It is sad to see a woman weep; but when a strong man sheds tears they must be wrung out by an anguish of soul too poignant for the simple name of grief! CHAPTER XLVI. ON THE ISTHMUS. EARLY on the morning of the ninth day from New York we landed at Aspinwall, New Granada, United States of Columbia. The eastern shores of this country, which is a portion of Central America, are washed by the Caribbean Sea. Aspinwall is composed of a score of substantial buildings, such as we see in our own country, and a few hundred thatched huts. A few Americans and Europeans are engaged in business there; but it might be suggested that the _natives_ are the chief feature in the population. These natives are a remarkable people—a true type of a mongrel race. We see among them every shade of complexion, from the hue of midnight in a coal-pit to that of wood ashes mixed with lime. Having stated that they are a mongrel people, it is but proper to say what races they are composed of, as nearly as I can guess, and I will do so in a tabular manner, thus: Caucasian 1½ per cent. American 19½ “ Mongolian 0 “ Australian 1 “ Arctic 0 “ Malay 0 “ European 1 “ Ethiopian 77 “ Amounting to 100 They speak the Spanish tongue: how well I am unable to judge, as I am unfamiliar with that language; but, considering the general character of the benighted creatures, it is fair to presume that they cold-bloodedly murder it. They seldom address each other by name, but style each other Hombre (pronounced almost _Umbra_, with a frightful quiver on the “r”): which is equivalent to “Fellow.” As I before remarked, they have all shades of color; and I will add, that while some have straight, black, glossy hair, like that of the aborigines, others “sport” the fearfully-“kinked” article, like that of the pure African. They are a mean, cowardly, pusillanimous set. They cheat, lie, swear, get drunk, steal, murder, _etc._, with great _nonchalance_: and for the last-named crime their law condemns the criminal to imprisonment—_for one year_.