bundle, wrapped in a wild banana-leaf, tied with the strong fibres of the air-plant, and safely under my arm, while the native, who rendered me willing and valuable assistance in the flaying process, pocketed his peso and crawled back into the chapparal rejoicing. The flesh of the iguana is considered a great delicacy by the natives, and its eggs, which, though much smaller, are like turtles' eggs in shape and flavor, after being dried, form quite an important and favorite article of their diet.

Shaping our course homeward, we passed along the eastern side of the lagoon through the native portion of the town. This was composed of low shanties and rickety wooden buildings, each one of which was a market or shop of some sort, from which the natives of the city

THE IGUANA.

The

and surrounding country are supplied. In speaking of the first discovery of this place odor of the jerked-beef and fish which hung in 1502, Washington Irving, in his third volfrom poles and on frames in front of these places ume of "The Life and Voyages of Columbus,' of business, and the offal strewed about the thus describes it: "It was surrounded by an street, created such a penetrating effluvium that elevated country, open and cultivated, with I had no disposition to examine the interiors. houses within a bow-shot of each other, surOne place, however, the turtle-market, present- rounded by fruit-trees, groves of palms, and ed so novel an appearance that I concluded to fields producing maize, vegetables, and the demake my nose do penance for a few minutes. A licious pine-apple; so that the whole neighformidable display of turtle-flesh, flippers, and borhood had the mingled appearance of an orshells hung along the front of the establishment chard and garden." Within a century after this and lay around the entrance; while alongside country was conquered and settled by the Spana couple of stalwart, half-nude negroes were iards the city of Porto Bello was founded, and busily engaged in flaying a huge green turtle, soon became a place of great importance as the weighing not less than two or three hundred Atlantic dépôt for the treasures from the Spanpounds. Half a dozen other turtles were lying ish possessions on the Pacific coast, with which on their backs near by, occasionally raising their it was connected by a paved road from the city heavy eyelids and glaring sullenly around, or of Panama, forty miles distant. It was strongly ringing their horny flippers against their shells, fortified by two castles or forts, one on either in evident token of irritated helplessness; while, side of the harbor, which were considered alsecured in a pen just opposite, a much larger most impregnable, besides by various heavy batnumber were floundering about in the waters of teries and castles within the harbor and city. the lagoon. These turtle were of the variety It was garrisoned by several hundred soldiers, held in such high repute by epicures in all parts and had a population, including priests and of the world, and are found in great numbers nuns (of which there were not a few), of more on the islands along the coast: they are so eas- than a thousand souls. Once every year a great ily obtained that, before the establishment of fair was held at Porto Bello, at which time the railway here, they had scarcely a market great galleons arrived from Spain laden with value; the finest now sell for about five cents merchandise and slaves to traffic with the merper pound. A group of native women with chants of the Pacific coast, whose long trains wooden platters on their heads, and a few nude of mules, laden with gold, silver, and precious protuberant-bellied children and wretched-look- stones extorted from the long-suffering and ing dogs, were gathered around the turtle-flay-ever-patient aborigines, would then pour into ers, watching the process with evident gusto; but the olfactory perception of previous victims forced us to deny our curiosity farther indulgence, and, starting off, another quarter of an hour found us resting from our interesting but fatiguing jaunt under the cool piazzas of the Agency.

In the course of the evening I was informed by the agent that, in consequence of some mishap to the water-pipes on the wharf, the Illinois would be sent to Porto Bello for water on the following morning, and was invited to make one of a pleasure-party which had been arranged in view of so fine an opportunity to visit that ancient harbor and city, once the richest and most important of the Spanish possessions in America, but which for nearly two centuries had been lying in ruin and decay.

Our party, composed of about a dozen ladies and gentlemen, embarked at 7 o'clock of the next morning, and we at once steamed out of the harbor. Every preparation had been made by the captain and the agent to secure the greatest amount of enjoyment by ship and shore during the jaunt. Hampers of eatables and drinkables, fishing-tackle, fowling-pieces, etc., and a trio of musicians to enliven the party and fill up any little vacuum that might occur. The day was beautiful and the waters like a mirror. Every one seemed determined to enjoy the time to the utmost. Two hours passed like a dream, standing into the entrance of "the

and we were beautiful harbor."

the city by the paved road from Panama. On the grand plaza in front of the Governor's castle the multitudes gathered; long rows of booths were erected on every hand, in which the Castilian merchants displayed their rich brocades and velvets, arms of every variety and pattern,

as well as divers other articles for use or ornament. Crowds of slaves were gathered here and there, awaiting the disposal of their owners, while the rich Spanish-Americans, with their wives and families, sauntered through the fair, buying or bartering for whatever they had need in goods or slaves.

