POVERTY OF THE INHABITANTS. 
25 
moment we were climbing the opposite bank. When witbin 
shooting distance I raised my gun; it missed fire, and the tur¬ 
keys flew away, the native exclaiming u mucho malo .” We 
recrossed, and I soon reached the encampment. Our game was 
cooked, and the party ready to embark. We shoved out, but, 
unfortunately, Hush had forgotten his bowie knife. We floated 
back, he ascended the bank, and succeeded in finding it. In 
returning, he found it difficult to reach the boat; the bank being 
quite abrupt, he, however, determined to jump, and, after mak¬ 
ing a few peculiar gyrations with his arms, he did jump, and 
landed both feet in our provision basket, breaking several bot¬ 
tles, and in his effort to extricate himself kicked the basket 
overboard. He would have followed it, had it not been for 
timely assistance. 
The day was excessively hot, the river rapid, and our pro¬ 
gress slow. In the after part of the day, we passed a rancho 
where there were a few hills of corn, the first sign of industry 
we had seen along the river. One can hardly conceive of 
a country susceptible of a higher cultivation. They have a 
perpetual summer; tropical fruits grow spontaneously; they 
have the finest bottom lands for rice, tobacco, cotton, corn, or 
sugar plantations perhaps on this continent; yet, with the ex¬ 
ception of a very little corn and sugar, nothing is cultivated, 
; The enterprise of the States would make the country a paradise. 
We encamped at night where the river had a peculiar bend, 
forming a horse-shoe, and one of the most delightful spots I 
ever saw. I selected it for my own use—as a rice and sugar 
plantation—but have not yet had the title examined. In the 
piddle of the night a canoe passed down in which was the man 
suspected of having borrowed my vest. He spoke to one of 
iur party, said he was on his way to Chagres, on business, 
jut would return to Gorgona immediately. We took an 
larly start in the morning, and at nine stopped at a rancho to 
urchase cigars. Such a squalid family I never saw. There 
ere three women, two or three young ladies, and half a dozen 
iildren—none of them were dressed, excepting a little boy 
vio had on a checked palm leaf hat. We asked for cigars, 
tVy had none, but would make some for us, “ poco tiempo,” 
(Iple time). We couldn’t wait. We were much struck with 
