PANAMA, a town of New Granada, on the southern shore of the isthmus of the same name, stands on a tongue of land projecting into the Bay of Panamá, N. Lat. 8. 57., W. Long. 79. 30. The plan of the town possesses some regularity, but is not entirely uniform; the principal streets extend across the peninsula on which it is built. The streets are better cleaned than in most of the Spanish towns in America. It is for the most part substantially built in the old Spanish style, and all the larger houses have interior courts, or patios, as they are called. The chief public edifices are—an elegant cathedral, several convents, a nunnery, and a college. The fortifications of the town consist of high walls and irregularly-constructed bastions, which have been added at various times, as the protection of the place required. The harbour of Panamá is sheltered by several islands at some distance from the land. These form one of the finest roadsteads in the world, with very safe anchorage. The trade of the place is very con-
siderable, and is likely to be much increased by the railway which has been recently constructed between this place and Aspinwall, on the Atlantic shore of the isthmus, although the immediate effect of this improvement has been to reduce the importance of Panamá in comparison with Aspinwall. Quinine bark, cacao, India-rubber, hides, pearl oysters, and other articles, are exported from hence to Europe; and it is expected that most of the trade formerly carried on round Cape Horn will now pass through Panamá. The town was originally built by the Spaniards, on a spot about 3 miles to the east of the modern town; but it was burned down in 1670 by Sir Henry Morgan, the buccaneer, and afterwards rebuilt in its present position. Pop. 6000.