Honduras: the land of great depths;

HONDURAS.

GENERAL BOGRAN,

IMvsiiU-ni <>1 Honduras.

HONDURAS:

THE LAND OP GEEAT DEPTHS.

MAP AND PORTRAITS.

CECIL CHAKLES,

AUTHOR OP "SAN JOSE DE COSTA RICA," TRANSLATOR OF
BIOLLEY'S "COSTA RICA AND HER FUTURE," ETC.

CHICAGO AND NEW YORK:

RAND, MCNALLY & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS,

1890.

COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY RAND, MCNALLY & Co., CHICAGO.

TO

THE PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS,
SENOR GENERAL DON LUIS BOGRAN,

IN TESTIMONY OF
ADMIRATION AND ESTEEM.

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93585

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.
PART I.— SADDLE AND HAMMOCK. Page.

I. Getting Ashore and a Start 11

II. On the Road up to the Capital 20

III. Tegucigalpa, City of the Silver Hills 25

IV. Sunshine and Storm 36

V. How to be Comfortable 44

PART II.— ROCK AND RIVER.

I. The Oldest Mines 53

II. Mines of Importance : 62

III. Life in a Mining Camp 71

IV. Some Suggestions :\ 80

V. The Opals of Honduras 86

PART III. — IMMIGRATION AND AGRICULTURE.

I. Some Plans and Attempts to Colonize 91

II. Mr. Packer's Diary 95

III. Condition of the Country 102

IV. Some Folks You May or May Not Meet 114

V. Some Hints for Agriculturists 120

VI. Live-stock, Poultry, Etc 136

VII. The Pita 142

PART IV.— HAMMOCK AND SADDLE.

I. The First Day Out 149

II. Night in a Hammock 158

III. Comayagua 164

IV. On to Yojoa 170

8 CONTENTS.

Page.

V. The Finish 176

VI. A Resum6 181

APPENDIX.

General Information . . 187

Some Spanish Words 191

Nomenclature 193

Importations of Merchandise 195

INTRODUCTION.

The preparation of this little work, upon a
country in which it was my good fortune to pass
many happy days, and among the people of
which I trust that even in absence I may count
warm friends, has been from first to last a
labor of love. Realizing at the outset that this
would prove the case, and that under such
circumstances the danger of depicting with
over-enthusiasm must be guarded against, I
determined to write with moderation upon
all topics introduced. It is possible that in
my desire not to err in the one direction I
have gone too far to the other extreme, and
allowed some chapters to become more prosy
than was necessary.

Nevertheless, the purpose of the book is less
to entertain the casual reader than to supply
practical information to a vast number of per-
sons who contemplate seeking their fortunes
in Honduras, and who desire to become ac-
quainted first with some of its customs,
resources, and industries. To such I believe it

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10 INTRODUCTION.

will prove of value, as far as the experience of
one person may avail another.

I have to acknowledge the very valuable
assistance afforded me by the Honduras
Progress and its able editor, Dr. R. Fritz-
gartner, to whom I am indebted for informa-
tion unobtainable elsewhere. I have quoted
also from various other writers of interesting
articles, to whom I have not failed to credit
the quoted extracts, and to whom I am under
lasting obligations.

If the book shall prove successful in that
for which it is intended, I shall be more than

content- as

THE AUTHOR.

DR. FRITZGARTNER.

M

THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

PART I.

SADDLE AND HAMMOCK.

I.

GETTING ASHORE AND A START.

It was August when I first arrived in Teguci-
galpa. I am sure I shall never forget riding in
through Comayguela, where all the people — or
it seemed all — came to the door- ways and out
into the street to survey the newest " Gringos."
It was late afternoon. I was very tired, very
stiff, very sun-burned, very humble in the con-
sciousness of not knowing how to sit a mule
with a hard gait or to speak Spanish. The
journey up from Amapala had been exhausting.
I do not know why people should prefer to go
to Honduras via the Isthmus and Amapala. It
is so much more direct by New Orleans and
Puerto Cortez. Nevertheless, I had left New
York by the Pacific Mail steamer of July 1st,
had landed on the 10th in Colon, and remained

12 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

there over night, although the mosquitoes held
the most extraordinary sort of bacchanalian
revels inside my mosquito canopy, and sleep
was difficult. Next day I had crossed the
Isthmus, by rail, and sailed at seven p. M. in
a dubious coasting steamer (since discarded)
with one of the kindest and cleverest com-
manders that exist. The coasting steamer
touched at Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where I
went ashore to stand for the first time on Cen-
tral American soil — San Juan del Sur, and Co-
rinto of Nicaragua in turn. On the fifth night
we should have dropped anchor before twelve
in Amapala Bay, but a tremendous storm made
imperative our putting out to sea. It was near
morning when the anchor was down and a couple
of small boats brought out waiting friends to
board the steamer. Large vessels do not make
the wharf in Amapala.

We did not go ashore until six o'clock.
Dawn brought slowly out of the soft obscurity
— for after the storm there was the infinite
quietude of a moonless tropical night — a sweet
and smiling picture, Tigre Island with its
splendid verdure, its sunlit shores inviting to
a new world. The queer little garrison of
barefooted, jean-clad soldiers interested me on

GETTING ASHORE AND A START. 13

landing. They filed from the cuartel down
to the plaza, drilled a little, were inspected,
and returned to their quarters. But for the
bugle notes and the soft sounds of the sea-
water, the place was utterly quiet.

The main street still showed signs of the
previous night's storm; but the sky above was
a glorious azure. As the sun rose gradually
higher and higher, the light grew more daz-
zling upon land and sea. The blaze was intense
on one who stood out of the shade; but under
an umbrella or in the shadow of a door- way,
one only felt the cool, pure sweep of wind from
the sea.

I remained in Amapala until about noon,
when, having breakfasted very comfortably
and passed the custom-house scrutinies, I again
embarked for the mainland.

The breakfast, it may be mentioned without
irrelevance, consisted of eggs, fried chicken,
fried oysters, frijoles, tortillas, cheese, excel-
lent bread, super-excellent coffee with milk,
and wine. It was provided by a sort of inn,
dignified with the name "hotel."

The voyage to the mainland* was about my

* A small steamer now makes regular trips from Amapala
to San Loren/o mid La Brea.

14 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

first curious experience in the country. The
boat was apparently nothing but a huge hol-
lowed-out tree. It had a captain and half a
dozen oarsmen. It was provided with one sail
and a canvas covering, which, however, we
asked to have removed, preferring to bear the
unhindered blaze of the sun rather than shut
out the splendid sea-breeze. The luggage filled
the bottom of the boat, and we sat upon it. The
captain steered at the stern, and the rowers
occupied the forward part. They were the first
copper-hued sons of Honduras that I made any
studies of. They wore two garments — white
jacket and trousers — and a hat to begin. When
they had become pretty warm from rowing,
they stripped off the jackets and stood revealed,
without thought of immodesty, in all their
pride of muscular biceps and bronze statue-
like chests. Their oars were broom-shaped two-
piece affairs, which they handled somewhat
like brooms, reminding me of the old lady in
Stockton's story, who swept herself ashore
after the shipwreck.

The voyage to the mainland was long enough
to be tedious, save for the diversion of watch-
ing the crew. They did not all row at once,

GETTING ASHORE AND A START. 15

"but took turns at it, and by-and-by they
hoisted the sail and let the wind carry us
along. The captain maintained a dignified but
smiling countenance, and steered us slowly
toward the green banks of the mainland.

It was six in the evening when we sprang
upon terra firma at San Lorenzo.

It was not much of a place. There was one
habitation, a bodega or warehouse. But there
were two clever young English-speaking gen-
tlemen to interpret and give points, and, in
short, behave most sweetly toward a bewildered
new arrival.

The pack and saddle mules for our party
were in waiting; but we decided to remain in
the bodega all night and make an early morn-
ing start.

We had comida. 1 will say frankly it was
very plain, gotten up rather extempore, cooked
on one of the out-door native stoves. I believe
it consisted of eggs, tortillas, queso, and coffee
without milk. It was, however, wholesome
and satisfying, for we were hungry.

The night in the bodega was not altogether
pleasant. We foreigners slept in our ham-
mocks. There were seven human beings, two
or more pigs, half a dozen chickens, a rooster

16 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

who crowed conscientiously, and not a few
insects. I was glad enough when the first
streak of daylight crept through the wide
cracks about the door. The bodega keeper and
his wife arose and went forth about their duties.
The rest of us were not slow to quit our ham-
mock suspense, or suspension, and after coffee
and pan dulce, we were in the saddle.

I am ready to acknowledge that until that
moment I never really knew what riding
meant. It was not at all like having a noble
saddle-horse in the bridle-path of Central Park,
or on the boulevards of some breezy Western
city. It was being pounded up and down on
the hardest-gaited old villain of a quadruped
that ever wagged his long ears or flourished his
heels in the air.

The sun grew very hot as we rode. The
country was level; the scenery was not es-
pecially tropical. There was not the sight
of a human habitation, but now and then we
met pack-mules and their owners plodding
contentedly behind them. Being new to a
mule's back, I was not always securely seated;
my hat would bob over my eyes, and a cramp
crept into my knees. I was uncomfortable
and cross before reaching Pespire. Had we

GETTING ASHORE AND A START. 17

made fairly good time, we should have reached
Pespire at ten or eleven o' clock at the latest.
It is but twenty miles inland. The road is
excellent, being the first twenty miles of the
wagon-way constructed by President Bogran
from the coast to the capital, at a cost of a
hundred thousand dollars. Ox-carts travel
over it, but the most of the freight is carried
on mule-back — two hundred and fifty pounds
equally divided — two one hundred and twenty-
five pound packages or boxes constituting a
load. Strangers going to Honduras should
always remember to carry small stout trunks
in pairs, not weighing over one hundred, or one
hundred and twenty-five pounds at most, apiece.
With luggage in this convenient shape, one
can get about easily and without delay.
Mules can be obtained at Pespire at from five
to ten dollars apiece for freight or passenger
transportation to the capital. I have heard
some talk of a pony express between Teguci-
galpa and San Lorenzo, but the project has
never been definitely undertaken. It would
pay, I believe, for there is a vast amount of
freight brought by steamers to Amapala and
lightered over to the mainland, to lie waiting
its turn in the bodega for weeks, if not months.

18 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

I remember a gentleman who ordered a dress
suit to be sent him from New York for the
Fourth of July. It was sent promptly and
arrived up at the capital at the Christmas
holidays.

We did not reach Pespire until after one
o'clock, the very hottest part of the day. We
found a pretty little white adobe town, with a
cathedral in Moorish style of architecture. A
wide but shallow river flows through the town.
The white stones of its bed blaze dazzlingly in
the noon-day sun, and he who touches them
with his bare fingers is apt to get a bad burn.

Pespire is one of the principal towns of
the department of Choluteca. But it has no
hotel accommodations. The best arrangement
you can make will give you but a room
—empty of furniture, but probably having
human occupants — in which to swing your
hammock. If you are acquainted with any
of the principal mining companies, or bring
letters to their managers, you may be accom-
modated with a canvas cot and a blanket or
two at one of their agencies. Fortunately, I
was so circumstanced. I had not wished or
intended to remain over night in Pespire. It
was our plan to proceed to La Venta, twelve

GETTING ASHORE AND A START. 19

miles further on — a place that is a thousand
feet above sea-level. It is well, as a rule, for
strangers arriving for the iirst time in Honduras
to make haste up to the interior, and to remain
there until acclimated — not that the coast is
such a deadly place as some would have one
believe, but as a matter of precaution. At the
time I am writing of I had more than an ordi-
nary fear of tropical lowlands. The remark
of a certain gentleman, who, as the general
manager of an important mining company, was
in the habit of taking out a number of Amer-
ican employes with him every year from New
York to Honduras, had made a deep impression
upon me. The remark was to the effect that,
having once landed on Honduras soil, he never
allowed his party to rest for a moment, day or
night, until they had reached LaVenta; because,
he said, he did not carry coffins witJi Jiim.
Months afterward I discovered his reason for
this ghastly exaggeration in the fact that he
desired to prevent the wives of some of the
employes he was taking out wishing to accom-
pany them. Women in a mining camp always
made trouble, he said.

We had breakfast at Pespire, brought to us
at the mining company's agency. It was re-

20 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

markably good, or else we were very hungry.
None but the natives have the peculiar knack
of cooking the frijoles so that you can eat a
platter full and sigh for greater capacity. The
coffee, too, was so good ! I can not understand
why such vile decoctions are served to one on
certain steamship lines under the name of this
delicious beverage. And in Honduras we had
the reality to contrast with the base imitation
of the past fortnight.

When we had finished, it was nearly three
o'clock. The sky. had clouded over. Soon a
splendid tropical rain-storm, with occasional
thunderous reverberations, had burst upon us.
It rained tremendously for an hour or two.
The Pespire agent persuaded us that it would
be highly unwise to set out again that night.
He was hospitable in regard to cots and bed-
clothes, and we concluded to remain and make
an early start.

II.

ON THE ROAD UP TO THE CAPITAL.

From Pespire to La Venta is an easy ride, and
yet an uneasy one. The distance is slight-
twelve miles at a guess. But what ups and

ON THE ROAD UP TO THE CAPITAL. 21

downs ! What climbings to rise a thousand
feet above the ocean! Now the difference be-
tween the two worlds, the temperate and the
tropical begins to dawn upon the traveler.
Now, in the fresh of the early morning, ere the
sun is high enough to scorch your shoulders
and arms — which, by the way, you will be wise
to cover with a large white towel — you gaze
on either side of your path and begin to feel a
sense of strangeness. There is a curious, broken
look of the ground. As a gentleman once said
to me, it looks as if Omnipotent hands had
caught up huge masses of rock and earth and
flung them hither and thither to form an awe-
inspiring, inexplicable region of wildness.

Now the traveler begins to realize for the first
time the beauty of the prosaic mule. This
beauty lies wholly in his sure and wise footed-
ness. He steps cautiously down the stony
road where it makes an abrupt descent; he
leaps an ugly rut; he springs nimbly up a hill;
he keeps on cheerfully and sagely, and does all
the necessary thinking for you — except that as
to how you shall best sit in your saddle.

La Venta is a small adobe village. There is
a posada, which you easily find on inquiry.
Your animals should be rested here, and fed if

22 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

you like. The old woman of the posada is not
especially agile, but she can get you a good
breakfast. We had the native dishes — eggs,
chicken, tortillas, and beans. The house was
but a single-roomed hut, clean, with an earthen
floor. A hammock swung in the center, into
which I piled rather stiffly, I remember, and
frofti which breakfast was hardly enough to
tempt me to rise.

The old lady overcharged us for the meal,
but we did not complain. We started out
bravely again. This time we had a much
longer distance to cover before nightfall, that
of ten leguas, about thirty miles, which, with
the morning's twelve, would make the day's
journey forty-two miles. This would bring us
to Sabanagrande.

At this place were several Americans of the
San Marcos Mining Company, to whom we had
introductions, and we felt assured of kindly
courtesies. There was no hotel then, as there is
at present. We did not make great speed that
afternoon. At first the landscape interested
us, and we rode slowly to look around. The
pita and the various cacti, of which we knew
absolutely nothing — not even a name— became
frequent. The road was fairly good, but that

ON THE ROAD UP TO THE CAPITAL. 23

there was a great deal of climbing and a greater
deal of jogging down into little declivities,
which to a saddle-sore traveler is anything but
bliss. The afternoon fled. All of a sudden
dusk came on. We were not there. We beat
up our weary animals, and kept on for another
hour or two. My companion tried to cheer me
up, but I was on the brink of a breaking-
down when at last we reached the village.

The door of one of the little low houses
opened as we rode up. There was the glow of
warm lamp-light, kindly American voices, and
the smell of freshly steeped tea !

They had expected us, and supper was pre-
pared. I don't know that anything else ever
tasted as good to me as that tea. We occupied
the newly built house of a gentleman who was
absent at a camp several leagues distant, but
who, knowing we were coming, had most kindly
tendered us his dwelling for the night. It was
only a two-room affair, with rough inner walls
and a door through which daylight crept in
wide bars early the next morning; but it was
clean, and there was a comfortable bed and
wash-stand and a small looking-glass. It
seemed like recovering civilization.

The distance on to Tegucigalpa now was but

24 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

thirty miles, mostly a splendid road. Much
refreshed by a good rest and sound sleep — the
muscular lameness, having disappeared, as it
always does after the second day in the saddle
— we made excellent time. Now we were on
the heights. At one point we could see Tegu-
cigalpa glistening whitely in the distance,
twenty miles away. The sun ascended the
heavens, and its rays burnt upon us when
we rode out from under the shade of magnifi-
cent trees; but we did not mind this, for the
splendid breeze of the mountains swept to and
fro, refreshing and invigorating us. Half-way
to the capital we were galloping across Cerro
de Hule, a grand wind-swept table-like sum-
mit, five or six thousand feet above sea-level.
Here it was deliciously cool. There was a fine
mist in the air. A solitary house, known to my
companions as a posada, from previous investi-
gations, became apparent at noon. We made
a brief stop and obtained milk and tortillas.

From Cerro de Hule on to Tegucigalpa we
could have driven a four-in-hand. There was
no more fording of streams or threading of
precipitous winding paths. The wide road was
white and smooth, a veritable boulevard. The
road-bed looked to be of limestone. There

CITY OF THE SILVER HILLS. 25

were capital bridges. We began to see fenced-
in property, with stone walls and cactus
hedges, and to guess at farms and estates.
The indescribable opulence of tropical nature
was more strikingly perceptible now, because
placed in contrast with the elements of civili-
zation.

We began to see houses, comfortable looking
places, mostly of one story, to be sure, but long
and of ample breadth, with airy porches, in
whose shade hammocks swung invitingly.
Built of adobe, like almost all the buildings,
and roofed with the heavy red tiles that cost
about two cents apiece and are used by the
thousand for all dwellings, the interiors could
not be other than impervious alike to heat or
dampness, and comfortable in proportion.

It was after six when we rode through Co-
mayguela, that supplementary part of Teguci-
galpa which lies on the other side of the Rio
Grande.

III.

TEGUCIGALPA, CITY OF THE SILVER HILLS.

I could make a book entire about this quaint
and quiet town. It is situated about three
thousand two hundred feet above sea-level,

26 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

upon a plateau enclosed by mountains rising
some three thousand feet still higher. To
the north and immediately back of the city
is " LaLeona," of volcanic formation. Up and
around the side of this mountain, one sees the
white cart-road leading off to San Juancito,
twenty miles distant, where are situated the
Rosario Mining Company's works. By and
by — not yet — we shall set off thither.

There are three or four good hotels at Tegu-
cigalpa. If you stop, as I did, not far from
the presidential palace, you are quite in the
center of town, convenient to the post-office,
the plaza, the cathedral.

Very early in the morning you awaken,
against your will. They are beating the re-
veille in the cuartel. The notes of the bugle
come sweetly out of the distance. You open
your still heavy eyes and see chinks of light
overhead. They grow wider and brighter as
you gaze. You study them uncomprehend-
ingly for awhile. The room is dark otherwise.
After awhile you crawl out of bed, feel for
your shoes, and put them on with vague appre-
hensions of alacranes. Then you grope your
way to the window, which is perhaps window
and door combined. After fumbling for a time,

CITY OF THE SILVER rflLLS. 27

you grasp a monstrous iron bolt and slip it
back. The ponderous wooden shutters — there
are few glass windows in the country — swing
open. All the splendid freshness of the morn-
ing pours in and blinds you for the moment.
You stand there dazzled by the beauty of the
heavens; you draw long, delicious breaths. Oh,
this is weather that they might have in Para-
dise !

Already — perhaps it is six o'clock — people
are astir in the streets. They rise early. You
'dress yourself and hurry out to the dining-
room. It is a bare-looking place with imita-
tion stone floor, some little tables and chairs.
There are great windows with their heavy shut-
ters wide open, through which the wind sweeps
coolly and the pleasant sunlight looks in. If
you do not hurry and take your coffee and
pan dulce or pan frances, you will be in dan-
ger of feeling a most untropical appetite for
breakfast, which is not served before ten or
eleven o'clock.

After taking coffee you will do well to set out
and see the town. But it is so strangely quiet,
you say. Even so. There are no noisy mills,
or factories, no steam-whistles, no engine-bells,
not even the rattling of carriage-wheels in the

28 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

narrow streets of Tegucigalpa. There are only
the human footfalls and the sound of human
voices, or the soft-stepping unshod horses and
mules with their packs projecting on either
side, or at rare intervals a curious two-wheeled
chariot drawn by oxen.

Here at Tegucigalpa — an Indian name signi-
fying city of the silver hills — is the seat of
government. That two-story curious building,
pleasantly painted in drab and rose-color, is the
President's palace. It is an extensive build-
ing; its walls are of tremendous thickness, and
the interior is well furnished. Here, during
certain hours of the day, anyone may obtain
audience with a truly American President,
General Don Luis Bogran.

Passing on down the street which leads to the
fine stone bridge across the Rio Grande to
Comayguela — the same bridge, several hundred
feet in length, over which you rode into the
city on your arrival — you come to the post-
office and the central telegraph office. The
postal system is very good, and the telegraphic
supposed to be excellent, the general superin-
tendent of both being an American, Mr. Bert
Cecil. If you keep on down to the river you
may see some of the native washerwomen beat-

CITY OF THE SILVER HILLS, 29

ing the clothes to spotless whiteness on the
great stones below. But possibly you will pre-
fer to return and take a look next at the cathe-
dral. It is of Moorish style, this great white
edifice. It has a clock, and a bell that is rung
more energetically than melodiously. It is very
old. There are no seats; pious people are sup-
posed to kneel and pray when they are in
church. There is an altar which, they say,
was once of solid gold, but much of the pre-
cious metal has disappeared in the course of
years.

Do you care to visit the university next?
It is near the palace. Do you wish to go
presently to a young ladies' seminary ? There
is one called " El Progreso." There are eighty
to one hundred pupils. The principal is Miss
Jesusa Medina, a charming and clever young
lady — not at all the prim and precise type of
lady teacher we know in the United States
—who speaks English gracefully, having been
educated in Guatemala. In this seminary are
taught all the elementary branches, languages,
and a good deal of useful and ornamental
handiwork as well.

Before starting out to see the city, you will
most probably have met a gentleman whom I

80 THE EEPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

do not hesitate to style the good angel of the
foreigners in Honduras. This is Dr. Reinhold
Fritzgartner, Government Geologist, Inspector-
General of Mines, and editor of Honduras
Progress, a most valuable and necessary little
bi-weekly newspaper printed in English. Doc-
tor Fritzgartner is a Prussian by birth, but
was for some time in the United States. He is
a capital linguist, and his good nature, in inter-
preting for helpless new arrivals is unfailing.
If by any chance you should not yet have
met this gentleman, you should make haste to
do so.

In front of the cathedral is the park, Mora-
zan Park, with Morazan's statue in the center.
Great is the name of this hero, and great his
glory in the land of his birth to-day, forty-
seven years after his cruel death in another
republic. His tomb, they say, is in Salvador.
But his statue, an equestrian figure in bronze,
is there in the park of Tegucigalpa, and his
name is spoken, as is that of Washington in
the United States, with love and reverence,
nearly half a century after his fall on the
market-place of San Jose de Costa Rica.
Something of a dreamer was Morazan. He
had the face of a poet. The Hondurenos have

CITY OF THE SILVER HILLS. 31

placed his head upon all denominations of
their postage-stamps. When I went home to
breakfast after looking at the statue, I wrote
down a rhyme that had sung itself into my
brain out there in the sunshine of the park.
It was echo-like to what I had been listening
about the hero of Central American independ-
ence, MORAZAN.

There are other statues in the park — four of
them, one in each corner. They represent the
four seasons ! Who in the world ever conceived
the idea of placing them there, I do not know.
They are beautiful white pictures, but slightly
incongruous in the land of eternal June.

Fronting on the streets that bound the park
or square are some of the principal stores
and shops. Many of these occupy the front of
the lower story of the owners' residences, for
there are some two-story dwellings, although
one-story is> the rule. The houses are built
even with the street, and the patios or inner
court-yards are very large, and usually contain
beautiful gardens with orange and pomegran-
ate trees. When a family gives a ball, the
patio is lighted with Japanese lanterns, and
serves as a conservatory for lovers to stroll and
whisper in.

32 THE REPUBLIC OF ITONDtJEAS.

The social life of Tegucigalpa is charming.
Balls and weddings are of frequent occurrence.
The weddings are occasions of great rejoicing.
They are of twelve hours duration, beginning
usually at eight in the evening. At that hour,
the invited friends having assembled at the
home of the bride's parents, the civil ceremony
takes place with every due form. After this
the priest appears and performs the first part
of the religious ceremony. There is then a sort
of intermission. The couple are not yet com-
pletely married. Nevertheless, dancing and
feasting begin. Champagne unlimited flows;
speeches and good- wishes are still more abun-
dant. They keep it up with unflagging zest
until the small hours of the morning. At four
o'clock the cathedral bell begins to ring, and
summons them to that holy spot. The ladies
throw their wraps about their heads and
shoulders, and bride and groom lead a long
procession, still in full ball costume, through
the silent streets. The priest meets them just
at the church door. He reads a short prayer,
then gives the groom thirteen golden coins.
The groom pours these into the hand of the
bride, saying : ' ' Wife, take these in significance
of our marriage." And the bride responds :

CITY OF THE SILVER HILLS. 33

" Husband, I accept them." After this they
follow the priest to the altar. A white veil is
placed over the couple and a golden chain to
encircle them. They remain thus enveloped
and linked with golden fetters while mass is
said. And so at last they are married. By
this time it is broad daylight. On leaving the
church they proceed to their own new home,
which is ready for them. Here a wedding
breakfast is laid for themselves and their most
intimate friends. One of the dishes which is
never wanting is the nacatamales, so well
relished by all Central Americans.

