214 



PANAMA. 



which has taken the former name since its se- 

 paration from Venezuela. The seat of govern- 

 ment is Bogota^ which has direct communi- 

 cation^ by land and inland navigation^ with 

 only three of its seaports^ one at Carthagena^ 

 on the Atlantic^ another at Santa Martha, 

 and the third at Choco, on the Pacific coast. 

 The river Magdalena empties itself into the 

 Atlantic at Carthagena, and it is a two months 

 expedition from its mouth, up the stream, into 

 the interior. After leaving the river a land jour- 

 ney stiU remains, in order to arrive at Bogota. 

 This is the usual road, but a shorter communica- 

 tion is found from the town of Buena Ventura, 

 on the Pacific, in the bay of Choco,* from 



* There are two bays of Choco, one at the southern 

 end of the Gulf of Darien in the Atlantic, the other in 

 latitude 3|o N. on the Pacific. 



