All of these people had a bad name, and every one of them carried a long bladed knife called a Macheta, with which they could kill a man at a single blow.

But with all our fears we got through the night safely, and in the morning found our boatmen who had hidden away.

We waited not for breakfast, but sailed away as soon as we could, and reached Chagres, near the mouth of the river, before night.
The river banks here are not more than three feet high, and farther back the land fell off again into a wet swamp of timber and dense vegetable growth.

The town was small and poorly built, on the immediate bank, and the houses were little brush and palm affairs except the boarding house which was "T" shaped, the front two stories high, with a long dining room running back, having holes for windows, but no glass in them.
Before the bell rung for meals a long string of hungry men would form in line, and at the first tap would make a rush for the table like a flock of sheep.

After all were seated a waiter came around and collected a dollar from each one, and we thought this paid pretty well for the very poor grub they served afterwards.
No ship had as yet been in sight to take us away from this lowest, dirtiest, most unhealthful place on earth, and the prospect of remaining here had nothing very charming about it.