CHAPTER XX.

_The March from Chagres to Panama._

Preparations to Ascend the River.--Crowding of the Boats.--The Bivouac at Bracos.--Sufferings from Hunger.--The Pathless Route.--The Boats Abandoned.--Light Canoes Employed.--Abandoned Ambuscades.--Painful Marches, Day by Day.--The Feast on Leathern Bags.--Murmurs and Contentions.--The Indians Encountered.--Struggling through the Forest.--The Conflagration at Santa Cruz.--Battle and Skirmishes.--First Sight of Panama.--Descent into the Plain.--Feasting. 319