



CHAPTER V. 



The Rivers of the Isthmus — The Rio Chagres and its Tributaries — The 

 Rio Grande — The Caimito — The city of Panama — Its present and 

 past State — Its Improvement — The Harbor — Porto Bello— Cha- 

 gres— -Gorgona — Cr uces— Chorrera , ete. 



The Rio Chagres is about one hundred miles 

 long, and, from Cruces down, varies from two hun- 

 dred to three hundred feet in width. For the first 

 half of its length it flows in a south-westerly direc- 

 tion, nearly parallel to the dividing ridge, to the 

 mouth of the Obispo, and then suddenly changing its 

 course to a few degrees west of north, follows it to the 

 ocean. It abounds in sudden and abrupt turns, and 

 winds around the terminations of the hills from side 

 to side, presenting to the eye of the traveller an ever 

 changing scene of the most gorgeous vegetation in 

 the world. Its most important tributaries are the 

 Obispo, Quebrada, Agua Salud, Trinidad,, and Ga- 

 tun. 



The Pio Grande is another large river of the Isth- 

 mus, which rises on the dividing ridge, and flows the 

 other way, emptying, near Panama, into the Pacific 

 ocean. The Oaimito is also a considerable stream, 

 entering into a bay of the same name about twelve 

 miles to the south-west of Panama. A great number 



