IN THE PACIFIC. 175 



in moderately. The question is what is con- 

 sidered moderation. One individual assured 

 me that he was obliged to be very abstemious, 

 and that he seldom indulged in more than 

 eight cocktails before breakfast, though he 

 admitted to have taken fourteen on one 

 occasion. 



The distance between Panama and Colon by 

 rail is forty- seven miles, and the scenery en 

 route is very fine. Starting from Panama, the 

 line gradually ascending winds its way through 

 dense forests, until the summit is reached, at 

 the village of Matachin, when it descends to 

 the Atlantic shore. The stations on the line 

 are excessively pretty ; they are built of wood, 

 with broad verandahs around; each has its 

 little garden tastefully laid out with fruit-trees 

 and flowers. 



Colon is a miserable place, and is more un- 

 healthy than Panama, owing to the swamps at 

 the back of the town. A little excitement is 

 created on the arrival and departure of the mail 

 steamers, when many "cocktails" are con- 



