THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 161 



tide, as Byron has it, " leads, God knows where" ; 

 but, in this case, most likely to the bottom of the 

 river. To connect the ends of the chain was but a 

 short job, but it was of no use, for the rudder would 

 not mind the wheel after it was done ; and thus we 

 floated clown a mile and a half, in constant peril of 

 striking a rock, a snag, or having the smoke-pipe or 

 upper works swept off by overhanging trees, and in 

 such an event most likely being blown up. In this 

 critical state of affairs, I discovered, very much to 

 my satisfaction, a small boat, which I hailed, and for 

 dos pasos, which I readily counted out, I was taken 

 back to the station at Gatun. In the evening, I had 

 the satisfaction of hearing the little steamer puffing 

 up to the landing, where she tied up for the night. 



I next embarked in a canoe, manned by two na- 

 tives, an old man and his son. As I stepjied into it 

 with my valise, the considerate native placed a piece 

 of board, about four feet long and eight or ten inches 

 wide, in the bottom, and offering me his extra flannel 

 shirt, folded for a pillow, motioned for me to lie 

 down, which, however, I graciously declined, prefer- 

 ring to use my overcoat for that purpose, when 

 necessary, which proved to be the case before the 

 day was ended. We were well armed, the older 

 horiibre having a very suspicious looking musket, 

 while the hombrecite was furnished with his machete, 

 (a heavy, sword-like knife,) and I had a small fowl- 

 ing-piece, wdiich had been presented to me at the 

 Bay by a sailor, to whom I had rendered a j>rofes- 

 sional service. Thus armed and equipped, we started 



