174 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



shoals in it, that the actual anchoring space is 

 limited; it is, moreover, so shallow, that large 

 ships have to anchor three or four miles from 

 the town ; and even in the " Reindeer," drawing 

 only fourteen feet of water, we could not 

 approach nearer than one mile. 



The City of Panama is a picturesque, tumble- 

 down old place ; it is very dirty, and is seen at 

 a great advantage from a distance. The town 

 was originally built some miles to the eastward 

 of the present site, but was destroyed by 

 Morgan, the buccaneer; and the ruins may 

 still be seen. The climate is hot and unplea- 

 sant all the year round, and the place has the 

 reputation of being unhealthy, although we did 

 not find it so. Indeed many of the ailments 

 common to Panama are, I suspect, more often 

 due to " cocktails " (a mixture of brandy, ice, 

 bitters, sugar, and lemon) than to climate. 



Now cocktails are very insinuating things 

 when cleverly prepared, and, with the ther- 

 mometer at 90 in the shade, are not to be 

 despised. They should, however, be indulged 



