr MB ALB alstead halstead II surgeon and d naturalist I 1 will give you some account of their scientific proceedings col hughes among his numer numerous oui investigations 9 eions as to the various routes from the pacific to the atlantic Allu itic obtained information of the existence of a route through the domingo country which was represented aa as having only eight miles of land carriage upon obtaining this information he decided to proceed and examine this route in person orson accordingly on the of april we left the harbor of chagres chagares in the steamer orus captain tucker whose skill as a navigator and his attentive civilities to the party will mail long be held in pleasant remembrance col hughes talking advantage of this good opportunity port unity ordered the steamer to course aro around in d the shores dlores of lemon bay day which is situated some MX eix six miles from chagres chagares Ch agres in a northeasterly direction this noble bay is about four miles wide at its entrance and about three miles in len ien length on the eastern de the island of dlan alan illa liia is 1 c onside twining about acres of high and dry land twelve feet above high tide amm aff lording affording an admirable I 1 portion for f 1 a large city at its southern extremity a passage of about sixty feet separates it from the main land on its ea ew tern si sid bid dc the vie apet of water which divides it from the main maln miln maln I 1 aint i ii I 1 ia is about half a mile in width from three I 1 five fathoms deep thus thua surrounded by asca antl and open to every breese it cannot be othera ise lse tse ise than healthy col filhes ilhes having previously se sele bele lecel cei point cc co solo in this bay a he the atlantic terminus of his railroad was wt v 11 1 pleased to find that the info im oi mation nation he had hil gathered at home oa wh which rh he had based in hi original instructions to his eng en was correct in every particular ile he found lyt lit herc here re an admirable terminus a safe harbor of sufficient sufian at capacity to contain sail the best anch am hi rage M e with mith a depth of water from five to gevea w cri fathoms in the centre and from two to thee three th ee fathoms in some places v within ten feet fret of the shore this splendid harbor os no breakwater it 11 can be entered with in a any u y wind wi nd th this 3 is the op nion of capt tucker and also of other experienced navigators after leaving point coco solo we shaped gur cur our course to porto bello meeting with some turtle hermen fishermen fis on the beach of alar ga ritta island their nets expanded and nume numerous roub roua decoy turtles made mad of wood to represent the fermie female le floating a few inches under water green turtles turtle sare sore are not so abundant as last year nearly every shernan fisherman fi having forsaken his callin calling to become a boatman or carrier carrier the chagares chagres river in consequence of the trebly advanced prices for labor induced by the influx of california emigrants the coast from lunar bay to porto bello ia is highly picturesque the lofty summits of tha the cordilleras cordilleran Cordi lleras the boundary of the two oceans proclaim the grandeur of their creation lere here hills on hills in solemn grin grandeur deur rise rocks rich in gems and mountains bi big rr with mines whence many a bursting stream 2 plays early in dio die ie afternoon we arrived at the old spanish ih city eity of porto bello captain tucker had decorated hi his 19 ship aw W 1 with I eth ith flags on every mast and upon roud W g to fired a chite s all ali 1 the vessels in rooi displayed their colors among among several of the nevy nesy new Gran Gra adlan nadian flag ahe ghe ahe inhabitants crowded the ramparts and euis yUls s and we irei wen soon assured of a lienzi welcome the object of col II 11 tithes visit to this city c it 1 was to examine into ike ige the merits of a route t to 0 canama Ta panama nama which had bad been peculiarly extolled by the governor of porto bello and it resulted in the appointment of an assistant engineer john may alay esq to make a reconnoitre of the samie same I 1 A boat put off from the ci citadel Ladel badel bearing the governor and suite who were received on board with due huor after an h hours hurs urs con we were invited on shore and proceeded ceedee to inspect the once powerful water batteries now alas in decay the splendid brua brus guns lay ur urh heeded on the brounda gro ground unda a splendid wreck of spanish pride the ilie cannon mig halls yet in a artistic austic piles resting to their centres bentres cen tres were on this oc occasion udd by LL tha a gallant captain of the orus his equally gal lint broter brother and the arni amiable able abie surgeon aa a bowls upon the prom promenade enad athi fh b kleen kieen almen which thus was made a spius bw bawling ling saloon an A a aid ald de decamp camp of orthe the governor waited wailed upon colonel hughes with an invitation for mai max and suite to a 0 ajl t g v vea ven e a thit that eve nm nin winch chic a having b t n apted we w proceeded 