DESCENT TO CHAGRES. 



257 



CHAPTER XI. 



Descent to Chagres — Voyage to Port Royal, Jamaica 

 — Closing scenes of the author's travels — Quick pas- 

 sage to St. Thomas by steam — Arrival off Falmouth. 



I WAS up at daylight the next mornings to 

 embark in the canoe for Chagres. The consul, 

 Mr. Russell^* then took leave of me^ being 



* The civility and attention vrhich was shown to me by 

 Mr. Russell, during my detention at Panama, makes me 

 desirous of rendering every justice to the character of this 

 gentleman. Until lately he was detained in prison, and 

 received gross ill-treatment from the government of Bo- 

 gota, who accused him of assaulting, with the attempt to 

 murder, a native of the isthmus, by whom Mr. Russell was 

 attacked and nearly murdered in the streets of Panama. 

 The vice-consul was accused of drunkenness, and said to 

 have committed this outrage under the influence of wine, 

 without any provocation. Now, the fact is, that, in 

 consequence of his being employed to obtain the repay 

 ment of a debt owed by the person who assaulted him, to 



