352 DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XXI.—B. P. 
sheltered from the northers, and as only a couple of 
rivulets empty themselves into its capacious bosom, 
it is not likely ever to be silted up. Indeed, the place 
seems formed by nature to become a great port; it has 
an area of some thousands of acres, and its depth 
ranges from twelve to twenty-four feet over the 
greater portion of its surface. There are two cays off 
the eastern point, which, if joined to the mainland by 
an inexpensive breakwater, would make the best part 
of it completely landlocked. Certainly no other port 
exists on the coast with such advantages, or so admi¬ 
rably adapted for the object in view. 
Of course we landed and roamed about, filled up 
our tanks with pure and wholesome water, cut about 
twenty tons of wood to replenish our failing stock of 
fuel, and by means of the seine obtained for the ship’s 
company an ample supply of fish. A party of officers 
made an excursion inland, and very nearly shared the 
fate of Lieutenant Strain on the Isthmus of Darien; 
in fact, they completely lost themselves, although only 
two miles from the ship, and would probably have 
paid dearly for the folly of venturing, without com¬ 
pass or guide, into the dense forest, had it not been 
for the king’s extraordinary knowledge of woodcraft, 
which enabled him to find and rescue them just as 
they were on the verge of despair. One of the officers 
told me that their greatest dread was of snakes, with 
which they had been told that the country swarmed \ 
in point of fact, however, they had seen none, but 
even if they had, these reptiles never assume the of¬ 
fensive if it is possible to avoid it. In all my extensive 
