h
him.

We started on the next morning, and on our way stepped over a large ship
anchor that lay across the trail. I suppose the natives had undertaken
to pack it across the isthmus and found it too heavy for them. Perhaps
it was for Capt. Kidd, the great pirate, for it is said that he often
visited Panama in the course of his cruising about in search of
treasures.

Passing along a sandy place in the trail, a snake crossed and left his
track, big as a stovepipe it seemed to be, and after this we kept a
sharp watch for big snakes that might be in waiting to waylay us for
game.

There were plenty of monkeys and parrots climbing and chattering around
in the trees. The forest is here so dense that the wind never blows, and
consequently it never gets cool. The sun, ever since we got down near
the equator, was nearly overhead, and the moon seemed to be even north
of us.

When we reached the Chagres River we hired a boat of an Irishman for the
trip down. I wondered if there was a place on earth so desolate that the
"Paddy" would not find it. The boat for the journey cost two hundred
dollars, and would hold passengers enough so that it would cost us ten
dollars each, at any rate, and perhaps a little more. Two natives had
charge of the boat and did the navigating. There were two ladies among
the passengers, and when the two natives, who I suppose were the captain
and mate of the craft, came on board, clad very coolly in Panama hats,
the ladies looked at them a little out of the corners of their eyes and
made the best of it. Our two navigators took the oars and pulled slowly
down the stream.

Nothing but water and evergreen trees could we see, for the shore on
either hand was completely hidden by the dense growth that hung over and
touched the water. On a mud bar that we passed a huge alligator lay,
taking a sun bath, and though many shots were fired at him he moved away
very leisurely. No one could get on shore without first clearing a road
through the thick brushes and vines along the bank. On the way one of
our boatmen lost his hat, his only garment, into the river, and
overboard he went, like a dog, and soon had it and climbed on board
again. I wondered why some of the big alligators did not make a snap at
him.

The water in the run looked very roily and dirty, and no doubt had fever
in it. The only animals we saw were monkeys and alligators, and there
were parrots in the trees. The farther we went down the stream t