There is very little domestic unhappiness in
Honduras. The married couples are fond of
each other, contented, and deeply devoted to
their children. Love-matches are the rule. The
balls at the Christmas holidays, and also the
15th of September ball, which is usually held
at the palace, are always exceedingly pleas-
ant affairs. To be really happy in Central
America, one must dance. It is the great
amusement. There is a good theatre in Tegu-
cigalpa, but in order to fully enjoy a perform-
ance, you must understand some Spanish.

I have heard strange stories of buried treas-
ure having been discovered under more than

3

34 THE EEPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

one old house in Tegucigalpa. When or why
it was buried there, has never been made
precisely clear to me. It seemed to have
been hidden by the possessors in time of war,
when they were forced to fly hastily, hoping,
doubtless, to return later on. I have heard of
people buying old places and coming into sud-
den fortunes by prudent excavations. I have
heard of others who dug so hard that they
undermined the houses, and these collapsed,
total ruins, without a sign of a coin of any
description.

I would like to be able to give a clear idea
of the houses of Tegucigalpa. Those of one
story are from fifteen to eighteen feet high — that
is, from the sidewalk to the eaves of the tile
roof, which slopes toward the street and pro-
jects out over the cera or brick pavement.
The sidewalk is rarely wide enough for two to
walk abreast. The house is built of adobe,
which means blocks of earth mixed with tough
grass and dried in the sun. The blocks are
generally two feet long by one wide by six
inches thick. The outside is finished off
smooth, and whitewashed or painted. Inside,
the walls are plastered and papered hand-
somely. The windows rarely have glass. The

CITY OF THE SILVEE HILLS. 35

shutters open inward, and are tremendous
affairs with huge bolts. Outside all the win-
dows are strong iron bars. The width of the
house-walls make the windows the nicest little
alcoves to sit in. As to furniture, carpets are
not much used. There is a great deal of
Canton and straw matting, and rugs are liked.
The native petates, or mats woven of straw and
brightly colored, are pretty and inexpensive.
The bent-wood chairs and sofas are imported
in great quantities from Europe. Pianos are
numerous — strangely enough, when you know
how they are brought up from the coast. And
Tegucigalpa has many fine musicians. There
is one young pianist, Mr. Meany, whose play-
ing would attract attention in New York or
London. Candles are mostly used for lights,
but there are also handsome lamps. Kerosene
is rather costly. The rooms are large and airy.
There is an interior porch on all four sides of
the patio. Doors from all the rooms open into
this porch. There are some ugly, uncared-for
patios, and some that are very beautiful with
flowers and fruit trees.

Besides the cathedral, in Tegucigalpa there
are four or five churches. There is a hospital,
and early in January, 1889, President Bogran

M i in 1:1 iTi;ur OK IIOMHKAS.

himself laid the corner-stone of tho new

orphans' home. There is ;i -ood lihrary in
eonneetiou with the university, and there are

several newspapers. L« *\<n'i,m and L<t ///•-

\\Y{\ llir prinri|):il niirs. Tim llumluntx

) the first English i>:i|M»ri»verissu<Ml in

< Vntml AIIICI i<-;i, is full of v:ilu:ihlr inl'oniKil ion
for

IV.

SUNSHINE AND RTOKM

I found it :i little (lilliculi ;il lirst to undor-
slund ihr seasons. Arriving in a nionlli that
in thr North inrans inidsnniincr, 1 was told
that it was now the invierno, or winter, and
that, the verano, or summer, he^imiim-- in
Novemher and lasting until May, would he
much pleasanler. I felt as if the people who
told me this mi^ht he makin<; a mistake.
Kaney August, he in;;- a winter mont h ! Travel
IIILC, I learned, would he had for the next, three
months. The roads were muddy in some

es, mud a hove the horses' knees. I mean,

sn INSII i N i<; A IN i> ;; i OI;M. :v.)

lie.. Tliis is perhaps true. Yet people who
live at Truxillo do not think the climale bad
at all. At Puerto Cortex the sea-breeze is con-

Htantand refivshiiitf. I did not Feel unconiFort
able either there or at San Pedro Sula, Unity
miles inland. Tin' only lime I rea-lly suJl'ered
From he:ii, in I londnras— the only truly mem-
ora 1)1(3 time— was down by the River Ulua, at
midday, witting undor a huge lemon tree.

Jus!, ;il, that spot, by the house oF I -he I'erry-
niJMl, to whom \\eslmll eonie in ,-in ;i .ITer eh;ip
ter, I he ro;id e.iirves so th;il I here is no |);iss:i.^e.
of air. Theiv was not a. hreaih aslir Ihat <la.y;
I he sun was hot, sulFoeal im.;ly hot. I sal motion-
less, with perspiration oo/in^ From every pore;
and the, hoi, hni;e lemons Fell around me, as iF
themselves overcome.

A rain storm never is a <;Teai boiv in ||<>n
dnras. IF you :in? out Fora, ride, \ou earry a.
rubber cloak one Iliat. does not ^ape in
Front is best. IF it rain very hard, lake refuse.
under some friendly thatched rooF. In lown, iF
it rain, you need not ^o out until it slops.
The only provoking shower I can call to mind
during all the months I spent in Honduras,
was one which l>e";in promptly at haJF-past
seven (/clock of the evening, on the i:>th

40 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

of September. It was the night of Independ-
ence Day, and there was a grand ball at
the President's palace. I was one of a party
who were to attend. At eight o'clock the rain
was still pouring in torrents. Now, the annoy-
ing part was that one of the ladies of our party
was to open the ball with the President ! We
could not, therefore, go late. Imagine six or
eight ladies and gentlemen in full dress parad-
ing through the street in a drenching storm!
No carriages; not even an ox-cart ! There was
no other way than for the ladies to be carried in
chairs. Three were procured — chairs I mean
—and six stout mozos were quickly engaged.
Each lady was carefully seated; her satin and
tulle train, her fan, gloves, and flowers carefully
placed in her lap, and a rubber cloak thrown
over her. She was given an umbrella to hold.
Presently the procession started. Two of the
ladies, including the one who was to 'dance
with the President, were light-weights; the
third was rather solid. The mozos who carried
this lady groaned and slipped on the wet stones,
and groaned again and slipped again, and
finally down with a crash came lady, mozos,
and all, in the middle of the street. No one was
hurt, fortunately, and none of us laughed more

SUNSHINE AND STORM. 41

at the recollection, for days afterward, than the
lady herself.

A great many people have a terrible dread
of Honduras as an unhealthf ul place. For the
most part, such a feeling is unwarranted. It is
certainly a wise plan to go at once to the inte-
rior on first arriving in the country. But the
coast lands are by no means such deadly
regions, providing one exercise proper care as
to living. Wait until you have been two or
three weeks in the tropics before you eat
fruits to which you are unaccustomed. Be
careful not to drink impure water without first
boiling it. There is no danger in the water of
the crystal clear mountain streams. Avoid
getting wet and chilled. If you get caught in
the rain, take immediately a little brandy. Do
not eat too much animal food; if you do, you
are apt to become bilious. Be temperate in
the matter of liquors. The aguardiente of Hon-
duras is very powerful, and should be taken
sparingly. The guaro is better in the bottle
than down the throat.

No one who has been in Honduras can be
unaware of the perfection of the climate of the
interior in restoring health to those suffering
from diseases of the respiratory organs. The

42 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

pure and gentle atmosphere of these high alti-
tudes is the best possible cure for consump-
tive tendencies. Persons, indeed, whose lungs
are already seriously affected, may hope for
complete recovery here among these upland
forests of pine and oak. For such, an altitude
of three to four thousand feet is the best
region. In this cool and even temperature they
should wear light flannel underclothing and
sleep with sufficient coverings during the really
cold nights. Daily bathing in the mountain
streams, and not too much riding, will give them
unheard-of appetites and make new creatures
of them in a short time.

October is perhaps the prettiest month in
Honduras. After the long months of the rainy
season, the look of the world is enchanting.
The air is clearest then, for the rains have
washed out all the dust. Miles and miles
across splendid emerald valleys are distant
mountains veiled in sapphire and azure. Some-
times, beyond low floating snowy clouds, rise
dark-green peaks like islands in an aerial sea.
The flowers are all at their best.

The road- sides in places are ablaze with yel-
low and scarlet. In other, shadier spots there
are ferns and orchids. On a mountain-side

SUNSHINE AND STORM. 43

where a thousand tiny streams trickle con-
stantly down across your narrow path, there is
maiden-hair, delicate and beautiful beyond
description — inexhaustible quantities. And
mingled with it are begonias that you instantly
crave to transport to the North. Further on
are giant ferns, amazing trees that make you
stare. In another place you will find black-
berries growing wild — bushes and bushes, limit-
less and unheeded. But it is the very same
old blackberry — -red when it is green — that
you have eaten all the summers of your life
since you were old enough, in the North.
The natives call it the mora. And everywhere
you will see the mimosa, the sensitive plant,
which in the tropics becomes quickly a tree,
and does not quiver and recoil so easily at rude
contact. There are two species — one with little
pink fuzzy balls, and one whose fuzzy balls are
yellow.

O, how truly beautiful is the spring-like
October of the Honduras uplands !

44 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

V.

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE.

A great many foreigners go to Honduras
leaving their families behind in the United
States. A few take their wives and children
along with them. There is no good reason why
they should not. With a little forethought,
life may be as agreeable for a- woman as for a
man. But, to be sure, there are women who
are not easily contented. If you go to Hon-
duras ready to groan and grumble at every
trifle, prepared to believe the inhabitants a
set of savages, and firmly convinced that the
climate is deadly, and, in short, everything
"horrid," you are not apt to be comfortable
yourself or to render anyone else so. Go
there cheerfully, prepared to do without gas-
light and street-cars, also matinees (except
in Tegucigalpa), fresh oysters (except in
Amapala), art exhibitions, green apples, and
American butter (except in cans from the
United States), and you may be serene, if not
absolutely happy.

If you are going to stay any length of time
in any one place, you must find a house. Rents
vary. In El Valle de los Angeles you can

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE. 45

secure a habitation at from five to thirty dollars
per month. In Tegucigalpa houses rent for from
ten to one hundred and fifty dollars. Supposing
you take a place that is rather roughly finished
inside — indeed, outside of Tegucigalpa or
Comayagua, the houses are not, as a rule, very
artistic. In such case you will want to have a
deal of cretonne for curtains and portieres and
mantles. You will want plenty of muslin or
lace window-curtains. Rugs will make your
bare floors comfortable. The ladies' and chil-
dren' s dresses should be all of summer materials.
Don't let anyone delude you into taking spring
costumes. You want June and July attire.
Sun and shade hats you will need; parasols
and umbrellas in plenty; shoes and boots
enough to last a good while; rubber cloaks of
the best possible quality — cheap ones will not
stand the climate. Sheets and pillow-cases,
blankets and bed-spreads you must take also.
Hammocks and steamer-chairs are the nicest
things in the world for a house in Honduras.
Some little knick-knacks and pictures will
make bare walls more home-like. If I were a
lady going to Honduras with my husband, I
should also take two or three pretty evening
dresses with me, because people who are agree-

46 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

able and come well introduced are treated
very amiably in a social way, and there is not
always time to get a dress made for a party;
besides, how much nicer to have the latest
New York cut ! And I would take ever so
many pairs of kid gloves — undressed kid,
which do not spot like dressed kid, in the
tropical rainy season.

But about comfortable living: The house
fixed, you must have a servant or two. They
work for low wages, but you must not be
splenetic at the bare shoulders and bare feet of
your kitchen maid. See that she is clean from
head to foot; that is all. Her camisa should be
spotless, and her calico skirt should not drag
behind and wipe up the dust. Trust to her to
cook the frijoles and tortillas. Instruct her on
other points kindly and repeatedly, and do not
lose patience. Go about the kitchen (I am
speaking now for the benefit of the foreigner's
wife) with your Spanish book in your hand, giv-
ing orders as grammatically as possible; and all
of a sudden you will be surprised to find how
well you speak and understand the language.
Be as kind as you can to your native servants.
The Hondureiios, even of the lower classes, are
as proud as Lucifer is said to be. You can

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE. 47

never force them to do anything. On the other
hand, they will show the greatest devotion to
an employer for w^hom they have affection.

In order to be comfortable, one must duly
respect the inner man. What is one to eat in
Honduras ? There is good beef to be had, and
occasionally veal. There is no mutton yet;
there are few sheep in the country. Pork is
rather high. Very good sausage is manufact-
ured by the natives. Brains and sweetbreads
nicely cooked are tasty dishes. Iguana, the
meat of which is white and delicate, is not at
all bad, and there is a certain kind of monkey
that need not be despised. Mr. E. W. Perry
says that " boiled monkey, tender and fat from
much feasting on zapotes and other sweet and
wholesome fruits, is delicious food. There is
another excellent reason why people who
might turn with aversion from a diet of even
so remote an ancestor should eat the fat,
white-bellied mono. His oil is a superior
remedy for catarrh and kindred ailments, and
excels cod-liver oil in curing consumption."

The same gentleman speaks favorably of the
armadillo, baked in its many-banded, scaly
armor. The wild turkey is very good, and the
tepescuintle is tasty. In regard to vegetables,

48 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

a good plan is to have your own kitchen gar-
den, raising your own tomatoes, string-beans,
radishes, lettuce, parsley, onions, beets, cab-
bages, cucumbers, squashes, and so forth. All
these things grow as by magic. You have but
to water them and watch that the ants do not
get at them. If you waken one morning and
find a thousand of these busy little insects
streaming into your garden-patch and walking
off with your precious green stuff, do not faint
or shriek. Go quietly and find a mozo. Offer
him two or three dollars to discover and remove
the ants' nest. He will do so effectually, and
then you may pay him. With a little trouble
you may have thus all the fresh vegetables you
wish, the year round. Flour is expensive.
You will do well to buy your bread. They
have a secret for making it, with white of eggs,
I fancy. Speaking of eggs, keep your own
hens if possible, and raise chickens for your
table. Rice is plentiful and cheap. Fried
bananas and plantains are dishes that you will
very soon grow fond of. Ripe mangoes stewed
are harmless, and green mango pie is worth tast-
ing. Figs are delicious stewed. Pineapples,
anonas, zapotes, aguacates, jocotes, oranges, and
lemons are abundant in the market-places, and

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE. 49

cost little. Among familiar fruits to the stranger
are the duraznos (peaches), which are plucked
green and hard, and must always be stewed. I
do not know why the natives do not let them
ripen. There are quinces, too, but these cost
more. The blackberry grows wild at four
thousand feet altitude. Little girls gather
them and bring them to your door to sell.
For a real (twelve and a half cents) you can
buy a heaping measure. Water-melons, in
their season, can be had for twenty or twenty-
five cents apiece. They are small, but of good
flavor.

Now for some purely native dishes — the tor-
tilla, the tamale, the frijoles, and the Spanish
" boiled dinner." Maize is certainly the staple
breadstuff of the country. A requisite for
your kitchen is the metate, or piedra de moler.
This is a stone about two by two feet in dimen-
sions and slightly concave in the center. Ac-
companying it is a stone rolling-pin. Fpon
this stone the tortillas are prepared, and should
you lack a coffee-mill, your coffee may thus be
ground. The first thing in tortilla-making is
to cook the corn on the cob in lime-water, or
water with a little ashes in it. The kernels
come off easily then in the shape of what we

4

50 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

call hulled corn. This is placed on the stone
and ground to a paste-like mass with the stone
roller. When there are no kernels left, the
roller is laid aside. The wet meal is taken np
in small masses and patted between the hands
into thin, round cakes from four to eight inches
in diameter. These are baked quickly on a
stone or a thin pan over a hot fire; and behold,
the tortilla ! The tamale is different. It con-
sists of the wet meal made into rolls, placed in
large, thick leaves, or else in tough corn-husks,
and boiled for a good while. But, as a rule,
some fine chopped meat or raisins are added
before the boiling. The raisin tamales are little
else than boiled Indian puddings. A pleasant
native drink is made by stirring pinole into
a glass of water and sweetening it. The pinole
is parched grains of maize ground to a fine
powder. Pinole also makes good hasty pud-
ding, they say.

Uabul is the name of a Mosquito coast drink.
It is made from the butuco, a thick, stumpy
plantain with an acid flavor. This butuco may
be eaten either stewed or fried, in which case it
tastes like stewed peaches or like fried apples.
The drink from it is made by boiling the fruit
soft and making a mush of it, then stirring

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE. 51

in cold water, adding a little lime-juice and
sweetening to your taste. The frijoles, or black
beans, are always eaten for breakfast. They
are boiled first with a small piece of pork.
Next, they should be mashed with a wooden
masher. After this, place them in a deep
earthen dish if possible, add sufficient lard,
some slices of onion, and bake awhile. The
boiled dinner of tropical lands is as detestable
as the boiled dinner of New England. It con-
sists of a piece of meat with some bone and fat,
some plantains, some yams, some yuca, some
ayotes and chayotes, native squashes, and any-
thing else that the cook may fancy.

During many months of the year honey is
brought to your door in bottles. It is wild
honey and of excellent flavor. Good coffee
and chocolate are easily obtainable. Fine
sugar is rather high. The native dulce is
usable. If you want good tea, you must take
it with you; they do not know tea very well
in Honduras. The native cheese and mante-
quilla are good. Milk you must buy early in
the morning. The cows are milked but once a
day. In a few localities it is almost impos-
sible to obtain it, but as a rule you can have it
brought to you at from ten to fifteen cents per

52 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

bottle. Everything in the fluid line is brought
in bottles, you will find — wine, whisky, and
beer bottles, whose original contents were long
since absorbed, and whose astonishing num-
bers suggest all sorts of thoughts about a
remarkable thirst in the land.

PART II.

ROCK AND RIVER.

I.

THE OLDEST MINES.

The great attraction of Honduras for stran-
gers and foreign capital lias thus far been the
precious metals locked in the bosoms of the
mighty Cordilleras or hidden in the sands at
the bottom of the rivers flowing northward.
Until quite recently, little attention has been
paid to the subject of colonization for agricult-
ural purposes, although the lowlands afford
magnificent advantages for these. The mines
have been the vast and absorbing question,
back as far as the beginning of the sixteenth
century, when Columbus appeared with his
adventurous followers to discover and conquer
another world.

The first fifty years of Spanish industry
were doubtless devoted to placer-mining in
the rivers not far from the north coast. Silver
was then discovered, but no movement was
made to mine it out until the beginning of
the seventeenth century. The first steps
toward this were taken amid the mountains

(53)

54 THE REPUBLIC. OF HONDURAS.

to the east of what is now the capital, and in
the districts or minerales to-day known as
those of Santa Lucia, San Juan de Cantarra-
nos, and San Juancito. The last-named place is
now the site of the Rosario works, probably
thus far the best developed and most success-
ful in all Honduras. Formerly one had, on
leaving the capital, to pass through Santa
Lucia and either Cantarranos or El Valle de
los Angeles to reach San Juancito; but during
the past three or four years a new cart-road
has been completed, leading thither direct
from Tegucigalpa. This road leads up the
4 ' Leona ' ' side, curving now this way and now
that along her white limestone walls for some
miles, then dips in,to a pleasant woods; on
through the woods, and out again into pleas-
ant pastures a-nd fields of waving corn; up and
down into wilder and grander woodland spaces;
high for a last climb, and then you come all at
once upon the Rosario Mine itself, from which
on to San Juancito the road is but a descent of
one thousand feet in the course of three miles.
For eight or nine years the Rosario Company
had little to show for hard work and constant
expenditure for labor and improvements. To-
day the bullion output is over one hundred

THE OLDEST MINES. 59

out a sweet and smiling prospect — green fields,
with little rivers sparkling through, and splen-
did trees casting their shade along the level
wagon-roads. On every side, but far enough
away, a guard of hills, all beautiful with ame-
thyst and pale-green lights. Flowers every-
where, and comfortable-looking houses and
well-paved streets.

Here are the mines of Las Animas. Thirty-
ton furnaces are used by the Los Angeles Min-
ing and Smelting Company, and both steam
and water power employed. Mr. N. A. Foss
is the superintendent. The company's build-
ings are commodious, and the management is
prudent.

Proceeding on from the beautiful valley, you
come next to Santa Lucia, a picturesque little
town of white adobe, nestling amid the green
of coffee and banana fields. Its site is upon
one of the foot-hills of the Cantarranos Mount-
ains, and its altitude about four thousand five
hundred feet above the sea. It is one of the
very oldest mining camps of the country.
There are a number of old openings abandoned
by the Spaniards seen all over the tract, some
of them caved in, others just as they were left.
The present principal working was begun by

60 TIII; REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

the driving of a tunnel of over seven hundred
feet into the mountain. This tunnel passes
through strata containing large deposits of
high-grade silver ore. True fissure veins are
seen on the surface, not differing from the
deposits. Ruby silver and sulphurets are
found in the ore, the gangue of which is chiefly
marl, calcite, and quartz. The Santa Lucia
Mining and Milling Company was originally
organized in New York, but is now controlled
by Pennsylvania capitalists.

In the Santa Lucia district is also La Plomosa,
a property owned principally by Mr. Frederick
E. Adie, of London, and Doctor Fritzgartner, of
Honduras. Some specimens lately taken from
this have assayed one and three-tenths ounces
of gold to thirty ounces of silver. The vein
(ten feet in width) averages forty dollars in
silver, with a considerable amount in gold. A
company is being organized in London to work
the concession. In the same jurisdiction is
the Santa Elena Mine, worked by the Victoria
Mining and Milling Company, of which Mr.
Thomas D. Wayne, of Chicago, is president.

Another old mine is the Guasucaran. This
is situated on Guasucaran Mountain, twenty-
seven miles south from Tegucigalpa and fifty-

THE OLDEST MINES. 61

seven miles inland from Port La Brea, on the
Gulf of Fonseca. The altitude is about five
thousand feet above sea-level, and the old mine
has a curious history. It is related that early
in the sixteenth century a party of Spaniards
were going down from the interior to the coast,
and lost their way on the mountain-side. They
camped there as night came on. Next morning
they built a fire to cook something for break-
fast, and afterwards they discovered in the
ashes of their fire some small silver slugs.
They examined the rock, and found it coated
with small drops of silver. They said nothing,
but some of their number returned to Spain
and obtained a patent to work the mine, and
to introduce a large number of slaves for the
labor.

In 1821, when independence was declared,
the owner was a Senor Rosa. This gentleman
fled from the country, and the mine was left in
the hands of natives, who worked it leisurely
in the most primitive way. From 1850 to 1860
it was worked by Captain Moore, an English-
man, who had bought it for sixty thousand
dollars. In 1860, -Mr. John Connor came out
from London and joined Captain Moore, who
died in 1865, and left all his Honduras property

62 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

to Mr. Connor. This latter gentleman has
worked it ever since in the primitive, native
fashion, with an arrastra, a wooden live-stamp
mill, and barrels for amalgamation. The pres-
ent development of the mine consists of fifty-
odd drifts arid cross-cuts, from two hundred
to six hundred feet in length, with thirty head-
ings, all in ore, from which one hundred tons
can be mined daily for an indefinite period.
The " pockets" assay four hundred to five
hundred dollars per ton, and the ore averages
forty dollars. A company has been formed
recently, known as the Gruasucaran- California
Mining and Milling Company. Mr. John Con-
nor, Jr., is superintendent. A ten-stamp mill
is being built, with boiler, saw-mill, and lixiv-
iation plant. The new company has secured
a concession of adjoining land in the depart-
ment of Tegucigalpa and jurisdiction of Ojo-
jona.

II.

MINES OF IMPORTANCE.

Yuscaran, perhaps, is the place we should
visit next. Yuscaran is the principal town of
the department of Paraiso. It is east and a
little south from Tegucigalpa, at a distance of

MIJSTES OF IMPORTANCE. 63

about forty miles. Its altitude is about the
same as that of the capital, and the climate is
therefore good. The town is so hidden by
mountains that as you approach you have no
idea of its proximity until all at once the
sight bursts upon you. During the past six or
seven years Yuscaran has become something of
a business centre, owing to activity in mining
matters. " The market-place," says Mr. Lom-
bard, in an interesting article, " aifords a prod-
uce exchange for the entire department of
Paraiso; all the towns from the great Indian
settlement of Texiquot to Danli, the centre of
the coffee district, sending every week their
several products thither. On the broad plains
round about this important town, not only the
finest coffee in all Central America is cultivated,
but also a superior quality of sugar-cane, in
such quantities that the aguardiente, or native
rum, distilled therefrom is sufficient to supply
the demand of the entire department of Paraiso,
and that of the department of Tegucigalpa as
well."

It seems that the mines of Yuscaran were
discovered in the eighteenth century, by one
Juan Calvo. He was riding over a pass in the
Plata Mountains, and his mule stumbled and

64 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

fell. Calvo slipped off unhurt; the mule
rolled on down to the bottom of the incline.
Calvo clambered down to recover the animal,
and noticed a bit of dislodged rock glistening
in the sun. He picked it up and found it to be
silver ore. He went away quietly enough with
his mule. Some days later he returned with a
few rude tools and began work on the vein that
he had discovered. In a few weeks he was
known to possess large sums of money,
which he spent rather prodigally. His actions
excited suspicions. His acquaintances began
to watch him closely, and thus his secret was
discovered. As he had not taken any meas-
ures to obtain a patent, others gathered from
all sides and began to work the mine, which
was called from that time Los Quemazones.
Other veins were discovered, the most im-
portant being the Guayabillas, Monserrat,
Iguanas, Sacramento, Santa Elena, Jesus, Tor-
nagas, San Miguel, California, Suyate, Capiro,
Platero, and Veta Grande. Yuscaran came
into existence as a town; houses were built and
streets paved; a cathedral was not forgotten.
The natural surroundings were and are excel-
lently adapted for a mining town. There are
three rivers — the Rio Grande, the Rio Aurora,

MINES OF IMPORTANCE. 65

and the Rio de los Ingenios — close by. There
are forests of pine on the mountains and forests
of hard-wood in the valleys.

