342 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



Mail Company Steamers to visit the city, owing to the 

 fact that such permission had been abused to a degree 

 that endangered the peace and property of the city and 

 had even cost human lives on either side. Too much 

 aguardiente, I suppose. We had consequently to exer- 

 cise patience during our imprisonment and be satisfied 

 with a look at the magnificent panorama from a distance. 

 It is now clear to me why, on my first arrival at Panama, 

 not a soul wanted to impart information as to the time 

 when the train was to leave for Aspinwall and we were 

 obliged to wait three long hours packed like sardines. 

 The inimitable "Quien sabe" (who knows) was all we 

 could get out of those fellows. 



At last we retired, hoping to find ourselves in open sea 

 the next morning but! what a disappointment! Lighter 

 after lighter appeared and unloaded and still there 

 seemed to be half a dozen in waiting. During the after- 

 noon a splendid rain refreshed the tropical air, then a 

 slight thunder-storm and all was over. Such is the win- 

 ter in Panama, I am told. 



At last the end is in sight, one more lighter and then, 

 hurrah for the open sea! I never thought that I should 

 become such a water-fiend, but I actually enjoy traveling 

 on board of ship, at least I prefer it to being impris- 

 oned on it in a tropical Port for thirty-six long hours. It 

 was nearly six o'clock when our cannon roared its fare- 

 well and the mountains echoed our salute, which rocks 

 and reefs seemed to mimic. So great was my delight that 

 mid-night had passed before I retired to my bunk. When 

 I awoke we had already reached Punta Puerco and were 

 approaching Cape Mariate. The coast of New Granada 

 is really beautiful and the lofty mountains were clad in 

 the early green from top to bottom, without a bare spot 

 anywhere; forests everywhere, yea, even the rocks seem 

 covered with green in this blessed country, as the most re- 

 mote are covered with ivy or some other climber, wher- 

 ever the trees could not possibly set roots. Now the fog, 

 a heavy, whitish fog is setting in and slowly veiling the 

 scenery I just described. Here and there the climbers 



