CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 



PAGE. 



Character of the Spanish Settlers — Agriculture the basis of 

 National prosperity — Example of the Spaniard and the 

 Puritan — First settlement on the Spanish Main — Discovery 

 of the Pacific Ocean by Balbao — He founds the City of 

 Panama— Porto Bello — Fort San Lorenzo . . . 9-14 



CHAPTER II. 

 Further reasons of failure by the Spaniards — Sources of His- 

 torical Information — Spain attempts to keep her Discove- 

 ries a Secret — The Buccaneers — Peculiarities of the Buc- 

 caneers 15-21 



CHAPTER III. 



History of the Isthmus continued — Crusade of the Bucca- 

 neers against Old Panama — Its plunder and destruction 

 by Morgan and his men, in 1670 22-32 



CHAPTER IV. 

 History continued — Scottish Darien Expedition — Spanish 

 Measures against it — Its Fate — Boundaries of the Isthmus 

 Panama — Its Population — Physical Aspect — Geological 

 Observations 33-41 



CHAPTER V. 



The Rivers of the Isthmus — The Rio Chagres and its Tribu- 

 taries—The Rio Grande— The Caimito— The City of 

 Panama — Its present and past State — Its Improvement— 

 The Harbor — Porto Bello — Chagres — Gorgona — Cruces — 

 Chorrera, etc. ....,.". 42-47 



CHAPTER VI. 



The Forests of the Isthmus— Their primeval State— The 

 Palms — Different Varieties — Their Characteristics — The 

 Blossoms and the Fruit — The various Products and their 

 Uses— Indispensable to the Natives ... . 48-54 