To-day the principal mining companies at
work at this spot are the Zurcher & Streber
Mining and Milling Company, the Monserrat
Mining Company, and the Guayabillas Mining
Company. There is also, I think, the Paraiso
Reduction Company, which has a twenty-stamp
mill near Yuscaran. The Zurcher & Streber
Company are working the Iguanas and the
Mercedes tunnel, with rich results. The Mon-
serrat, at latest reports, had developed a
bonanza at one thousand feet under the mount-
ain, where two converging four-feet veins meet
and continue on as one. The ore shows ruby
silver, and assays from two hundred dollars
upward. The company runs twenty stamps
night and day.

The Guayabillas is worked with Cornish
pumps. This is the famous old mine from
which, in the years 1813-17, the output was
over two million dollars.

South from Yuscaran some sixty miles are
the mines of the Potosi district, a tract con-
taining nine square miles, and comprising the
following mines : El Tajo, El Socorro, Los

5

66 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Corales, La Loma, La Mina Grande, Guada-
lupe, San Benito, Santa Rosa, Los Melones,
El Chaparro, Jiganta, San Rafael, El Carmin.
They have all been worked to depths of from
fifty to two hundred feet. The San Benito and
the Jiganta were abandoned because the ore
was too hard to work by native methods. El
Socorro is full of water. The Guadalupe Min-
ing Company, Limited, of Potosi, an English
company, has a fifteen-stamp mill and an air
plant, and is working the Guadalupe mine.
The Potosi Mining and Reduction Company
is working the San Benito, with bullion out-
put of thirty bars per month.

About five leagues distant from this tract,
and on the same mountain range, at Corpus,
are the famous old mines, Clavo Rico and El
Corpus. The Clavo Rico has lately been re-
opened, the old tunnel cleared and re-timbered.
Mr. J. B. Daniel is superintending the work.
Besides the tunnel, he has started shafts on El
Pulpito and El Altar veins, just back of the
Corpus church, which was built over the very
richest part, in consequence of some supersti-
tion about a golden dragon in the mine that
had to be suppressed.

Thirty-six miles from Choluteca, and over

MINES OF IMPORTANCE. 67

the Nicaragua frontier, is the mine belonging
to the Segovia Mining Company, El Golfo.
The company was organized in New York, with
a capital of $300,000. The directors are Mr.
H. M. Braem, Mr. C. Littlefield, and Mr. H. A.
Spears, of New York, and Hon. Abelardo Zel-
aya, of Honduras. The property consists of
quartz fissures richly impregnated with gold.
A twenty-stamp mill is in operation.

The Dos Hermanos Mining and Milling Com-
pany has a valuable property in the jurisdic-
tion of El Corpus, department of Choluteca.

The Cortland Honduras Association and the
San Rafael Mining and Milling Company have
a concession, embracing three gold and silver
mines, near Nacaome, on the Pacific coast. A
stamp-mill is being built.

The San Marcos Company has a ten-stamp
mill at Sabana Grande, and makes regular bull-
ion shipments to New York. The San Marcos
mine, despite interruptions and lack of proper
machinery, produced in the fifteen months end-
ing with September, 1889, over $100,000.

The New Orleans and Curaren has, at Cur-
aren, a mill with two batteries of five stamps
each, four pans and two settlers, and other
equipments.

68 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

The Aramecina United Gold and Silver Min-
ing Company, Limited, was lately organized in
London, with $1,000,000 capital. The directors
are : Mr. Henry Wethered, of London, presi-
dent ; Mr. Oliver Wethered, of London ; Mr.
William Morgans, of London ; Mr. F. B.
Beach, of New York ; Mr. A. E. Morgans, of
London, managing director.

The company owns a group of mines at Ara-
mecina, the Santa Lucia lode being the most
important. The mill plant is one suitable to
treat three hundred tons of ore per day. A
rock-drilling plant of engine, boilers, and air-
compressor to work eight drills, is in position.
Thirty more drills will be added before long.
The mining camp of Aramecina is thirty miles
from Port Aceituno, on the Gulf of Fonseca,
and about three miles east of the village of Ara-
mecina. The altitude is about one thousand
two hundred feet, the climate fine, and there is
good supply of wood and water.

The Opoteca Mines, at Opoteca, department
of Comayagua, and about thirty miles north-
west of the old capital, now belong to an Eng-
lish syndicate, to which they were sold, during
the past year, by their owner, Capt. Frank M.
Imboden, for two hundred and fifty thousand

MINES OF IMPORTANCE. 69

dollars, cash. The company is preparing to
expend a million dollars in equipping the new
plant.

The San Bartolo Mine, department of Copan,
belongs to Captain Payne, of New Orleans.
The ore is a pure chloride of silver, and assays
about ninety ounces.

The Santa Cruz Gold Mining and Milling
Company (an English syndicate) is building a
new one-hundred-stamp mill on the banks of
the Chamelecon River, in the department of
Santa Barbara.

The Monte del Cielo Mining and Milling
Company, of the Minas de Oro district, has a
five-stamp mill and three Huntington mills for
gold plate amalgamation.

The Esperanza Mine, of the same district, is
owned by Mr. Smart.

The Eureka Mine is owned by Mr. Wer-
muth, who works it with an arrastra, pulveriz-
ing sixteen tons of soft ore in twenty-four
hours.

The Tempano Mine has a gold plant.

The Clarita Mine, owned and worked by
Americans, has a five-stamp mill.

The ore of the Minas de Oro is mostly a free
milling gold ore, with gangue of decomposed

?0 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

quartz and ferruginous clay. The veins are
from eight to twenty feet in width.

The New York and Camalote Mining Com-
pany has a water-power stamp-mill at Cama-
lote.

The Hector Mining and Milling Company,
which was organized in Fargo, North Dakota,
by the Messrs. Miller, Sweaton, Wickersham,
Milickan, and Bell, has its works at Quebrada
Grande, Olancho. There are some six hundred
feet of flume sluicing, with good reservoirs.
The bed-rock of the stream is rich in coarse
gold; it is covered with two to three feet of
gold gravel.

The Poso Grande is a mining company lately
organized in Kansas City, which has located
some gold placer claims at Macueliso, below
the mines Los Tarros and El Oro, belonging to
General Kraft.

The Honduras Gold Placer Mining Company
was organized in London in October, 1889, by
Major E. A. Burke, of New Orleans. This
company is to work the concessions obtained
by Major Burke in Olancho. The working
capital is two hundred and fifty thousand dol-
lars. An important undertaking of the com-
pany is the turning of the River Jalan, at

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP. 71

Retiro, south of Juticalpa, in order to work its
bed. Other companies organized by Major
Burke are the Guayape and Jalan.

III.

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP.

To live in Tegucigalpa, or Comayagua, or
Yuscaran, or Santa Cruz de Yojoa, or San
Pedro Sula, or even the Valley of the Angels,
is different from living in that which is purely
a mining camp, and where there is absolutely
no pleasant native society. In such a camp,
for instance, as that of San Juancito, there is
no social life outside of the little colony of
foreigners. And wherever there is no social
life, wherever there is nothing but toil from
morning till night, without relaxation, without
break, without change of any sort, life becomes
at times a most awful monotony; it comes to
resemble most painfully the grind of the stamp-
mill, that never ceases day or night. Despite
the magnificent blue of the sky, the splendor
of the tropical sunshine, the brilliance of the
myriad stars, the pine-fragrant breeze rushing
through the mountain passes, one loses heart,

72 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

or, rather, feels his heart growing hard and
dull, if he is shut away from humanity. He
forgets many of the nice little customs of
polite society; he grows awkward and diffi-
dent, if not uncouth. It is therefore vastly to
the credit of many of the American mining
companies that they endeavor as far as possible
to provide frequent harmless recreations for
their employes. The superintendents often
arrange entertainments at their own houses;
music, dancing, occasionally some little dra-
matic representation, followed by refreshments,
are the order of the evening. To the wives of
one or two of these gentlemen— charming
ladies, who seem ever desirous of brightening
the prosaic life of the company's toilers — is
due much kindly feeling from all who have
spent any length of time in the camps.

There are some companies, however, whose
employes are worked too hard, I think. Not
that the superintendents are not humane men,
or men with a proper sense of justice; but the
truth is— and particularly if they own stock
themselves — they are so interested in making
the mine a grand success that they forget, at
times, to have any mercy on flesh or blood-
even their own. One gentleman in particular

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP. 73

I remember to have told that he not only over-
worked his employes, but also himself. Their
hours were from six in the morning until ten
and eleven at night, with but half an hour for
meals. They were supposed to work nearly
the same time on Sundays! I prophesied to
this man that bad would come of such a strain.
He laughed at me. " You will pay for it, and
dearly," I warned him. And he did; for he
died very suddenly, a few months later, from
what was supposed to be apoplexy. The
" seventh day" rest is just as important in
Honduras as anywhere else. If the stamp-
mills must keep on running, as is not unreason-
able, let the Sunday force be men who rest on
Saturday. If men must be worked from six in
the morning — and must rise at five in order to
dress and get their coffee — do not keep them
up until midnight, I should say, unless you per-
mit them an hour or two for a midday siesta.
Some attention should be paid to the fact that
the climate is not that of the temperate zone.
Superintendents from Dakota should not com-
pel their employes — many of them natives,
totally unused to such meal-hours — to eat a
hearty breakfast at half -past five A. M., a heavy
dinner at twelve noon, and an unsubstantial

74 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

sort of supper at five or six P. M., in true
Dakota fashion. Such a course means large
mortality among the employes — a mortality
that nine out of ten will not hesitate to blame
upon the deadly climate of Honduras ! Far
better, far truer economy to avoid such radical
changes. Let the men have their coffee on
rising, their breakfast at ten, their dinner at
four or five. Do not work them too hard dur-
ing the hot part of the day, when everyone
feels drowsy and more like taking a nap than
wielding a tool. The superintendents ought; to
insist on their employes obeying hygienic
laws, instead of forcing them to violate them.
The men should be given proper time for their
meals, and also for daily bathing. The com-
panies would, I believe, find it a cheaper course,
in the long run, than that of employing a doc-
tor, importing a vast stock of drugs to be dealt
out gratis, and every few weeks ordering the
carpenter to knock together some rough boards
in the shape of a coffin for an unfortunate,
whose shanty will be vacant on the morrow,
and whose name marked forever off the pay-
list!

Reflections of this kind should not be deemed
irrelevant, since the various boards of directors

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP. 75

in the United States and England make it a
point to consider economy in working their
properties.

On the other hand, one can always find a
great many bright spots to remember in a
period of several months spent in a mining
camp in Honduras. A little colony of forty to
sixty humans, isolated, as it were, in a strange
land, thousands of miles away from home and
friends, is like a family. The members of it
become attached one to another, and regard
one another as brothers. If one is ill or in-
jured, the others watch with and nurse him. If
one dies, the others follow his coffin, borne on
men's shoulders, in silence and sadness to its
last resting-place. Some one of them reads the
burial service; others in turn throw a shovelful
of earth gently upon the coffin. The grave is
filled, and they turn away to leave him there.
On the Day of the Dead, the decoration day of
all Spanish-American countries, liis grave is
not forgotten; there are flowers laid upon it.
If one takes a wife, the others rejoice with him.
Sometimes a courageous sweetheart comes out
to Honduras to be married to a fiance too busy
to go to New York and fetch her. In such cases
the lady is most courteously received by the

76 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

entire camp and every attention paid her. Two
or three mount their mules and start down to
the coast — a trifling distance of a hundred or
a hundred and fifty miles — to meet and escort
her up to the interior. She is the guest of the
superintendent's family, perhaps, until mar-
ried. If she be a Protestant, the ceremony
must of course be the civil marriage, performed
by the Governor of the department, unless her
fiance chance to be a Catholic.

Beyond parlor entertainments, there is little
amusement for the colony. Horseback riding
loses its novelty when it comes to be the only
means of traveling. Once in awhile there is a
game of ball. Tennis has never taken ahold;
I know not why. The mountain streams are
too narrow and rocky for swimming. At rare
intervals there comes the maromero. This is
the Spanish- American acrobat. All of a sud-
den, one day early in the verano, or dry
season, you notice an unusual brightness of
countenance of the small, barefooted native
urchin who has come to sell you a bottle of
milk (for twenty-five cents, if you are in an in-
accessible camp). The youngster presently ex-
plains his or her cheerfulness by telling you that
"To-night, is the maroma. They are putting

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP. 77

up the poles down in the open space below
the bridge and in front of the bodega."
Later on, you see for yourself the prep-
arations. There are two or three hori-
zontal bars — one very high, the others smaller
—with their uprights, and there are ropes dan-
gling limply, as if someone were going to be
hanged. The performance takes place from
seven o'clock until nine or ten. It is public.
The lights— small regard is paid to the moon-
consist of fires kindled in four places around
the imaginary ring. The maromero has ob-
tained sawdust sufficient to make the ground
soft for his tumbling. The wood for the fires
is a kind of pine. It blazes beautifully, and
the smoke is not offensive. Long before the
fires are kindled the people begin to congregate,
coining from a considerable distance, some of
them. If the night be dark, each one carries a
torch of his own, of the same resinous pine, to
light him up and down the steep hill-sides; or
perhaps he has placed a bit of lighted candle
downward in a bottle neck and carries the bot-
tle wrong side up, as a lantern; for bottles are
versatile objects in Honduras, as I have re-
marked before. As they arrive, the good folks
form a dense ring around, seating themselves

78 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

on the ground or on any lumber or pieces of
machinery that may happen to lie near. The
women wrap themselves comfortably in their
panolones and light their cigarettes. The men
smoke too. It should be understood that I am
describing the humbler and poorer country
people, not the higher class Hondureiios. At
length the pine piles are kindled. They blaze
up royally, and the ruddy light illumines the
radiant, expectant faces of hundreds. The ma-
romero soon makes his appearance — from the
bodega, perhaps, where the mining company
folks have granted him the privilege of placing
his paraphernalia and swinging his hammock
for the night. If he does not appear promptly,
the crowd begin to whistle and call for him,
much like the gallery of a theatre in any
Northern city under similar circumstances.
They also call for " La Musica ! " I should not
omit to state that the maromero has obtained
the services of the pueblo's best musicians — a
violinist, a flutist, and a man with a guitar, usu-
ally. This clever little orchestra arrives and
seats itself on boxes provided for the purpose. It
tunes up, and is ready for work. The maro-
mero finally comes running lightly through a
space kept open for him by a soldier or two be-

LIFE IN A MINING CAMP. 79

longing to the pueblo, and makes his bow to
the audience in his best manner, and very much
a la ballet-girl. He is dressed in white tights,
dark -green velvet trunks, and a little jacket of
velvet with gold lace trimming, which he may
remove, if lie choose, and display a white jersey.
He begins with a topical song, and a dance on
the soft sawdust between the verses. His
songs are humorous, for the most part, but
never coarse. The crowd enjoy them, and ap-
plaud enthusiastically. After the song he gives
some exhibitions on the horizontal bars, which
are really very good; then songs again. Then
he retreats to the bodega and rests a little,
while the music plays. After this he comes
out again and continues his performance. Just
before the last number on the imaginary pro-
gramme he goes around with his hat and takes
the voluntary contributions — his sole compen-
sation. From five cents to a dollar a head are
contributed with the greatest willingness. And
he may collect from twenty-five to fifty or sev-
enty-five dollars, depending on the size of his
crowd, who disperse in the pleasantest humor
after hearing his ' ' Buenas noches ' ' and seeing
him retreat from the ring for the last time.

80 THE REPUBLIC OF IIOKDUKAS.

IV.

SOME SUGGESTIONS.

There are people who should never go to
Honduras. These are persons lacking in stead-
fastness of purpose; irresolute, easily discour-
aged folks. They are the class that soon
become disgusted with the life, and set up a
tremendous wail to return to civilization, as
they call it. They are people who have not the
slightest idea of adapting themselves to cir-
cumstances and getting at the best side of life.
They are utterly incapable of learning Spanish,
for one thing; they have no desire to learn it,
indeed. They depend on others to interpret
for them, and when there is no one at hand to
do their talking for them, they are miserably
helpless. Such are some of the employes of
the mining companies. They spend a year or
two in the country, grubbing along at their
work, and grumbling at the cruelty of Fate in
bringing them to such a spot. They draw
their salaries with a vindictive air, as if their
only remaining satisfaction was in knowing
that the company had to count out so many
silver dollars every first of the month on their
account. These people finally return to the
United States, no wiser, no better off— save for

SOME StTGGESTIOKS. 81

their paltry earnings — for their experience in
the tropics, than so many horses or oxen would
be. And these are the people, I believe, who
make the ridiculous and depreciating reports
of Honduras that we sometimes read in the
newspapers. They do not scruple to assert
that the country is inhabited by half-nude
savages; that life is unsafe, and that outra-
geous liberties are taken with the property of
foreigners. These are the people who would
have you believe that your letters are opened
in the post-offices, and that espionage of the
most annoying sort exists. No stories of
the sort should be credited. The post-off] ce
authorities are too busy to meddle with any-
one's correspondence. They would consider it
a great bore to devote unusual attention to any
letter or package — unless there were reasons to
apprehend smuggled goods or the violation of
the postal laws.

Patience and perseverance are requisites to
success in mining matters. Anyone who
starts for Honduras with the idea that he is
going to step at once into the possession of a
mountain of gold is doomed to disappoint-
ment. He must take time and go slow. He
must learn the language; that is absolutely

6

82 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

necessary — at least, sufficiently to read and
converse on ordinary subjects. He must adapt
himself to the ways of the country and the
people. He should know something of its
topography and its early history, which may
be easily gotten at in Wells' Honduras and in
Squier's and H. H. Bancroft's works. Then
he should visit the principal mining camps, and
learn how they have arrived at their present
respective conditions. He will soon have dis-
covered that the mining industry is no child's
play, but a hard reality. A good property
will avail him little unless properly worked.
Only high-grade ores, assaying at least sixty
dollars, pay when worked in the primitive
native methods; that is an established fact.
To equip a mine with the plant required for its
successful working, means a large outlay. This
is why companies must be formed, and why
the natives themselves do not work their prop-
erty on a large scale. The concessions granted
by the Government to foreigners are remark-
ably liberal. No one can say that President
Bogran has not shown a most progressive and
truly American spirit in his encouragement
and approbation of foreign enterprise, particu-
larly in regard to the mining industry.

SOME' SUGGESTIONS. 83

The Government Mining Bureau is an excel-
lent institution. At the head of this is the In-
spector-General of Mines, Doctor Pritzgartner.
At this office may be seen some valuable and
interesting specimens from all parts of the
republic. Here are nuggets from all the prin-
cipal gold and silver mines. Here, too, are
samples of coal-slate from Choluteca, with
strong odor of petroleum, and from the north
coast as well. A fortune awaits the man who
discovers the coal-seams which are thought to
exist. Samples may be seen, at this bureau, of
fine gypsum discovered in the red marl forma-
tion very near to Tegucigalpa. The occurrence
of this gypsum would point to the presence of
rock-salt. A good cement may be made by
adding small quantities of gypsum to the
trachytic tufa found throughout Honduras.
Calcined gypsum, or plaster of Paris, is im-
ported and sold in the drug-stores at a high
price. It is apt to be spoiled by the moisture
of the rainy season.

A vast amount of machinery and mining
implements is admitted to the country duty
free, with a view to encouraging foreign enter-
prise.

The Honduras Progress during the years

84 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

1888-89 printed the mining laws, with all their
latest amendments, in English. These, for a
person who does not read Spanish easily, are
of the greatest assistance and convenience; the
numbers of the paper containing them should
be obtained from the office. They are very
clear and concise, as, for example, the follow-
ing, from—

TITLE IX.
A MINER'S RIGHTS UPON HIS CLAIM, AND INTERSECTION OF

MINES.

ARTICLE 100. The miner is the exclusive owner within
the limits of his claim, and in all its depth, not only of the
registered vein or deposit, but also of all the other veins, cross-
veins, and mineral substances which exist or may be found
in it.

ARTICLE 101. But he is forbidden to follow or work them
into someone's else claim.

ARTICLE 102. Every trespass subjects him to restitution of
the amount taken out, according to the valuation of experts,
without prejudice of an action for theft, should bad faith be
proven against him.

ARTICLE 103. Fraud will be presumed when the trespass
exceeds twenty-five yards.

Something about the comparatively new
stamp-mill process may not be out of place
before closing this chapter. This is a device
arranged generally in what are called bat-
teries, each one comprising live stamps. At
the Rosario works there are seven bat-
teries, making thirty-five stamps. Each stamp
may1 weigh seven or eight hundred pounds.

SOME SUGGESTIONS. . 85

The battery is set in a mortar or cast-iron box,
with iron blocks called dies at the bottom, on
which the stamps are to fall. The ore passes
through a crushing machine, and then is fed
into the mortars to be crushed under the
stamps. Water also enters with the ore, and
the finely crushed mixture passes out through
sheet-iron perforated screens of the mortar.
The stamps drop a distance of eight or ten
inches, making from fifty to ninety strokes per
minute. The stamps are about ten feet in
length, and consist of four parts, called stem,
collar, stamp-head, and shoe. The collar is on
the upper part, and projects three or four
inches. The cam of the driving-shaft catches
under this, and lifts and turns the stamp. The
stamp-head is a cylinder of tough cast-iron,
and on its bottom there is a steel shoe which
can be removed when worn out, and replaced.
A thirty -five-stamp mill can reduce from sev-
enty to ninety tons of ore in twenty-four hours.
By the old arrastra method this would require
weeks. The crushed ore is treated in various
ways for the extraction of the gold. Some-
times experiments are necessary, at no little
expense, before the best method is hit upon,
particularly in the case of refractory ores.

86 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

V.

THE OPALS OF HONDURAS.

You will not have been long in the country
when one morning you will receive a visit from
a couple of traveling salesmen from Gracias.
These gentlemen may not at first sight im-
press you with their appearance. They will be
carelessly dressed in jacket and trousers of
some light cotton material, a pita hat the
worse for wear, or a nondescript felt article of
headgear, possibly a handkerchief around the
neck, and feet without shoes or stockings.
They will wear sandals of hide, perhaps, with
strings tied around the ankle and between the
great toe and its neighbor. They will have come
a long and weary distance, and if it be break-
fast-time, will ask you to accommodate them
with something to eat, for which, of course,
they will pay. Then they will produce their
wares, the poorest and lowest priced always to
begin with. As a rule, they carry the opals in
tiny bottles— always the bottle in Honduras !—
filled with oil. I do not know whether the oil
spoils the stones, or whether the stones are of
poor quality to begin with; but I do know that
opals that have been in oil are not worth buy-
ing; for once removed from the bottles they

THE OPALS OF HONDURAS. 87

begin to crack. Some of them are very lovely
bits of color. But if you are wise you will
decline to invest, and insist on being shown
some better ones. After considerable argument
and protesting on both sides, the Gracias gen-
tlemen will contrive to fumble in their pockets
and bring forth some little folded papers con-
taining more expensive specimens. Ah, some
of these are gorgeous! If you are wily you
can purchase actual beauties for a dollar or two
apiece. The little cheap ones sell from dos
reals (twenty-five cents) to a dollar.

I have seen very beautiful opals in Hon-
duras, but never any that struck me as being
as durable as those of Mexico. One should
make it a point to visit the department of Gra-
cias and see the mines; without so doing, you
can gain very little idea of them. It is no use
to ask people in Tegucigalpa, for few of them
—outside of the government geologist, and per-
haps a jeweler or two — can give you any infor-
mation. They will tell you that the principal
mines are near the town of Erandique, and are
worked by Messrs. Peacock & Burdet. And
you will need a map to show you that Gracias
is west a good distance from Tegucigalpa, and
that it is a long ride thither. And you will be

88 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

hardly any wiser than you were before leaving
the United States, on this point. But if you
can speak any Spanish at all, ask the opal
venders such questions as come into your
mind. In that way you may learn a good deal.
Just how much one should be swayed by the
popular superstition concerning these beautiful
stones, I would not attempt to say. Speaking
from my own experience— twice during my life
have I possessed opals, the iirst time Mexican,
the second from Honduras — they have been
for me harbingers of the most cruel and un-
foreseen events, followed, however, by un-
dreamed-of and more than compensating good
fortune. They fascinate me, and yet fill me
with terror. They are always associated in my
mind with tragedy. I never see an opal now
without recalling George Parsons Lathrop's
beautiful poem, "A Casket of Opals." One
of the sets of verses tells of two dead lovers
meeting :

" He asked, ' Am I forgiven? '

' And dost thou forgive? ' she said.
Long time in vain for peace they'd striven,
And now their hearts were dead."

"On the Pacific coast," says Honduras
Progress, "large veins of common opals are

THE OPALS OF HONDUKAS. 89

found, of bluish and reddish colors. Blocks
of opals weighing from one hundred to three
hundred pounds can be easily extracted. In
future years, no doubt, this class of mineral
deposits will be utilized by the lapidaries for
articles of luxury, as well as for the decoration
of dwellings and railroad cars, in a similar
manner as the 'Mexican onyx,' which is but
a calcite, and of no great hardness."

PART III.

IMMIGEATION AND AGKICULTUKE.

I.

SOME PLANS AND ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE.

Two great necessities of Honduras — perhaps
the two greatest — and recognized as such by
President Bogran and many other progressive
Honduraneans, are those of immigration and
agricultural development. Agriculture, as we
hear repeated over and over, is the true basis
of national wealth, and bright will be the day
for Honduras when her splendid fields are cul-
tivated even to a quarter of the full extent of
their resources.

