The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-22
Mosquitoes Of tho Yuma River-The
People, the Scenery and the
Resources of the Land.
PROJECTS OF THE CoLoN1sTs.
What Is Required to Raise tho Dominisans to
the Level Of Republican Citizens.
SANTIAGO DE LOS cABAIIERos.

yet It has taken the extraordinary time OF eight
days 20 accomplish the journey. True It might
have been done in nve days or less II the traveller
could only succeed In securing such fast horses as
most of the well-to-do natives keep; bat that Is
seldom his luck, and IN nine instances out OF ten
he Is compelled to put up with ana pay extrava-
gantly for very sorry horsenesA. Ono leading
feature Of the delay In my case was the painfully
slow ascent Of the Yuma River to the head of nsvi-
cation. Starting from Santa Barbara ON Sunday
morning, the $50 Of February, 1t was Wednesday
the 18th, before my canoe touched Almasin, on the
Yuma, distance Of only nifty miles. All day long
Of Sunday the canoe, rowed by four dusky Domini-
cans, sailed over the waters of Samans Bay, rhe
sun blazing in the zenith and the further shore ap
pearing through Q warm, shmmering, purple
haze. There were ten passengers, mostly Domini-
cans, on board, the leading man among them being
Mr.. Gregorio Rivas, great exporter OF tobacco,
who has just completed Q solid warehouse for his
business at Santa Barbara, and whose property il
scattered in various directions through the
country.
A MODEL QUARTHRNAsrEK
There was also an elderly character, named
Stubbe native Of Germany, who spoke English
and took very kindly to my box Of provisions. In
tact, he took that bex under his especial guardian
Ship warning me OF the rapactous instincts OF tho
ether passengers, and moro particularly OF the
crew. Impressed by the interest he exhibited in
my behalf made him quartermaster Of stores, but
he succeeded completely in defeating the evil
designs Of outsiders on the property under his
charge, he managed by the end OF the journey to
relieve me of all concern about the box by leav-
ing nothing in it but the straw. We passed
night on the shores OF the magnificent bay, at q
place called Bebedero, where we slung our ham
mOcks and slept till hour or so before sunrise.
Starting again for the mouth OF the yuma, we
passed close to the shore OF the peninsula Of Ss-
mana which is here, and, in fact, to the mouth Of
the bay, bold range OF hills, sloping at an easy
angle to the water. Approaching Santa Capuza
we heard sounds of music and firing of guns, and
closer observation revealed the ceIebra alton Of a
MARRIAGE PEAsT.
Our presence was welcome at the bohio or house
where the festivities were going on. Everybody
looked happy except the bride, and the poor thing
was the very picture of mute dependency; but
this appearance she must have assumed ito con-
iorm fancy to the conventional customs OF the
country. The music and the singing were as odd
: banjo and Something like tongs. and an old not
and several calabash shells scraped with bones
the whole making kind Of melody ut
After we had been treated to tiny cups
Of conee, the best-looking man Of our party was
the rest were in turn provided with partners. The
one that fell to my share had wonderfully liquid
se -
few OF them had faces to arress the eye Of an artist
They were all clad n white except the bride, who
was over, most ofus who were armed with revol
vers retired to palm grove, near the house, and
ioicing household Immensely. 1t was midday
81 the yuma, the river on which the SANTANA Bay
Company expect to put steamer one of these
There is bar at this mouth and bar At the other.
, short distance OF the Boca Grande or large
mouth, and the depth Of water over each is about
covered with vegetation, are exceedingly low not
more than few inches above the water, disappear
alligator may be found and the mud he loves, for
his pallet is spread over endless acres few hum
Is three feet which Is retained throughout ali the
t0rtueus windings Of this stream to the village Of
Almasin, thirtythree miles sailing distance, or
seventeen as the bird dies.
POLLING HARD AGAINST THE STREAM
The boatnen dropped their oars when we en-
tered the Yuma and commenced polling against
the stream, for no other reason that could per-
ceive except downright laztness The current was
about two miles , an noSr as e. tne width Of 1ae
oars would have necesstated little extra exer.
ton, for the oars are clumsy, being merely square
for rowlocks they employ ropes The polling was
An easy, lazy way Of propulsion. Our speed was
went on through the net hours Of the day till the
brain grew feverish watching the sAai-ike pace Of
the Graft creeping In the glare Of the sunlight owe.
lofty walls Of vegetation that seemed to have no
end. An night long the cuerro, Or crow Of these
ATTITUDES, made Mdeous music In the woods, and
hundred i'' other strange birds to whom
70 be stranger At every turn we ssp ducks that
might have been killed with revolver, SO tame
d ey %as m 10
along the banks, and q species Of backbrd new
over our heads every few minutes.
TWO OR THREE MOSQUITOES ENCOUNTERED
had heard there were two or three mosquitoes
10 be met with on this river, and think met
party, who saw me tie morning quit the canoe
forever. thought | had an Intensified at
tack Of smallpox Up Yielding out On, o. pure
canoe for the night as he was afraid 60 land, the
Aolsted an umbrella to keep Oh the dews, and fell
s T.. In ns meant 81 he n'S
umbrella muit have been supported, y
such mosquitoesl Your New YORK tribe >jkre
ravensus energy Of their brethren ' on the yuma.
These allow no obstacle to stand between them
and supper of. Of 6losd; Their tdoits are the nose
where they can secure foethold on the human
form divine They neglect the soles OF the feet If
the leather OF the boots Is an inch thick. They
look upon it as a waste Of muscular force TO
seek any sustenance in that direction, but all
rest Of the person they utterly despise; yet It Is
still mystery to me how they contrfved to reach
through the palm mating and two folds OF blan-
ket under which slept. not to speak OF the clothes
i wore. They did 1t, and all the wealth OF the
SANTANA Bay Company would be an insufficient In
ducement for me to make q trip OF the Yuma again
up stream In o native canoe
THE PILGRIMS sTESTA.
At Amasin found the "American0s," as the ma
tives delight in calling our countrymen, spread
around on such soft delights as saddles, biscuit
boxes, coffee cans, plates and frying pans. They
were taking siesta more after the fashion oil the
emigrants at Castle Garden than OF the vouptuous
Spaniard who introduced the custom into these
West India ISLANDS. Here was Halsey in one corner
OF the very open house where found the party
woolng slumber. with his head resting upon Mex
lean saddle and his feet lost among sausage and
sardine boxes There was Oleg the prophet OF
gold, the fu-hearted Californian, buried among
folded hammocks, with his heels calmly rest
ing on the edge OF the san-coche pot
and as for Plummer, the white-headed boy of West
Point, his booted extremties terminated comfort