New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-10
A BACK.Mnon INTERMEzzO.


hut, the shelter of the surveyor Don Miguel who had
contracted with the Sarapqui company for the con-
struction Of certain portion OF the road, and was now
living in this lone cottage with eight or ten aborers,
for the purpose Of accomplishing this engagement At
the time Of our visit, May 1883, there was only
third Of the road completed the greater part of il con-
ssting still in small pathway through primitive for
ests and rich tropical vegetation, which growth be-
low more than bindered the animal to proceed
whilst the horseman was continually in danger of en-
8pgng himself in the sharing plants above The inhab-
itaDts of Costa Rca, however who have little knOw
edge Of the condition OF roads in civilized cOun
tries OF the firm conviction, that there cannot ex
Et, even in the Elysean fields more even path than
the Sarapiqu road will present when once Finished
whilst K reality The journey through these wild grounds
will always belong TO those which traveller in
general likes more to have behind rather than be-
tore him. Don Manuel the most amiable landlord
we had yet met with in Costa Rica Not that he had
more to offer or better things than any other proprie
tor of hacienda, but the little be possessed he gave
with cordiality and fraDkness which reminded Us
most sgreeably Of home hospitality.
1t was not more .hsn O'Clock when arrived at San
Luis and yet bound to spend the night with Don
Manuel and to depend the favor OF landlord for
the continuation Of journey. Don Manuel had no
mule at hand, but he possessed several pasture
pOrtrcIo few miles distant, and it depended entirely
On him to facilitate our proceeding. have already
mentioned how difficult it is to bring the natives 10
any decision and what objection they feel TO undertake
sDy thing in the middle Of the day Even with the best
instructed among them it the greatest pleasure
to hesitate and to delay in short to do nothing pune.
tually and at once. Seeing my great embarrassment
my landlord proposed finally, that at the next morn
ing there should be mule at our disposition with which
might for the price of one pound sterling continue
journey to San Jose | expected it therefore
promptly the next morning, and employed the whole
afternoon with the attempt to dry on an open fire.
place in the smoky kitchen clothes which had got
thoroughly wet during our f0renoon's ride AS it
Got urlav tba i.ho lnu vary aartv md
seated themselves round the HEARTH admiriDg and
touching with great curiosity the different little
things which | held after the other close to
the fire. in order 10 get them quicker dry. For
traveller who likes to study the customs and habits
of people it is by no means without interest to
spend and then day exclusively among the
l8boIiDg classes and to chat with them on different
subjects. ] sometimes extended this intercourse
far as TO induce gay party to sing some ma
tona songs to dance in their national manner.
This mode of proceeding will sometimes enable the
ctymologist as well the ethnographer to acquire
most valuable information, and facilitate his researches
and Investigations. But it always pre.supposes on
tey savage condition of the natives, when the inter
course is carried on by an interpreter or certain
state of civilization and education which will make the
exchange more easy agreeable and instructive. An
intermediate state, in which the natives with whom
the traveller happens to neither savage
educated leads generally to no result at all, and
makes the intercourse the least pleasant and the least
instructive Such unluchily the condition Of the
lsborers with whom WIS sitting together round the
fire place in the forest hut of San Luis They had lost
all the romantic charm Of primitive state, and still
had not yet acquired those qualities which enable
one TO lead TO rational and instructive
satOn Feeling the difficulty of getting information of
them coDtented myself at length with talking to them
the average number OF Hat maize cakes which labor
er consu mes in the of day. This time their
swer highly satisfactory that is to say it proved
in the most convincing manner, that the immense
quantity of tOrtas which is swallowed down daily by
the natives, has the most important influence on their
physical their intellectual and their moral condition.
We should perhaps consider il necessary to treat this
matter more in particular had not already some years
ago so celebrated sayant Liebg, demonstrated in
one Of his famous letters chemistry the capital In
fuence which diet exercises on the physical and
mental faculties of man had he not proved with his
convincing eloquence to the utmost how the propen
stiles and the endeavOrs of abOrer whose food is ex
clusiyely vegetable one, are totally different from
those of man, whose n0urshment consists in ex
clusiyely animal substances
To foreigner it is very striking to hear great
number of persons called by the Of Jesus but he
soon becomes aware that this is here very popular
christian Also the different st. Mary's days OF
the Roman Church serve to increase the number oil
names in the Catholic calender and there are good
many persops no bear the name Of Maria, and in
sequence are called Annuncati0n Conception AS
SUMPTION and so pm. Among the aborers on the road
of Carl Blanc0 there were two Jesus Maria, ana IL
sounded strange to real christian mind to hear these
ugly dirty Wild ragged tenants OF the forest called
by name of such ideal subhnity.
During the whole afterIoon and in the evening
dirty woman in rather snowy dress was exclusively
occupied with the preparation OF the national dsn OF
tortias and the inmates assured repeatedly that
the daily consumption OF about one quarter OF hun
dred of these cakes would not surpass the usual e1er
tiops of al individual To u.s. however, the tortillas
becawe more and more tortHrd The most valuable
time of the female sex of Central America spent IN
the tiresome preparation of this national DISH and one
could almost trace the life Of each of the Central
American women with these few words, she nursed'
made toItias and died"