51 51 ed at the app iiii a I 1 i a 1 in a bad body to iha tha H liv itei itel l and du da C id maini que to nake name mike our oar toilette tai lai 1 a ba bur of this th s clie cde c de is super n ended bj by a quien quee n of sheba in silver spectacles who as ild i ld cd by her four amiable d augh ugh r presa s with great C d ver vet th the conc cine cu in ot of p acci and 0 e rt r arsh lysh r sh d wk WL WI als hsuing using asing I 1 lof bof ni of ii a cool I 1 made amade a it nade w 0 mourned i i i Y vi I 1 ion t a aw w id ij ig y ju 1 i i bing b ing ci 0 i i i i ld lc J in a r yb n nina nida hu whre v hire we v r n v r b u q 1 I e vilil ni id J tae tar bride iride of as libl i ibi ibl ba i iid ild bud div th ace T Y r d tot tol s inon lon m in the gr 0 0 cl cla git z t w wh h tl vi hill bill b ili ill wa wu j it g maced m aced bj b MP ail i beamut n wi of imly cli eli we ave c e I 1 I 1 cpr i that ii i ugh the c c I 1 mn aln wi wt t c fast fist i i 11 la orl erl luring ori ng to si vl i eyes of w hen een w h C 1 d l a baw urca ai on n ca ea h lip gave give no cv ev d i 0 o oad f d a aj ri vi its ltd laha n n it tu 1 ov vini i ing inq in at at d leht ight we ive ed edi d va t maa ri n B tv araoz a about awn a rin win EI to te tse T e of tte r c arr ari a ru liland this bay is said slid ti t contain I 1 11 I 1 la linds linda wh w h ch c a are ire held la ta fc t I 1 p ases n m of the lie t ma iia ila lul lui il 0 i indians wh d 1 not nat p r ait jit the KJ therin ther in of a iv v ha aln aan bet bei i nt n t of their own tribe and I 1 oa arv tty T TJ li tc ve Is known f their history tad aad AS a they tiley th ivies vies i fles ar are aher noncom oun farn active or in mr want nt and ns is it is believed b k vp p no r rd of their origin alay prad pa a verbe ed they I 1 vc ve a aar any aing thenis iv q symme occupying cie vie t ie lland liland alne saine the inal inai i land sand bu but all firmly d as a band obeying one chef or old man wh i is bel ved t 0 ba b endowed by god with all ail and power the is 1 the tho old nun min ts 13 the tiie spa tul 1 ad adv ady v a 3 r as well as chief judge in temporal affairs lie ile is pw powerful erful in mind and end nd body and all hrs his h s fal faz faculties are evergreen ever even oteen oreen god endows him with peculiar health heale lie ile ka acknowledged and regarded girded re by his people ai the vice regent of god and all his orders arm are obeyed ile he is also the lie great medicine the tha cure all in cases of or infirmity they apply to him and whether cheth r relief is ol tau d it ir not the applicants ar caten ed colel col coi ini ina hughe pro propound ou ouida id d th fleit ton ion sup cup up n vh n des dies dea wc lui office cf rl old mm min dest desi desa d at the decease of the present oid old told ikaji inq to reply was to th the aex acx lenin of va tribe C cl il suppose Sup poc poe the tile s diles kruid n t ha be endowed with 1 th h a barne sune une unc q i uiles jiles 0 in garice reil rail thit cannot be for wh ahn u the mn mma A 0 o i d liidi the great spirit tat tilt ta t mind with eith nil all knowledge kev 3 the old r im ln 1 l a dos eos evera in Y T le ie mi ri I 1 lanil lau tau h s a id ie PI if ever ben b en alpi it A d b 7 f fir rr m aera apra ar ard d n crib 1 ai n r is k known iown lown 4 fit it T ii lands landi p esi espito aspito ita tta of t lise a 1 ignell cr ab 0 o rrb i th tha siz sir si sl r tco ice 0 se f e jih lid lis iid is bem bc nod j are th result a 0 ji aasi e s Z product ni of n ulu r the she the th ihre comi coral lal ial ioline fl f beaul i chite s e i are as ut u BB as natu nato c ci oin cin n make th to i U ad r the glear liuo waxy waky c f 11 u 1 and fantasia fanta gus sus ar i lanc ang with wih md tinta of every shiz shiu chiz eh jw tx weca green purple brown and white equalling in beauty and excelling in grandeur the most favorite parterre of the curious curious florist the surface of 0 these islands at first emerging from the bea sea are slightly covered with sands gands to which has been added the soil accumulated f from rom the feathers and dung C of birds of prey with leaves and branches of trees washed ashore is composed of the lightest mould imaginable the produce is the cocoa nut tree which is particularly adapted to all soils whether sandy rich or rocky the blessings v aich are tire conveyed to man by this single production of nature the cocoa nut tree are incalculable it grows in a stately column from thirty to fifty feet in height crowned by a verdant capital of waving branches covered with long spiral leaves under this foliage bun bundies bundles clies ciles of blossoms clusters of green fruit and others advanced to maturity appear in mingled beauty the trunk furnishes beams and rafters for houses the leaves make an excellent thatch as well as good umbrellas mats for the floor and brooms brooms while the finest fabres fibres can can ean be woven into fine carpeting the covering of the yo young fru fruit it is very curious curious resembling a piece uly ulf of thick cloth in a conical form as close and firm as if it came from