The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-10


Our voy age to this place was notvery long only
occupying an hour or two, when we let 60 our an
chor opposite the house Of st. Antonio half breed,
whose frank and open m amer assures us Of hearty
welcome. Our friends house is rude frame struc-
ture, built about six feet from the ground without
closed sides, and matched over with large palm
leaves; and although the equator runs directly
through the spa,e wherein swings our spacious
hammock" yet one never suffers as muoA here from
The heat as you most likely will, during the month
Of July in your close city Of New York.
This ia accounted for by the fact thai the air here
is 20 pure and ratified by the ever delightful sea
hseezes, that 1t never tires depresses the lungs,
but enters and passes through them freely and with
IN exceedingly exhiliratng and healthful action.
You may Judge from the fact Of the chest expanding
three inches In little more than six months in this
region whether it De healthy here or not. THIS Cir
eumstance actually occurred to one OF our party
suffering from dlsease of the chest which, am
happy TO state, is DOW almost entirely cured, aud
nay be attrbn ed chiefly TO inhalation of pure mii
e0tt. sea air.
The household Of our host may be considered "not
large but lively" We find character every where,
and also on the equator. First, then, Aotonias
wife, with tongue like circular saw, whizzing
through everything within earshot eternaly "a 10
man TO whom the mlsused Mrs. Caudle was only q
P0CAet eoit0n. lax, thiK, talk-to ner HUSBAND,
her sOIs, TO bed Ito me, the boiling pot crooked
stick, an humbled face cur, ave. even to sober white
puss, who'only purrs content-to ANYTHING, every
thing deaf dumb, or blind, day IN and day ont,
nom light Of dawn till set Of sum- and as much longer
g exhausted nature would sllow-talk she would.
What appeared most funny to me was that nobody
appeared to notice her-not even the tabhy--and
she did not seem TO expect they would.
hunter ard three Indians, who are koo IN as /" le.
Iergamen" (India rubber cOllectors), aud your own
correspondent, complete the establishment. Stay
let me not forget 70 mention straight, beautiful
Benhora tells me she brought into the world IN ais
very spot, sixteen summers ago-here. upon the
squator, born and bred. There, Indeed, Is quick
blood that courses through our hsroias's
about an Indian beauty, nor am 1 going
70 try to humbug you into the idea that
she vas . goddess, Venus, or even o perfect
mortal, but shsn contne myself to soma Of her nu
quietly naughty, that We all took quite RESPECTFUL
interest In her every movement We also maintained
our proper distance, more especially Ned, Who hints
that she significantly patted the handle of her koife
q him not long since, for some tring attempt q;
Abelty.
Those who have beard the story, that once upon
IN occasion when there was needed maid to repre-
ssnt tho Virgin Mary In some religious procession
n Para and that after searching tbs Whole province
girl Of only nine years WAS found eligible for tue
representation, win scarcely credit me wnen l say
that most likely had they paid visit here on the
equator, they would have had q substitute of six
1pon your belief in either Of the above assertions.
One day we overheard Angela say that she was
going to get some ossaie, from which ia mauufa,
tuIed . delicious drink much przsd by all Bra.
zilians. Having curi0sity to learn how q gil
was to obtain fruit at the top of limbless tree
eighty TO ono hundred feet from tho grouud.
and no larfeY IN diameter than the spout lead
ing water from the roof Of your Office, de-
tnv mad fn ofu Wv nl1n
her at short distance, saw her stop at the foot
Of one of these trees, and, first assuring herself
by "iook aiott, that the fruit was ripe, she very
quietly and innocently without imagining that
hkreticl eyes were upon her) commenced =, dis
robe. Laying aside all her garmeats, except one
thin calico skirt she gathered the bottom OF this
in ffont, end then, by dexterous movam snt (du.
rms which shut my eyesl she had transformed
the exception that she wore no tights. She nov
makes Q rope OF grass, and, tying it into ring
large enough to admit her feet, allowing the bolioW
q each to rect against the two opposite aides Of
the tree, with her faithful trassrdo or hunting
knife between her teeth, she prepares to mount
Grasping the ale nder tree in her hands abe raises
herself up TO an erect position, then draws her fess
up . BALI yard, where they are retained by the
ring, which binds them to the tree, until sne again
assumes an upright position, and in this way she
reaches the top in less time than it takes 70
DEF cribe it, cutting eff her bunch Of berries
and, With them In one hand. che slides swift
arc cspAbse OF bending very mucn, they
are seldom known to break. Angela has
asceDded and des ended soma Eve or ak trees, has
put her berries into basket of narrow long lie sves
(Which We saw her mat uacture With great skill
and ingenuity and Ia shout starting for nome whea
abe spies another tempting luscious bunch whicn
hangs some eighty feet over snd above broad rum
ming stream. In three minutes she has her hand
upon the mutt, the tree bending within twenty feet
OF the merry creek beneath. Getting extremely
nervous ct her seeming perllous situston, iuvo-
luntArily cry out "Qwide!" which brings down upon
my upturDed face sAch m affrghted and ast0nished
NY cue. The next moment she has let 60 the tree,
drops lightly into the water and comes up some
sCen.y yMds below; laying on Der side, sae grace.
her long hair floating behind into the bushes on
NE other shore, and Ia of through the wood like
startled avn. However, we know how she got
The other day, Ned shoulders his rife and starts
on in guest Of game. About fifteen minutes
after, Angela, care!essly, with . single dor.
follows In his track. Presently We hear tie
lying Of h0sSSS ss,. and IT,. then the quick crack
paok have chased wounded buck into the water
Follow HIM "cries Angelo excitedy Who Of conrs.
u theSe). "Ceut swim" says Ned, with glancs Of
contempt, and An imp stient gesture for weak hu.
nanity In general. And the "poor stranger" in
particular she has bounded into the stream full ten
Seos pulls msdly for her game, pushes the dog aside
and plunges her long knife into ~ pretty = throat
- evcH you nav; hoSdS hef dying vlctlm en- shore,
end By The time We reach the spot is making prepa.
roons to skin him, modestly wipes her knife on his
M6e ard noseesAly retires-- abdicates In favor OF
Ne Indian who finishes what not one OF them could
haye commenced or gone through with better.
We have been fishing With toe same queer cres.
ture. who, sitting in the canoe beside us, would
qliExically jerk up the fat shining perch and rock
6sh, while we scarcely got nibble.
Another day we are informed that torturupa
On turtle hunt n about TO come off, add our com sny
= politely desired 70 be present. Bows, Ike unto
those used by tho North American Indians, with a
bamboo ARROW OF some five feet in length, the IN,
d which ID iron, and mships itself from the shaft
when driven into any solid body; wound closely
around the arrow Ia . cord Of about the size of 4
trout line, With one end fAss TO the iron hssd tbs
Other fast TO the shaft 20 that when tue iron enters
TIE she'll Of the turtle II detacbes itself nom the
while the turtle sinking with the ircn (Which is OF
shout three inches IN jerEh) in him, unwipds the