The first steps of actual importance toward
colonization and agricultural progress have
been taken lately by what is called the Ameri-
can Honduras Company. The president of
this company is Mr. E. W. Perry, a man of
foresight and pluck. Mr. Frank M. Imboden,
the former owner of the valuable Opoteca
mines, is the vice-president. The company
has offices in the principal cities of the United
States, as well as in Tegucigalpa, in Patuca, in

(91)

92 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Juticalpa, and Catacamas. Its object is the.
colonization of the vast yet little known east-
ern region of the republic, which is called
Mosquito. Mr. Perry's work is genuine.
What he says and writes of the country
—and he has done a great deal in this direc-
tion— may be credited, every word, for he is
speaking from actual knowledge, not from
hearsay. He has personally explored Mos-
quito, and knows the land. The simple fact
that such a man is the president of the com-
pany, and that he is seconded by another of
such experience and prudence as Mr. Imboden,
should guarantee success in all that may be
undertaken. The vast tract of Mosquito com-
prises areas of land heretofore unsalable, be-
cause so remote and unreachable. According
to the contract of Mr. Perry with the Govern-
ment, this land is purchased by the American
Honduras Company, the payment to be made
in extensive public works which will prove of
inestimable value to the entire eastern half of
the republic. There will be a wagon-road built
over three hundred miles in length, leading
from the capital to the north coast. The cost
of this is estimated at three hundred and
twenty-three thousand three hundred and fifty-

ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE. 93

three dollars. There is a canal to be made
between the Caratasca Lagoon, which is close
to the Mosquito coast line, and the Guayape,
an important river. This canal will be at least
twenty miles long by twelve yards wide, and
five feet deep. The cost will be nearly three
hundred thousand dollars. The channel be-
tween Caratasca and the sea may have to be
deepened at a cost of sixty-five thousand dol-
lars. One hundred miles of telegraph line
must be strung, and other improvements made,
to permit communication between this region
and the interior. The cost will be at least
seven hundred thousand dollars. These are
the works with which the company pays for its
Mosquito lands. That it is in earnest, having
already begun active measures toward coloni-
zation, is very gratifying. A steam saw-mill
has been brought to Patuca, which will cut ten
thousand feet of lumber per day, and houses
are being built at that place and at Caratasca.
There is a steamer to carry mail and freight —
including fruit — from points along the eastern
coast to Trujillo and Puerto Cortez, there to
connect with the steamers for the United States.
Land has been cleared between the Caratasca
Lagoon and the sea, and planted with fruits —

94 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

such as bananas, cocoa-nuts, and pine-apples.
Along the Patuca, or Guayape, other fruit
plantations have been begun. The natives of
the region — chiefly Sambos — have been stimu-
lated to improve their fruit crops, perceiving
that a way to market their produce will
speedily be opened. There is .a good mule trail
now between Dulce N ombre and the Patuca or
Guayape River. This will probably be made
into a wagon-road later on.

The company has begun to introduce materi-
als and implements for building houses and
making furniture. It has brought wagons and
harnesses, and tools for constructing roads. It
is now introducing animals of the finest breeds
into the region, in order to improve the native
stock. Among these are a number of Norman
stallions.

The exploration of such a country is by no
means a trifling task. To read of anyone
having done so, conveys but little idea of the
achievement. No one, save he who has tried
it for himself, realizes what it means to ride
from one hundred to three hundred miles
through a region where there is hardly the
shadow of a mule trail. There may be no
wild beasts, it is true, but there will be other

ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE. 95

formidable difficulties. The pioneers who have
attempted the Mosquito tract are certainly
courageous souls. Some of their experiences,
jotted down at the time, are most interesting.
Mr. W. W. Packer, of Sabanagrande, was one
of the first to explore for a direct route between
Tegucigalpa and Patuca. Some extracts from
his diary, as published in Honduras Progress,
seem to me worth preservation.

II.

MB. PACKER'S DIARY.

January 17, 1889.

Iii the Works, near Dulce Nombre, Honduras, C. A.,—
away up in Catacamas.

Mr. Hines and myself are halting here on our return march
from Rio Patuca, while a courier, one of our Indians, has been
sent ahead for our mules, which were left at Dulce Nombreon
beginning this exciting journey by foot and canoe.

After several weeks of rough life, we are in a deserted In-
dian hut, wishing we might see the reflection of our faces in
a mirror, cleaning them with the keen edge of a Swedish razor.

But here are the dates and events:

SUNDAY, December 23, 1888.

Met the Governor, who advised change of route, saying he
once sent a party of six old mountaineers on the same errand,
and that they lost their way and were eleven days in wander-
ing out. He very kindly gave us all means at his disposal, and
wished us a safe journey. We were much pleased by his

96 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

kindness; but oh! the vanity of earthly things! A little fly
destroys the enjoyment of your coffee; a flea cools the ardor
of your wooing ! Our worthless mozo, Silvestre, has deserted —
but we have engaged another just as bad.

CHRISTMAS, December 25, 1888.

Rose at five A. M., not with the lark, but with the humming-
bird, and while we cooked our breakfast over a fire of cedar
logs, we had the voices of bright-hued songsters overhead.
A scorpion, also, was on my blanket, but I have forgiven him.
We killed three chickens; I trust they Ijave forgiven us. We
took a drink (from the river) — I have no hopes of forgiveness
after doing this on the great holiday — and then we cantered
away for Catacamas, which we reached at three p. M. The
day was very mild, and the mules were not very wild, or they
might have been shocked as we entered the town. We re-
covered the next morning by a shock, when it was announced
that our mules — Jose" and Maria — were missing, and would
only be found on the payment of dos pesos (two dollars).

December 30, 1888.

We have now been at Rio Tinto several days, and though
one courier after another has arrived from our region of pro-
posed action, and reported a horrible and infernal wilderness
before us, we will, however, try the ghosts to see if they be
flesh or spirit. To-night, sixteen Indians occupy the space in
front of the casa, lying with the goats and calves on the wet
ground.

December 31, 1888.

Ant-eaters, condors, rubber trees, and otiiei novelties, as
we drive from Rio Tinto to Dulce Nombre, to spend New
Year's eve. A feast is in progress, and not only the native
population resort thither, but the Indians come to drink and
pray. In the midst of a beautiful country, rolling like the
grand waves of the sea, we ride till night settles down; the
rain descends, and our mules pick the way for the last two
leagues in the inky darkness and drenching rain, till the
flashing of pine fires shows us our wished-for resting-place
— the place where rampant hostility is to confront us, instead
of peaceful rest. In one of these mud huts, however, we find

MR. PACKER'S DIARY. 97

a place to stop, for the President has given us his protection,
and it is powerful — a command, in writing, that we shall be
aided by all alcaldes — and the power of the law is acknowl-
edged. Amid the imprecations outside and the curses we hear
from between set teeth, we go to sleep. We know the Indians
only dread the pick and shovel, but they must do their share
of the hard work to-morrow.

January 2, 1889.

The new year has begun, and with it our work. As every-
one at this time should divest himself of all the superfluities
of life, so we have divested ourselves of all the superfluities of
weight and clothing that might hinder the pilgrim's progress.
Oh, mula grande! I stroke thy large dark ears, and pat thy
handsome neck, while I say good-bye! Five stalwart Indians
from three tribes are to take thy place and bear thy burdens
— for often shall I expect one of them to carry me, and then
say: Thy pace, oh mula, is more pleasing! The bundles are
strapped on the Indians' backs, seventy-five to one hundred
pounds on each swarthy fellow. A guide, a cook, and so our
party is now ten. Away we go, "over fern and fen," till the
night; then camp, drenched with rain and wading — and sleep
on the muddy ground, amid the sighing and weeping forest
trees.

Now let a day pass, but not as we passed it, unless, may be,
you behold the grandeur of the scene from mountain-peak, or
look upward from the quebrada in the beauteous glen ; but go
to the place, thirty miles from the nearest Indian settlement,
where, as all true travelers must, we made a discovery. An
apple falling led Newton to the enunciation of a great and
important law. A monkey dancing, prancing, amid the lofty
trees leads us to a "mine of antiquities." A shot, a rush, of
both monkey and Indians — one in flight, the rest in pursuit;
Mr. Hines, fleet-footed as a mountaineer, follows, calls me,
and, oh heavens! to think of the labor a thousand years agone!
A "barranca," a mass of stone, a ruin, tables in one piece of
granite, bowls in delicate tracery ornamented, turtles, innu-
merable things with tiger heads and tails, and adorned by the
hand of art. How I longed for a swift steamer to transport
7

98 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

these thousands of articles, wrought by hands long since
turned to dust and scattered by the wind, to my own city !
but the errand we are on calls us. We can not linger, like
district messenger boys, to play. (We will work the claim by
and by.)

One more day's journey, and the strength given us by that
'monkey tneat has taken us to the bed of Rio Lagarto; and after
many crossings through water, cold, yet mercifully clean, we
come upon a band of Sumo Indians.

We bargained with the hunters for two " pitpans," which,
a few hours later, we found on the banks at the junction of
the Guampu and Lagarto. The splendid craft, looking so
rakish and piratical, was made from a mahogany log — thirty-
five feet in length, two feet six inches in breadth, hollowed
by fire. On Monday, January 7th, we took our seals in one,
to try the beautiful Guampu and the country along its banks;
one-half mile, and we took from a breakfast of iguana a
party of three Sumos, to navigate our boats. Our party thus
augmented numbered thirteen — a fatal number, say the super-
stitious and so it proved to one who dined that day on the
bank amid the roarings of a cataract.

Entering the rapids, in a few minutes we experienced that
charming sensation in shooting them, which, mixed with the
unknown element of danger, gives a piquancy that is the
greatest delight. We were in one of a series of rapids that
extend about forty-five miles, and among them we may
class about forty as perilous, running with great swiftness,
often very tortuous, some with very narrow courses, full
of rocks that we often grazed; some so shallow that we had to
lighten boats and wade, and in one place unload the canoes
and haul them around. I waded at first barefoot in the
water, but was very glad, on regaining the boat, to put on
shoes, with a linn resolve to escape that torture at the risk of
being overturned by the current; so we went all day in the
pouring rain. One of the most picturesque objects in the
midst of Nature's grandeur was, I am proud to say, myself —
shoes, but no socks, trousers rolled high, a rubber coat, and a
white helmet. The macaws and parrots along the banks must

MR. PACKER'S DIARY. 99

have envied my dress (or my lack of it). At six p. M., we were
at the mouth of the Pan, at an Indian "pueblo," and entered
a wigwam. Each man here has two wives (excepting, of
course, our party). All dress in a more primitive way even
than myself during the shooting of the rapids. As the wig-
wams have no sides, we can look around on the domestic
arrangements of each happy family. One proud matron has
two pairs of garters ornamenting her dusky legs and two
pairs of bracelets on her shapely arms, and the beautiful
blending of natural complexion with that achieved by the
juice of achote, makes her one of the grandest features in this
region of scenic delight.

I noticed one feature that shows how the influence of civ-
ilization has penetrated these mountains. The chief thrashed
his dog for presuming to clean the cooking utensils before the
family had eaten their contents. I have sworn by the holy
San Marcos to be that good man's friend forever.

Another night has passed, and as the morning breaks, an
obstacle to travel presents itself. Don Guadalupe, our ' ' major-
domo," has had a bad attack of cholera morbus, which we
supposed to have under control yesterday. To-day we have
f«ars that cholera symptoms are prevailing. We must wait
here, for he has been a faithful friend. He lies on one side of
us in agony, and on the other the Indians are eating breakfast,
cutting ten-incli plantains with two-foot " machetes." At four
p. M., we have seen that the end is near.

We allow the Indians to handle none of our utensils, scald-
ing each article, and have our clothing hanging in the
smoke.

At 9.17 P. M., Senor Don Guadalupe Carrillo, alcalde of
Rio Tinto, died at Sumos Pueblo, Honduras, C. A.

We two, Mr. Hincs and myself, stood on his right, the In-
dians on the left. Yesterday he was guiding me through a
swift rapid; to-night he crossed the dark river, but his guide
was unseen. Dami Samu has placed the body on the ground,
a little cedar cross on the breast. The pine knots flicker and
light up his haggard face as he lies beneath our swinging beds,
the hogs, dogs, and cats being kept away only by constant
vigilance.

100 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

At dinner on the rocks, yesterday, he was one of the fatal
number — thirteen .

Farewell, good and faithful friend ! Thou wert true to Don
Guillermo, who in thought sees tliee on the shore of the river
where death is vanquished and life is eternal.

On the morning of the 9th, leaving two of our Indians to
bury Don Guadalupe, we continued our j /urney, entering Rio
Patuca at 11.51 A. M. Its beautiful banks were like a terraced
lawn, a fringe of heavy grass against a background of forest.
I began, almost unconsciously, humming from Haydn's Crea-
tion, "Most beautiful appear," for the rich, fertile lands and
fresh verdure suggested not only beauty, but a grand future
of wealth to those who were here in this paradise. Of croco-
diles there were many, an enormous fellow lying on the hank
iu easy range, tempting me to Dilute him. My salute was
forcible as a Colt's 44 revolver could make it, and as the lead n
compliment went to him, it glanced from his scaly covering as
harmless as flattery tossed to an experienced society belle.
Mr. Mines' rifle caused another leviathan to toss his head, and
with a loud voice acknowledge that he felt hurt at the pre-
sumption. Through the beautiful 1 nds, amid forest and sa-
vana, we went all day, till, at seven p. M., we entered the hos-
pitable house of Mr. Nestor A. Gross, and 1 spent a good part
of the night in talking with him and Mr. Charles Coleman. We
shall long remember the sack of flour and the cut loaf sugar —
a gift — for, as we lunched on batter-cakes and turtle eggs, we
thought of their liberality with every liberal mouthful.

The next day, while eating of the flesh of a very tender
iguana, I looked at the face of an enormous cliff, and wondered
if, amid this beauty on one side and the fertility on the other,
the crocodile should monopolize it, or a teeming population of
workers find health, sustenance, and life.

Our return journey is of necessity slow, and as I stand in
the water after wading, and wait for our boatmen to reach us,
I improve the opportunity by committing to memory from a
Spanish book a number of verbs and nouns; also a few phrases.
My neighbor smiles at my energy under the circumstances;
but it is all the chance I have, and the boatmen wonder why I
do it (for have I not someone with me who can speak for

MR. PACKER'S DIARY. 101

me?) not knowing that one of the joys of existence is to do
your own talking; and this is no dreary, poorly ventilated
school-room, but in each breath of Honduras air there is an
impulse to do and persevere.

One thing we have failed to do — secure any steaks from
the euormous tapirs that frequent this region. We have shot
three, but they have died in almost inaccessible places, and
our time has been of " more value than many tapirs."

We are, on the 14th of January, at. camp on a sandbank. A
hut covered with twenty -nine plantain leaves is sufficient shel-
ter against the weather; but we must sleep lightly, for on one
side is a mountain swarming with jaguars, twenty-seven feet
from our hut the crocodile marks of to-day, and with us five
beings who have not yet known what Matthew Arnold called
" the humanization of man in society " — viz., civilization — and
who have not forgotten that we took them, with no very gentle
words, from their hunting and fishing, to toil here for money
which they do not worship. Our guide and his family have
deserted, so we have only five attendants left, and they would
rather hunt and swim than continue the journey. Onward we
go, however, carefully watching, and at last we reach the hut
where I am writing. Close by us is a wild cotton plant, so
large I hardly dare speak of its size. Mr. Hines has crawled
into it four feet from the ground, and, stretching his hands up-
ward, asks for a stick to touch the top. Nearly three hundred
bolls of superfine cotton growing, and so each of us must secure
a quantity of seed to send to North America.

I wish I could tell you more of this choice spot on earth,
but till our road is made you will prefer to delay coming.
In two months we expect to have reduced the time four days,
and made stations that one may travel with a surety of com-
fort which we long for, as at present we are very tired. Not
one hour for sixteen days have we had dry clothing, or a dry
blanket at night, except the one night when we found a dry
bed at the house of Mr. Gross. We are well, however, which
is the best evidence that the climate of Honduras is par excel-
lence, and that we are tough.

102 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

III.

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.

Something about the political and financial
condition of Honduras at the present time may
be thought in place by those who may read
these pages with a view, soon or late, of trying
their fortunes in this— to them — new world.

It may be stated at once that the country
has never enjoyed a more peaceful era, or one
characterized by greater enlightenment.

The religion is the Roman Catholic, but the
constitution guarantees absolute freedom in
religious matters. Church and state are sep-
arated, but the utmost harmony prevails be-
tween the two. The existing tolerance may be
understood from the fact that there are Baptist
and Methodist churches on the Bay Islands
and on the mainland, as, for example, at San
Pedro Sula. %

Of the Protestant religions represented in
the country, there are, I believe, some two
thousand Methodists, a few Episcopalians and
Presbyterians, two or three Spiritualists, two
Buddhists, two Anabaptists, and one or two
Lutherans.

The population of Honduras, for the past
century, has been estimated as follows :

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 103

Year. Inhabitants.

1791 95, 500

1826 200,000

1881 307,289

1887 331,957

The male population is 163,073; the female,
168,884.

Of the foreign element, there are 1,033
English subjects, 592 of these dwelling in the
Bay Islands. The others are mostly in the
north coast departments of Santa Barbara and
Colon. There are about two hundred North
Americans in the country.

For every human being at present in Hon-
duras there are eighty acres of land.

From the very first, President Bogran firmly
refused to repudiate the great debt imposed
upon the country, some twenty years since, in
connection with the then proposed inter-
oceanic railroad. That enormous burden was
contracted, as everyone knows, by the issue of
bonds, which, the railroad not being built—
save the poorly equipped little branch from
Puerto Cortez inland to San Pedro Sula^-the
republic refused to pay. At last, however,
and after strenuous efforts, the government
has effected an arrangement with London
capitalists, by means of which the old claim

104 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

will be canceled and the railroad actually
built.

The financial condition of the republic in
other respects is sound. The public debt — ex-
clusive of the railroad enormity — has been
gradually reduced during President Bogran's
administration.

The income of the republic for the fiscal
year ending July, 1888, was $2,818,264.51, and
the expenditure for the same period, $2,826,-
531.91. This would show an outlay of $8,267.40
greater than the income; but $617,341.94 was
paid toward extinguishing the public debt
showing an actual gain of $609,074.54 for the
year. The government's intention is to pay
over half a million of the remaining debt
during the year 1889, and thus to leave less than
$200,000 of debt to be carried over into the
year 1890. The country has nearly $600,000
invested in public roads and other permanent
improvements; $216,028 in public buildings;
$121,234.15 in articles from which the govern-
ment derives an income, and $2,355,187.58 in
telegraph, military, and postal service equip-
ments. The income of the republic from
revenues and customs for the month of August,
1889, was as follows :

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 105

Port of Amapala $ 43,010.921

Port of Puerto Cortez 25,900.66

Port of Las Islas 9,193.25

Department of Colon 15,942.73£

Department of Tegucigalpa .' 23,904.71

Department of Santa Barbara 10,593.76

Department of Comayagua 8,147.20^

Department of La Paz 4,513.27i

Department of Copan ll,994.97i

Department of Gracias 6,095.5U

Department of Choluteca 12,876.851

Department of El Paraiso 9,067. 73£

Department of Yoro 4,680.69£

Department of Intibuca 3,756.91

Department of Olancho 12,293.78

Total $201,972.98*

The import duties are calculated at so much
per pound, according to class, upon the mer-
chandise.* Goods belonging to Class I. are
duty free. The rate for Class II. is two cents
per pound; for Class III., four cents; for Class
IV., eight cents; for Class V., twelve cents; for
Classes VI. , VII., VIII. , IX., and X., respect-
ively, eighteen cents, twenty-four cents, thirty
cents, and fifty cents. For Class XI., the duty
is one dollar and fifty cents per pound. For
liquors, the duty is sixteen cents per pound,
and for spirits, twenty-eight cents.

It has been hoped by many that the Uni^
versa! American Congress of 1889 would do

* See importations for year 1887-88, in Appendix.

106 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

much to increase the trade between Honduras
—and other Central American republics — and
the United State^. In relation to this subject,
the Hon. D. W. Herring, formerly American
Consul at Tegucigalpa, gave, not long since, in
an article in the American Exporter, some ex-
cellent advice to merchants and manufacturers
of the United States. "They would do well,"
he said, " to study the peculiarities of Central
American trade. Over good roads, each freight
mule may be required to carry two hundred
and fifty pounds. When the trails are rough,
mountainous, or muddy, the maximum limit of
weight for a cargo is two hundred pounds, and
his should be divided into two packages as
nearly as possible alike, so as to be slung over
the native pack-saddle* and rest on each side of
the mule. No package should weigh over one
hundred and twenty-five pounds if going over
a good trail, or more than one hundred pounds
when there is no certainty that the road will be
smooth, level, and dry. The best rule is to
limit the weight in all cases to one hundred
pounds, including casing or box. Duties in
Honduras are charged by the weight of the im-
ports— boxes, barrels, sacks, or other casing
included. It is easy to see how the shipper of

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 107

goods to this country may increase the amount
of duties and freight charges on a consignment,
without adding to the profits of the importer
or strengthening the inclination of the buyer to
increase his orders.

" Boxes should be made of some thin, tough
lumber, such as elm would make, and should
snugly fit the goods they inclose, or be stuffed full
in the vacant places around the article shipped
with some light material, or so braced that they
will resist the crushing tendency of the lassos
or ropes used for lashing the cargo to the
saddle.

"Coal oil should be shipped in zinc cans.
When shipped in wooden barrels, it is not only
too much wasted by evaporation, but barrels
are very liable to breakage by rough handling,
or to be punctured by nails, rocks, etc. The
import duty is two cents per pound, and coal
oil sells here at one dollar and twenty-five
cents to one dollar and fifty cents per gallon.
Besides candles, coal oil. lights are the only
kind used."

There are two good banking houses now in
Tegucigalpa. The Banco Nacional Hondurefio
will buy and sell foreign drafts, and issue drafts
and bills against the public treasury and cus-

108 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

torn-houses of the republic. Its rate of discount
is one percent, per month. It receives deposits
at four per cent, per annum for three months,
and at six per cent, per annum for six months.
The president is the Hon. Don Ponciano Planas;
the manager, Don J. Diaz Duran.

The Banco Centro Americano does a general
banking business, buying and selling exchange
and discounting bills. The president is Don
Santos Soto; the directors, Don Ignacio Agur-
cia and Don Cipriano Velasquez; the manager
is Don Julio Lozano.

American gold, paper money, and drafts com-
mand a premium of twenty-five to thirty -five
per cent.

The Hondurenos are a peaceful and friendly
people. Exclusive of a few of the Indians
in the remoter districts, they are wonderfully
kind and hospitable to all strangers. You
can travel from ^Amapala to Puerto Cortez,
alone and utterly unarmed, with any amount
of money and jewels upon your person, and
have no fears whatever.

The people have great reverence and affection
for their President. General Bogran could not
possibly be more popular than he is with all
classes. He was born June 3, 1849, and is

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 109

therefore still young. He was educated in Eu-
rope, then returned and became a soldier,
serving honorably in time of revolutions, and
returning home, when peace wTas brought about,
to devote himself to agricultural pursuits.
When President Soto resigned, in 1883, an
election was called, according to the constitu-
tion, and Luis Bogran was enthusiastically
chosen by the people to stand at their head.
The presidential term of Honduras, like that of
the United States, is for four years. In 1887,
Bogran was unanimously reelected for another
four-year period. The President is charming
personally. He is deeply interested in agricult-
ure, and has a fine country place in Santa
Barbara, where he resides with his family dur-
ing certain months of the year.

The Cabinet is composed of Ministers or Sec-
retaries. The members at present are : Secre-
tary of State, Hon. Don Simeon Martinez;
Secretary of Public Works, Hon. Don Fran-
cisco Planas ; Secretary of War, Hon. Don
Francisco Alvarado.

There is a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies,
who are elected from the thirteen departments.
Each department has a Governor.

Elementary education is compulsory. There

110 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

are free schools in all the villages. The rights
of property and personal security are taught
to be regarded as sacred.

The better classes are well-read and thought-
ful. The President has fine literary taste, and
lends his approval to all literary and scientific
organizations. He is a member of the Hondu-
ras Scientific Literary Academy, and is doing
much to encourage the Society of Antiquities,
lately organized. This society is to construct
and maintain a museum at Copan. It will
undertake to explore that region for antiqui-
ties, and to preserve them and the Copan
ruins. It is to enjoy the privilege of exploring
all ruins throughout the republic, beginning
February 1, 1890. The government has granted
the society two caballerias of land at the spot
where the museum is to be built. Mr. E. W.
Perry is one of the principal organizers of the
society.

There are seventeen newspapers printed in
Honduras. In 'Tegucigalpa: La Nation, La
Republica, El Tren, Los Debates, La Gaceta
Ofitial, La Academia, La Reinsta Judicial,
El Estudiante, El Catolico, Honduras Prog-
ress; in Comayagua : El Repiiblicano; in Santa
Eosa : El Independiente, El Ensayo; in Santa

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. Ill

Barbara : El Progreso; in Trujillo : El Repub-
licano, La Prensa Libre, El Democrata.

The postal service is well conducted, and let-
ters are promptly received and dispatched,
although the couriers are mostly foot-travelers.
Some of these men make the most astonishing
trips between the coast and the interior, out-
stripping mounted passengers, and always
arriving safe and sound at their destination,
with their heavy bags of mail-matter upon their
shoulders. They make a great many short
cuts across the mountains, letting themselves
down perpendicular hill-sides, and creeping up
ascents that are almost sheer walls. They usu-
ally make some town by nightfall, but if not,
they can curl themselves up and sleep comfort-
ably anywhere, provided it be a dry spot. The
schedule of the mail arrivals and departures
for the month of August, 1889, gives some idea
of the service :

MAILS LEAVE TEGUCIGALPA.

August 2d. — For Sabanagrande, Pcspir'e, Nacaome, Repub-
lic of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, Auiapala, Corinto,
San Juan del Sur, Puntarenas, Panama, South America, Antil-
las, NorUi America, Europe, etc.

August llth. — For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome, San
Miguel, La Brea, Amapala, La Union, La Libertad, Acajutla,
San Salvador, San Jos6 de Guatemala, and Champerico.

August IWi. — For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome, Re-

112 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

public of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, Amapala, Co-
rinto, San Juan del Sur, Puntarenas, Panama, South America,
Antillas, North America, Europe, etc.

August 2Qth. — For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome, Re-
public of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, Amapala, Co-
rinto, San Juan del Sur, Puntarenas, Panama, South America,
Antillas, North America, Europe, etc.

