-York the twenty-ninth of December, and made our passage to the
Island of Old Providence in seventeen days, where we stopped and traded
two or three days, and then proceeded to the Island of St. Andreas,
where I met Mr. Henry T. Smith, who had been my former clerk in the
Indian trade. I supplied him with what goods he wanted and then sailed
for Chagres. On my arrival there I wrote a letter to the American Consul
at Panama, informing him that I had a consignment of goods on board for
him. After a few days I received a letter from a Mr. Montaudevert,
informing me that Mr. Craig, the consul had left Panama and departed for
New-York on a visit, leaving him in charge of his business during his
absence. In three or four days after I received his letter he arrived at
Chagres and took lodgings on board with me. The next day he hired a
large canoe to take the goods up the river to a place called Cruses, a
distance of forty-two miles, which is said to be the head of canoe
navigation on that river. The provisions I had on board was all put up
in half barrels for the customary mule transportation over the Isthmus,
by slinging two across each mule's back, two half barrels being a load
for a mule. After all our arrangements were made the canoe was hauled
alongside of the Allen. When she made her appearance there I was struck
with surprise at her length and breadth, she being some feet longer than
my little schooner. I took up a rule and measured her breadth, which I
found was eight feet from one side to the other, and her length over
sixty feet, being dug out of one solid tree, free from shakes or cracks.

In the morning we loaded the canoe with one hundred and forty-one half
barrels of flour, and twenty half barrels of pork and mackerel, and two
hogsheads filled with firkins of butter. The canoe had a large quantity
of other freight on board before she come alongside of the Allen. After
delivering all the goods consigned to Mr. Craig, I sold Mr. Montaudevert
thirteen hundred and forty dollars' worth of goods consigned to myself,
on a credit of ninety days, and took his note, payable in gold dust, at
two hundred and fifty dollars per pound, or Spanish dollars, at my
option. Mr. Montaudevert told me if I returned there in the Allen next
voyage he would ship on board of her on freight, thirty thousand
dollars' worth of dust. This may show the reader that gold dust has been
gathered in that region for many years; and if that country was a