adventures and letters-第29章

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y　exists　here。　　About　ten　years　ago　　disappeared；　having　as　I　thought　drunk　himself　to　death。　　He　came　up　to　me　here　on　my　arrival　with　a　lot　of　waybills　in　his　hand　and　I　learned　that　he　had　been　employed　in　this　hole　in　the　ground　by　a　railroad　for　two　years。　　I　remembered　meeting　him　at　Newport　when　I　was　still　at　Lehigh；　and　last　night　he　asked　me　to　dinner　and　told　me　what　he　had　been　doing　which　included　everything　from　acting　in　South　America　to　blacking　boots　in　Australia。　　His　boss　was　a　Pittsburgh　engineer　who　is　apparently　licking　him　into　shape　and　who　told　me　to　tell　his　father　that　he　had　stopped　drinking　absolutely。　　His　colored　〃missus〃　sat　with　us　at　the　table　and　played　with　a　beetle　during　the　three　hours　I　stayed　there　during　which　time　he　asked　me　about　　who　he　said　had　ruined　him。　　He　told　me　of　how　　had　done　and　said　this；　and　the　contrast　to　the　thatched　roof　and　the　mud　floor　and　the　Scotch　American　engineer　and　the　mulatto　girl　was　rather　striking。　　I　never　had　more　luck　in　any　trip　than　I　have　had　on　this　one　and　the　luck　of　R。　H。　D。　of　which　I　was　fond　of　boasting　seems　to　hold　good。　　That　man　of　war；　for　instance；　was　the　only　American　one　that　had　touched　at　Puerto　Cortez　in　TEN　years　and　it　came　the　day　we　did　and　left　the　day　we　did。　　We　saw　a　big　lithograph　of　Eddie　Sothern　in　a　palm　hut　here　so　we　went　before　a　notary　and　swore　to　it　and　had　three　seals　put　on　the　paper　and　sent　it　him　as　a　joke。　　We　start　tomorrow　the　22nd　so　you　see　we　are　behind　our　schedule　and　I　suppose　you　people　are　all　worried　to　death　about　us。　　We　will　be　much　longer　than　six　days　on　our　way　to　Tegucigalpa　as　we　are　going　shooting　and　also　to　pay　our　respects　to　Bogran　the　ex…president　and　the　man　who　is　getting　up　the　next　revolution。　　But　we　take　care　to　tell　everyone　we　are　travelling　for　pleasure　and　are　great　admirers　of　Bonilla　the　present　president。　　Somers　and　I　are　getting　on　famously。　　He　is　a　very　fine　boy　with　a　great　sense　of　humor　and　apparently　very　fond　of　me。　We　had　five　men　counting　Jeffs　who　we　call　our　military　attache　and　Charwood　and　four　drivers　and　eleven　mules　so　it　is　quite　an　outfit。　　In　Ecuador　with　one　more　man　it　would　constitute　a　revolution。