the loom the nuts contain a delicious milk and a kernel sweeter than the almond which when ariee furnishes an abundance of oil and after the oil is extracted the remains feed cattle and poultry and make a good manure arrack vinegar and sugar are also made from this tree the shell of the nut furnishes cups ladles and other domestic utensils while the husk is of the utmost importance it is manufactured into ropes and cordage of every kind from the smallest twine to the lar largest frest tyest cables and which are sad said to lie be far wore more durable than those of hemp then what a blessing is the cocoa nut tree before reaching the entrance of the bay some twenty miles from land we descried a fleet of canoes under sail manai manal managed Zed with a skill that equals the best whitehall boatmen and on bearing hearing down found them to contain Mandl mandi ngo indians upon fishing excursions we shipped oae one canoe with its two indians much to the chagrin of the occupants of the others who kept up a furious jabbering in their unknown tongue we afterwards learned that the furi furl furious talker was a chief presumptive which if known at the time we would have taken him on board board no pen can the exquisite feelings 07 0 d that possessed the soul upon approaching these islands tha pictures of early cany youth so ela eia elaborated bora borm ted in our toy books when the tha young brain tikes likes the first and most liba nw impre impression slon sion were here liere spread before us the sl a tiry island in in the M bi mv v cc iri m the straight stern and wavy bm bani tic sic Vs 9 ot of tiie the titi tre s g brought back to memory ahse bygone by gone days of innocence and tuh t uh we cist rist amchir near nar the ahro s ahre of canto canyo bh 9 island eid eld no men wr elsil v sime aime le a knot knit 0 ot til iii i i e n and mad ch c idia maim w wr warp r f a h i I 1 fh f h li n t beb b h n il 3 thi UM i four of our p r in t v J ind nj d v h v w r received by tilo tile th w sr n mod a id ci czi idren dren in in ominous silence winch which produced proda yd sine s anxiety for p personal rhonal safety all fear roar however hm ever was upon the arrival of 11 who speaking ong ung a few words of earh bade us w irra if he e was wag very ye ve and presented one f the th party w v h a a snit eili add bow and quiver of arrows uni T ha hia guid ance we visited the interior of the houses campbell s daughter lay sick of a fever all the household gods were ranged in due order under the head of other her hammock and upon an altar in front the incense of cayenne and balsam wood perpetually ascended our oar good surgeon prescribed for her much to the gratification of other her father the women do not possess one single captivating tiva ting charm their stature is not over five feet heads large and face broad with a gold ring or triangle friang le through the nose huge square shoulders no waist all body their legs exposed from the knees arc encircled by fanciful bracelets of beads making deep indentations one above the ankle one above and below the calf and one above the knee the protrusion of flesh between these bracelets produces pity in ia the minds of the beholders yet it was ivus remarked that even this was a far less prejudicial practice than thin that which our american dames dimes formerly indulged in viz the practice of encircling their lovely waists in whalebone compressions a habit hibit now happily abandoned by all the fashionable beauties the men are short and stumpy nat over five feet six inches on an average thick and square buil tand are capable of enduring great fi tigue fatigue their heads are remarkably large and round features prominent with all the physiognomy of the jew they have a plurality of wives wires according to their means they permit no communication with foreigners and the woman so offending is stoned to death it is a part of their religious creed to keep their race pure and unadulterated they profess to have a restorative for the organs of reproduction the effects effiec ts of which welch upon administration will last for eight year years our surgeon fortu fortunately natel y obtained some some of the remedy which has lias been pronounced part and parcel of the body of the turtle A question arose as to whether this Us people be he not descendents of one of the loa lost tribes of israel upon our arrival col hughes distinctly avowed the of his visit viz to make a journey jounney overland to the pacific buth but he ewaa ewas wa referred to the old moan roan wh who alone could give a rep y the old man was accordingly sent for por and on the third day he made hr his appearance in the meantime we had ample opportunities of talking with the tle tl e nati na natives tives tivee ver vcr and some of our conversations eventuated to our great amusement decide whether they are supremely ignorant or excessively cunning P they are careful in ans answering questions in regard to their country and alad ar are jealous of all foreigners they have never submitted to any foreign 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