| \ DOTTINGrS ON THE ROADSIDE. £Chap. I.—B. S. 
ing information and news, and carrying on trade 
with the East and the West, the North and the South, 
that, even with Nicaragua as a powerful rival, it must 
steadily rise. Even the Australian news which came 
in sailing vessels to the Chilian coast, and thence by 
steamer to Panama, was days in advance of that ob¬ 
tained by way of Europe. Now that a direct steam 
communication has been opened with New Zealand, 
the pace has been still more accelerated. There are 
about thirty ocean steamers calling during the month 
at the Isthmus, including the fine boats belonging to 
the Panama railroad company, and keeping up a regu¬ 
lar communication with the principal Central American 
ports. In these regions of calms and light winds, 
steamers are a great boon, which would be extended to 
all the minor ports, if the natives would only appreciate 
it. But several attempts made in that direction have 
proved failures. The objections of these people to steam 
navigation are truly characteristic of a race like the 
Spanish American, to whom time is not money. “ How 
can you expect ns to support such an imposition ?” a 
man from Chiriqui was heard to say. u A sailing vessel 
takes a week from our place to Panama. During the 
whole of that time we are supplied with meat and 
drink, and pay only twenty-eight dollars; whilst the 
steamer goes over the same distance in less than a 
day, gives us but two meals at most, and charges us 
two dollars more. If you foreigners are silly enough 
to submit to such charges, do so; we certainly shall 
not.” 
The great topic of the hour at Panamd was the gold- 
