DIARY AND NOTES 341 



indeed seems like a revival of old acquaintanceship— that 

 does one good not less on the high seas than on the desert. 

 By a mistake we went North as far as Cape Manzanillo, 

 which is the more surprising as our captain has made this 

 trip back and forth for ten long years, and ought to know 

 the proper route perfectly. This delay brings us two 

 hours later to Aspinwall, but in time for the train, which 

 leaves at half-past nine. 



The air is refreshing and the scenery along the Isthmus 

 at its very best, as the vegetation in these regions appears 

 in its most luxurious colors. How different from the dry 

 and desolate looking country of six months ago. A slight 

 shower contributes to our comfort. At one o'clock wo 

 reach Panama and as the ferry-steamer "Ancon" is al- 

 ready waiting to take us to the "Sacramento," which is 

 anchored at Taboza Island, thus making it impossible for 

 us to buy curios, to the great disappointment of the na- 

 tives, some of whom actually swim along and manage to 

 board the ship in order to sell their wares, after which 

 they give an exhibition of their skill by jumping back 

 into the water in which, apparently, they are as much at 

 home as they are on land. Happy, thoughtless, easy-go- 

 ing people, nothing worries them; they eat, and work at 

 their leisure, and their needs are very few. Of course, 

 they seldom arouse themselves to do something extraordi- 

 nary nor do they have to bear the burdens which such an 

 effort would inevitably create; they live in the blessed 

 ignorance that belongs to a semi-primitive state of exist- 

 ence. 



At two o'clock we boarded the Str. " Sacramento, " 

 Capt. Parker, and soon our few belongings had been 

 stored and we settled down for the last trip. The scenery 

 was truly grand, but the heat! it was enough, it seemed to 

 us, to boil water without additional fire. We were com- 

 pelled to wait all the afternoon to take on coal, which 

 delayed the storing of freight. When evening came and 

 still no end of the cargo in sight, many of us expressed 

 the desire to go ashore once more, but we were infonned 

 that the local government forbade all passengers of the 



