The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-30
Correspondence of THE GLOBE
LETTER FROM ASPINWALL.
The nhabitants-Houses -Language-Squat
ter Sovereignty Religion = Revolutionary
Matters, Etc., Etc.
AsPISwALL, Sent. Is.

y, Editor Rutland Globe AS we approach
the center of the Isthmus, we find but very
few of the aborigines OF the country, they
having disappeared almost entirely, their
places being filled with mixture OF
Spaniards and Indians, Africans and half
breeds. Those of African extraction are
descendants Of the former slaves held here.
and are generally peaceable and industri-
GUS, cultivating little patch of land on
which they raise Indian corn and what rice
may be necessary tor their own use, and
they generally have small herd of cattle.
The spanish descendants are n restless,
wandering, turbulent "set of critters" but
being hardy and athletic, are employed as
laborers on the road. requiring, however,
to be governed with strong hand. have
heretofore spoken somewhat briefly of the
houses of these people, but having had the
privilege of entering one few days ago,
will try and write more full descrip-
ton of them, the reading of which
may give better idea of the way 10 which
these people live. The hut was about
twenty feet square. In each corner was
stick with crotch at the top, across from
these being another stick, and these CON-
prising the frame of the hut. For rafters
large sticks of cane were used, being tied
together on the top, with kind of vine
that grows here in great profusion, and,
nj M fha hntynn, hos Laxy not od m
the frame. The sides of the hut we're
formed from canes closely interviewer to-
gether. the roof being matched With palm
leaves, while the floor was the bare earth.
Overhead was loft which was approached
from below Ivy an upright stick In which
deep notches had been cut. suppose that
could have .'gone up stairs" hut being
| fearful that the descent might be made in
better time than the ascent, the attempt
was not made. The furniture consisted of
q hammock of vegetable fibre, two rude
benches, a couple of kettles, some earth
en- ware. and q couple gourds for water.
There was no stove, but instead. a
small furnace, Zoo called) far diff
ferent from anything in that line
1 that / had ever seen before the door,
which was in one corner, had neither latch,
knob, lock or key. In the rear of the es-
Enlistment was suspended few pieces OF
sun dried beef, and some plantain aud
yams, while fowls, dogs, SWINE, and goats
were frolicking around, appearing to he en-.
tirely unaware of the fact that stranger
was near them.
After leaving was told by over one Of
the more educated class, Of u superstition
that these natives have in regard TO theil
hanmocks, II being that they never offer il
to a stranger of the male sex as a resting
place, the reason given being that it IL
| where their women spend most of the
time, and outside of their own family ne
man is allowed to lounge or sleep in i
unless he Is very well known. If they
would carry such ideas into effect on al
occasions, think that it would have {
tendency TO raise the morals of the people
which, according TO my idea, are at fear
fully low ebb, for as have heard it ex
pressed before the flowers as general
thing have no fragrance, the birds M
music and the women no virtue.
In this part Of the Isthmus the Spanish
language IL universally spoken, not thu
flowing and melodiousi Castillan that W,
haye all read so much of, but one that il
sadly corrupted by provincalisms, 80 mucl
so that, probably, n native of Spain woult
find as much difference In the language a
spoken by these people, and the genuin,
Spanish as the educated and courteou
Frenchman finds In Ia belle France and tina
spoken by the half breeds of Canada.
;Squatier sovereignty as prscliced by tn
people In these districts will rival that o
Kansas in the early days of its organization
as a territory. According to the law o
the country each citizen Ia entitled I,
"claim, hold and occupy" oil that lot
y piece or parcel of land that can be seel
from given point thereon of any unoccu
| pied government land. They are not con
tent with that, but also seize, hold and oc
cupy the lands belonging to the railroad il
many instances, but as the land is mostl.
! covered with dense forest, 1t is no
worth much, yet the Spaniards and hal
breeds frequently clear trails Of land OF
which they raise small quantity OF sugar
etc.; but as the country affords good op
portunities for grazing purposes, the bust
ness of cattle raising 10 carried on to con
siderable extent, and large numbers o
cattle can be seen at all times grazing b,