CIIAPTER rs-.
IIODERN PAMMA—LOC.TiÓN—ropTJf,.TtoN_5flTçu 02
EAI:I.Y 11(5101W, ICTO
MØDERX Panania was founded in 1673 un \'iila Coria.
Tilo Íir4t chureh ciceted witiiti: [lic cit y was tiiat of Sari
_Fel:pr, ay er wirose western loor tite date, 1CsS," viil
he fouird 3lolern Pana:na is therefore over twa ecutu ries oid. Panama vas ir rade a \va II cd c¡ t.; . tIie vails
csting crer eleven rriiihons of doliars sorne tvo hur.dred
years agu, ami Ibat at ti aLen tiic ini ians of (he
eou ci Lrv 'vero little Lot ter than Sj iai ISli $l:i VeS. LI ilIctily
.iaces, notahl y en tite Bat ery the tvalls ajid rnasorirv
iii general are j a cxcei!cnt order Tilo cariy Spaiiianis
were tintgn ficen (. bu zider. 'Iba ci tv is Liii] t en a poi iii
of voleanie rock jutting weli nito tite Iny, ¿¡¡id it vas
speciaiiv .seiectcd as a site for a vallc-d City. tu orcier te
be sale agaiust dio fnte tiiat destroveil oid Piiiziina. As
recczitiv as 1519, in tite days of tlie California goid foyer,
a deep ritoat crossed tito c,t y 's front íaclng Motint
Ancon Tilo ntoat passei froin a porut en [he l3ay of
Panariia past the fainous oid cli urch of La Merced te
a rtot lier ¡'Of nl ¡ t i tire i,nv bevond Qn tite city sic le sv ere
1 tuge 'sai Is aud the oi 'i ti me g:t te ami dr. t 'y ti ridge. Te'
da y lile greater parÉ of t lic svai Is llave Ucen ¡'e moved, ami
ci t herr place une scs a con tirinous street. Tu (lic ieft
of tite inairi road beyond La Merced, sorne of the xvails
still can he SeerI witit tlie (Ad tune enibrasures ter giins.
Panarna vas a stronghoid of Spain lo¡- mactv decidas. i'lie hund reds of milhous of treasure tiiat were
stored Lucre secin alijiost, iinreai te tis new, huit, thev
were substantia! enough in fact. for iii titase davs Spain
ivas the suie rnlstrcs of tlie Ous.
Thero is a .story of a king of Spain who once while
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14
FIVE YEARS ¿IT PANAMÁ.
leolcing froin a window in his palace. shitlded bis oyes
with bis baud. A ita nister rho was prcscnt, noticcd
tite act. unU tite king zattl, 1 am iookiiig for tite Nvall,
oí Fattama, for they have cost cnough to be seca oven
front hero."
'Ihe mala Plaza or square of Paitaina in 1880 svas ja
tite exaet hc-art oí tite city Standing za tite Grand
Hotel faetitg Lite Plaza, by iooktiig across tite street Lo
our lefl, we secan oid time building- It is re Cabildo,
011 Wwn hall, a buiidtitg dear to alt Coloinbians, as being
the SpOt WitiltLI Whicli tliev sigited tl:ei r deciaration of
independeitee foliowing tite throwing off oí tite Spnnish
yokc Tite hotel ,tnd Cabildo complete titat side of tite
sqnnre. Directly opposite tite hotel vas tite Bisiiop'
Paineo, a niodern bu ud ng appi'oach i ng completioi i in
1580. (otir stories in beight.and of a itaitúsorne arehiteeturni desigu. Tite (Sien resident bisl1op vas cae oí
Colombias most talented S0!lS, i3tshop Paul. :tow arebbisit(Jp Oí COluIi)i)ia, witit tesidence in tite Federal capital
of Santo Fó de Pogota Phis ts tite oldest archhishopric
j a tite iii'ee Arnericas tho lirst chureh in Anterica ha y
j a Santa Mara de la Antigua del Darion,-ingbocaut
a spot not very ñu- fi orn oid l'anamn, out oit tite Atiuuitic
side of tite Isthmus. Retiiniiitg Lo tite city. opposite tite
cabildo is ono of tite oid tinte colombian stone bouses,
tb ree st orles it igl'. 'vi ti haiconies, and covered svith red
tilos Such buildings generaily are ivhitewashed
Tite Catitod ial oí Pananta is tú tite ieft oí lite Grand
Central Hotel. A. well . known wriccr • states titat it is
haL he is mistaken. Tite buildof tlie eariv renatssancc,
ing has two ioftv stuiie towers, of a pare Moorasit type,
wlioe domes are covered Nvith t he cernont fot' witieb the
carly Spaniards vete f;tniotis, nad in which are emUedded
hiiuulreds oí pearl sheiis with the pearly side out. Tiiey
are worked iip ¡u vatiolis c]estgns un a flc!d of red
centont Aitiioi:gh having been exposed for upwnrds of
cine iitiiidred and twenty-eight yc:irs. stili on a tnight,
sunshiny day tite sun's rays are reficeted from titem.
