way, about 70 miles were travelled in crossing.
Though the distance from ocean to ocean was greater
by the Nicaragua route, the land travel was less ;
and from New York to San Francisco, via Nicaragua,
the whole distance was about 1,000 miles shorter
than by way of Panamd. This was in later years —
1855-57 — the time of filibuster Walker's exploits,
which I have fully narrated in another volume of
this series. His ill-advised act of confiscating the
transit company's river and lake steamers contributed
to his ruin; for by stopping the further transit of
passengers to and from California by this route, he
deprived himself of the only means to swell his ranks
— thinned daily by disease, desertion, and hostile
bullets — with foreign recruits; superadded to which
was the roused vengeance of the company, who fur-
nished ample resources to his enemies to accomplish
his destruction.
In the scenery, there is more variety and grandeur along the river and lake Nicaragua, than up the Chaorres and across to Panamd. San Juan del Norte
o
is an old Spanish town, consisting of about fifty bam- boo and thatched houses, with some shingled tene- ments of later date, containing at the time of which I write an extremely mixed population of about five hundred. The town is situated in a small cove formed by a long narrow strip of land known as Punta Arenas, which from the steamer looks more like an island than a cape. The surrounding country is low and unhealthful, and the surface densely matted with tufted grass and undergrowth mingled with forests of suiooth-barked vine-clad trees. Turkey-buzzards, alli- gators, and monkeys claim equal rights with mongrel men to the occupation and enjoyment of the country. Though steam was employed in making the ascent of the San Juan, there was scarcely more comfort than in journeying on the Chagres. Small stern- wheel boats plied from rapid to rapid and across the lake; into them were driven promiscuously, men,