It was a brilliant day the day of the fair in that ancient city of Porto Bello. Merriment and festivity mingled with the busy scenes, and all went well with the Spaniard in his blood-bought prosperity; but the poor Indians, rightful owners of the soil, who once lived here in plenty and quietness-whose prosperous condition was well shown in the description by Columbus when he first entered their peaceful harbor-where were they during the great festival? Wading through a crimson chapter, we find them driven from their fruitful fields into the deepest recesses of the forest, enslaved, smarting under the lash, made to grope in the bowels of the mountains for the satisfaction of their rapacious tormentors; their caciques hunted like wild beasts, mutilated, sent captive beyond the seas, and all under a flimsy cloak of civilization and religion.

But a day of partial retribution comes at last. Porto Bello, mighty in wealth and fancied

strength, in an hour of listless security received | thence, by a sharp discharge of cannon and such a scourging as must have made the poor small arms, and dashing hand-grenades, pots of aborigines fancy that their prayers and sacri- combustibles, and missiles of every description, fices had at last found answer. About the mid-from the walls down upon the heads of the bedle of the sixteenth century a band of lawless siegers, succeeded in repulsing them with much marauders, less than five hundred in number, slaughter. Somewhat disheartened by this sudheaded by the notorious Morgan (afterward Sir den revulsion in the tide of their success, the piHenry Morgan, who had for some time pre- rates then turned their attention to the churches, viously been cruising about the Caribbean wa- which were known to be rich in gold and silver ters, and had already ravaged several feebly images and shrines and massive services of fortified Spanish-American towns), lured by the plate, and also to the smaller castles into which reputation of the great riches of Porto Bello, and many of the chief citizens had fled with their disregarding the equally wide-spread fame of families and treasures. These being inefficienther impregnable defenses, determined to at-ly held were soon forced to surrender, after tempt the reduction and pillage of the place. "In a fleet of nine small but well-equipped vessels the buccaneers arrived within a few leagues of the harbor, when, leaving their ships, they came by boats and canoes near to its entrance, where they landed July 1, 1668.

which many priests and citizens were brutally murdered, and much wealth in jewels and gold was secured. Thus gaining renewed courage and ardor, they returned to the attack of the Governor's stronghold. Profiting by their previous experience, they themselves kept well aloof from the walls, but seizing numbers of the ecclesiastics and religious women whom they had torn from the churches and cloisters, forced them to bear the scaling-ladders along their front, in hopes that sentiments of pity or conscientious scruples would deter the Governor from firing as before. But although besought by these poor unfortunates with many prayers and tears to surrender, the brave Governor again poured his fires upon them, and it was only after many of those religious persons were slaughtered that the ladders were finally placed, and the bloodthirsty horde gained a position on the walls. A short and decisive conflict then took place, which resulted so disastrously to the besieged that they all threw down their arms, praying for quarter, save the old Governor, who, notwithstanding that his wife and daughters besought him on their knees by prayers and tears to surrender,

The outer fortress, named Triana, situated on the right side of the city, was the point determined upon for the initiatory attack. In the silence of midnight, guided by an occasional alerte drawled out by the sleepy sentinels, they crept along, under cover of a dense thicket, up to the first outpost of the city. Three or four of their number were then sent forward to surprise and capture the sentry if possible, or to dispatch him if necessary. The former they succeeded in doing so dextrously that in a few moments he was brought a prisoner to Morgan, without having given an alarm. They then, by furious menaces, obtained every information in regard to the number and condition of the garrison and the most facile means of gaining an ingress into the city; then advancing, through the guidance of the terrified sentinel, they came directly under the walls of the castle and forced their prisoner to demand for them its immediate surren-continued fighting until, having slain very many, der. The garrison, however, made answer by a heavy random discharge of cannon and musketry, which did no further damage than to alarm the rest of the city; while the buccaneers, at once scaling the ramparts by means of ladders with which they were well provided, poured into the castle. After a brief and ineffectual resistance by the garrison the pirates obtained complete possession of the place; then securing their prisoners, both officers and soldiers, in a large room near the powder magazine, they laid a long train, and, marching out into the city, blew up the castle with its ill-fated occupants. The noise of the explosion, followed by the wild cries of the buccaneers as they rushed through the streets attacking whoever they met, sent terror into the hearts of the astounded citizens; so that they made but little attempt at resistance, but strove to escape on every hand, fling-prosperity seemed inclined to manifest itself ing their treasures into wells and cisterns, and within its borders some ruthless adventurer, flying into the castles, and even into the neigh- encouraged by Morgan's great success, would boring forests, for refuge. The Governor of the pounce upon it as a lawful prize. The finishing city, after having vainly endeavored to arrest the stroke was given by Admiral Vernon, of the terror-stricken multitude in order to make some British navy, who sacked and pillaged the city stand against the enemy, retreated into his cas-in 1738, gaining but a meagre booty for his tle with a few devoted followers; and from pains. Since then, the decline of the Spanish