1 Troilop's "S 'panish Mata --Ud Wcst btdles.'
FIVE YEdRa .IT PASAMA.
Tite front or façcade of tito cathcdntl is atract.ive
TUero are hugo door. colurnus. ¡tiches for the twelvo
aposties, arad oasc abo ye lcr tite Virgin Tite edifico is
!juilt of a yel low stoue stiorigi reseinbuing sandstoiie
Over thc liiaa:a eiatt;tiaee Ibero isa doubic ci'os, ti¡(, elia
bte,n of a iJisiiops see. Opposite tite cathedral tu the
da y s toferred te (ISSO) there veje Llie ruins cf tite oid
Gratad Central Flotel a bu Id ¡ng tbn t liad beçai liad ly
datnned L'y ILe greal eaith ' 1uake of 1SS. Later Lite
old Gninti Central 'vas destroyed Uy tire.
Ira ISGO tite Plaza tVas di vided trato four minar squares
Uy interscctiaig stieets. ono !eadnig aeross the Cit y fruta
wall to val 1. tIte otiter beang a parú uf tite long axis of
tite cit y . Faciaag en Lile
lic Plaza and ¡o sorne of tite stteets
¡a thac ;'iclnitv, are the p
rincipal shops.
Ml tite elint cites are withuia tito city except two, tite
NL bei ng thaL of SrLILt:L Ana iii the l'iaza of t bat naia.e.
It wç.s a su U 'iban ch LI ¡cii, bu ¡It sorne Iwo ecu tu ties ago
Uy a 'veal t lay Spnii isli ituhlci 1 lan, wliosc fa muy name tvas
St. Ana. !3aek of it. aud ¡tea r the entiance te tIic Quinta
Santa Run, there are tite rin ¡as o :ts el.1 chapel of eae
Tito Quinta as a citarining spot al tite fant ul Mutant
Atacoia, a ud as ti'(-- ¡It OflCtty uf M Leb!anc, 'vjac, u ¡:1(10
Ianniself iuttous duriiig the timst vi.it of De Le ,- se te tlio
15 9, 11111 is of I'anaina. lic Luid Le C;au&n Fra nçazs thaI
1 f he atte:uptcd tite coaastruet:on of a canal across tIio
Istli iritis, Lliero wotzlci ¡jet be trees enoueh Otero Lo ariake
ctosses Lo place over tite grave, of bis laboaers )I.
Lebizi ¡te 'Vas un oid tuner aral h new vhat he Nvas y ¡a g
Tlaousan(1sa'.itl tIioi:saTlds of canal iitcit itave bien buijeci
un tite Istlamus. man)' of 'vhose graves are ntarked U
cros.ses. witile iriany others are viLhoutany ('seS at al!
1 reaclted l'aiaania City en the 2th day of May. 1SSO.
Iti lien bat! zL populat ion estitutatcU nl II fteen thousand
the niajorit.y beimag bltck Negroes, Iitdaaus, mulattoos.
—and a blondirtg of butia rices, tvitia sorno Cltiuese. Perhaps LUcre tvere as manv as two Lliousand whítes en tIte
1'4r,hnms. Dic prin.ipni tra'ie of tite Isthuiius 'vas titen.
as it is new, art tite liarais of foreiners. wath forcigii
enterprise atad foreign capital.
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