NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



opportunity of testing them. A free use of the 

 telegraph on the morning of our arrival at Jamaica, 

 and the courtesy of the officials of the various com- 

 panies concerned, relieved us from all anxiety, and 

 reduced our stay within the shortest possible limits. 

 It was true that the regular train had been despatched 

 before we could land, but a special engine was in 

 readiness to convey us across the isthmus, and the 

 agent for the Pacific mail steamer at Panama had 

 detained the ship bound for Lima until the same 

 evening in order to enable us to continue our voyage. 



Since the commencement of the works connected 

 with the canal. Colon must have undergone much 

 improvement. The bronze statue of Columbus pre- 

 sented by the Empress Eugenie, which for many 

 years had lain prostrate in the mud of the sea-beach, 

 has been cleansed and placed upon a stone pedestal. 

 A number of stores, frail structures of wooden planks, 

 were arranged in an irregular street, and displayed a 

 great variety of European goods. It was rather sur- 

 prising to find the prices of sundry small articles 

 purchased here extremely moderate. One might 

 suppose that the only inducement that could lead 

 people to trade in a spot of such evil repute would be 

 the hope of exorbitant profits enabling them soon to 

 retire from business. 



Of the works connected with the Ship Canal little 

 was to be seen from the railway cars. For its eastern 

 termination the mouth of the Chagres river, which 

 reaches the sea close to Colon, has been selected. I 

 am not aware whether it is proposed to divert the 

 course of that stream from the channel of the canal, 



