of an Orchid Hi t nter. 2 1 3 



to their church, and there it is to this day. The saint 

 is placed in a glass coffin, which stands upon a marble 

 pedestal. The body is somewhat shrivelled, but not, 

 as one noted writer has irreverently put it, like jerked 

 beef. Some have described the body as a hideous 

 spectacle, but I saw nothing repulsive about it. The 

 saint appears to have been a man of middle height, 

 and as the body lies there it is clad in a coat of 

 ancient mail, with a sword and other accoutrements. 



After leaving the cathedral, I wandered about the 

 old city, admiring the many beautiful statues and the 

 curious masonry, until the Essequibo was read) 7 to sail. 

 Formerly the city was connected with the river 

 Magdalena by a ship-canal ; this still exists, but it is 

 very much filled up by the forest encroachment, and in 

 the dry season it is almost impassable. In leaving the 

 harbour a^ain we r^ot another sight of the wonderful 

 fortifications. The massive walls of the city are to all 

 appearances impregnable, and the ancient passages or 

 covered ways leading outward to the foot of the 

 adjacent mountains are still visible ; while the sides of 

 the magnificent harbour are studded with grim forts, 

 which, though now unused for more than half a 

 century, seem almost as good as new. 



Our next port of call was Colon, so famous for 

 beine the entrance to the Panama Canal from the 

 Atlantic side. This is only a few hours' sail from 

 o* 