August 21st.— For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome, Repub-
lic of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, Amapala, La Union,
La Libertad, Acajutla, San Jose de Guatemala, and Cham-
perico.

August 26tfi.— For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome, Re-
public of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, and Amapala.

August 30th or 3lst. — For Sabanagrande, Pespire, Nacaome,
Republic of Salvador (by San Miguel), La Brea, Amapala, La
Union, La Libertad, Acajutla, San JGSJ de Guatemala, Cham
perico, Republic of Mexico (by Acapulco), United States, Asia,
and Oceanica (by San Francisco, Cal.).

MAILS ARRIVE AT TEGUCIGALPA.

August 3tf.— From Amapala, La Brea, Nacaome, Republic
of Salvador (by San Miguel), Pespire, and Sabanagrande.

August Wi. — From abroad, by Panama; from Costa Rica
and Nicaragua; from Amapala, La Brea, Nacaome, Republic
of Salvador (by San Miguel), Pespire, and Siibanagrunde.-

August IQth. — From abroad, by Panama; from Costa Rica
and Nicaragua; from Mexico (by Acapulco); from Cham perico,
Guatemala, and Salvador (by Amapala); from La Brea, Xaca-
ome, San Miguel, Pespire, and Sabanagrande.

August 2Qth. — From abroad, by Panama; from Costa Rica
and Nicaragua; from Amapala, La Brea, Nacaome, Republic
of Salvador (by San Miguel), Pespire, and Sabanagrande.

August 21^.— From San Francisco, California, .Mexico (by
Acapulco), Guatemala and Salvador (by Amapala); from La
Brea, Nacaome, San Miguel, Pespire and Sabanagrande.

August 29th. — From Guatemala and Salvador (by Amapala),
La Brea, Nacaome, San Miguel, Pespire, and Sabanagrande.

August 30M. — From abroad, by Panama; from Costa Rica

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 113

and Nicaragua; from Amapala, La Brea, Nacaome, Republic
of Salvador (by San Miguel), Pespire, and Sabanagrande.

The mail steamers proceeding from Panama arrive at Ama-
pala on the following days of each month: 4th, 6th, 16th, and
26th.

They leave for Panama and intermediate ports on the fol-
lowing days: 5th, 6th, 17th, and 25th.

The mail which leaves on the 2d of each month will carry
correspondence for La Union, La Libertad, Acajutla, San Jose*
de Guatemala, Champerico, and Acapulco, Republic of Mexico.

SOME GENERAL POSTAL RULES.

The post-office is opened for the public service on mail days
from 8 to 11 A. M., and 2 to 4 p. M. After 4 p. M., no corre-
spondence is admitted.

Postage to the interior of the republic, to Guatemala, Sal-
vador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica is as follows: Letters, from
15 to 50 grammes, 5 cents; printed matter, for each 50 grammes,
1 cent; commercial circulars, 5 cents for the first 230 grammes,
and 1 cent for each additional 50 grammes; samples, 2 cents
for the first 100 grammes, and 1 cent for each additional 50
grammes; packages, 3, 5, 15, 25 cents for each 450 grammes
in the respective distances of 5, 10, 20, 35 leagues; over 35
leagues, 40 cents.

The postage for foreign countries is double that for Cen-
tral America. Packages are admitted only for Central Amer-
ica.

The sender of a letter, addressed to whatever country in the
postal union, can partially frank it, or not at all, but the re-
ceiver has to pay double the amount of the deficiency.

.The previous frank of letters is necessary with letters for
countries which do not belong to the postal union, and inland
letters; this is also a rule with all and any class of correspond-
ence. Paper mail and other printed matter for Central Amer-
ica are free.

Correspondence addressed to the bishop and postmasters are
free of postage.

Letters containing enclosures, such as gold, silver, jewelry,
etc., are not admitted.
8

114 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Packages containing inflammables, explosives, or matters
easily decomposed, are not admitted, nor those exceeding the
size and weight as stated in the postal tariff.

The mail closes at 4 p. M.

The Postmaster-General is an American, Mr.
Bert Cecil, who received the appointment in
December, 1889. Mr. Cecil is also Director-
General of the Telegraph.

IV.

SOME POLKS YOU MAY OK MAY NOT MEET.

You might go to Honduras, arriving from
the Pacific side, and live year in and year out,
at Tegucigalpa or other interior city, without
so much as catching a glimpse of a Carib.
And yet you will nearly always find them
mentioned, if not discoursed upon, in the writ-
ings of travelers who have visited Honduras.
For my own part, I find these creatures — they
are hardly human beings — in no way attract-
ive. They have certain negative virtues; they
are clean in their habits, and they are not given
to murder. Their life is polygamous; the lazy
males are supported by their wives, who are
much the more muscular and stalwart of the
two. They are coast-dwellers, and may also
be found in the Bay Islands. I have seen it

FOLKS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT MEET. 115

alleged that they are fine linguists, speaking
Spanish, English, Indian, and Mosquito, be-
sides their own tongue; but I have never heard
anything but gibberish from them, myself.
There is an old Indian legend that tells of the
experiments of the gods in creating man.
They made a man of clay, but he was no good;
the rain soon dissolved him. They tried again
with cork. These cork men did not become
perfect. They had heathenish proclivities, and
were destroyed by a cataclysm, only a few
remaining — a degenerate kind, supposed to be
the apes. The third trial was successful, the
material employed being corn. I think the
Caribs must have sprung from the degenerate
survivors of the second experiment. Isabel
Cantini, a clever writer in Puerto Cortez, says:

Outwardly, the men differ imperceptibly from some of the
African tribes. It is in their mental characteristics that they
show a marked difference. The common African is anxious
to forget his native land and its customs, and adopt what he
considers civilization — that is, dress and manners of the white
people. Not so the Caribs; on the contrary, they cling tena-
ciously to their traditions, and neither care to inform an out-
sider about their private lives, nor do they welcome any inno-
vations or improvements, and, if possible, would hinder any
attempt towards the progress of a country.

Their language — if the articulation of sounds jerked out
spasmodic-ally may be termed by such a name — attracts inva-
riably the stranger's attention. Whenever two or three Caribs

116 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

are talking together, they create such a hullabaloo that the
unwary listener expects every moment that what he takes to
be a quarrel will turn into a fight, until a sudden burst of
laughter convinces him that this gibberish, harsh and quarrel-
some as it may sound, means no ill. And yet their language
must be based on certain grammatical rules, for some twenty
years ago a Belgian priest had succeeded in translating a part
of the New Testament into the Carib dialect. The missionary
priests who labored here, in years long gone by, at the con-
version of these people, can hardly boast of any great success,
for the conversion was only superficial, and with the depart-
ure or expulsion of the priests the Caribs have returned to
their dual religion— their Good and Bad Genius. The good one
troubles them but very little, for under all circumstances he can
not be otherwise than wise and generous; it is the evil genius
that needs continually to be propitiated, being revengeful and
cruel. Their feasts of Mafia, as the god of evil is called, arc
still celebrated at certain seasons of the year, though they are
no longer accompanied by the orgies and holocausts of former
days.

The common belief is that they came to the
Bay Islands from St. Vincent, whence they
had been driven by the Spaniards. Certain it
is that the women of the race are all of it that
is worth consideration, and they, simply be-
cause they are such tremendous toilers. / Each
lazy lout of a male has usually three wives,
each having her own hut, with whom he con-
descends to live in turn. Once in awhile, but
not often, he may deign to work for some
wood-cutter. His chief occupation is the put-
ting on of fresh linen, which his Amazonian
wives toil constantly, knee-deep in the shining

FOLKS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT MEET. 117

rivers, under the tropical sun, to whiten for
their abominable example of a lord and master.
When the women are not washing, they are
working their plantations of bananas, yams,
plantains, and yuca. They dig the root of the
last named and grate it on their curious
graters, which are made by driving pieces of
flint into the surface of a mahogany board.
The skin is removed from the root, which is
very wrhite. When the root is grated, it is
placed in the casava snake. The snake is of
palm, plaited in such a way that its diameter
can be enlarged by pushing the ends toward
each other. The snake, empty, is about four
inches in diameter and ten feet long. With
the ends shoved together, its length is reduced
to five feet and the diameter enlarged to six
inches. The yuca is put in and one end
fastened. Then the other end is pulled on, and
the snake contracts, forcing the juice of the
plant through the meshes. The fluid makes a
very good quality of starch. The yuca when
removed from the snake is called casava. The
casava is made into large, thin cakes, and
cooked on an iron plate over a fire.

" The houses of the Caribs," says Mr. Charles
Hansel, " are made of a frame of poles; the walls

118 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

are formed by thatching twigs loosely and fill-
ing the interstices with the red clay of the
country. The roof is steeply pitched, and
covered with the long leaves of the cabbage
palm, which is laid eight or ten inches thick,
and lasts seven or eight years. These huts cost
about forty dollars (sols) of Honduras money.

" All furniture is of mahogany; and a chest,
two or three stools, a table, and sometimes a
bedstead, with a calabash or two, a tray, a
mortar for pounding maize or corn in, with the
ever-present casava grater and snake, and ham-
mock, completes the household furnishing."

At Puerto Cortez, and at the ports at which
the steamers for New Orleans touch after leav-
ing Cortez, in order to load on more bananas,
there are plenty of Caribs. You will see them
in their canoes or dories when they bring out
fruit — chiefly bananas— to the vessel. The
women do a great deal of this, while the men
seem to enjoy riding around merely for pleas-
ure in their small boats. They manage these
with wonderful skill. It is really a sight worth
seeing — a dusky dame with a single oar steer-
ing a canoe heavily laden with the huge
bunches of green fruit, and coming alongside
the steamer just in the right place. There is a

FOLKS YOU MAY OE MAY NOT MEET. 119

terrific clamor, a good deal of hard language, of
course, for a great many of them reach the
vessel at the same moment, and dispute their
turn. They know when the steamer is due, and
are on the lookout. The moment her whistle
is heard, into the canoes go the bananas,
dragged hastily through the surf to them, and
out they put, paddling and steering desper-
ately to get there first. The women are usually
ahead. They are certainly repulsive enough in
appearance, with but a calico garment or
two, the head adorned with the inevitable
handkerchief, and countenances like huge apes.
Their tongues run like windmills ; the purser
of the steamer must be a sharp one to battle
with them. As they deliver their fruit aboard
they receive a paper receipt for the number of
bunches, which they present to the purser in
order to get their money. The atmosphere sur-
rounding the steamers while loading at Puerto
Cortez, Sarstoon, Livingston, and so on up to
Belize, is one of noisy profanity. When they
have disposed of their produce, these curious
creatures dance around recklessly in their
empty boats, until you wonder why they do not
fall into the sea and get gobbled up by the
sharks which abound off that coast. I stood

120 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

on the deck of a New Orleans steamer, watch-
ing one of them, who was ugly enough to satisfy
the most critical curiosity-seeker, and marvel-
ing how anything so repulsive could really be
a woman, when the second mate came up and
joined me. "Look at that face," he said, in a
mild sort of despair. " Regular beefsteak over
a clothes-line, isn't it ? " He had been battling
with the lady of the countenance referred to
for some twenty minutes, she having evinced a
disposition to thrust her canoe in ahead of a
man who had preceded her. The second mate
sighed, and seemed to find a sort of consolation
in his reflection, which he presently repeated
without waiting for my opinion. "Yes, sir,
that's it," he said; " beef steak over a clothes-
line— nothing else in the world ! "

V.

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS.

There are a great many people in the
North who have not large capital and yet
who might do well in Honduras, and prove a
valuable accession to the country. These
people know hardly anything about Central

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS.

America, yet have vague ideas that they would
like to go there and try their fortunes. They
are the people for whom this book is mainly in-
tended. What can one profitably engage in,
if he go to Honduras? That is the question
that they would probably like answered, first of
all; and, in this chapter and the next, an en-
deavor will be made to answer it. What can
one engage in, without large capital, and hope
to succeed ? I might answer, in a general way,
a hundred things. But let us consider, in a
manner as concise and practical as possible, the
principal chances. In the first place, no one
should set out for Honduras without having
pretty thoroughly informed himself as to the
existing conditions. I should strongly advise
him to open correspondence with some respon-
sible person at Tegucigalpa — as, for instance,
the representative of the American Honduras
Company. Both Mr. Perry and Mr. Imboden
are men of long experience in the country, who
will say neither a word too much nor a word
too little for it. They will not romance in its
favor, nor will they exaggerate to depreciate it.
But let us look at some chances in agricult-
ure— first, the tropical staples, whose culti-
vation on a moderate scale is easy, and requires

122 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

small outlay. These are bananas, cocoa-nuts,
pine-apples, oranges, coffee, sugar-cane, lem-
ons, mangoes, figs, pomegranates, etc.

The banana production of Honduras now
amounts to millions of bunches per year.
Each steamer leaving the north coast carries
from ten to twenty thousand bunches, bought,
as brought out in canoes to the vessel, at from
twenty-five cents to one dollar and fifty cents
per bunch. The exporting began about ten
years ago, with one little schooner. There are
now twenty vessels which come regularly
to the coast to load with bananas and other
fruits as well. Between Puerto Cortez and La
Masca, near the Guatemala frontier, a distance
of about twenty miles, there are produced
about eighty thousand bunches per month.
Honduras at present furnishes the greater part
of all bananas exported from Central America.
So great an importance, indeed, has her
banana production attained, that the people of
* Belize (British Honduras) have begun to feel
the competition as something serious. A late
issue of the Belize Advertiser contained an
article in reference to the subject, in which the
admission is made that "in Puerto Cortez,
Omoa, Cieneguita, Chetche, Walla, Muchelena,

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS. 123

Mascot, and other places in Honduras, the fruit
is infinitely superior to any grown in, or at
least shipped from," that colony (Belize). A
letter addressed by Captain Leitch, who had a
contract with the British Honduras govern-
ment, to the Colonial Secretary, ir September,
1889, asking for the revision of the price of
bananas, says:

A superior class of fruit is purchased at Port Limon, Boca
del Toro, and the coast of Honduras for thirty-seven and one-
half cents a bunch, and in consequence it is impossible for us
to compete with the other companies; and I have to ask that
the standard bunch of eight hands be reduced from fifty to
thirty-seven and one-half cents.

And yet the fruit trade of Honduras may be
said to be still in its infancy.

How should one set out to start a banana
farm ? Let us see. First, we must select some
good land, not too far away from a river, where
the earth is deep and rich; for this is a plant
that taxes the soil severely. The woods or
the bush must be cleared by the laborers,
called peones, who do this writh but twro tools,
the axe and the machete. The machete is
something like a cutlass; it is the long, heavy
knife with which every man of the lower
classes is provided, and is carried in a leather
case suspended from his belt. It is, in short,

124 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

the universal sword. With this machete, be-
sides the axe, a single man can clear a manzana,
which is equal to nearly two acres, of heavily
wooded land in from twenty to thirty days.
Two men can, of course, do the same work in
from ten to fifteen days. The roughly cleared
spot must be left to dry for about a month;
then it is set fire to, and the fire completes the
clearing process. Now we must buy our suck-
ers, or "matas," to plant. These we can get
for about a dollar per hundred. For one nian-
zana we shall want about four hundred plants,
which we must place about five yards distant
one from another. One man can dig about two
hundred holes — he must have a spade for this
— a day. Two men can put in the four hundred
of a manzana in the same time. When the
"matas" are in the ground they need little
care. In about eight months the first bunch
should be looked for. When this is ready to
be taken for the market, the entire plant is cut
near the ground; this leaves a stump. New
sprouts or suckers appear quickly on each side
of this. Not more than three should be allowed
to grow, in order to have fine quality fruit,
which should be ready in about six months,
when the suckers are again cut down, and new

SOME HINTS FOE AGRICULTURISTS. 125

ones again spring up. This is the process,
which may be repeated for six or seven years,
after which it is wise to turn the plantation
into something else and give the soil a rest.

The outlay should be something as follows,
for one manzana:

Clearing $10

Four hundred matas 4

Planting the matas 4

Bringing them .... 2

Cleaning plantation first two years 10

Total $30

The returns to be expected for the first two
years are : 350 bunches at least from the first
400 plants; the second year, having three new
suckers to each 400, should give at least 1,000
bunches, making in all 1,350 bunches. These
at, say, 30 cents per bunch, would give $405.
The profit is $375, or over 1,000 per cent.

Besides exporting bananas in their ordinary
state, attention might be turned to drying and
to canning the fruit. Mr. De Leon, of the firm
of De Leon & Alger, at Puerto Cortez, reports
that he has made some very successful experi-
ments in canning bananas to send to European
markets.

Next, let us look at the cocoa-nut groves.
The fifth or sixth year after the planting, the

126 THE IlEPtTBLiC OF HONDURAS.

cocoa-nut palm bears fruit; thence on, they
say, for a hundred years. The cocoa-nut plan-
tations are mostly near the coast, and, to a
stranger, present a beautiful — indeed, I may
say a marvelous — picture. The leaves are like
tremendous feathers waving in the breeze, some
of them being fifteen to twenty feet in length.
The trees grow to a height of from forty to
fifty feet. The average annual yield of a tree
is one hundred nuts, although some produce
from two to three hundred. These nuts bring-
in New Orleans twenty-five dollars per thou-
sand. They may be marketed to the steamers
for a dollar and a quarter per hundred. A
plantation of five or ten thousand trees will
give the owner an income of five or ten thou-
sand dollars per year, beyond expenses.

The leaves of the trees may be used for
thatching houses, for making sails, baskets,
and mats. From the nuts, when half ripe,
is obtained a pleasant drink called pipa. The
nut-meat is used in many ways as food; the hull
and the bark will make string and nets, and
the oil of the nut can be used for half a dozen
different purposes.

The cultivation of pine-apples and oranges
may be advantageously combined with banana

SOME HINTS FOK AGRICULTURISTS. 127

and cocoa-nut plantations. These, as well as
lemons and limes, appear to be indigenous.

Coffee is grown in the uplands of the interior
with great success. The question of transpor-
tation thence to the coast but needs to be
solved, in order that coffee plantations, similar
to those of Costa Rica and Guatemala, may be
begun upon the many mountain-sides. The
coffee grows best at an elevation of one
to four thousand feet. The best kind of
land is a slope, affording easy drainage and
some shelter. On level ground the coffee trees
must be planted in alternation with bananas,
which will provide shade for them. The young
trees are usually set out when they have
attained a growth of eighteen inches. The
holes should be dug a few days before the
plants are placed in them. The plantation
needs the most watchful care. Weeds must be
constantly removed, and insects looked out for.
The coffee blooms in March. The blossom is a
delicate, white flower, with the faintest imag-
inable fragrance. It lasts but a few days.
Fields of coffee in bloom are very beautiful.
During the rainy season the fruit is growing
and ripening. In November, with the begin-
ning of the summer season, or verano, the har-

128 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

vest is ready to be gathered. There are as yet
no great coffee-benefiting establishments in
Honduras; these are to come by and by.

Sugar-cane fields may be seen as one rides
down through the splendid valley of Comaya-
gua, stretching off greenly into the distance.
Farther on toward the coast, in the department
of Santa Barbara, and near Lake rojoa, there
are vast quantities of cane. In Olancho it is
extensively grown, and, indeed, all over the
country there is more or less of it. Everyone
owning cattle has a patch to feed to his
stock. The cattle are very fond of it. The
cane, with proper machinery, might be made to
produce a sugar equal or superior to that which
is imported and sold at twenty-five cents per
pound. More of the native dulce, or common
yellow product, might be had, and at lower
prices. The aguardiente which is made from
it is a government monopoly, and the right to
manufacture this has to be obtained from the
government. There is probably considerable
illicit business carried on in a small way.
Aguardiente brings seventy-five cents and one
dollar per bottle.

Lemons grow abundantly on the coast lands,
and' limes in the interior. Mangoes grow

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS. 129

almost everywhere. From the mangoes deli-
cious preserves might be made, or the fruit
could be canned for exportation. Figs in a
similar shape could, I think, be profitably sent
to North America and Europe. Pomegranates
and granadillas are plentiful, and are not so
perishable

On all "Tie north coast lands there are found
a great variety of other tropical fruits, whose
cultivation might well be included in a planta-
tion. Some of these are guavas, anonas, mel-
ons, aguacates, plums, sapotes, olives, and
negritos.

From fruits we may turn to other vegetable
products which may be cultivated. Of these,
cotton, tobacco, indigo, vanilla, cocoa, pimento,
ginger, pepper, and capsicum might well be
considered. A general farm in any mountain
locality might include potatoes, rice, wheat,
corn, yams, plantains, beans, and all the tem-
perate zone vegetables, such as tomatoes,
string-beans, peas, cabbages, beets, turnips,
cauliflower, lettuce, cucumbers, squashes,
musk-melons, celery, radishes, etc.

The Honduras tobacco is of excellent quality.
Cotton was grown twenty-five years ago in the
country, by an American from Georgia, who

130 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

undertook its culture somewhat as an experi-
ment. He chose the neighborhood of San
Pedro Sula, the present inland terminus of the
railroad line starting from Puerto Cortez, and
there planted several acres with seed he had
brought from his home in the States. It was
that called the Sea Island variety. He suc-
ceeded in producing cotton trees having stalks
seven and eight feet high, and measuring four-
teen in circumference. He was able to gather
three or four times a year, the pickings pro-
ducing five hundred pounds to an acre. This
plantation yielded well for ten years or so, at
the end of which time the trees seemed to run
to wood. There is a native cotton which nearly
always has a pale-reddish fibre. The chief
obstacle would seem to be the scarcity of labor,
rendering it impossible to get the cotton picked
properly. With sufficient capital, and perhaps
a certain amount of imported labor, one could
look for large profits. Negroes from the United
States, who understood how to do the work,
would naturally be the best hands to have.
One should set up his own gins and presses,
and go into the industry with zeal and deter-
mination.
The wonderful wealth of Honduras in her

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS. 131

forests alone can hardly be realized without
visiting the country. Mahogany, cedar, and
rose-wood are the principal cabinet-woods ex-
ported. The mahogany and rose- wood are most
plentiful on the north coast; the cedar is quite
common in all the departments. It is found in
great abundance, as also is the lignum-vitse,
in Comayagua. Near the Sulaco River there
are some remarkable qualities. There are noble
forests of oak, pine, ronron, walnut, live-oak,
higueron, guayacan, ceiba, masica, granadilla,
greenthorn, tuberose, alazar, guano, tamarind,
and mulberry for silk-worms. Olancho and
Colon have magnificent natural resources in
this direction. From the coast to Juticalpa,
along the Guayape or Patuca and the Guyam-
bre, are forests of balsams, mahogany, and
cedar, and vast tracts of pine. The dye-woods
are abundant — logwood, fustic, Brazil-wood,
and others. The medicinal trees and plants in-
clude the sarsaparilla, ipecacuanha, castor-oil
plant, Peruvian bark, etc. The trees yielding
resinous products comprise the copal, guapinal,
and balsam. The hule, or rubber tree, abounds
on the coast.

According to information supplied by Mr.
Mahler, of Puerto Cortez, an old pioneer tim-

132 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

ber merchant, the principal woods shipped at
present to England and the United States are
mahogany, cedar, rose-wood, zebra, and fustic.
He says:

The price of mahogany in London ranges from one hun-
dred and ten to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per one
thousand superficial feet, and cedar from ninety to one hundred
and thirty dollars in gold. These are cut in as long lengths
as can be shipped conveniently, while rose-wood, zebra, and
fustic are cut into short lengths, and are shipped as stowage or
ballast, making the freight on these cost less than it would for
long lengths. These latter are sold by the ton — rose-wood
bringing from twenty-five to forty dollars, and fustic thirty to
forty-five dollars. The logs are all squared before shipment,
so as to avoid paying freight on the slabs and refuse, as well
as also to take up less space in the vessels.

The present average cost of the squared timbers on the
bars, ready for shipment, is from thirty to forty dollars per
one thousand feet for mahogany and cedar, and eight to ten
dollars per ton for rose-wood, fustic, and zebra. Freights
to London for mahogany and cedar are from forty to fifty
dollars per one thousand feet; and as rose-wood, zebra, and
fustic are used as stowage, they are shipped at a less expense,
the cost being from five to six dollars per ton, thus leaving a
handsome profit to the shipper of these woods.

The same gentleman informs us that the first
wood-cutters in the territory of Honduras
came from the British colony Belize, about
one hundred and fifty years ago, bringing with
them their slaves and cattle. Their old camps
are yet partly visible among the new and
thickly rising forests between the rivers Ulua,
Chamelecon, Patuca, and \Vanks, on the Atlan^

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS. 133

tic coast of this republic, the hunters after
timber frequently coming across sites occupied
by their forerunners nearly two centuries
ago.

Logging is a business peculiar to itself, and
requires a hardy set of men, as there is not
only a great deal of hard work, but a great
deal of exposure to the wet and hot climate of
the coast lands.

There are usually thirty or forty men to a
logging camp, with a foreman. The men are di-
vided into companies, each one having a captain.
There is also the " hunter/' who examines trees
to be cut, and reports to the foreman. The men
work by the task, each one being provided with
axe and machete. No tree is felled that is less
than eight feet in circumference, two trees
making a day' s task for a man. There are some
trees found having a circumference of twenty-
five feet. Such will occupy four of the most
expert men for a day. The masica, or bread-
nut tree, is never cut, the leaves of this consti-
tuting the food of the cattle used to haul the
logs. The cutting of the timber can be done
at any time of year, but usually the logs are
on the river-banks at the beginning of the wet
season. There they are stamped with the own-

134 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

er's initials and rafted down the stream to the
sea, to be loaded aboard the steamer

The foreman's wages are from sixty to one
hundred dollars per month; the captains re-
ceive fourteen to twenty dollars per month and
rations; the choppers, ten to fourteen dollars
per month and rations.

The timber on government lands may be
cut by anyone who has gone before the Admin-
istrator of Customs and satisfied him that he
has means to transport what he cuts to market.
This is made obligatory, because formerly a
great deal was cut and left to decay on the
ground.

