THROUGH THE PANAMA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1620, 5 October 1916, Page 4

THROUGH THE PANAMA.

THE .iOf’KXEY DESCRIBED. An interesting description of a (rip through the Panama Canal lias baon received by the Wellington Post from Mr C. IT. Harris, who recently went to England by llio Canal route. Panama was reached Ihree weeks after leaving Xew Zealand. ‘‘For some reason,” writes Mr Harris, “we could not gel through the Canal on the day of arrival, and I think that everybody was glad, as it gave us an opportunity of visiting Panama ami its surroundings. Making a party of about half a dozen, we motored to all the points of interest for about twelve miles out in various directions. In comparison with other tropical parts, Panama is delightful; the vegetation one would always remember, the leaves of numerous plants and shrubs being (lie colour of (lowers —red, yellow, gold, etc. There an* also souk' very pretty coloured birds. Although Panama is very close to the Equator, it is usually no bolter than it lias been many a lime in Auckland, and, on doubt, sometimes in Wellington —about DO degrees.

A MIX ML) i'OPCLATIDN. “The populaliun is largely coloured —oil colours, and shapes. The Panamanians i)i'oi)er ure very lazy, and liold such positions us policemen und officials of various hinds, luil do not do mumiiil work. Natives from. Jamaica und U.S.A. negroes are imported Tor this work. The whole of! Ihe Canal zone, which is leased to (he C.S.A., is very properly end thoroughly controlled, being fort died, patrolled, and guarded at various points. 1 understand it is a very good place to he away i'roin.

“We started early the next morning to go through the mighty Canal. It was rather a slow job, as there was a considerable wait in one of the locks, hut we got through in, roughly, twelve hours. The whole work is really too wonderful to be fully grasped in one trip through, but 1 will endeavour to mention a lew things that appealed to me most. The enormous locks, with doors about 80ft. high and enormously thick, open and shut almost like an ordinary house, door. Tremendous concrete walls on which the engines called “electric mules” op ,oi),ch steamer) run, to draw and guide (leu boats through the locks. The great Cidebm Cot is really less inspiring than it should he after the enormous labour spent on it, but this is largely on account of the water which now Judes so much of the work that has been

done. The Gal an Lake is also very wonderful, it having covered about one hundred and sixty miles of country, including forests and villages. The dead tree lops are still showing in abundance. It was a mallei' of great difficulty to g ( >( (be natives to leave their villages before (he land was Hooded.

“A FAIRYLAND SWITCHBACK.’’ “All the way through the country on both sides of the Canal is very beautiful. We passed through the last of (he Clatnn Locks about 7 pan. ft was all lit up by electricity, and had the appearance of a ‘fairyland switchback.” We reached the wharf at Cristobal or Colon, and started coaling immediately with power-worked coaling apparatus — a continuous bucket arrangement which answered very well but was rat her noisy. We went ashore abonl 10 o'clock, bat there was nothing much to see except a lot of low drinking saloons. We soon went buck to the ship."