Tues. 18 [18 January 1898] Woke at 6 to find that we were
approaching Colon; we had got past the lighthouse into the smooth
water of the bay. A grey heavy morning; it rained hard for an hour or
two later. Our boat does not leave Panama till the 20th so we decide,
on the advice of Mr Suggett the Agent, to stop here till tomorrow.
Thanks to the kindness of the Chief I had a field day among my
boxes, after which M [Maurice] and I went out. Perfectly incredible
place; wooden shanties hoisted up on piles of bricks, built almost
anyhow with great gaps of ruins left by the fire 5 months ago. Half the
shops Chinese, the other half every conceivable nation - even a sign
written up in Arabic! Drove to French town, rather charming with
streets planted with cocoa palms. No French people live in the little
wooden houses; after the fire the Columbians took them and the
French are unable to oust them. French soldiers in the guard house.
Went to the Lesseps houses, father and son; great wooden places
falling into ruin with a statue of Columbus protecting an Indian woman
at the end of the spit of land in front of them overlooking the mouth of
the canal. Luxuriant vegetation everywhere. Beyond the Canal a little
hill "Wha dey bury the white men" said our nigger driver and I should
think it must be well peopled. At the other end of the town is the
residential quarter on the beach. A church of stone and the houses of
all the Consuls. Two of them had been drowned the day before in the
surf. The hospitals French and American, built in piles in the sea and
a Coolie town quite deserted. Great sort of vulture birds everywhere,
quite tame. After lunch slept and went for a stroll into the back of the
town. Streets a mass of corruption, horrible! Pools of rotting water
everywhere. Every now and then a China Man's house, with his bed
of reed mat and the China Man sitting curled up with a pipe in a shady
corner. Talked to Mr Murdoch, walked with Mr Pattinson. After dinner
sat on deck and read, pretty hot. Talked to the Pattinsons and the 3rd
officer. Very hot night.