Statistics of 1888 show that during that
year there were exported to the United States
611,538 superficial feet of mahogany and cedar,
representing in Honduras a value of $37,952.

The export duties on mahogany and cedar
are eight dollars per thousand superficial feet.

The hule, or rubber, is mostly taken from
the forests by native huleros, or rubber-men,
who dispose of it to the coast-traders and those
in the neighborhood of the Guayape. The
process is a simple one. The hulero sets out
in the morning, provided with a shotgun, a
machete, a rope fifteen or sixteen feet long,

SOME HINTS FOR AGRICULTURISTS. 135

and a pair of climbers like those used by tele-
graph line-men. He penetrates the forest
depths and looks out for the slender rubber
trees with their smooth trunks. He selects one,
and at its base he digs a hole in the ground to
catch the sap. Sometimes he cuts a joint of
bamboo for this purpose. He passes the rope
around the tree several times and fastens the
end. Then he cuts the bark in such a way as
to make a circle which slopes downward at the
point where he wants the sap to run to, some-
thing like a V. He arranges a piece of leaf
here to form a spout from which the sap may
fall into the hole in the ground or the bamboo
joint. He then slowly mounts the tree by
means of the rope and the climbers, cutting
notches that encircle the trunk at every eight-
een inches, each one, like the first, forming a
sort of V on the side next him. These begin
to bleed very soon, and the thick, cream-colored
fluid runs down into the hole in the ground.
The liquid hule is coagulated with the juice of
a wild vine which grows in the forest, and after
a few hours it has become solid rubber. A
good tree at its first cutting should produce
forty or fifty pounds of rubber.

136 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

VI.

LIVE STOCK, POULTRY, ETC.

The natural advantages of Honduras as a
country for live stock are undeniable. The
splendid valleys of Comayagua, Santa Barbara,
Gracias, Yoro, Olancho, and Colon are already
ranged in places by herds of cattle; but there
is room for a vast increase of the industry, not
only in the departments mentioned, but in
others as well. On the Pacific slope, in Cho-
luteca, La Paz, and Tegucigalpa, where there is
much less rain-fall, the pasturage is not as
good as on the Atlantic side, where the moist-
ure-laden winds of the Caribbean are con-
stantly forcing themselves upward and bring-
ing with them showers to freshen the land.
Nevertheless, at certain seasons, when rain
comes from the Pacific, there is luxuriant vege-
tation on the slopes of the departments of this
region. During long periods of drought the
cattle must be fed with sugar-cane, green corn,
plantains, and various fruits of which they are
fond.

It may be stated, then, that the best regions
for grazing purposes are those of Santa Bar-
bara, Gracias, Comayagua, Yoro, and Olancho.

LIVE STOCK, POULTRY, ETC. 137

These vast savanas are covered with, glorious
emerald grasses the year round, and are watered
at frequent intervals by beautiful little streams.

In all Honduras there are probably six hun-
dred thousand head of cattle. The present
methods of breeding show some laudable
attempts at improving the stock. These are
being made mostly by foreigners. The natives
have yet much to improve. In some parts of
the country the cows are permitted to suckle
their calves far too long a time. In an inter-
esting article upon the cattle of Honduras, the
Hon. D. W. Herring, formerly United States
Consul, says : " Frequently a cow may be seen
standing quietly, while a young calf tugging
at a teat on one side is aided in emptying the
udder by a yearling sucking away at a teat on
the other side. The spectacle has been seen of
a cow suckling a calf, while a heifer stood
sucking the opposite teat, and at the same time
gave suck to her own newly born scarcely dried
by the sun." The same writer says: uThe
custom of selecting for slaughter the strongest,
smoothest, and best bulls in the herd, has
doubtless done much to check the natural
tendency to the improvement of the breed."

The cattle of the country do not reach ma-

/

138 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

turity early. The heifers do not bear their first
calves until three years old. No animals are
slaughtered under six or seven years.

The dangers that must be guarded against
are those of an occasional wild beast, such as
the mountain lion or the tiger, which will
kill young calves or even yearlings. There is
also an insect, known as the cattle spider,
which sometimes fastens itself upon the animal
just above the hoof. Unless treated in time
with ammonia or tobacco juice, this may result
in the loss of the hoof.

The public lands are free as pasture-ground
to all cattle-owners; should one wish to enclose
space, he must obtain the right from the gov-
ernment. Fencing is not absolutely needful;
the stock will not stray from any place to
which it is accustomed, when there are shade,
shelter, water, and no severe storms to drive it
hither and thither. Mr. Herring says that
" fifty cents per head will pay all necessary
expenses of keeping a herd of cattle in Hon-
duras. The native or Indian is, by instinct,
training, and inclination, a ' vaquero,' or herds-
man. He can readily drive herds through the
forest paths among the hills, and as readily
find any animals that stray from the herd. He

LIVE STOCK, POULTRY, ETC. 139

is a keen hunter, and therefore useful in pro-
tecting the herd from attacks by wild animals.
Such men can be hired for from one hundred
to one hundred and fifty dollars per year.
They are docile, faithful, and even affectionate
to those who deal justly with them. They are
easily fed, for plantains, bananas, yams, and
other food upon which they usually live, grow
in every part of the country."

There is a government tax of two dollars per
head on the sale of cattle, and a municipal tax
of fifty cents for every animal slaughtered.
Slaughtering cows that are capable of breeding
is forbidden by law.

The exportation of cattle is mostly to British
Honduras, although some animals are sent to
the neighboring Central American republics.
There is an export duty of two dollars per
head on bulls and steers, and of sixteen dollars
on cows. This is a very wise regulation, which
virtually forbids the sending out of the coun-
try of that which is needed in it.

The latest statistics show that about the
same number of head is exported from Puerto
Cortez as from Truxillo; from Amapala about
one-fifth as many as from either of those
ports, and from the frontiers about six times

140 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

as many as from either Puerto Cortez or Trux-
illo.

The cattle in Honduras are branded as in the
United States. The brands are recorded in the
districts where the various herds are kept, and
when an animal is sold, its brand is indicated
in the bill of sale.

Some time since, the Honduras Progress, in
an article referring to the improvement of for-
age in certain parts of the republic, took the
occasion to refer to the plant known as esper-
cet, which has become the principal fodder-
grass of Germany. It says :

As a forage-plant it richly merits consideration, ^. . . .
and, from the almost entire lack of necessity for cultivation
after its first planting (being a perennial), might almost be re-
garded as a weed.

Its growth is very rapid, even upon the poorest and most
porous soil, and the great length to which its tap-root pene-
trates the ground precludes all necessity for other irrigation
than that caused by the natural moisture of the land, leaving
it almost entirely unaffected in the midst of the most severe
drouth.

It will grow to a height of from eighteen inches to two feet
upon a hard, red soil that will fairly resist the pick, but neces-
sarily flourishes best under more favorable conditions; while a
few summer showers will make it grow both high and rank,
frequently rising to the height of a man's chin, growing so
dense as to be very troublesome in mowing — seven to eight
tons an acre being no unusual yield.

'For the first year it produces no seed ; but after that the
seed forms in large pods, and in great quantities.

LIVE STOCK, POULTRY, ETC. 141

It succeeds best upon a dry soil which con-
tains lime.

It should not be forgotten that hides are ex-
ported in large quantities from Honduras, as
well as from other Central American countries.
They are also employed for a great many pur-
poses by the natives. The poorer classes use
them in many ways, often making their beds
upon them.

There are very few sheep in the country. A
single flock of perhaps thirty, in the depart-
ment of Comayagua, was all that I saw in over
a year in the country. An attempt to raise
sheep would involve the providing of shelter
against the hard rains.

Goats I saw frequently in the mountain dis-
tricts.

Hogs are kept by almost every family out-
side of the larger cities. Without any partic-
ular attention being paid them, they thrive, and
in due time are turned into excellent pork-
chops, sausage, and manteca, or lard. The
lard, it must be confessed, is extremely ex-
pensive. It is used for cooking purposes of
every sort, for it must be remembered there is
no butter to be had, except that which is im-
ported in cans and costs a great deal. There

142 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

is no reason, I may remark, why butter, such
as that which is made in Costa Rica, should not
be produced in Honduras, when the cattle and
the dairy products shall have been improved in
certain ways.

I do not see why raising hogs should not
prove immensely profitable. Corn, that which
needs but to be planted, or yams, would be the
finest feed imaginable.

Poultry -raising on a somewhat larger scale
than is yet known in the country would also
pay. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese sell
at good prices; eggs sometimes are depressingly
scarce and high. I should recommend the
importing of good incubators and the building
of fine henneries.

VII.

THE PITA.

The best kind of fibre plants, we are assured
on good authority, are the Musa textilis, Boeh-
meria nivea and B. tenacissima, Agave sisal-
ana, Fourcroya gigantea, Sanseviera zeylan-
ica, Karatas plumieri, Ananassa nativa, and
Bromelia pinguin — in plainer language, the
Manila hemp, China ramie, sisal hemp, bow-

THE PITA. 143

string hemp, pita hemp, silk grass, and pin-
guin fibre. The pita is commonly known as
the Agave Americana, or American aloe. It
belongs, according to best authorities, to the
ananas family. It may be raised from seed;
the ordinary practice, however, is to plant
suckers, which are obtained by dividing the
root-stock and by taking viviparous buds.

The pita has never been cultivated in Hon-
duras, but it grows wild on both lowlands and
on mountain slopes to an altitude of four thou-
sand feet. When it once has taken possession
of a region, this plant begins rapidly to monop-
olize the soil, to the exclusion of all other veg-
etation except trees. Each plant has thirty to
forty huge leaves which measure six to ten
feet in length and are two or three inches thick.
The fibre extends in filaments the entire length
of the leaf. The outer covering is extremely
hard to remove. The Indians usually pound
the leaf on a stone, drying it afterward in the
sun and pounding it a second time, after which
they comb it to obtain a clean fibre. The
Caribs, on the other hand, soak the leaves in
water until the covering is sufficiently decom-
posed to be easily removed.

A great deal has been thought and said on

144 > THE EEPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

the subject of machinery to properly perform
this work of extracting the fibre. Until quite
recently, no one had succeeded in inventing a
wholly successful method. I believe, however,
that during the year 1888 accounts were pub-
lished of a machine that could do what was
required, and that was soon to be placed on a
Nicaragua plantation. Until such machines
can be introduced in Honduras, the pita will
remain a wasted wealth. It is true that the
hand-prepared fibre is already much used for
shoemaker's thread, nets, cordage, hammocks,
and so forth. It can be bought of the Indians,
out in the country, in packages, at thirty cents
per pound. In the towns it is sold to shoe-
makers and others at eighty cents per pound.
The native method of hand preparation is, of
course, too costly, and the quantities are too
small to admit of exportation. On the other
hand, suitable machinery could prepare an-
nually thousands of tons of fibre, which might
prove of immense benefit to the commerce of
the country.

The best plan for propagation is to set the
young plants in regular rows, and to keep the
intervening spaces clear for the first six
months; at the end of that time the plants

THE PITA. 145

can take care of themselves. They should
attain full growth in about six years time. A
single pita plant in bloom, with its long, slen-
der blossom-stem twenty or thirty feet high, is
a beautiful sight. Fields containing thousands
of such would be well worth gazing at. About
one thousand plants may be grown to an acre,
the yield from which should be at least six
thousand pounds. The plantation ought to
last for ten or twelve years.

Mr. Thomas R. Lombard says of the pita
that it seems to yield a finer fibre than the cor-
responding plant in Mexico, the maguey. This
latter is the plant from which the great native
drink, the Mexican pulque, is obtained. The
natives have their peculiar method of extract-
ing the juice, by sucking it up into a hollow
stalk which they have inserted in a cut made
in the stem of the plant, and letting it run out
of the stalk again into a gourd. They let the
juice stand one week to make pulque; if it
stands two weeks, it becomes mescal, which is
much stronger. The pulque is prescribed by
many physicians as a daily health-drink, to be
taken at noon only.

In Yucatan the Agave sisalana, or henequin,

has been grown and exported for some time
10

146 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

with remarkable success; indeed, we hear of
vast fortunes being made by men engaged in
this industry. The finer parts of the sisal
hemp can be advantageously woven with jute,
linen, or even cotton. It bleaches and takes
dye perfectly, and without loss of strength.
The natives of Yucatan use the hemp chiefly
to make nets, mats, and hammocks. In 1888
the number of henequin hammocks exported
from Yucatan to the United States was about
forty thousand.
Mr. Lombard says further of the pita:

The crude fibre is equal in value to manila hemp, when
applied to light uses; but in fineness, strength, and durability
it is fur superior. The ultimate fibre is even finer than that of
the threads of silk spun by the silk-worm. The writer was
shown the two under a powerful microscope at Lyons, France,
and heard many exclamations of surprise on the part of manu-
facturers at this unexpected result, and at the fact that the
pita fibre did not lose its strength when reduced to the fine
floss state. Experiments have been made of weaving this fibre
when flossed with cotton, wool, or silk; and it has been found

that this can be done advantageously As the pita

fibre possesses a silky gloss of its own, it has been thought
by manufacturers that it would be found valuable to mix with
silk, especially in the manufacture of heavy curtain fabrics,
where weight, strength, durability, and finish are required.

Samples of the pita fibre have been sent to
Europe, and there converted into ribbons,
handkerchiefs, wigs, and false hair. All per-
sons who have made any thorough examina-

THE PITA. 147

tion of the subject, declare that a tremendous
factor of commercial prosperity is as yet lying
idle in Honduras, which, if properly handled
with sufficient capital and the required machin-
ery, might yield vast returns to those under-
taking the enterprise, and to the nation itself
as well.

PART IV.

HAMMOCK AND SADDLE.

I.

THE FIRST DAY OUT.

It was on a Sunday morning in October
that I set out to ride alone — except for a mozo
—from Tegucigalpa down to San Pedro Sula,
there to take the train for Puerto Cortez, and
thence the steamer for New Orleans. The day
previous I had engaged one Trinidad Cisneros,
an interesting type, originally from Salvador,
to guide me safely to the coast. This gentle-
man was going down with a couple of pack-
mules to meet some incoming freight, and he
was glad to "kill two birds with a single
throw." On Saturday he had assured me posi-
tively that he would be on hand at five in the
morning, so that we might have an early start.
I knew so much about the slowness of the
average mozo that I was not surprised at hav-
ing to wait until nearly eight o'clock fdr him
to appear. When at last he arrived, I saw, to
my amazement, that he had brought but one
mule and a burro of under-size.

(149)

150 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

"Pray, Mr. Cisneros," I observed, " do you
intend me to ride the burro ? Or are my trunks
to be left behind?" He at once explained
that the burro could carry the trunks as far as
Comayagua, where he would be replaced by a
proper cargo-mule, fresh from the potrero.
I was naturally annoyed at such a beginning
of the trip. My luggage was purposely light,
so that it might keep up with me — an easy
matter, if it were loaded on a good animal.
But as things now stood, I should have to ride
slowly in order to wait for the burro. Another
thing, the dignity of my departure from the
capital was marred, if not ruined. I had
counted upon a very early start, unaccom-
panied by friends to see me off, as is usual in
Honduras; and instead, I must parade through
town with a ridiculous burro wagging his ears
between my steamer trunks, just at the time
when the streets would be full of people going
to mass.

In the midst of my annoyance, up rode
Don Joaquin Escobar, the Postmaster- General,
mounted on his splendid white horse, Napo-
leon. " I am going out on the road with you,"
he said, "as far as I can go and get back in
time for some business that must be attended

THE FIRST DAY OUT. 151

to." It was " foreign mail day," and there-
fore I thought it remarkably good of the gen-
tleman.

We started off in gay spirits, leaving Trini-
dad to follow with burro and luggage. Don
Joaquin knew the way, of course, and we were
not long crossing the long bridge, passing
down through Comayguela, and making head-
way at full gallop out along the yellow road
leading off toward Comayagua.

When Don Joaquin had gone as far as he
possibly could, and return in time, we stopped
and waited for guide and luggage to come up.
My friend gave the mozo some sound advice as
to the rubber coats, keeping the equipage dry,
and taking good care of me in general and par-
ticular.

We parted each other on the shoulder, Hon-
duranean fashion, and said "Adios." Don
Joaquin' s splendid horse disappeared at a gal-
lop in the distance, and I continued on my
hundred-league journey.

Prom Tegucigalpa to Comayagua is reckoned
twenty leagues, or sixty miles. I hoped to
make this distance by noon of the following
day. In the meantime, the burro might prove
a serious obstacle. As the sun rose— the tre-

152 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

mendous tropical sun, overpowering in those
circular hollows where the wind can not rush,
as it rushes elsewhere through the long passes,
like some demon lately unchained — we pro-
gressed at moderate speed. I rode ahead, for
the path was still a cart-road; it had not yet
dwindled to a trail, as it should farther on. The
burro ran on gaily just behind; the trunks he
bore creaked slightly in their cording. The
mozo plodded airily after — afoot. As a rule,
the Honduras mozos prefer to travel afoot.
This one \vore the usual comfortable costume
of white trousers and white jacket, white pita
hat, and sandals of hide fastened with cords
over the feet, between the toes and around the
ankles. He carried a good pistol, a machete,
and a gourd to drink from. His name was
" Trinity;" he was obliging, honest, and given
to grandiloquent speeches.

Having formed this estimate of the individ-
ual who was to be my sole human companion
during some six or seven days communion
with Nature, I dismissed him .from my
thoughts. The memory of Tegucigalpa,
quaint and quiet city, was fresh in my mind.
Fourteen months experience in the tropics
absorbed me. The roar of a thirty-stamp mill

THE FIRST DAY OUT. 153

in a mining town whence I had lately come
rang in my ears. Voices of people from whom
I had lately parted returned as in a dream;
faces rose up before me that perhaps I might
not see again. I had, for an instant, the help-
less feeling of being out adrift on some strange
sea; then the sensation of one who has barely
learned to swim, when someone pushes him
into the water. The cheerful voice of Trinidad
recalled me:

' ' There is a house not far away, where we
can get some breakfast."

"Breakfast!" I had forgotten about that
important meal. ' ' How far off is it ? "

u About two leagues."

" Hombre ! Two leagues are six miles. That
is not near."

" Pues, hombre. They are little leagues."

And I am quite sure we rode ten miles before
the place was reached. The Honduras mozos
have no idea of distance. The " long leagues "
and the "short leagues" are matters of con-
jecture.

To travel with comfort in Honduras you
must be suitably dressed, have a good animal,
and know how to ride. For the first of the
three conditions, corduroy makes a good cos-

154 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

tume; it is not too heavy except in the middle
of the day, when one should not ride, but rest.
A broad-brimmed hat is indispensable. For-
eigners usually prefer the helmet, t\vo-peaked.
The natives often ride carrying open umbrellas,
which, though incongruous, is not always ill-
advised. As to securing a good beast, that is
not usually so easy. A mule with reasonable
speed is safer than a horse, and endures more.
And in the matter of horsemanship, some peo-
ple are born riders, while others never acquire
the first principles of equestrianism. Practice,
of course, is important.

There is a certain little insect — which also
grows to be a larger insect — against which the
traveler must guard. Certain bushes and
plants are covered with thousands of these
pests, one of which, if he get upon you, will
make you most uncomfortable. The name of
the insect is garrapata — it is of the tick species.
The smaller sized is more to be dreaded than
the larger, as it is almost imperceptible. It
has the habit of burying its head in the flesh
and leaving a part of it there, making a very
painful and lasting sore place. In riding along
the narrow trails where plants and bushes rise
on either side, one should be careful not to get

THE FIRST DAY OUT. 155

covered with garrapatas. The fleas of the
tropics torment many persons from the North
extremely at first. Cleanliness and attention
will keep one's house free from this annoyance,
unless it happen to be built upon peculiarly
sandy soil. On the coasts, where the earth is
black and moist, there are no fleas, I believe.
On the other hand, no one ever thinks of mos-
quito-netting, in the mountains, for there are no
mosquitoes, while at Truxillo there are plenty,
and at Puerto Cortez a few. At San Pedro
Sula there are sand-flies which revel from noon
to dusk.

My intention, previous to the advent of the
burro, had been to reach the place called Pro-
teccion, which is something like half-way be-
tween Tegucigalpa and Comayagua, that after-
noon, and to stay there all night. But now,
what with the late start and poor animals, I
foresaw this to be impossible. It was provok-
ing at first, but on reflection, and knowing I
had abundant time to catch the steamer if I
took ten or twelve days in going down, it
seemed to me I might as well proceed leisurely,
and learn the country all the better.

The house that Trinidad had in mind sud-
denly came in sight. We rode up — I did, at

156 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

least— and Trinidad steered the burro into the
shade of the projecting thatched roof. When
I say " steered," I speak with premeditation,
for he often had hold of the donkey's tail. I
dismounted, although the woman of the house
was at first quite certain she had nothing to
sell us. This is nearly always the way at the
places where one tries to get food in such
countries. All the travelers who have been
over the ground are accustomed to it, and they
will all relate the identical experience of "no
hay." As a rule, they conclude thus : " Well,
I wTas determined to have something. I saw a
chicken running about. I knocked it over
with a stone, wrung its neck, and took it to
the woman. 'Now,' says 1^ 'cook me this,
and I'll pay you whatever it's worth!" I
never met a Honduras-traveled individual yet
who had not this tale to tell. Somehow it has
always seemed strange to me that the unfortu-
nate chicken has never been missed by the
stone ! I, for my part, saw chickens, it is true;
but I aimed no stones at them. Had I tried
to do so, I should most likely have hit the
woman herself in the eye, for I throw very
poorly at times. But I talked, and Trinidad
talked; and between us we softened the old

THE FIRST DAY OUT. 157

lady, who was fat and bare- shouldered, with a
gorgeous necklace of gilt beads, into providing
us with a tripe-stew — which she lamentingly
protested had been prepared for her mother-in-
law — and some tortillas and milkless coffee. I
had put some French bread and a can of potted
ham in the saddle-bags, along with a flask of
brandy, before leaving Tegucigalpa. I now
found, on investigation, that the ham, which I
had opened in order to make sure of its con-
dition, had been associating rather intimately
with my note-book, somewhat to the latter' s
detriment.

After correcting this unforeseen condition as
far as was possible, I remounted, having first
paid the moderate sum of one real (twelve and
one-half cents) for our entertainment, and sig-
nified my desire to be off. Trinidad lingered,
conversing amicably with the hostess. Fi-
nally I got him away. When we were in the
road once more, I asked Avhere he thought we
might stop that night.

"Tamara," he smilingly assured me; and
on we went toward Tamara. It was a lovely,
though uninhabited, stretch of country that I
never shall forget. I rode very slowly. Trin-
idad walked alongside, and the burro jolted

158 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

on in advance. I saw that there could be no
haste until we reached Comayagua, and Trini-
dad was very entertaining with his grandilo-
quent speeches and flowery metaphor. He had
a passion for making diminutives of his nouns,
ending them all in itos or itas. He also took
a bland delight in picturing to me the gra-
cious reception accorded him by the Sefior
Presidente, upon whom he had called in Tegu-
cigalpa. I judged that he was not lying, for
President Bogran receives the humblest callers
with the greatest kindness.

II.

NIGHT IN A HAMMOCK.

Afternoon, a little past four, it was when we
reached Tamara. A few little houses were
scattered over splendid lields. We paused to
look for a posada. They told us to go on about
a league and a half. I took a drink of water
and proceeded. The league and a half resolved
itself into about three leagues. It was nearly
dark, and I was woefully hungry and tired,
when we saw a house somewhat up a hill-side.
There were women and children visible, some

NIGHT IN A HAMMOCK. 159

animals grazing calmly, and a clothes-line
hung with sausage casings.

"Aqui hay posada?" inquired Trinidad,
cheerfully.

"Como no !" said one of the women. And
mighty glad I was to hear it.

The animals were speedily unloaded; my
hammock came out of the maleta and was
swung in-doors.

Heavens, what a place! There were three
beds and another hammock besides my own.
In one of the beds there was a young man
ill with fever. When I saw, however, that his
mother was feeding him with corn baked on
the cob, I concluded the illness to be less seri-
ous than I had at first imagined. I stayed out-
side as much as possible. Trinidad requested
that coffee and tortillas be prepared. How
good these tasted, we being so hungry! There
were also some savory chunks of pork, which
seemed to have been roasted on the ashes.
Having eaten and drunk, I walked up and
down outside until it was quite dark and a
slight rain fell. Then I went inside and
crawled into my hammock. Trinidad reposed
on a small blanker, which he had carried strap-
ped with my luggage upon the unfortunate

j^\^ B

OF \

f yWIVERSITY )
J

160 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDtTRAS.

burro, spread upon the earth floor. He smoked
cigarettes, for which I was thankful, and fought
what he called the pulguitas, audibly and with-
out cessation.

" They bring them in the clothes from Tegu-
cigalpa," remarked the sick man, consolingly,
from his bed.

Trinidad went on smoking. He turned un-
easily now and then, and groaned at times, for
the ground was not soft. But for the rain, we
might better have stretched ourselves on the
grass outside.

"Trinidad," I said, when the others were all
asleep, as could be told from their breathing,
" we go on at four o'clock."

uPues, hombre," he returned, "it will not
be daylight."

"No matter," 1 insisted, "we go on all the
same."

I dozed a little then, and I suppose he did
the same. The next thing I knew, daylight
was shining through the cracks of the door.
The mozo was up and making his preparations
to go. We paid a real and a medio (eighteen
cents) for the supper, and were off again. The
animals had been fed, but I do not remember
what that cost. My arrangement was to pay

NIGHT IN A HAMMOCK. 161

the mozo a certain sum and provide his food
going down. The animals grazed at night, and
whatever else he fed them he paid for. We
did not wait for coffee, but took this a league
further on, at a newly built, clean, but lone-
some house, where they gave us also tortillas
and eggs, all for another real.

