In a little while, all was gayety and mirth, bustle and confusion, singing and dancing, on board that floating structure. This being my first voyage after the eventful fiery one, my feelings were constantly agitated, thinking it possible a recurrence of those former scenes might be enacted. There were some on board who were acquainted with the history of my voyage out to California;{282} and they had repeated the story to their friends, until it had gained quite an extensive circulation among the ship’s company. One night, while seated in the door of my state-room, I was very much amused at the remarks passed between two of the sailors, who were laying down hose upon the deck, as was the usual custom, as a precaution against fire. Says one, “Dick, what are you laying that extra hose for?” “Why,” said he, “didn’t you know there is a woman on board who never went to sea but what the ship she was on board of burnt before reaching her destination?”—“There isn’t, though.”—“Yes, there is; and I haven’t the least idea the Uncle Sam will ever reach Panama.”—“Have you seen her? How does she look?”—“I don’t exactly know which one it is; but they say she looks just like any other woman.” Thus the conversation continued for some time, to my great amusement. But the spell was broken; the startling cry of “Fire!” was not heard; and no event of importance occurred, by which the nerves of the most sensitive could be shocked. We had two more burials at sea before reaching Panama. They were two firemen, who dropped dead while at their posts of duty, during the excessively hot weather.{283} CHAPTER XXVII. After twelve days and some hours’ sail from San Francisco, the old, walled city of Panama rose to view. The steamer’s gun was fired; she dropped her anchor; and a fleet of boats and bungoes were seen approaching. They neared and surrounded the ship. Most or all of them were manned by swarthy-visaged, half-naked Carthaginians, and a mongrel race of natives, whose appearance and gestures were equally as repulsive. Such a perfect Babel as that steamer’s deck presented! Some running to and fro, looking for baggage, some bargaining and bantering with the boatmen, boatmen fighting with one another for a berth next the gangways, ladies screaming at the top of their voices, children bawling in unison, and parrots joining in the chorus! Curses and oaths, singing and shouting, filled up the intervals of this hurly-burly scene. I stood agape with astonishment at witnessing the haste and recklessness with which they rushed, helter-skelter, down the gangways, and tumbled (some of them headlong) into the boats. More than one individual I saw floundering in the water; and carpet-bags and valises were floating about quite merrily.{284}