146 THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



tion was attracted by the occupation of a woman 

 engaged in the process of cooking. The fire was 

 built between three stones, which supported an iron 

 kettle, into which she was depositing jerked beef 

 cut into small fragments, rice, jams, and bananas, 

 which, being stewed together, makes a favorite soup 

 for these people ; while the smoke of the fire found 

 egress through numerous apertures which are always 

 left as a matter of necessity, or for that purpose, in 

 these tenements. An earthen vessel, sufficiently large 

 to contain ten gallons, was in one corner, filled with 

 water, which not only becomes clear by the depo- 

 sit of its sediment in this way, but, from evapora- 

 tion on the surface as it gradually percolates, it is 

 rendered considerably cooler. The apartment was 

 fully occupied with barrels, boxes, and such like 

 trumpery, containing various articles in common 

 use, while over-head were hanging, in rich profusion, 

 plantains, bananas, corn braided in strings by the 

 husks, jerked beef, hams, &c, for San Antonio is a 

 rich man, and provides entertainment for travellers. 

 Having thus taken a cursory glance at the con- 

 tents of the domicil, and finding that the natives 

 were fast accumulating, I inquired for the patient, 

 to which query I was answered, not a little to my 

 surprise, that the sick man lived a great distance 

 back from the river. On receiving this intelligence, 

 I concluded it would be best to immediately return, 

 and consequently started, upon which our benevo- 

 lent host offered to treat, and at the same time said 

 that there was a sick man, or rather two of them, in 



