Thursday 11th October 2012 (Letter 16th November 1882)

GCC suffers from foot troubles, rain and worries about his father's healthBUGABITA, CHIRIQUI, PANAMA November 16th, 1882 My dear Mother, It is not very long since I wrote you, still I thought I would write a short letter to tell you I am well and going on as usual. It is now the height of the rainy season and we are almost prisoners in Bugaba, the roads are so bad, and rivers (there are some 6 or 8 to be forded between here and David) so deep that no one travels unless he is compelled. I intend sending Leopoldo in a few days to David and send this letter by him to post; he will go with some natives and may perhaps get through. I won’t venture myself until next month when perhaps I may be able to find means of going to Panama. I am very anxious to hear how Father is getting on and for this reason I will send Leopoldo specially to David and hunt for letters. Am very tired of the constant rain, this month is the worst of all, we only see the sun for a short time early in the morning, by 11 a.m. it begins to rain and keeps on very often till night, one thing it is a little cooler in the afternoons. Your last letter, August 16 and the papers is the latest news I have, we are out of the world here, do not know even what is going on in Panama, and now the steamer does not come, it will be worse than ever. The foreigners settled here sometimes receive papers, but they are all German, sometimes they receive also odd numbers of “the Graphic”, “Illustrated London News” and “Harpers Monthly” but they are always very old before we get them. If it were not for the few Germans etc settled here I should probably have got sick of the place long ago; as it is, when I have nothing to do, I take my horse and go and visit one or the other of them, even if we have to talk in Spanish. In David I find it even duller than in Bugaba. We have heard lately rumours of a bad earthquake in Panama but don’t know if it’s true, sometimes we feel a shock in the night but never very strong, and in these native ranchos, there is not the slightest danger. The Comet is still to be seen. Have been greatly bothered lately by what is called ‘masamora’- this is ten times worse than ‘jiggers’ - little blisters full of water form in the tender skin between and beneath the toes and accompanied by an intolerable itching till they break; it is produced by walking through the mud and decaying vegetation. I spend I think more money on footwear than clothes yet I never have a pair fit to put on, the last pair I bought lasted three days, am sick and tired of buying such rubbish but there is nothing else to be got. Shall have to buy a new rig out of almost everything when I return, the things I wear here I could not put on in Panama, living in the country one can wear almost anything, for that reason so far have bought but little clothing in Chiriquí, wearing out all my old things instead of buying new. The other day we were rather astonished to see some travellers emerge from the forest (it is so rare that people pass); they came from Terrava, the first town in Costa Rica, and brought a great deal of india rubber to sell in David; this rubber fetches sometimes as much as 2/- a lb and we heard that they sold it for more than £100. The natives still obtain a good deal in the forests about here and plenty of “sarsaparilla” also. I often forget the days of the week, one day is just like another and there is nothing to remember by. I send this letter now instead of waiting to see if there is one from you to answer, if there should, will reply as soon as possible but you must remember always there are no “Pillar boxes” in this part of Colombia, even in David they don’t care much to receive letters to other places than Panama. The few letters I have posted direct and not enclosed in another envelope for the Consul in Panama, I believe are those that are missing. I only hope that when a letter does come, it will bring good news of father’s health, if it does, my return will probably be in the early spring unless Mr. Godman suggests further travelling. Must wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and that you will enjoy yourselves without worrying about the “wanderer” who is big enough now to look after himself, even in the Antipodes. With best love to all, Believe me etc. P.S. Address to British Consul, Panama, ‘to be forwarded’.