glad we were to think it was
our last night there. We heard that the steamer upon which we were to
embark on the other side was a very large one, and about five in the
morning, after a comfortless breakfast of poor coffee without milk, and
hard bread, we turned our back on the Ocean Queen, without regret. A
stout, half-naked negro shouldered our baggage, and we were actually
treading the soil of the Isthmus of Darien.

"Did he carry your trunks, aunty?" said Willie.

Oh, no, dear, we had our trunks all weighed the day before. We were
only allowed fifty pounds of baggage apiece, and for all over that we
had to pay ten cents for every pound. They gave grandpa checks for the
trunks; so the man only took our bags and deck chairs. He took what we
ourselves couldn't carry.

On the beach near us, was the stranded wreck of the British ship Avon, a
large, noble vessel, lying on her side. In a gale some time ago, she
dragged her anchors, I believe, and was blown by the wind far up on the
sand.

It was quite a picturesque scene at the cars, in the early morning
light. We passed through a small grove of cocoa-nuts. I really was
disappointed in them; but these were dwarf-trees, and not good samples.
The passengers were standing in groups with their bags at their feet, or
on the head of some native near by. The cars were before us, and native
women passed about with their waiters of fruit and cakes. They were
dressed in white or light-colored muslin or calico skirts, flounced,
torn, and dirty; a white chemise, with a ruffle round the neck trimmed
with lace, and a bandanna handkerchief tied round the head completed
their toilet. In a picture it would look very well; as it was, one
dreaded too close a contact, they were so dirty. Some of their attitudes
were very graceful. The men had on shirts and pantaloons, the former
generally worn as a sack. After much scrambling, we were seated in the
cars, hot and disgusted.

"Hot, aunty, and in January too?" said Carrie.

If you look on your map, you will find that Aspinwall is not very far
from the equator. They have no winter there, and the sun is very
powerful.

Soon after we started, all other feelings were lost in intense delight
at the luxuriant tropical verdure about us. Aspinwall is on a coral
island close to the shore, and is low and unhealthy. The name of the
island is Manzanilla. The natives call the town Colon, from Columbus or
Christoval Colon, as his name is in Spanish.