The road now led us up and down wind-
ing courses, through rivers sometimes shallow,
sometimes of serious depth, always crystal
clear, and alluring one to pause under the
splendid shade of the surrounding trees. Once
Trinidad, after dipping me up a gourdf ul of
the shining liquid, calmly assured me that he
was going to stop and bathe — would I kindly
look after the burro ? I rode ahead, and kept
an eye on the patient little beast struggling
along under its heavy load, and found a shady
spot, where we rested until the mozo caught up
with us, clean and cool from plunging in the
river.

By noon we were at Proteccion, and there
found a capital place to get breakfast. It was
three reals (thirty-eight cents) for myself and
the mozo, and there were several courses, which
we ate from a single plate, mostly with our

fingers, aided by the tortillas and a spoon out
11

162 THE KEPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

of my saddle-bags. We ate sitting on a couple
of boards resting on kegs — goodness knows
where these came from originally; and there
were others breakfasting in the same fashion-
natives who seemed to be traveling also, for
their horses waited outside.

But for the fact of the burro again, we might
easily have made Comayagua by night- fall. As
it was, we could only hope to reach Las Flores.

It was warm riding, but the views were
splendid all that afternoon. Now glorious
valleys, now towering hills; multitudes of tiny
streams to cross, numberless rocky ascents to
climb; stillness and heat about one; sun blaz-
ing overhead; the myriad birds quiet, hidden
in the depths of the mountain forests. Five
leagues — about fifteen miles — from Proteccion
to Las Flores! Night came on, and we were
still far from sign of human habitation. "It
is not long," said Trinidad, composedly, as
we began to see the new moon glittering
faintly in the sky. We were not so far off, I
agreed, for the ground was level, and seemed a
neighborhood likely to have a settlement. The
path that the mozo chose, however, led us
astray. The first I knew we were riding aim-
lessly through fields of something that grew

NIGHT IN A HAMMOCK. 163

very tall and rattled about one. The burro
began to wander hither and thither. Finally
Trinidad came to a stop, and spoke, rather
plaintively :

"Pues, hombre, I think we are lost. I don't
know this way."

"Pues, hombre," I remarked, " you are a fine
guide, to get us lost at this hour of the night ! "

We paused there, adrift, as it were, on a
strange sea. The moon was covered with float-
ing masses of cloud. Stars, too, were visible
in the sky above. In the distance we heard
the barking of dogs. I told the mozo we must
steer for that barking; and we did so. But it
was no easy task, for the tired burro with
his tremendous luggage was not especially
manageable, though Trinidad exhorted him
piously and without pause.

"Burro! Anda!" and various other inter-
jections, not precisely profane, but verging on
it. Back and forth, here and there, to and fro
we wandered for what seemed hours. About
nine o'clock we felt ourselves saved by the
faintly glimmering light that shone in the dis-
tance.

4 'Now I know," said Trinidad, joyously.
" I can tell the way."

164 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

. "So could any fool," I muttered, savagely.

The old lady of this dwelling was a certain
Nina Paula. There were three rooms in the
house. The posada part was a large, bare
apartment, with a couple of hammocks and a
long table of rough boards; absolutely no other
furniture.

" Coffee and tortillas for two," I observed,
dramatically; and they were at once forthcom-
ing. I slept with comfort in one of the ham-
mocks, and Trinidad occupied the other. It
was cold, but clean. We made another late
start in the morning, and passed through San
Antonio al Norte about nine o'clock, reaching
Comayagua at noon, and proceeding at once
to the Hotel Americano.

Sixty miles of the three hundred had been
achieved without anything remarkable hav-
ing occurred — no wild beasts, no narrow
escapes from robbers, absolutely nothing to
make a fuss about.

III.

COMAYAGUA.

The old capital is a sleepy town. There is
never a sound but the church-bells all day
long; quieter than Tegucigalpa, which is quiet

COMAYAGUA. 165

enough for anyone. It was with an inexpress-
ible sense of relief that I got down from my
mule in the patio of the American Hotel; for I
knew that the burro would! now be returned to
his native potrero, and a couple of fresh beasts
replace him and the jaded animal 1 had ridden
thus far. The smiling native proprietor — a
woman — of the house welcomed us pleasantly.
The luggage was carried into a large corner
room, where there was a hammock and a bed-
stead. There were a couple of great shutter-
windows in the sides of the room, which, with
three large doors, two of which opened upon
the street, precluded the idea of privacy. I
let the mozo take care of himself, and ordered
breakfast. It was prepared leisurely, and set
forth on a table in the patio corridor or porch.
There were eggs, rice, boiled meat, chicken, tor-
tillas, bread, frijoles, all well cooked and appe-
tizing. There were also cheese, citron pre-
serves, and coffee, with plenty of milk. After
this satisfactory meal, I asked that the bed be
arranged for me, and inquired as to bathing
facilities. The good lady directed me to the
nearest river, which was not far, and even of-
fered to send a servant to show the way. I did
not wish to go at once, however. I took a rest

166 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

in the hammock while the bed was made up by
the easy process of spreading a single blanket
over the smooth board bottom and laying a
small pillow at the head. I watched these
preparations lazily from the hammock, and
wondered if she thought I was going to sleep
on the blanket or under it ; there would not be
much choice for softness. About two o'clock
I asked the servant to show me the way to the
river. Gracious powers ! or the Spanish equiva-
lent, was I going to bathe at that hour ! I would
certainl y have fever. ' ' Nonsense ! " I returned,
and started out, followed by various entreaties
from the entire household to reconsider. The
sun was blazing hot, but the stream was deli-
ciously clear and just of the nicest depth. I
came back wonderfully refreshed, and found
an American gentleman then residing in the
city waiting to see me.

He kindly volunteered to show me about.

" Why don't you stay over another day," he
asked, ' ' and get rested ? ' '

" Do you really think," I asked, "that one
is apt to get very rested on a bed like tJiat?"

He prodded it with his finger, and laughed.

"Hello!" he said; u it isn't even a canvas
bottom/'

COMAYAGUA. 167

" Well, what is there to see in the town?" I
asked.

" Not much beside the cathedral. Stay over,
and I will show you all there is to-morrow."

I thanked him and decided to do so, and to
send the mozo ahead with the luggage-mule as
far as the next stop, which would be Cuevas.

Trinidad accordingly started off early next
morning, having brought the two fresh animals
up for my inspection late in the afternoon.
They looked pretty well; but one never can tell
from the look of a mule, of course.

"O, well," I said, " after a year in Honduras,
one ought to be able to ride a zebra. Leave me
the best saddle-beast, and get you gone at day-
light."

I meant to have a delightful time all to my-
self as far as Cuevas.

The next day the American gentleman came
around and took me to the cathedral, where we
were shown first all the right royal vestments
of the bishop. These were of the richest white
silk, some of them wrought with pure gold and
silver threads; others were embroidered with
flowers. All were very heavy and precious, and
kept most carefully in massive chests and ward-
robes of cedar. When we had taken an extended

168 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

and artistic delight in these beautiful robes, we
examined the old paintings upon the walls of
the cathedral, and the images — mostly old and
mummy suggesting — of various saints — chiefly
, Saint Peter — and lastly, a figure said to be act-
ually the mummy of a bishop of years agone.
There were also magnificent staffs of silver and
gold, censers, and altar-pieces of quaint old
designs, which the obliging sexton disclosed to
us by opening various other closets.

We spent an hour or two in the sacred edi-
fice, emerging in time to return to the hotel for
breakfast, after which we took a look at the
business part of the old town. "Oh, what a
waking-up you will get one of these days,"
I said, apostrophizing the sleepy site, "when
railway trains go whistling through the land ! "
Of the two places, Tegucigalpa is, to my mind,
much more attractive in every way.

When the American gentleman heard that I
was purposing to go on alone to Cuevas next
morning, he lifted his voice in horror.

" Where is your mozo ? " he asked.

" Gone ahead with the trunks."

"But you can't go alone; you'll get off the
track. There's a turn that will take you off to
Espino, on the Trujillo road."

COMAYAGUA. 169

" Can't I take the left-hand road when I
reach the fork? "

" You could if you knew it."

And he worked upon my mind so that I
finally sent out and engaged a fine-looking,
tall, and sinewy stripling, whom the professor
recommended as strictly honest. I was carry-
ing a bag of jingling silver for road supplies,
and was unarmed. Half the quantity of
"pisto," as they call it, would have sufficed,
had I known how little the posada expense
was to be. At five o'clock next morning
(Thursday), the mozo, Jesus Galeano (Jesus
pronounced Haysoose, and being a very com-
mon name), came rapping oh my street door.

"Bueno," I said, stretching myself sleepily
in the hammock, between which and the inflex-
ible, board-bottom bed I had alternated all
night long. But he kept on rapping until I
rose and opened the heavy shutters at one of
the windows, to prove myself really awake.
He went and saddled my horse then, while I
dressed quickly and got my coffee.

I tried the new mule at a brisk canter for a
few miles out of town, leaving Jesus to come
on after me, knowing I could not go wrong, as
there was but one path. The mule was awful !

170 TIIK KKPrKLIC OF IIOXPFRAS.

He could go pretty fast, but his gait was the
hardest I had ever encountered. When the
road had narrowed, as it soon does after leav-
ing Comayagua, to a mere trail, I paused and
waited for my new guide. Jesus came up very
promptly; he was one of the swiftest walkers
1 had ever seen — a natty specimen of the peon
class, in his white jacket and trousers, little
round felt hat, luncheon tied in a clean hand-
kerchief, and machete hanging from his belt;
barefooted, of course, with the hide sandals
usually worn. By noon we were at Sabana
Larga, where I bought some coffee and pan
dulce, and Jesus ate the contents of his hand-
kerchief. We had safely passed the Espino
road, and I had half a notion to dismiss the?
boy and let him return at once to Comayagua.
Nevertheless, as I had engaged him for doce
reales (one dollar and fifty cents), and he would
probably grumble at less, I concluded he would
better go on.

IV.

ON TO YOJOA.

It rained a little during the afternoon. I put
on a rubber cloak, and rode under the trees as
much as possible. The sky was cloudy, but

GIST TO YOJOA. 171

the landscape was freshly green and glorious
from the rain. At five we were at Cuevas.
Trinidad came out of almost the first little
house we arrived at, and stood smiling.

"Pues, hombre," he observed, pleasantly;
"that's a good mule, isn't it ? "

I asked him, as sternly as I could, how he
came to give me the wrong animal.

"The other must be better," I insisted.
"I'll try it to-morrow, anyway."

The little house proved to belong to some
friends of Trinidad. He graciously informed
me that there would be nothing to pay, such
being the case, which, of course, made me feel
uncomfortable, until I saw some youngsters
playing about, to whom I made a little present
of a couple of reales — and afterward felt still
more uncomfortable at their disposition to
swallow them.

It was a very clean, new place. I had an
excellent sleep, after a very good supper.
Jesus received his doce reales with many
thanks, and made polite arrangements for
something to eat and a place to lay himself in
the porch. Next morning he was off on his
way back to Comayagua before Trinidad had
gotten our mules saddled.

172 THE UKPTBLIC OF HONDURAS.

I do not care very much to remember that
day's journey and that night's pause. It
rained, and we got wet; there were several
deep rivers to ford, all easier for myself than
for Trinidad, who grumbled at rolling up
or, indeed, taking off his nice white trousers,
and for the luggage-mule, who had ideas of his
own about drinking and sailing down-stream
at inconvenient moments. Trinidad, trouser-
less, made me think of one of Rider Haggard's
Englishmen in Africa. About noon we came
to Miambur, and rode under a sort of thatched
shed which appeared provided purposely for
travelers. Across the road was a house where
the mozo knew we would get a good breakfast.
He took the trunks off the pack-mule to give
him a rest, and unloosened the saddle-girth of
my animal. He thought he would feed them
as well.

This was Miambur. I sat down on one of
my trunks and looked around me. A level
space, dotted with a few dreary habitations,
mostly thatched; splendid hills rising on all
sides, and a river of some width and force
close at hand — one of many streams flowing
down ultimately to mingle in the waters of the
Ulua. A half-dozen soldiers came and studied

oisr TO YOJOA. 173

me, then took up lounging positions under the
spacious shed, and began to banter good-
humored remarks with Trinidad, who was
plaintively reciting a serious grievance, as fol-
lows : The last time he had passed through
that place he had loaned an acquaintance some
rawhide lassos, expecting to receive them back
on his next trip down to the coast. The bor-
rower now boldly denied any such loan. Trini-
dad thereupon addressed him a severe dis-
course upon his morals, to which the other
mildly replied: " Amigo mio, don't stain my
reputation with unjust aspersions;" and thus
they harangued for an hour or more. But
Trinidad did not get back his lassos of raw-
hide, or any compensation for them. When
we left the place, he was still reciting his grief
at such treatment from people who were noth-
ing less than ladrones.

That night! ugh, that night I We did not
reach Youre, much less Santa Cruz. There
was more rain, and Trinidad hesitated at cross-
ing a certain river, which at night was high,
and by morning ran dry, or nearly so; in con-
sequence of which he piloted me to a spot
where a small thatched hut with walls, supple-
merited by a smaller thatched hut without

174 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

walls, sheltered a family of half a dozen. The
family all slept in the hut with walls. The
smaller place was about three yards square,
and contained a native stove, a rude table, and
a tortilla board, which almost filled it. By
swinging my hammock over the stove and
table we managed to squeeze under shelter for
the night. My clothing was damp, but I could
not remove any of it. It was stickily uncom-
fortable, but I caught no cold, and had no
fever.

The blessed morning came at last. Coffee,
tortillas, one real; mules, and — off again for
Youre, and, later, Santa Cruz. Discomforts
and rain aside, one sees between Cuevas and
Santa Cruz the most grandly diversified coun-
try, I suppose, to be found anywhere. Near
Miambur there are mountains to cross where
the road has been cut in steps which appear
hewn out of marble. Up and down this beau-
tiful path leads through splendid forests and
over wind-swept slopes, where the silence is
broken only by distant water- falls or the won-
derful music of the birds. At Youre a solitary
thatched house sat on the high brow of a hill.
A woman and a little girl were the only human
beings when we arrived. But as we sat enjoy-

ON TO YOJOA. 175

ing oar breakfast in the coolness of that airy
height, other voices Avere heard, and up came,
along the same road that we had traversed,
two couriers from Tegucigalpa, with the leather
mail-bags on their backs. They had started afoot
two days later than we. They dropped down
on the earthen floor under the pleasant shelter,
and chatted as if they were not so very tired.
They, too, ordered some breakfast, which hav-
ing made quick work of, they were off ahead
of us, making short cuts impossible for our
beasts, and letting themselves down steep hill-
sides with wonderful swiftness and surety.

And now, as we plodded on, the mountains
grew gradually less formidable. A wonderful
world of gently rolling slopes spread out before
us. The grass was of a rich and brilliant em-
erald. The broken earth, as that of the road,
showed red as blood in places. To the left, in
the distance, were vast and splendid fields of
cane. A pond-like marsh, densely surrounded
with beautiful bamboos, made one think that
Lake Yojoa was not far away.

And by night-fall we were once more out of
the wilds, having reached the pretty little town
of Santa Cruz de Yojoa. Here, in a spacious
room of a comfortable house, once more my

176 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

hammock was* Swung, and after supper I crept
into it for the last night but two.

V.

THE FINISH.

From Santa Cruz — a very habitable spot,
some of the best people, General Leiva for one,
having country places there, and there being
both postal and telegraph facilities — we should
have made the remaining distance of about
forty miles to San Pedro in a day or a day and
a half, that is, had the mozo been mounted,
and no luggage included,. As it was, we left
early on Sunday morning, and reached San
Pedro only on Tuesday afternoon. There were
now no more mountains to climb, but a fine level
road, along which the happy rider of a good
saddle animal might canter with delight. Sosoa,
then Rio Blanco, and presently Potrerillos—
' ' little pastures. ' ' At Rio Blanco, refreshments.
At Potrerillos, a river to cross in a canoe — a
ferry-man to be hallooed for on the opposite
side; mules to be unloaded; trunks to be put in
the canoe; traveler to sit upon trunks; mules to
be whacked with the ferry-man's oar to make
them go into the water and swim across, Trini-

THE FINISH. 177

dad holding their bridles. Thank heaven! the
Ulna is crossed ! On the opposite side we sit
sweltering under a lemon tree. It is one
o'clock, the hottest hour of day. I gather
some of the fallen lemons; then I take the gourd
from the saddle lying on the ground, creep
down to the river side and fill it with
water. I come back and squeeze the lemon
juice into it and put in some dulce which I
bought at the last stopping-place. The drink
is capital.

The settlements for the rest of the way were
close to each other — Caracol, Pinto, Chamele-
con, then San Pedro. But Trinidad and the
mules were not as fresh as at the beginning of
the long trip. We spent that night at a house
a little before Caracol. It was a marshy region,
and the mosquitoes were unbearable — actually
the first I had seen in the country. The hut was
one of two surrounded by the luxuriant vege-
tation which thence on*was continuous to the
coast. Under my hammock, on the earth floor,
I kindled some sticks of resinous wood that
smoked the insects out, and made me feel like
the saint that was broiled on a gridiron. I was
glad to be off again at dawn. The country

was now a perfect tropical garden. We fol-
12

178 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

lowed along the side of the unused railroad
track, which is laid as far inland as the Ulua
River, but almost completely overgrown with
bushes and grass. One more night — a com-
fortable one — at Pinto. One more early start;
more riding through the indescribable beauty
of groves of cocoa palms, a perfect covering
overhead of the sweeping, immense leaves;
coolness, moist black earth below. The blaze
of the sun completely shut out. An absurd
idea occurring to one: "What lovely bowers
these are for a summer garden ! Just to have
little tables here and there, and waiters to bring
beer and ginger ale, and a good band to play
constantly! Wouldn't it be comfortable!"
Miles and miles through these groves; then
breakfast at Chamelecon, and another ferry to
be crossed in canoe. At Chamelecon, as at all
these coast settlements, plenty of milk to drink,
rich and delicious. The old woman forgets to
give one his change, but no matter. Only a few
more miles to San Pedro. And mid-afternoon we
were winding our way along the well-kept roads
leading into that pretty place. Trinidad was
stopped presently by an inspector, and had to
pay real of entrance toll. By this we felt
that v\re were in the town. San Pedro some-

THE FINISH. 179

how reminded me of Coney Island; I suppose
it was the summery style of the houses; It is
situated on the plain of Sula, back from which
rise, circle shape, the everlasting hills from
which we had come down. There is a fine
Catholic church and a Protestant meeting-
house. The Catholic church stands in a plaza
planted with orange trees. There are many
good stores and a court-house. Picturesquely
considered, the town could not be sweeter.
There are two or three streams flowing by and
through it, the Rio de las Piedras being the
principal one. There are three main streets run-
ning the entire length of the town, and the trees
that grow along all the roads are covered with
vines that blossom riotously the year round.
We made our way in the direction of the Inter-
national Hotel, a long, rambling wooden build-
ing. I slipped out of the saddle and left the
mules in charge of the mozo, while I entered
the office. The hundred-league ride was over !
I had a bath, and discovered that the dinner
hour was not far off. Trinidad brought in my
luggage. I settled accounts and said " good-
bye" to him. He shook hands with me and
wished me good luck. Exit the mozo. When
I dined, an hour later, I realized for the first

180 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

time that I had been on short allowance as to
rations for the past ten days. My appetite
was simply terrifying. Everything tasted de-
licious. I slept soundly on a bed with a mat-
tress, and spent the next day rambling about
the town. The day after, the train went down
to the Port giving us thirty-eight miles of rail-
way travel of the most singular description. An
engine, a tender, a baggage and freight car
combined, and a passenger coach, the last not
much longer than a New York street-car, and
having the seats similarly arranged — that is,
running lengthwise. There were, of course, a
good many passengers; among the number, Mr.
Jones, a Welsh missionary, interested me with
his sincerity and evident goodness of heart,
although, as a lady remarked to me, ' ' the poor,
dear man has a formidable task in prospect if
he thinks to convert any of the Catholics of
Honduras to Protestantism." I noticed, how-
ever, the invariable respect with which he was
treated by one and all, who accepted his Span-
ish and English tracts and put them carefully
in their pockets.

The train made a stop every three or four
miles to load with mahogany and other timber
and fruit. At Choloma, reached at noon, we

A RESUME. 181

«

took a breakfast of actual luxuries. On we
went again, making slow progress all afternoon
long. It was not that the train did not make
good time while in motion, but that the inces-
sant stopping to load kept us back. It was
extremely hot in the cars. Not a breath of air
blew through. We sat there, moist and help-
less, until the end. The day drew toward its
close. We began to pass little lagoons. At
last a pause. We were at Puerto Cortez. But
we did not get out. The train would go
down another mile. It went down. It came
to a final stop. We got out. There, close at
hand, was the HotelBiraud, a comfortable-look-
ing place. And yonder, that which I had not
seen for over a year, softly swaying, far-
stretching, the measureless meadows of blue —
of the sea !

VI.

A RESUME.

A good rider, well mounted and unhindered
with luggage, which it is always well to send
on a day or two, or even three, in advance, can
make the trip from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro
easily as follows ;

182 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Tegucigalpa to Protection first day.

Protection to Comayagua second day.

Comayagua to Cuevas third day.

Cuevas to Miambur fourth day.

Miambur to Santa Cruz fifth day.

Santa Cruz to Pinto sixth day.

Pinto to San Pedro seventh day.

As the crow flies, the distance from capital
to coast is not, of course, anything like the
distance to be covered in riding up and down
and around the tremendous mountains and
wonderful valleys which lie between the inte-
rior and the sea.

I, myself, hampered by luggage and servant
afoot, spent nine nights en route — one of which,
at Comayagua, being unnecessary.

My journey was divided as follows :

Tegucigalpa to roadside house before
reaching Tamara first day.

Roadside house to Las Flores second day.

Las Flores to Comayagua third day.

In Comayagua fourth day.

Comayagua to Cuevas fifth day.

Cuevas to near Miambur sixth day.

From near Miambur to Santa Cruz de
Yojoa seventh day.

Santa Cruz de Yojoa to near Caracol eighth day.

Near Caracol to Pinto ninth day.

Pinto to San Pedro tenth day.

A RESUME. 183

The places through which we passed were:
Tamara, Proteccion, Las Flores, San Antonio
al Norte, Comayagua, Sabana Larga, Cuevas,
Miambur, Youre, Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Sosoa,
Rio Blanco, Potrerillos, Caracol, Pinto, Cham-
elecon, San Pedro Sula.

It would be absurd in anyone to pretend that
making a trip of little less than three hundred
miles in the saddle, with only the rudest shelter
at night and small chance of obtaining proper
food, is a trifling undertaking. It looks easy
enough on paper, perhaps, but put into execu-
tion, the plan is somewhat more formidable.
One should endeavor, of course, to get good
animals; not so much spirited and handsome
beasts as those with easy gaits, sure-footed,
and likely to hold out well to the end. One
should travel as light as possible. Do not load
yourself down with potted meats that will mix
themselves up with other articles most unac-
countably, once the tins are opened; loaves of
bread to get stale at once, and the like — I
mean, if you wish to go through in quick time.
If you are in no hurry, and have an idea of
camping out, it is different.

Carry a nice cloth hammock, that will not
take up too much room and that will not need

184 TUP] REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

a blanket to make it absolutely comfortable.
If you want a blanket over you, carry one riot
too large. Take a flask of brandy along, but
do not drink it unless you get wet and chilled.
Take a gourd to drink out of, and carry some
small change, averaging two reales for every
place you expect to stop at. Do not lose
courage when the posada people tell you " No
hay." Be persistent, and use a great deal of
politeness.

Do not try to kill chickens with stones; their
owners will get angry and refuse to cook them
for love or money.

American drafts and American money, gold
and bills, bring a premium of about twenty-five
per cent. You can sell your drafts higher at
the port than at the interior.

There are two good banks in Tegucigalpa.

It is not a bad idea to take your own saddle
with you. For a lady, indeed, it is necessary
to do so; otherwise she will probably be obliged
to ride one of the left- sided saddles of the
country, which are very awkward and uncom-
fortable.

Summer garments and broad-brimmed sum-
mer hats should be remembered.

There are very good old-school physicians in

A RESUME.

185

Honduras, but people who believe in homoeop-
athy should take along their little medicine-
cases freshly filled. A timely remedy of this
sort may prove of inestimable value in case of
sudden illness. But with proper care of one-
self one may enjoy, uninterruptedly, the best
of health in Honduras.

APPENDIX.

GENERAL INFORMATION.

Honduras is the second in size and fourth in
population of the five Central American Re-
publics.

Name. — Honduras, signifying great depths
or profundities.

Area. — Forty-seven thousand and ninety-
two square miles.

Geographical Position. — In the northern
part of Central America, between 13° 10' and
16° north latitude, and stretching from 83° to
89° 45' west longitude.

Boundaries. — North, Caribbean Sea and
Gulf of Honduras; east, Caribbean Sea and
Republic of Nicaragua; south, Republic of
Nicaragua, Gulf of Fonseca, and Republic of
Salvador; west, Republics of Salvador and
Guatemala.

Topography.— Grandly mountainous; coun-
try traversed by the Cordilleras, connecting the
Sierra Madre with the Andes. Toward the
coasts the mountains die away into gently roll-
ing hills. The principal valleys are in the

(187)

188 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

departments of Comayagua, Gracias, Santa
Barbara, Yoro, and Olancho.

Principal Rivers. — The Guayape or Patuca,
Guayambre, Ulua, Chamelecon, Sulaco, Cho-
luteca, Aguan, and Agalta.

Lakes. — Yojoa, in the department of Santa
Barbara.

Islands. — Tigre Island, in the Gulf of Fon-
seca, and the Bay Islands, off the north coast.

Ports. — Pacific side : Amapala, on Tigre
Island, San Lorenzo, and La Brea. Atlantic
coast: Omoa, Puerto Cortez, Trujillo, and
Ceiba.

Departments. — Tegucigalpa, Comayagua,
Paraiso, La Paz, Intibuca, Choluteca, Santa
Barbara, Copan, Gracias, Yoro, Olancho, and
Colon.

