Jan.] PORTO BELLO. 233 



prcted compliments as daughter of the governor. My surprise reached 

 its climax when I was ushered into the adjacent room. 



" His excellency had completed his toilet, and very frankly came 

 forward to welcome me. I will not attempt to describe his person or 

 his dress, except so far as to say that I found myself greeted with a 

 Spanish embrace by an indifferent looking mulatto. He warmly 

 pressed me to dine with him, in company with a deputation of St. 

 Bias Indians, with whom he was negotiating a treaty. I declined the 

 honour, my friend having promised me a delicious turtle dinner : which 

 of the New-York aldermen, fond as they are of honour, would not 

 have done the same I I was excused on the promise that I would wine 

 with him after the repast. 



" Accordingly, after luxuriating with my friend, with a restored, I 

 may say a voracious appetite — I had eaten nothing for the past twenty 

 days, — I repaired to his excellency's, and found a pretty numerous 

 party, Indians included, libating 4 pottle deep.' By the time these ab- 

 origines felt the liquor mantling, the wily governor and his friends in- 

 fused high-proof brandy in their Madeira ; and it was not long before 

 one of them, a leading chief, left his seat very unceremoniously, and as 

 unceremoniously was conveyed from the room in a state of drunken 

 insensibility. 1 much question the policy of the governor in this ma- 

 noeuvre ; unless, indeed, by thus disposing of the chief, he got rid of 

 one opposed to his views. I would remark of these Indians that they 

 were fine-looking, muscular men, in general appearance much resem- 

 bling the aborigines of our part of the continent, particularly in the 

 gravity of their deportment. 



" During the discussion of dinner I had determined to depart imme- 

 diately for Panama, seeing no prospect of effecting a sale of the cargo 

 at Porto Bello. My arrangements were briefly made by our captain, 

 whom I desired to accompany me. I therefore made my adieus to the 

 governor, suite, and family, with as much haste as a due respect to eti- 

 quette would permit, receiving from his excellency another fraternal 

 hug at parting. I had but little opportunity of indulging the voyageur's 

 curiosity, for very soon after my escape from 'wassail and rout,' the rain 

 began to descend in torrents ; I saw enough, however, to satisfy me 

 that you lose little here by my deficiency in observation. 



" Porto Bello, as you and everybody knows, is situated on the north 

 coast of the Isthmus of Darien, now termed the Isthmus of Panama, 

 and by some the Isthmus of Costa Rica. Darien, however, is the 

 good old-fashioned name by which we were accustomed to know it in 

 our school-boy days ; and the whole is washed by the Gulf of Darien. 

 Porto Bello has a large commodious harbour, with good anchorage and 

 shelter for ships ; its entrance is narrow, and defended by severa] forts. 

 It is about seventy miles north of Panama, and three hundred west of 

 Carthagena. It is situated, as you nautical men say, in lat. 9° 33' 

 north, long. 80° 45' west, and is rapidly falling off in business and 

 importance. 



"At 10 o'clock, P. M., in a frail canoe, with two negro conductors, 

 we pushed off from alongside the schooner, bound for Chagres. It 

 required great caution in stepping on board our egg-shell conveyance, 