DICK。

DEAR　FAM：　　　　　　　　　　　　SANTA　BARBARAJanuary　25；　1895。

We　are　not　at　Tegucigalpa　as　you　observe　but　travelling　in　this　country。　　〃As　you　see　it　on　Broadway　〃　and　as　you　see　it　here　are　two　different　things。　　We　have　had　five　days　of　it　so　far　and　rested　here　today　in　order　to　pay　our　respects　to　General　Bogran　the　ex…president　of　the　Republic。　　It　is　still　six　days　to　Tegucigalpa。　　The　trip　across　Central　America　will　certainly　be　one　of　the　most　interesting　experiences　of　my　life。　　It　is　the　most　beautiful　country　I　have　seen　and　the　most　barbarous。　　It　is　also　the　hottest　and　the　most　insect…ious　and　the　dirtiest。　　This　latter　seems　a　little　view　to　take　of　it　but　it　means　a　great　deal　as　the　insects　prevent　your　doing　anything　in　a　natural　way；　as　for　instance　sitting　on　the　grass　or　sleeping　on　the　ground　or　hunting　through　the　bushes。　　It　is　pretty　much　as　you　imagine　it　is　from　what　you　have　read；　that　covers　it；　and　I　have　discovered　nothing　new　by　coming　to　see　it。　　I　only　verify　what　others　have　seen。　　The　people　are　most　uninteresting　chiefly　because　they　are　surly　to　Americans　and　do　not　make　you　feel　welcome。　　I　do　not　mean　that　I　did　not　do　well　to　come　for　I　am　more　glad　that　I　did　than　I　can　say　only　I　have　not；　as　I　have　been　able　to　do　before；　found　something　that　others　have　not　seen。　　I　never　expect　to　see　such　a　country　again　unless　in　Africa。　　If　you　leave　the　path　for　ten　yards　you　would　never　get　back　to　it　except　by　accident　and　you　could　not　get　that　far　away　unless　you　cut　yourself　a　trail。　　In　some　places　the　mail　route　which　we　follow　and　over　which　the　mail　is　carried　on　the　backs　of　runners　is　cut　in　the　rock　and　we　go　down　steps　as　even　as　those　of　the　City　Hall　and　for　hours　we　travel　over　rough　rocks　and　stones　and　a　path　so　narrow　that　your　knees　catch　in　the　vines　at　the　side。　　The　mules　are　wonderfully　sure　footed　and　never　slip　although　they　are　very　little；　and　I　am　pretty　heavy。　　The　heat　is　something　awful。　　It　bakes　you　and　will　dry　your　pith　helmet　in　ten　minutes　after　you　have　soaked　it　in　water。　　But　the　scenery　is　magnificent；　sometimes　we　ride　above　the　clouds　and　look　down　into　valleys　stretching　fifty　miles　away　and　see　the　buzzards　half　a　mile　below　us。　　Then　we　go　through　forests　of　manaca　palms　that　spread　out　on　a　single　stem　sideways　and　form　arches　over　our　heads　with　the　leaves　hanging　in　front　of　us　like　portiers　or　we　cross　great　plains　of　grass　and　cactus　and　rock。　　The　best　fun　is　the　baths　we　take　in　the　mountain　streams。　　They　are　almost　as　cool　as　one　could　wish　and　we　shoot　the　rapids　and　lie　under　the　waterfalls　and　come　out　with　all　the　soreness　rubbed　out　of　us　as　though　we　had　been　massaged。　　We　went　shooting　for　two　days　but　as　they　had　no　dogs　we　did　not　do　much。　　I　got　the　best　shot　of　the　trip　and　missed　it。　It　was　a　large　wild　cat　and　he　turned　his　side　full　on　but　I　fired　over　him。　　Somers　and　I　spent　most　of　the　time　firing　chance　shots　at　alligators；　but　they　never　gave　us　a　good　chance　as　the　birds　warn　them　when　they　are　in　danger。　　One　old　fellow　fifteen　feet　long　beat　us　for　some　time　and　then　Somers　and　I　started　across　the　river　to　catch　him　asleep。　　It　was　like　the　taking　of　Lungtepen。　　We　had　our　money　belts　around　our　necks　and　our　shoes　in　one　hand　and　rifles　in　the　other。　　The　rapids　ran　very　fast　and　the　last　I　saw　of　Somerset　he　was　sitting　on　the　bank　he　had　started　from　counting　out　wet　bank　notes　and　blowing　the　water　out　of　his　gun　barrel。　　I　got　across　all　right　by　sticking　my　feet　between　rocks　and　put　on　my　shoes　and　crawled　up　on　the　old　Johnnie。　　He　smelt　of　musk　so　strong　that　you　could　have　found　him　in　the　dark。　　I　had；　a　beautiful　shot　at　him　at　fifty　yards　but　I　was　too　greedy　and　ran　around　some　rocks　to　get　nearer　and　he　heard　me　and　dived。　　I　shot　a　macaw；　one　of　those　overgrown　parrots　with　tail　feathers　three　feet　from　tip　to　tip。　　I　got　him　with　a　rifle　and　as　Griscom　had　got　his　with　a　shotgun　I　came　out　all　right　as　a　marksman　although　I　was　very　sore　at　missing　the　wild　cat。　　We　sleep　in　hats　and　we　sleep　precious　little　for　the　dogs　and　pigs　and　insects　all　help　to　keep　us　awake　and　I　cannot　get　used　to　a　hammock。　　The　native　beds　are　made　of　matting　such　as　they　put　over　tea　chests；　or　bull's　hide　stretched。　　Last　night　I　slept　in　a　hut　with　a　woman　and　her　three　daughters　all　over　fifteen　and　they　sat　up　and　watched　me　prepare　for　bed　with　great　interest。　　I　would　not　have　missed　this　trip　for　any　other　I　know。　　I　wanted　to　rough　it　and　we've　roughed　it　and　we　will　have　another　week　of　it　too。　　We　have　some　remarkable　photographs　and　the　article　ought　to　be　most　interesting。　　Bogran　proved　to　be　a　very　handsome　and　remarkable　man　and　we　had　a　very　interesting　talk　with　him。　　From　Tegucigalpa　we　will　probably　go　directly　to　Venezuela　across　the　Isthmus　of　Panama　and　not　visit　another　Republic。　　We　have　all　travelled　too　much　to　care　to　duplicate；　and　that　is　what　we　would　be　doing　by　remaining　longer　in　Central　America。　　A　month　of　it　will　be　enough　of　it　and　we　will　not　get　away　from　Amapala　before　the　first　of　February。　　We　are　all　well　and　happy　and　dirty　and　sing　and　laugh　and　tell　stories　and　listen　to　Griscom's　anecdotes　of　the　aristocracy　as　we　pick　our　way　along。　　So　goodbye　and　God　bless　you　all。

DICK。


TEGUCIGALPA；　　CENTRAL　　AMERICA。　February　lst；　1895。

4th；　1895。　DEAR　FAMILY

Here　we　are　at　last；　the　trip　from　Santa　Barbara　where　I　　last　wrote　you　was　made　in　six　days。　　It　was　not　so　　interesting　as　the　first　part　because　it　was　very　high　up　and　the　tropical　scenery　gave　way　to　immensely　tall　pines　and　other　trees　that　might　have　been　in　California；　or　the　Rockies。　　The　Corderillas　which　is　the　name　of　the　mountains　we　crossed　are　a　continuation；　by　the　way；　of　the　Rockies；　and　the　Andes　but　are　not　more　than　4；000　feet　high。　　We　had　two　very　hot　days　of　it　in　the　plains　of　Comgaqua　where　there　was　once　a　city　of　60；000　founded　by　Cortez　but　where　there　are　not　now　more　than　6；000。　　The　heat　was　awful。　　We　peel