Panama Jany the 28th 1851
Please write after to me & if anythings Comes from Como please forward. Give my Respects to Mrs Hill & tell Her to write Me a Good Long Letter
Dear Friends
According to Promise I write You, & Shall attempt to Describe the Parts of My Journey across the Isthmus. Wednesday Morning 22 I arrived at Chagres being verry Rough to Land Passengers. We run up to [...?] Bay, where we landed about 50 passengers for the R Road [railroad], that being the place where the Road Comences. From there we took a small steamer & Run Back to Chagres, arrived about 1 pm, took a Boat that afternoon Six of us & made the best of our way up the river. Tied up at dark Slept or tryd to in the Boat for they charge 50 cents for a Privilage of Sleeping under Cover on the Ground, & a dollar for what they call a Meals Victuals. Thursday 23d Employd Getting up the river the best way we Could. Saw nothing remarkable but a fine river. Passed a number of vessels discharging R Road [railroad] Stuff, that night slept upon a Sand Beach. Friday 24th started at daylight -- saw nothing but one man laying drownded and the Buzards Eating Him, arrived at Corquena about noon, a small village built up with Poles, Negroes, Indians, & Spaniards, Yankees & all Country Men, engaged our mules & Laid upon the Ground. This night, Friday 24th Loaded up our mules & Launched out for the Isthmus. Traveld all this day & Laid upon the Ground this Night with about 75 Californians returning & about 25 of us which made about one Hundred of us. Strewd all over the Ground. Saturday 25th Got Our Mules Loaded up & started about 7 o clock without Supper or Breakfast. Not feeling disposed to pay one dollar for such as we get. Arrivd in Panama About Noon, went to the Mansion House at 2 dollars per day. Sunday 26th this morning quite an excitement prevails. The Circumstances are these, Some two months Since a man by the name of Hans an american confind in prison for Killing His Brother in Law. Last Night He Managed to Get a Bottle of Brandy with Poison. He the Prisoner treated the Guard and a officer & this morning 3 were found Dead. They Held a postortim [postmortum] examination. I went to se the operation the Most Horrible Sight I ever saw. One of them opend & His Scalp taken off to examin His Brain & the Prisoner being Present. He is to be Shot in a few days Together with two More that Robd the Specie train. I shall probably witness the [...?] as we Cannot Leave before the first of Feb. I heard from Capt Watkins He is in the Panama & is Expected Here about the 5th of Feb. She should of been Here Now but unfortunately she met with some accident in her machinery & the Carolina took Her Place. Otherwise I Should of Seen Him & gone up with Him. I have been trying this day to Get some Kind of a Chance to get up without Paying a full Passage. I have some encouragement to go on the steamer Columbia as Butcher, if I Get it I Get My Passage Free & 5 dollars that you see is about equal to 155 dollars Savd Passage being 150. Our Friend Col John C. McLemore Gave me a Letter to Mr. Turner at Chagres, Could find no such Person, after arriving at Panama Mad enquiries & finaly found where He Had been engaged as Clerk in a House Here the firm of Cousin & Co instead of being a forwarding agent & found that He Had Left for St Francisco about 2 Months since. He being a Brother of Judge Turner So you see it will not do to Trust to everyone. I have Just Not engaged to Go on Board this afternoon to fill my office which is to Kill Cattle Sheep, Hogs, &c. This Panama is a Sickly place. Now the Sun being Hot & the Streets So Dirty the very Air we Breathe is unhalesome. Mr May will Go with Me but as yet Have Got No Chance to work His Passage. We are Both well yet & Have been Since we Left but if we Had to Stay Here Much Longer I dont Know How it would be as we Have several in this House on the Sick List & for a Person to Get Sick Here He Might as well die first as Last for He is Bound to. I Yesterday rote Home Previous to My Knowing anything about this arangement, therefore I trust You will write to Como often & inform them often of my Plans. Tell Caroline I Met with a Mr. Fairchilds. Here He being the superintendent Steward of Hawland [?] & appinuval [?] Line of Steamer three Years ago Kept a Store in Como. He Got me the situation & furthermore I want you to see that Caroline Has the Ballance of five Hundred dollars which is 300 if you Have Not Sent any for it takes that amount to square up & I made faithfull Promises to do so, so you see Caroline will not have anything for Herself after all & if you Have 50 or a Hundred dollars to send Her for Her Special use. I will remit as soon as I Can put My Hand upon any. Remember Me to all my Kind Frinds. Take good Care of Mother & Olidge[?],
Yours, JMBurr
[Next letter, February 26th, 1851]