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 13 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.