Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . is gorge rises at the contempla-tion of his own hard fortune in being robbed anddeserted by his chief, he recounts the torture of menand the violation of women in a matter-of-fact wayas though all in the days work. Driving on we come to the arched bridge whichformed the main entrance to the town in the day of its downfall. Sturdyit is still, thoughthe public roadno longer passesover it, defyingthe assaults oftime and themore disintegrat-ing inroads of thetropical plantswhich insinuatethemselves intoevery crevice,prying the stoneapart with tenderfi
Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . is gorge rises at the contempla-tion of his own hard fortune in being robbed anddeserted by his chief, he recounts the torture of menand the violation of women in a matter-of-fact wayas though all in the days work. Driving on we come to the arched bridge whichformed the main entrance to the town in the day of its downfall. Sturdyit is still, thoughthe public roadno longer passesover it, defyingthe assaults oftime and themore disintegrat-ing inroads of thetropical plantswhich insinuatethemselves intoevery crevice,prying the stoneapart with tenderfingers ever har-dening. At oncethe bridge, nonetoo wide for threeto cross abreast,awakens wonderthat no Horatiuswas in all theSpanish armies tokeep the bridgeas did he of an-cient Rome. Butafter all the rivu-let which todaymakes its sluggishway under thearch is no Tiberto hold the invad-ing army at it wasbigger in Mor-gans time; todayit would be easily TORO POINTas a United States fort is to be erected here 100 PANAMA AND THE CANAL. WHETHER THE TREE OR THE WALL IS STOUTER IS APROBLEM forded, almost leapt. At any rate no DauntlessThree like those Macaulay sung were there to staythe enrolling tide of foemen. Hardly have we passed the bridge than a massivevine-embedded ruin on the left of the road standsmute evidence that the Spaniards had forts, if theyhad but possessed the courage to defend them. Thisis the Casa Reale, or government house. Its wallsof rubble masonry are full two feet thick and havethe appearance of having been pierced for the buccaneers had any artillery at all, which isdoubtful, it was hardly heavy enough to have hadany effect against such a wall. Secure within theCasa Reale such a handful of men as held the Alamoagainst the Mexicans could have resisted Morgansmen indefinitely. But the spirit was lacking. Thestout wahs of the Casa Reale stand now as evidencesof the character of the defenses the people of Panamahad if they but had the pluc
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Keywords: ., bookauthorabbotwil, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
