adventures and letters-第31章

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up　our　idea　of　riding　here　direct　because　they　assured　us　we　could　get　a　steam　launch　from　Amapala　to　Corinto　so　we　rode　three　days　to　San　Lorenzo　on　the　Pacific　side　and　took　an　open　boat　from　there　to　Amapala。　　It　was　rowed　by　four　men　who　walked　up　a　notched　log　and　then　fell　back　dragging　the　sweeps　back；　with　the　weight　of　their　bodies。

It　was　a　moonlight　night　and　they　looked　very　picturesque　rising　and　sinking　back　and　outlined　against　the　sky。　　They　were　naked　to　the　waist　and　rowed　all　night　and　I　had　a　good　chance　to　see　them　as　I　had　to　lie　on　the　bottom　of　the　boat　on　three　mahogany　logs。　　By　ten　the　next　day　we　were　too　cramped　to　stand　it；　so　we　put　ashore　on　a　deserted　island　and　played　Robinson　Crusoe。　　We　had　two　biscuits　and　a　box　of　sardines　among　five　of　us　but　we　found　oysters　on　the　rocks　and　knocked　a　lot　off　with　clubs　and　stones　and　the　butts　of　our　guns。　　They　were　very　good。　　We　also　had　a　bath　until　a　fish　ran　into　me　about　three　feet　long　and　cut　two　gashes　in　my　leg。　　We　reached　Amapala　about　four　in　the　afternoon。　　It　was　an　awful　place；　dirt　and　filth　and　no　room　to　move　about；　so　we　chartered　an　open　boat　to　sail　or　row　to　Corinto　sixty　miles　distant。　　You　see；　we　could　not　go　back　to　Tegucigalpa　until　the　steamer　arrived　which　is　to　take　us　South　of　Panama　and　we　could　not　go　to　Manaqua　either　and　for　the　same　reason　that　we　had　sent　back　our　mule　train　and　we　would　not　wait　in　Amapala　partly　because　of　fever　which　had　been　there　and　partly　because　we　wanted　to　get　to　Corinto　where　they　have　ice　and　to　see　Manaqua。　　The　boat　was　about　as　long　as　the　Vagabond　and　twice　as　deep　and　a　foot　or　two　more　across　her　beam。　　There　were　four　of　us；　five　of　the　crew　and　two　natives　who　wanted　to　make　the　trip　and　who　we　took　with　us。　　It　was　pretty　awful。　　The　old　tub　rocked　like　a　milk　shake　and　I　was　never　so　ill　in　my　life；　we　all　lay　packed　together　on　the　ribs　of　the　boat　and　could　not　move　and　the　waves　splashed　over　us　but　we　were　too　ill　to　care。　　The　next　day　the　sun　beat　in　on　us　and　roasted　us　like　an　open　furnace。　　The　boat　was　a　pit　of　heat　and　outside　the　swell　of　the　Pacific　rose　and　fell　and　reflected　the　sun　like　copper。　　We　reached　Corinto　in　about　twenty　four　hours　and　I　was　never　so　glad　to　get　any　place　before。　　The　town　turned　out　to　greet　us　and　some　Englishmen　ran　to　ask　from　what　boat　we　had　been　ship　wrecked。　　They　would　not　believe　we　had　taken　the　trip　for　any　other　reason。　　They　helped　us　very　kindly　and　would　not　let　us　drink　all　the　iced　water　we　wanted　and　sent　us　in　to　bathe　in　a　place　surrounded　by　piles　to　keep　out　the　sharks　and　by　a　roof　to　shelter　one　from　the　sun。　　Corinto　proved　to　be　all　that　Amapala　was　not；　clean；　cool　with　very　excellent　food　and　broad　beds　of　matting。　　I　liked　it　better　than　any　place　at　which　we　have　been；　we　came　on　here　the　next　day　to　see　the　President　and　found　the　city　hot；　dusty　and　of　no　interest。　　There　is　an　excellent　hotel　however　and　we　had　a　talk　with　the　President　who　was　a　much　better　chap　than　Bonilla　being　older　and　more　civilized。　　Of　course　there　is　absolutely　no　reason　or　excuse　for　us　if　we　do　not　get　control　of　this　canal。　　If　only　that　it　would　allow　our　ships　of　war　to　pass　from　Ocean　to　Ocean　instead　of　going　around　the　horn。　　The　women　are　really　beautiful　but　that　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　canal。　　Tomorrow　morning　we　return　to　Corinto　as　Somers　and　I　like　it　best。　　Griscom　would　like　to　go　on　across　by　the　route　of　the　canal　which　would　be　a　good　thing　were　we　certain　of　meeting　a　steamer　at　Simon　or　Greytown；　but　the　Minister　who　went　last　month　that　way　had　to　wait　there　sixteen　days。　　So；　we　will　probably　leave　Corinto　on　the　17th　or　20th；　there　are　two　steamers；　one　that　stops　at　ports　and　one　that　does　not。　　They　both　arrive　together。　　I　do　not　know　which　we　will　take　butthis　letter　will　go　with　me。　Up　to　date　I　think　the　trip　will　make　a　good　story　but　it　will　have　to　be　a　personal　one　about　the　three　of　us　for　the　country　as　it　stands　is　uninteresting　to　the　general　reader　for　the　reason　that　it　DUPLICATES　itself　in　everything。　　But　with　our　photographs　and　a　humorous　story；　it　ought　to　be　worth　reading　and　I　have　picked　enough　curious　things　to　make　it　of　some　value。

