CHAPTER XVIII. 



Leaving Navy Bay, Chagres, Fort San Lorenzo — Arrival at Gaiun 

 Station — Resume our Journey in a Small Boat — A Night at Dos 

 Herminos — An Early Start — The River by Moonlight — Appear- 

 ance of Morning — Breakfasting at Ahorca Lagata — The River 

 Scenery — Arrival at Bujio Saldado. 



After a few days spent on the Island of Manzan- 

 illa, the head quarters of the Panama Railroad 

 Company in Navy Bay, I left for the station as- 

 signed me at Bujio Saldado, up the Chagres River, 

 a distance of thirty miles. I had already become 

 impatient to see the interior of the country, and it 

 was with no small gratification that I went on board 

 the little iron steamer Gorgona, which was to take 

 us around the point, a distance of ten miles, to Cha- 

 gres, and from thence up the river to Gatun, a dis- 

 tance of nine more. Stopping an hour or two at 

 Chagres, I took a stroll along this smallest, and al- 

 together most miserable place in the world, that is 

 made the regular port of so many lines of steam- 

 ships. Notwithstanding the deplorable aspect of 

 everything about Chagres, and the fact that gam- 

 bling and rum-selling are two conspicuous and often 

 outside occupations, yet it is not by any means des- 

 titute of respectable inhabitants. In the short time 



