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