The Times of last Saturday contains a most striking account
by Sir Martin Conway of a Central American revolu- tion. "A revolution is our substitute for cricket," a Colum- bian gentleman said to him ; "our young men must have their game." Sir Martin started in the morning train from Colon, and ran straight into the middle of a very pretty little revolution in the neighbourhood of Panama. The train entered a narrow cutting on the different sides of which the two forces were posted, and, says Sir Martin Conway, "before we realised what was happening the train was between two lines of some two thousand fighting men, separated by less than a quarter of a mile, and pumping lead at one another from Manser rifles." The passengers all dropped on the floor and crawled forward to the baggage van, and by and by the train arrived at the goods station of Panama Here also there was fighting, and in his attempt to find the American Consulate Sir Martin was exposed to much miscellaneous shooting. "The streets were practically deserted, but almost every house displayed a flag, English and American flags being commonest. It looked as though some fete were about to take place." Apparently the fighting, though exceedingly chaotic, was conducted with the utmost fierceness and courage. Sir Martin's conclusion is that any wandering European will do well to avoid the oricketing season of a Central American Republic.
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