298 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



branches of huge lignum vitae and mahogany trees, whose 

 mossy trunks seemed to grow almost parallel with the steep 

 mountain side. A hut stood near the edge of the water, built 

 of reeds and thatched with broad leaves, a sample of the 

 dwelling "places of the few mongrel descendants of the old 

 population of Porto Bello. The owner of this was paddling 

 around us in a canoe in which, on its back, lay a huge turtle, 

 whose angry eyes showed that it would turn, like the worm, 

 if it were possible. The owner made no effort to sell his prey. 

 Another boat was loaded down with bananas, which also 

 had to sell themselves or go unsold. Such independent mer- 

 chants I never saw. At last these mercantile representatives 

 of Porto Bello's vanished glory left us and lazily paddled 

 toward the ruined town, which the setting sun was now gild- 

 ing with its last rays. As it sank below the hills a mantle of 

 golden light lingered awhile on the vine-covered w^alls and 

 towers, as if to redeem the place from the loneliness and desola- 

 tion surrounding it. 



The silence about us was really oppressive, and the dark- 

 ening waters so still that the steamer hardly moved, while the 

 air of that mountain-hedged harbor was sultry beyond endur- 

 ance. These, with the sight of the ruins, which looked ghastly 

 in the twilight, and as if some of the old Castilian knights 

 and priests, friars and nuns which once dwelt in its castle 

 and convents might crawl out of their former haunts, and, 

 mistaking us for buccaneers, smite us with ancient engines of 

 warfare and harry us with exorcisms and consignments to 

 pits bottomless, gave us such feelings that we grew impatient 

 of delay and glad to leave what had been such a picturesque 

 place, but which now was getting unbearable. 



From some unexplained cause we did not leave till mid- 

 night, and when we awoke in the morning we were gaily 

 steaming over the Sea of the Caribs. On the 23d we passed 

 between Cuba and Hayti, and on the 25th entered the warm 