he was at last dispatched. Then followed scenes of butchery, rapine, and pillage that beggar description. This continued for several days, during which time the buccaneers rioted in every sort of brutal indulgence and dissipation. An unquenchable thirst for plunder urged them on to commit the most horrid enormities; those of their miserable victims whom they supposed the possessors of hidden wealth were put to the rack and often tortured and mutilated to such a degree that they died on the spot. At last, having stripped the citizens of all their riches and become satiated with debauchery, they dismantled the fortresses and set sail for their rendezvous at Jamaica loaded down with the spoils of that once prosperous and beautiful city."

Porto Bello never fully recovered from that terrible ravaging; for as often as any thing like

possessions beyond the Isthmus having destroyed its importance as a place of deposit and trade, it has fallen into ruin. Its dwellings and fortifications have crumbled and become overgrown with the swift-growing vegetation of the tropics; and its inhabitants, once the rich merchants of Castile and Leon, have been replaced by two or three hundred degenerate specimens of humanity, made up from the mingled blood of the Spaniard, the native, and the Negro, who eko out a lazy existence within its fallen walls.

Our little party was gathered upon the hurricane deck of the Illi

LANDING OF THE BUCCANEERS.

us little bits of parapets, watch-towers, and battlements struggled out from the heavily jungled hill-side, the picturesque grave-stones of an ancient harbor-guard.

Preparations were at once commenced for taking the water on board. A couple of lengths of bright red cast-iron pipes, that ran out from a thicket of tall canes bordering the narrow beach, showed that Yankee enterprise had been at work even here; they were part of a line of the same sort that, some years ago, were laid by the United States Steamship Company, and extended a hundred yards through a narrow gorge in the mountain side into a gushing spring of pure cool water. A length or two of hose was soon attached to the pipes, from whence the water flowed directly into the tanks of our vessel.

nois, the more fully to observe and appreciate distance from the beach. A stone's-throw beyond the loveliness of the scenery as we glided into the placid waters of Porto Bello Bay. Seldom have I witnessed a sight of more picturesque beauty than that which opened upon our view as we passed between the high mountains, gorgeous with their thick mantles of evergreen, that reared up on either side of the entrance. Beyond us was a broad expanse of water entirely shut in by the encircling shore, which sloped gently back on the right until it met the rough mountain half a mile distant. On the left the abrupt face of the coast range came bluff to the water's edge, and directly in front a narrow valley discovered to us the cloud-enshrouded peaks of the far-off Cordilleras. The site of the ancient city was on the right shore. Fort "Triana," which was rebuilt after its destruction by the buccaneers, though sadly dilapidated and half-hid by huge trees that had found root on and within its walls, still showed a couple of watch-towers, apparently in tolerable preservation, and the general line of the original fortress. A scattered row of cane huts stretched along the shore, following the course of the ancient streets, while here and there the ruins of old dwellings, cathedrals, and public buildings could be seen standing against a background of thick undergrowth. We soon reached our watering-place, which was situated on the left side of the bay little more than half a mile from the town, and the shore was so bold that, when the vessel was finally moored, we were almost within jumping

THE BEACHL

It was proposed by some of the gentlemen of our party that we should visit the spring, as an incident of no little historical interest was attached to its first discovery. In Arthur Helps's "Spanish Conquest in America" he speaks of a Spanish adventurer named Nicuesa, who coasted along here in 1510. Among his company was one who had accompanied Columbus in his fourth voyage, and on arriving opposite this harbor he recognized it, saying that Columbus had here landed and buried an anchor half its length in the sand opposite to a spring of fresh water. "They went, and found the mariner to be right, and the harbor proved to be Porto Bello-so named by Columbus."

Half an hour's hard climbing up shelving steeps, over huge rocks, and through prickly tanglewood, brought us to the notable spring, whose sparkling waters tumbled down in pretty cascades from a wild rock-bound nook, almost hidden by great trees loaded with parasites, and a profusion of brilliant foliage of a lesser growth. The air, which on the beach almost simmered, became changed to a delicious coolness, and was vocal with the warbling of numerous gayly-plumaged birds. There were palmtrees of the variety bearing the vegetable ivory, the nuts of which lay plentifully on the ground beneath; lignum-vitæ trees, whose tops were radiant with bright yellow blossoms, and their trunks festooned by flowering vines and embossed with myriads of cacti ; while the rocks around were almost embedded in a wealth of beautiful mosses and ferns. Had it not been for a glimpse of the bright water-pipes of the Steamship Company, which entered the stream a few yards below, we could readily have fancied that