February　15；Corinto。

We　are　back　here　now　and　rid　of　that　dusty；　dirty　city。　　You　would　be　amused　if　you　saw　this　place　and　tried　to　understand　why　we　prefer　it　to　any　place　we　have　seen。　　There　is　surf　bathing　at　a　half　mile　distant　and　a　good　hotel　with　a　great　bar　where　a　Frenchman　gives　us　ice　and　the　sea　captains　and　agents　for　mines　and　plantations　in　the　interior　gather　to　play　billiards。　　Outside　there　are　rows　of　handsome　women　with　decollete　gowns　and　shining　black　hair　and　colored　silk　scarfs　selling　fruit　and　down　the　one　street　which　faces　the　bay　are　a　double　row　of　palms　and　the　store　where　two　American　boys　have　a　phonograph。　　They　are　the　only　Americans　I　have　met　who　have　or　are　taking　a　dollar　out　of　this　country。　　They　play　the　guitar　and　banjo　very　well。　　One　of　them　was　on　the　Princeton　glee　club　and　their　stories　of　how　they　have　toured　Central　America　are　very　amusing。　　Lots　of　Love。

DICK。


S。　S。　BarracoutaOff　San　Juan

February　21；　1895。　DEAR　MOTHER：

Today　I　believe　is　the　21st。　　We　are　out　two　days　from　Corinto　off　San　Juan　on　the　boundary　of　Costa　Rica　and　lie　here　some　hours。　　Then　we　go　on　without　stopping　to　Panama　arriving　there　about　the　25th。　　On　the　28th　we　take　the　steamer　to　Caracas。　　We　will　be　at　Caracas　a　week　and　then　go　straight　home。　　But　in　the　meanwhile　we　will　have　got　one　mail　at　Colon　when　we　go　there　to　take　the　boat　for　Caracas　and　glad　I　will　be　to　get　it。　　We　have　had　a　summary　of　the　news　in　the　Panama　Star　and　a　bundle　of　Worlds　telling　all　about　the　trolley　strike　and　that　is　all　except　Dad's　cable　at　Tegucigalpa　that　we　have　heard　in　nearly　two　months。　I　am　very　sorry　that　the　distances　have　turned　out　so　much　longer　than　we　expected　and　that　we　had　that　unfortunate　ten　days　wait　for　the　steamer。　　I　know　you　want　me　home　and　I　would　like　to　be　there　but　I　do　not　think　I　ought　to　go　without　seeing　Caracas。　　It　helps　the　book　so　much　too　if　one　runs　it　into　South　America　for　no　one　in　the　States　thinks　much　of　Central　and　does　not　want　to　read　about　it。　　At　least　I　know　I　never　did。　　We　have　had　a　most　amusing　time　with　the　two　phonograph　chaps。　　One　of　them　has　been　an　advertising　agent　and　a　deputy　sheriff　and　chased　stage　coach　robbers　and　kept　a　hard…ware　store　and　is　only　twenty…five　and　the　other　has　not　had　quite　as　much　experience　but　has　been　to　Princeton；　he　is　23。　　The　mixture　of　narratives　which　change　from　tricks　of　the　hard…ware　trade　to　dances　at　Buckingham　Palace　and　anecdotes　of　Cliff　House　supper　parties　at　San　Francisco　are　very　interesting。　　I　am　going　to　write　a　book　for　them　and　call　it　〃Through　Central　America　with　a　Phonograph〃　or　〃Who　We　Did；　and　How　We　Done　Them。〃　　We　sing　the　most　beautiful　medleys　and　contribute　to　the　phonograph。　　I　had　to　protest　against　them　announcing　〃Her　Golden　Hair　was　Hanging　Down　her　Back〃　by　Richard　Harding　Davis　and　Somerset　kicked　at　their　introducing　〃God　Save　the　Queen〃　as　sung　by　〃His　Grace　the　Duke　of　Bedford〃　which　they　insist　in　thinking　his　real　title　and　his　name；　if　he　would　only　confess　the　truth。　　You　cannot　have　any　idea　of　how　glad　I　am　that　I　took　this　trip；　just　this　particular　trip；　not　for　any　interest　it　will　be　to　the　gentle　reader　but　for　the　benefit　it　has　been　to　me。　　All　the　things　I　was　nervous　about　have　been　done　and　should　I　get　nerves　again　as　I　suppose　I　always　will　in　one　form　or　another　I　can　get　rid　of　them　by　remembering　how　I　got　rid　of　them　before　during　this　most　peculiar　excursion。　　For　though　I　and　we　all　told　the　truth　about　being　well；　we　were　in　a　most　trying　place　at　times　and　the　ride　we　took　and　the　sail　to　get　away　from　possible　fever　was　very　much　of　a　strain。　　I　do　not　see　how　Griscom　kept　up　as　he　did　for　he　was　an　invalid　and　very　nervous　when　he　started。　　But　he　showed　great　sporting　blood。　　It　was　much　better　having　three　than　two　and　he　furnished　us　with　much　amusement　at　which　he　never　complains。　　His　artlessness　and　his　bad　breaks　which　keep　us　filled　with　terror　make　the