Principal Cities and Towns. — Tegucigalpa,
the capital; Comayagua, the old capital; Yus-
caran, Santa Barbara, Trujillo, San Pedro
Sula, and Amapala.

Climate. — Hot on the coast lands; mild and
even at the interior.

Language. — Spanish.

Means of Traveling. — On horse or mule-
back, or in ox-cart. From Puerto Cortez
inland thirty-seven miles to San Pedro Sula

GENERAL INFORMATION. 189

is a railroad, which is to be continued up to
the capital, later on.

Population. — Honduras entire, about 400,-
000; Tegucigalpa, 15,000; Comayagua, 10,000.

Principal Hotels. - - Tegucigalpa : Hotel
Americano, Berlioz & Co., proprietors; Hotel
Aleman-Americano, Pablo Nehring, proprie-
tor; Hotel Vicne, Hotel Centro-Americano.
Comayagua: Hotel Americano. Sabana-
grande: Hotel Sabanagrande, Jose M. Mejia,
proprietor. San Pedro Sula: Hotel Centro-
Americano, L. Seiffert, manager; International
Hotel, A. Wernle, proprietor. Puerto Cortez:
Hotel Biraud.

Transportation and Mining Agents. — Pes-
pire : Messrs. Jiron & Medina.

Steamship Lines. — Pacific Mail, touching
bi-weekly at Amapala; Macheca Bros. Line,
between New Orleans and Puerto Cortez, three
steamers per month, Macheca Bros., New
Orleans; De Leon & Alger, agents at Puerto
Cortez. Honduras & Central American Steam-
ship Company, Williams & Rankin, New
York; J. D. Mirrielees, agent, Puerto Cortez.
Steamers Aguan and Hondo, touching at
Puerto Cortez and Trujillo, from New York,
Boston, and European ports.

190

THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Seasons. — Verano, or dry season, lasting
from November to May; invierno, or wet sea-
son, lasting from May to November.

TABLES SHOWING TEMPEKATURE OP DRY SEASON AND WET
SEASON.

Locality, Tegucigalpa, west longitude 87° 10', north lat-
itude 14° 15'. Altitude, 3,200 feet above sea-level.

FEBRUARY, 1889.

Date.

Minimum.

Maximum.

Notes.

7

66° F.

81° F.

j

8

65° F.

80° F.

>• Weather fair and pleasant.

9

62° F.

80° F.

)

10
11

66° F.
69° F.

83° F.
83° F.

j- Nights cool.

12
13

67° F.
64° F.

82° F.
79° F.

> Full moon.

OCTOBER, 1889.

Date.

Minimum.

Maximum.

Notes.

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

66 F.
64° F.
68° F.
67° F.
65° F.
64° F.
65° F.
04° F.

76° F.
76° F.
79° F.

78° F.
78° F.
77° F.

77° F.
77° F.

Rain during the evening.
Rain during the evening.

Rain during the evening.

Advice to Strangers.— Wear summer cloth-
ing; bring light overcoats and wraps for the
interior; travel as lightly as possible, with small
steamer trunks, in pairs, each weighing the
same; eat no fruit for a fortnight after arriving;
^void getting wet and chilled; provide yourself

SOME SPANISH WORDS. 191

with a good rubber cloak that will not open in
front with the wind.

SOME SPANISH WORDS

Used in this book, and some which the traveler
will hear and should understand, and their
definitions :

Gringo (Honduras word) Foreigner.

Frijoles (freeholays) Black beans.

Tortillas Thin cakes made of corn,

Queso (kayso) Cheese.

Pan Bread.

Mantequilla (mantaykeya) Butter.

Quiero (keeayro) I wish.

Cuanto How much?

Cuanto vale (cwanto vahlie) How much does it cost?

Camino (cameeno) Road.

Lejos (layhos) Far.

Cerca (sairca) Near.

Aqui no mas Right here.

Como no ! Of course.

Huevos (wavos) Eggs.

Polio (poyo) Chicken.

Carne Meat.

Cafe* (cahfay) Coffee.

Leche (laychay) Milk.

Equipaje (ekkypahy) Luggage.

Baules (bah-ooles) Trunks.

Paraguas Umbrella.

Posada Lodging.

Hamaca (ahmaka) Hammock.

192 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Comida Dinner.

Almuerzo (almooairzo) Breakfast.

Bodega Warehouse.

Pan dulce Coffee-cake.

Macho Male mule.

Ponga Put.

Traiga (triga) Bring.

Quita Take away.

Calentura Fever.

Catarro Cold in the head.

Frio Cold.

Calor Heat.

Caraa Bed.

Algo Something.

Lluvia (yuveea) Rain.

Va a Hover (va a yovair> It is going to rain.

Cansado (cansahdo) Tired.

Tengo hambre (tengo ahmbray) I am hungry.

Tengo sed I am thirsty.

Un vaso de agua A glass of water.

Hay? (pronounced I) Is there?

Si, hay Yes, there is.

No hay There isn't any.

Alacran Scorpion.

Aguardiente Brandy.

Muy caro Very dear.

Machete Big knife.

Soy Americano I am an American.

Estoy cansado I am tired.

Dinero (deenairo) Money.

Pago I pay.

Luego (looaigo) Immediately.

NOMENCLATURE. 193

Ahora (ah-ora) Now.

Mozo Guide or servant.

Bestias Animals.

Quiero ir I wish to go.

Mas tarde Later.

Tegucigalpa (Tay-goo-ci-gurpa)

Pues, hombre , Well, sir.

Hombre ! Man alive !

NOMENCLATURE.

The following interesting remarks upon the
names of Mosquito, have been published by Dr.
Antonio R. Vallejo in the latest census of
Honduras:

The name of the important town of Iriona, where is the
easternmost custom-house in this republic, is from M, thorn,
and orui, one, or " one thorn."

Mafia is the name of the devil worshiped by the Waiknas.

Cropunto is a Waikna village on the bank of the Guayape.
It was founded by the Payas many years ago. The name is
said to be a corruption of the English word crawfish joined
to the Spanish pu nto, a point. The name signifies "crawfish
point," and describes properly the point, or clay -bank, near
which is the village landing. It is more than likely, however,
that the name is from emu, crayfish, and unta, hole, from
the Waikna language.

Many years ago, a chief of the Payas, named Butuco, was
established near the mouth of the River Guayape, called by
English-speaking people the " Patook." It is easy to see that
the latter is a corruption of the name of the old Paya. Senor
Vallejo says: " Jocomacho, or Tocomacho, is said by some to
have come from the English phrase 'took match/ Others
believe, and this is more probable, that this name is taken
from a Senor Camacho, whose family still exists there." It
is said that Senor Camacho was jestingly called by the Eng-
13

194 Tin: REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

lish " the Duke of Camacho," and that this title gradually
became l< Dukoinacho," and finally " Jocomacho."

"Cusuna" i.s the Carib name of the fish called dormilon in
Spanish. The village of Cusuna has two hundred and twenty-
five inhabitants.

Carata'-ca is a Waikna name for Cartago Lagoon, and sig-
nifies " big alligator." It is from earn, alligator, and tarn, big,
and should be written " Caratara."

Sangre-laya comes from the Waikna words sangre, a moth,
and laya, coast, and means " the coast of the moth."

Guayape is said to be from f/"<i»i<ij>in, ti robe worn by
Indian women, and is the proper name for the great river
which, rising in the mountain ranges surrounding Concordia,
flows across the Valley of Lepaguare, past the city of Juticalpa,
capital of the large department of Olancho, through the great
Valley of Cataeamas and the vast Plain of Mosquito, to empty
into the Caribbean Sea. Not far from the sea, the Guayape
divides, the main channel flowing on in a northeasterly direc-
tion, and the smaller one going northwest to P>rus Lagoon.
This minor channel is called Tnnnt, seed of the annato, and
mirra, toward the bottom.

Ualpa-tanta is an isolated mountain against which the Gua-
yape washes. At its base is a large settlement where the rub-
ber gatherers meet to buy goods and get drunk, once or twice
a year. The name is from the Sumo words //////•</, rock, and
tanta, flat.

Ualpa-ulbun, or " rock written on," or carved, is it-elf about
two days paddling above Ualpa-tanta, and is an interesting
archaeological study.

Uaxma, the name of a settlement on the Guayape, signifies
" the cry of hawk."

Uampu, the name of one of the more important tributaries
of the Guayape, means " the upper part, the head." It is also
the name of the Guava.

There is a river which flows into the Guayape from the
south, and is called Amac-uas — the river of honey-bees. An-
other tributary is called Aca-uas — water of tobacco; a third is
the Uas-presni — swift-running water. Farther up-stream the
Cuyumel comes in. The Sumos name it the Inska-ualpa-ula,

IMPORTATION'S OF MERCHANDISE. 195

or the fish -rock place. The River Suji (pronounced soohe) flows
into the River Segovia; it gets its name from the Toaca word
siiji, a grindstone or sandstone.

Up the Plantain River is the Paya town of Sixatara. Sixa,
banana, and tar a is *l big."

The Sambo hamlet of Urang has the same name as is given
to the alligator, "cacao."

Tilbalacca Lagoon gets its name from the fact that a party
of Waiknas Once killed a tilba, tapir, in its waters, and build-
ing a fire beneath a large lacca, locust tree, hung the flesh of
their prey on the branches to cure in the smoke.

The rather pretty Waikna name for the pleasantly flavored
little maiden plantain is miel-silpa, literally little sweet, or
honey -little; that is, little honey.

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE.

The following is a list of merchandise im-
ported into Honduras during the economic
year 1887-88 :

FIRST CLASS.

FREE OF DUTY.

Pounds.
Rice 242,258

Garlic 2,821

Fence-wire 38,316

Oats 1,356

Empty barrels 1 ,316

Pumps 1,310

Onions * 30,247

Carts and coaches 10,263

Piping 4,003

Lime 53,224

Coal 2,005

Terrestrial spheres 61

196 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Beans 49,794

Empty demijohns 4,618

Flour 2,396, 149

Printing machines 410

Printed books 9,869

Yeast powder 107

Samples 2,239

Machinery 64,170

Corn 103,764

Apples 4,317

Marble 439

Potatoes 66,895

Pears 208

Stone tanks 830

Empty sacks 19,671

Common salt 435,505

Seeds 17

Zinc tiles 70,233

Stone jars 140

Fresh grapes 554

Vegetables 742

Total 3,618,211

SECOND CLASS.

DUTY, TWO CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.
Linseed-oil 6,618

Turpentine 4,833

Glassware 222

Castor-oil 19,021

Tar 6,789

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 197

Pounds.

Sugar 228,968

Olive-oil 26,873

Mineral water „ 4,571

Starch 1,077

Sulphuric acid 3,306

Codliver-oil 4,855

Resinous oil 1,061

Steel. 7,938

Almond-oil 4,137

Cotton (raw) 105

Hemp-seed 306

Rosin 514

Codfish 19,002

Brooches 36

Borax 60

Advertising pictures 1,017

Iron nails 80,394

Chromos 24

Beer 427,936

Chalk in powder 23

Sieves 123

Glassware 36,576

Salt beef 33,345

Coffee 22,987

Iron boilers 10,083

Barley 1 , 234

Rattles 3,060

Penholders 24

Cacao 6,308

Black wax .% 21

Bedsteads 5,106

Copper sheet- 3,055

198 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Raw tallow 233

Heavy paper (cartoon) 160

Glue 1 72

Carbonate of soda 60

Dynamite 6,190

Brooms 2,463

Sheets of zinc 81

Inferior fibre 712

Scott's Emulsion 2,611

Glass bottles 16,066

Stone figures 252

Crackers 75,593

Ginger 15,571

Peas 425

Sheets of tin 5,074

Manufactured iron : 68,099

Lasts 860

Axes 16,692

Common soap 235,227

Books in blank 3,365

Ordinary porcelain -ware 171,160

Sealing-wax 162

Linseed 596

Hops 430

Furniture 13

Seed-planters 74,259

Ropes of all kinds 237

Common machetes (brush hooks) 11,542

Maizena 21,277

Mackerel 13,146

Axe-handles 3,755

Grinding-stones 1,292

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 199

Pounds.

Electric machines 1,928

Manila 73

Sewing-machines 1,121

Smoothing-irons 35,065

Shovels 12,730

Kerosene oil 13,740

Plow points 297,130

Copying-presses 318

Paint 514

Hog's meat 18,631

Hats 81,392

Salt fish 1,465

Potash 2,063

Steel pens 149

Lead 207

Mats 10,381

Earthen jugs 357

Scales 55

Oars .... 1,653

Resin 1,272

Epsom salts 775

Envelopes 11,777

Sago 7,269

India-rubber stamps 529

Leather 76

Bacon ... 515

Writing-ink *. -. 1 7,521

Iron tacks 7,369

Iron screws 1,298

Writing utensils 1,382

Wines 619,953

Vinegar 9,434

200 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.
Chemicals for preserving hides 906

Glasses and glassware 23,143

Totai. . . . 2,903,138

THIRD CLASS.

DUTY, FOUR CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Fish-hooks 325

Olives 9,920

Iron rings 15

Alucema 245

Zinc wire 34

Indigo 26

Almonds 435

Copper wire 32

Pails 2,970

Baths 432

Empty trunks 19,807

Varnish 841

Baskets 962

Glass candlesticks 660

Iron locks 411

Confectionery 31,435

Padlocks , 1 ,137

Tin spoons 390

Saddle cloth 211

Copper nails 1,618

Copper candlesticks 53

Capsules for bottles. 29

Mattresses 2,711

Thimbles 331

Pickles 25,969

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 201

Pounds.

Porcelain figures 240

Macaroni 12,254

Iron-ware 39,967

Crystallized fruit 273

Tin plates 5,082

Jams 7,767

Junco 5

Lamps 11,508

Raw wool 154

Files 126

Shuttles 18

Vegetables 1,550

Fine crockery ./^x^- - 275

Butter ^S\. .... 26,553

Lard ^.^. 54, 788

Mustard 1,105

Ammunition 2,789

Levels 106

Nuts 389

Paint 2,103

Wrapping-paper 13,152

Writing-paper 49,588

Cigarette-paper 20,765

Lead 2,768

Spelter 166

Bronze 55

Shovels 18

Pianos 7,844

Perfumes 113

Cheese 10,915

Sauce 1 , 322

Sardines 28,509

202 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Quinine 178

Chalk 34

Utensils for lamps 378

Copper utensils 112

Candles 39,427

Bolts and hinges . . 567

Total 476,356

FOURTH CLASS.

DUTY, EIGHT CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Acids 627

Bitters 1,903

Scented waters 28,167

Alum 146

Anise / 690

Sulphur 908

Crystallized candies 4

Analines 15

Blacking 2,358

Sacking 1,973

Billiards 3,135

Beeswax 2,116

Cloves 265

Carts 108

Cumin-seed 5,720

Pasteboard boxes 2,130

Cinnamon 2,974

Preserved provisions 33,523

Common knives 1,897

Cherry cordial 20

Powdered cubebs 6

Champagne 4,728

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 203

Pounds.

Chocolate 2,434

Glass fruit dishes 30

Mirrors. 9,018

Oil-cloth 1,649

Images and plates .'...*. 5

Blank labels 63

Refined sulphur 268

Matches 37,992

Manufactured rubber 40

Syrups 3,105

Canvas and duck 60,875

Condensed milk 8,343

Canned sausage. 137

Printed music 99

Sweet nitre 10

Paper , 66

Pepper 4,225

Pipes 2,920

Raisins 17,384

Sand-paper 207

Blue-stone 12

Portraits 376

Soda , 1,484

Sulphate of iron 70

Sausages 215

Sulphate of copper 31

Bottle corks 1,029

Wire cloth 120

Corkscrews 7

Rugs 71

Vermouth 14,994

Total. . . 260,692

204 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

FIFTH CLASS.

DUTY, TWELVE CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Accordeons 3,904

Cotton-seed oil 572

Pins and hooks 1,199

Rose-oil 960

Needles 715

Razor-strops 9

Electric pins 3

Calfleather 1,047

Brushes 397

Hemp canvas 288

Cotton thread 415

Dumb-waiters 35

Bed-ticking 5,085

Chinese fireworks 2,299

Cotton ribbons 710

Quilts 5,244

Fishing-nets 100

Glass beads 10

Patent leather 44

Cotton drills 87,929

Mouth harmonicas 1,183

Long cloth 27,670

Elastics 645

Gypsum figures 43

Cotton blankets 3,594

Gelatine 51

Gum arabic 571

Cotton cloth 46,603

Cotton tbrea4 33,194

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 205

Pounds.

Musical instruments 3,707

Surgical instruments 19

Toys 7,766

Perfumed soap 2,107

Bird-cages 169

Liquor-stands 76

White cotton 457,197

Madapolam 45,774

Lamp-wicks 118

Table cloth and napkins 92

Mana 20

Playing-cards 829

Cotton cloth (olan) 10,603

Hooks 233

Perfumery 36,654

Tanned leather 6,352

Cotton umbrellas 7,653

Wall-paper 1,475

Dusters (feather) 10

Cotton satin 3,516

Cotton parasols 959

Siphons 496

Satin 5,686

Towels 5,694

Tea 1,905

Theodolites . 84

Total 823,614

SIXTH CLASS.

DUTY, EIGHTEEN CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.
Glass beads 3,293

Photographic apparatus 168

206 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Buttons 2,124

Bandana 778

Brillantina 1,251

Walking-canes 165

Cotton undershirts 8,617

Penknives 1,267

Linen cloth 677

Cotton material 212

Cotton drawers 472

Glass beads (cuentas de vidrio) 22

Drills 6,217

Dies 11

Cotton socks and stockings 10,214

Spatulas 29

Riding-whips 187

Fireworks 642

Electric bands 2

Syringes 351

Cotton gloves. 1

French prints 1,671

Lotteries 115

Machetes and knives 2,732

Fine glass pearls 45

Razors 1,006

Nutmegs 152

Lamp-shades 240

Overalls 40

Painting brushes 1

Rosaries 122

Sandal cloth 1,937

Scissors 1,093

Forks . . 669

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 207

Pounds.

Tela real 1,037

Wax candles 437

Cotton prints 110,820

Total 158,817

SEVENTH CLASS.

DUTY, TWENTY-FOUR CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Articles of luxury 83

Carbolic acid 267

Adornments and cotton fringes * 99

Whalebones 38

Cotton shirts 12,782

Celluloid collars and cuffs 12

Bishop lawn 8,085

Drill shirts 3,362

Oil-cloth 1,752

India-rubber overshoes 168

Ludies' sewing-cases 7

Leaden crosses 18

Velvet ribbons 168

Plated spoons 4

India-rubber neckties 2

Cotton cords 25

Cotton laces ? 8,963

Essence Coronada 542

Yarn 563

Small combs 1

Meat extracts 125

Woolen blankets 19,521

Velvet bonnets 125

Glazed muslin 11,367

208 THE REPUBLIC. OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Colored threads 170

Cheap jewelry 2,432

Muslin 1,486

Stencil-plates 130

Metal lamps 10

Medicines 37,377

Thread in skeins 439

Punks 1,687

Necessaries 94

Silk umbrellas 941

Combs 2,233

Cotton handkerchiefs 14,626

Velvet 1 3, 886

Artificial flower paper 569

Percale (white muslin) 2,908

Papelillo 108

Ready-made clothing 2,068

Mantel clocks 984

Gentlemen's hats 10,517

Ladies' hats 328

Thermometers 10

Cotton braids 635

Sarsaparilla (bottled) , 189

Total 161,906

EIGHTH CLASS.

DUTY, THIRTY CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Albums 118

Carpets 183

Saffron 8

Braid.., 370

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE. 209

Pounds.

Pearl buttons 416

Woolen sashes 4

Linen shirts 892

Boots and shoes 23,082

Linen cuffs and collars 317

Woolen braids 78

Cotton table-covers 90

Woolen drawers ' 32

Cigarette-cases 40

Woolen laces 20

Patent cigar-lighters 13

Labels for bottles 230

Woolen fringes 17

Woolen caps 41

Carpet-cloth 263

Saddle-cloth 387

Woolen thread 462

Bunting 577

Saddle undercloth 491

Muslin . . . - 2,211

Cotton shawls 10,759

Purses 705

Cotton embroidery 758

Gentlemen's ready-made clothing 3,542

Labels 37

Woolen edgings 704

Fancy cards 218

Total 47,065

14

210 THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

NINTH CLASS.

DUTY, FIFTY CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Alpaca 539

Fans 76

Military trappings 31

Corsets and belts 905

Cashmere 7,781

Casinet 187

Guitar-strings 254

Cartridges and caps 1,335

Halters and bridles 267

Leather straps 430

Woolen shirts 361

Damask 159

Spectacles 153

Sponges 20

Guns 1,715

Flannel 890

Spangles 517

Garters 318

Blue-mass 28

Merino 1,896

Cloth 1,306

Revolvers 1,324

Saddles 963

Suspenders . . . 1 44

Tobacco 465

Clothing for ladies 232

Clothing for boys 52

Scabbards 76

Sheep-skins 282

Total 22,712

IMPORTATIONS OF MERCHANDISE.

211

TENTH CLASS.

DUTY, EIGHTY CENTS PEK POUND.

Pounds.

Woolen comforters 159

Cotton cravats 295

Woolen undershirts 473

Woolen table-cloth 20

Cigarettes 55

Artificial flowers 330

Curtains 75

Riding-gloves 5

Ornaments. . . . 112

Woolen shawls 2,905

Linen handkerchiefs 180

Imitation wool handkerchiefs 19

Silk satin 132

High hats 8

Total 4,768

ELEVENTH CLASS.

DUTY, ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Billiard-balls ; 21

Silk cravats 36

Silk ribbon 450

Silk undershirts 53

Muslin caps 298

Kid gloves , 92

Fine jewelry 59

Lute-strings 278

"Olan" 62

Silk shawls 5,682

Silk handkerchiefs , 348

212

THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.

Pounds.

Silk material 2,024

Panama hats '. 183

Velvet 54

Total 9,640

LIQUORS.

DUTY, SIXTEEN CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Absinthe 2,783

Brandy 52,071

Cordials 182

Rum 1 84

Total 55,220

DUTY, TWENTY-EIGHT CENTS PER POUND.

Pounds.

Alcohol 1,038

Aguardiente 3,815

Anise-seed 8,227

Cognac 1,728

Gin 4,477

Maraschino 47

Whisky 8,381

Total 27,713

INDEX.

Page.

Advice to Strangers 190

Agriculture : 120

Aguardiente 128

Amapala /1&

American Honduras Company 91

American Money 108, 184

Aramecina yjfty.. . 68

Area y^;^. . . 187

Bananas

Banks ;

Boundaries

Buried Treasure f. 33

Cabinet 109

Canal 93

Caratasca Lagoon 93

Caribs 114

Casava Snake 117

Cathedral of Comayagua 167

Cathedral of Tegucigalpa 29

Cattle 137

Census 102

Cerro de Hule 24

Character of Natives 108

Churches 35

Climate 37

Clothing 45

Coal 83

Cocoa-nuts 125

Coffee 127

Comayagua 164

Comayguela 25

Comfortable Living 46

Cotton , . . . 129

(213)

214 INDEX.

Page.

Cucvas 171

Departments 188

Duties, Export 134

Duties, Import 105

Education 109

El Valle de los Angeles 58

Exportation of Cattle 139

Fibre Plants 142

Financial Condition. 104

Forage 140

Foreign Debt 103

Foreigners 103

Forest Wealth 130

Fritzgartuer, Dr. Reinhold 30

Fruits 128

Garrapatas 154

Geographical Position 187

Government Mining Bureau 83

Guasucaran 60

Hides 141

Hogs 141

Honduras Progress 30

Houses in Tegucigalpa 34

Hule 134

Importations 195

Income and Expenditure 104

Income from Revenues and Customs , 105

Interoceanic Railroad 103

Islands 188

Journey from Amapala to Tegucigalpa 11-25

Journey from Tegucigalpa to Puerto Cortez 149-180

La Leona 26

La Venta 21

Lakes 188

Literary and Scientific Organizations 110

Live-stock 136

Logging 133

Mails Ill

Maroma 76

INDEX. 215

Page.

Means of Traveling 188

Merchandise Impo: ted during 1887-83 195

Miambur 172

Mining Camp, In a 71

Mining Industry 53-70

Mining Laws 84

Morazan Park 31

Mosquitia 92

Name 187

Natural Advantages 136

Newspapers 110

Nomenclature, Mosquito 193

October 42

Opals 86

Opoteca 68

Orphans' Home 80

People who should not go to Honduras 80

Pespire 18

Pinole , 50

Pita 142

Population 102

Ports 183

Postal Service Ill

Poultry 142

President Bogran 108

Principal Hotels 1 89

Principal Mining Companies 65-70

Principal Cities and Towns 1^8

Proteccion 1G1

Public Debt 104

Puerto Cortez 181

Religion 102

Rivers, Principal 188

Rubber 134

Sabana Grande 22

Sabana Larga 170

San Juancito 54

San Lorenzo 15

San Pedro Sula .178

216

INDEX.

Page.

Santa Cruz 175

Santa Lucia 59

Seasons 36, 190

Sheep 141

Social Life in Tegucigalpa 32

Society of Antiquities. 110

Stamp-mills .' 84

Steamship lines 189

Stories not to be credited 81

Sugar-cane 128

Tamales 50

Tamara 158

Tegucigalpa 25

Telegraph 104

Temperature 38, 190

Theatre 33

Timber Laws 134

. Topography 187

Tortillas 49

Transportation and Mining Agents 189

Traveling with comfort 153

Uabul 50

Weddings 32

What to eat 47

What to engage in 120

What to wear 46

Woods 131

Yojoa 175

Youre 174

Yuscaran , 62

SIR EDWIX ARNOLD'S GREAT POEM,

-THE-

LIGHT OF ASIA

WITH FULL AND COMPLETE EXPLANATORY NOTES BY

MRS. I. L. HAUSER.
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JOURNAL OF

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