The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-04-14

utterably bad that it becomes quite as
much as any one can do to carry him.
self, SO that the luggage must necessa.
rily be left to the tender mercies Of
these sharks, who frequently detain il
week on the road. Tabor and Per-
kins, Hurtado y Hermanos, Augustin
Perez, Henrique and Woolsey, and Jose
Secundo, are the most notorious, but
which to select among those for faith.
tulness and honesty would surpass the
keenest penetration. The road, Sc
called, from Cruces to what is termed
the halfway house, a distance of ff
teen miles, is perhaps the the most exc
cradle in the world. Sometimes double
distilled sloughs of despond, composed
of black mud five feet deep J. at others,
great stones, eight inches apart, sharp.
ened and stuck upon end, all over the
road then long rows of wooden Sleep
ers, placed in every conceivable posi-
tion, except the right one; now the
road would wind up steep acclivities
then follow the bed of mountain tor
rent, about two feet broad, with the
rocks rising perpendicularly on either
side; and the whole passing through a
matted and impenetrable tropical for
est.
After numberless disasters and diff
cultieshad been surmounted. cur party
at length arrived at the sign of The
Elephant long hut situated on the
edge of a mass of black mud five feet
and a half deep, still retaining the
name of road, and surrounded by
thickly tangled forest. From hence,
having been charged two dollars for a
cup of tea, we again proceeded through
the same unmitigated swamps, until
in about two hours, we were overtaken
by one of the heavy tropical showers
of rain, steady, incessant, and perpen-
dicular. We worked slowly and dis
piritedly on. The path had, by this
time, been converted into a foaming,
roaring torrent; frequently, where the
rocks were steep, ascending into the
dignity of a waterfall and against
this the stubborn mules had to force
their way. At length, when the night
had become thoroughly dark, we passed
down rocky pathway, and reached
the welcome halfway house. Like the
other houses of entertainment for man
and beast, this was a long hut divided
into three parts,-the bar, the eating
room, and the sleeping room, unceiled
of course, and the roof inhabited by
spiders with massive cobwebs, scorpi-
ons, centipedes, and lizards.
In this delectable abode, situated in
the midst of a dismal forest, rising from
a reeklng morass, about forty drenched
mortals congregated. After a scanty
but very expensive supper, and after
my hiring blanket and towel as tenn
Porary evening costume, we assembled
in the long sleeping room. This was
indeed curiosity Three tiers of
hunks, as in a steam packet, lined the
walls, while the body of the room was
filled up with row of hammocks; and
in this closely crowded lodging mot
ley crew Of colonels and Californians,
loafers and lumberers, swindlers and
sailors, merchants and m1Sderers, with
other travellers of all ages and sexes,
were to be accommodated. The sing
ing Of mosquitoes, lizards, and bull
frogs, kept up far too lively concert
to allow of sleep to any of US. One
gentleman diverted himself by playing
at blind hookeyn with the landlord,
and lost five hundred dollars; others
roared sentimental songs and The like
most murderously.
It was the peculiar characteristic of
some of these gentry, that, without
having cent ia their pockets, they
were enabled to hire mules, eat suppers,
and drink liquor with the best. One
Individual informed us that in the
neigh5orhood of the city of Persepolis
State Of Iowa-he realized eight hum
dred and fifty-seven dollars by exhibit
ing the great Iroquois Hopuponphe-
materium !" at two dimes admit;ance.
This wonderful animal he described as
being formed by procuring dray horse,
cutting off his ears close, shaving his
forehead and hind quarters, and curl-
ing up the rest of his hair backwards.
On another occasion he got his passage
cheap by agreeing to allow the captain
TO sell him for term of five years, on
arrival at San Francisco; the transac.
ZION was accordingly completed, and
the captain made handsome reaIi-
zatiou.n When, however, the worthy
was delivered over to his new master,
he said, Nov, ,sir | guess you'll find
me the hardest piece of mortality yon
ever set your eyes on" and sufnmarily
released himself from bondage by shoot
ing his master through the bead. Sueh'
as these, many of whom
shared our bedchamber. were easy to
recognise long tangled hair, beard and
moustache; sunken haggard cheeks
blear eyes, and hatcllet faces: red
shirts, broad brimmed hat, revolver in
the breast, long bowie knife in the belt,
grey trousers, and high boots.
In suchscompany our second night on
EheIsthmus passed away slowly enough.
was unable to sleep, because on one
side of my hammock were a noisy
Kentuckian and talkative sea-captain.
and on the other a gentleman from
New York; who every five minutes in
formed the public generally iii loud
twanging voice, that q his revolver was