Old Panama. During 1911, the Government of Panama built a road to Old Panama from the highway that runs eastward from the present city through the rolling country that skirts the bay, known as Las Sabanas (the plains). It is possible, therefore, for the tourist to visit the site of the old city in a coach, or automobile. Soon the street cars will be running there. The weeds have been cut down and paths lead to the points of interest-the old bridges across the estuary that bounded the city on two sides, the tower and church of St. Anastasius, the wells, and the foundations and walls of public buildings. But there are two other ways of reaching the site. One is by sea in a launch, and its chief disadvantage is that the landing is made through the surf, and one is sure to be wet. It is more interesting, however, than the coach method; because one can imagine the old traders approaching the water-gate in this way; and there was a water-gate, for the hole in the wall is still the easiest method of entering the enclosure on the sea side, and you can see the old paved road leading into the water. But the best way of all is by horseback. Start about 6 o'clock in the morning, and while the sun is yet low you will have left the highway, and be going across the sabanas toward the old city. You can skirt Go by Horse- the hills that lie in your path and save half back. an hour's time. It is time ill-saved, however, because from the top of the highest of these little eminences, you get a view of hill, plain, and sea, the sun rising over the new city, and touching the lone tower of the old. The horseback route is the one by which the pirates approached Panama. It leads along a trail right up to the old bridge. If the tide is low it is better to leave this trail in the open plain where the hills are, and pick your way along the beach. Your horse knows how. It adds variety to the expedition, because you get a nearer view of the sea. The Site. From the point of view of being easily defended, the site of the old city was not bad. In front was a broad tidal flat over which only the lightest-draft boats could come at low tide, and then could not get within a hundred yards of the walls, while at high tide ships could come up to the city gate, and when the tide went out, could be unloaded without the trouble of lightering. This method may be watched daily on the beach at the present city of Panama, where the market boats discharge. Behind was a broad sabana or open plain stretching away for a mile in some parts, and at every point open for hundreds of yards. No enemy could approach unnoticed across this space. A tidal estuary also ran around the site of the town providing a natural moat which could be easily defended. Two bridges crossing this moat gave access to the city, otherwise one must go through a swamp. Panama was captured five times, but never by surprise. Map of the The plan of the city in 1609, made by an Italian engineer, Roda, (see page 182) shows the lay-out of the town. Mr. W. Caley Johnston, of the Panama Government engineer service, at whose suggestion and under whose direction the old site was cleared, says that this mapis very accurate, for although the city was burned in 1644, it was rebuilt on the old lines. There were two entrances one by the Royal Bridge, which was the beginning of the trail to the Atlantic, and one near the beach, at the west end of the city, which was the road to the slaughter houses. On the map I have indicated in a line of dashes the present entrance to the site, and it ccrresponds generally with the old main entrance. The locations of the chief buildings are accurate. The wall shown around the "casa real" was recommended but never built. The area shown by dotted lines was occupied by houses of wood and thatch. In fact, only the public buildings were of stone. Among the local matters dictated by the Council for the Indies was the laying out of a city. It was provided that it be laid out from a central plaza as a reference point. On the east side of this plaza was set aside a large space of ground for the church, and alongside of it was built the house of the parish priest. On the west side of the plaza was erected the city hall or administration building. Four streets ran through the sides of the plaza, and along these, each in a prescribed place, were arranged the other buildings. On account of the heat the houses were built close together, to give shade to one another, and for the same reason narrow streets were insisted upon. How closely the rules thus laid down were followed in the case of Old Panama may be seen from the map of the old city. Practically all the buildings during the first hundred years were of wood, and this made it impossible to prevent the spread of fire in buildings set close together. In 1539, a fire destroyed a large part of the city; and in March, 1563, there occurred a fire that destroyed forty buildings. The first stone work to be attempted in the city was the cathedral, the foundations of which were laid in stone in 1577. Baptista Antonio writing in 1578, says: "Panama is the principal citie of this dioces. It lieth 18 degrees from Nombre de Dios on the south sea, and standeth in 9 degrees. There are three monasteries in this said city of fryers, the one is Dominicks, the other is of Augustines, and the third is of S. Francis fryers; also there is a college of Jesuits, and the royall audience or chancery is kept in this citie. This citie hath three hundred and fiftie houses, all built of timber, and there are six hundred dwellers and eight hundred souldiers with the townsmen, and foure hundred negroes of Guyney." Of the city in 1610, Sosa and Arce say: Panama in 1610. "With a heterogenous population of 5000 souls, Panama possessed the convents of La Merced, St. Francis, St. Dominick, St. Augustine, that of the Jesuits, and of the monks of the Conception; also the hospital of St. Sebastian for the care of private persons, later in the hands of the brotherhood of St. John the Divine; and in process of construction for Catholic worship the Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, and two chapels, those of St. Anne and St. Christopher. Panama had 500 houses of all kinds distributed among three plazas and eleven streets, making it beyond question one of the most important cities in Spanish America at this time." Thomas Gage was in Panama in 1637, and Albert Edwards quotes him as saying: "It is governed by a president and six judges and a court of chancery, and is a bishop's sea. It hath more strength towards the South Sea than any other port which on that side I hath seen, and some ordinances planted for defence of it; but the houses are of the least strength of any place that I had entered in; for lime and stone is hard to come by, and therefore for that reason, and for the great heat there, most of the houses are built of timber and bords; the President's house, nay the best church walls are but bords, which serve for stones and brick, and for tiles to cover the roof. It consisteth of some five thousand inhabitants, and maintaineth at least eight cloisters of nuns and friars." On February 21, 1644, a fire of incendiary origin destroyed 83 buildings, including the seminary and the bishop's house, and seriously demaged the cathedral. The Fire of 1644. rebuilding of the cathedral was begun immediately, and the walls were made entirely of rubble masonry, the plan being that of a basilica with one main and two side naves, and in front a side tower that raised its cupola high above the surrounding buildings. This cathedral was dedicated in 1655, and the records show that its high altar was richly adorned. It is probable that after this fire other buildings of a public nature were constructed of stone, because it is certain, both from the records and from the the ruins extant, that there were many masonry buildings in the city at the time it was taken by Morgan and his pirates. In reading the following description by Esquemeling it must be remembered that he was comparing old Panama with the squalid cities of Europe and the West Indies, with which he was acquainted; that he was quoting the perfervid stories that had been told the pirates in order to urge them on their hazardous enterprise; that he had no opportunity to judge of these things himself, because the fire that destroyed the city was started immediately after the pirates entered; and, finally, that he was representing the place to be as large as possible in order to show how brave the pirates were, and likewise to reinforce his argument that Morgan had not distributed all the booty. Of the city in 1671 Esquemeling says: Panama "All the houses of this city were built with cedar, very curious and magnificent, and richly adorned, especially with hangings and paintings, whereof part were before removed, and another great part were consumed by fire. There were in this city (which is the see of a bishop) eight monasteries, seven for men, and one for women; two stately churches, and one hospital. The churches and monasteries were all richly adorned with altar-pieces and paintings, much gold and silver, with other precious things, all of which the eccelsiastics had hidden. Besides which, here were two thousand houses of magnificent building, the greatest part inhabited by merchants vastly rich. For the rest of less quality, and tradesmen, this city contained five thousand more. Here were also many stables for the horses and mules that carry the plate of the king of Spain, as well as private men, towards the North Sea. The neighboring fields are full of fertile plantations and pleasant gardens, affording delicious prospects to the inhabitants all the year. The Genoese had in this city a stately house for their trade of negroes." It is evident that Old Panama was not a grand city from the viewpoint of today, but it was the most important place |