Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-05
BURLINGTON VT. FRIDAY MORNING.

miles, from the coast you will see the city OF
Bolivar / went to that city, was there three
days, then came back down the river ninety
miles almost one-third of the distance, then
landed on the south side of the river, then
changed cars" shipped on n very small
mule and Sunday, November 4th, struck ont
| for the Callao gold mine, one hundred and
| ffty-four miles back from the river. / rode
tweniy-eieht miles that day and thinking l
had broken the Sabbath about enough, stop
ped for the night. Monday, by using my
spurs with untiripg diligence, l rode forty
eight miles. I was in company with five
strangers. We also had e guide. Tuesday
| we rode forty-two miles. | will here state
that our valuable guide was always about
half mile in the rear and never came up
unless he was hungry, as we had to feed him
| We forded number of streams, for there are
| no bridges in this country. had the small
| est animal and always got the worst of it in
| going through the rivers. One stream was
so deep that all could see of him was the
points of his ears going through the water
ahead of me. One OF the men had an old
gray horse that was so weak on the third
morning that as he was mounting he fell
down. The man did not know what to do,
as We had thirty-six miles more to go. | had
learned lin Sunday school or somewhere else)
that a horse could think of only one thing at
q time, so said that If We could by gentle
means, get the beast to think of something
else, he would of course not think of his
weakness and would get up. Well, the six of
us got around him and kicked him about
half an hour and sure enough it put other
thoughts in his brain and he got up and we
got the man mounted. One of us rode by
his side and when his (the horse mean)
thoughts would wander back to himself and
h.4t t.,p
give him a few dozen whacks that would give
him lew ideas and he would go on. What
would this world be without science?"
rode into Callao Wednesday afternoon
The rest went to another mine, about four
miles farther. There are not more than one
thousand people in this place. There are
about twelve white men, the rest negroes, In
dians and yellow Spaniards. but most OF them
negroes. l sleep in mud hut that has eight
small apartments l have one of them. The
rest are full and | am the only white person
in the building. l live on the ground, sleep
in hammock and the roof leaks so that
when it rains it keeps me busy looking for
the dry spots. take my meals with o man
from Brooklyn, N. Y. like him very much,
but he intends to go home very soon.
don't know what 1 will do then. as he is the
only white man can get meals of in this
place. We have two meals day, cup of
coffee in the morning at six. breakfast at ten
and dinner at four in the afternoon. We al
ways have soup at every meal.
The morality of this country is in need of
reform. (Can you send the "Dimacrathc
partly" down here to do the work y Child |
rem OF both sexes play around the streets |
Naked but if their parents are worth some |
thing they have pair of shoes on their feet |
and string of beads around their necks |
The older ones are not much better off. The |
black women go through the streets with |
bare feet always smoking cigar and swear !
ing as though they were somebody.
Don't wish could be in Burlington
Christmas. though 1t makes me homesick
to think of it. In your last letter you asked |
me what church and Sunday ay-school attend
ed. haven't seen anything like a church |
since left New York. If go l will have to |
build 1t myself II needs about ten mission
aries to one person to make an impression,
Though l don't think that number would be
enough. l would bet on the heathens every
time.
The mine is six hundred feet deep and as
soon as can get my drilling machines in Or
der my work will be at the bottom of it.
And will be the only white man working in
the miserable hole.
Flour is seventy dollars per barrel here
and everything else is Just as costly Heavy
freight comes here from the Orinoco in carts
drawn by oxen and in the rainy season they
are five months sometimes on the road |
have been here iorty-one days and my trunk
is not here yet. 1t is the dry season now
and l expect it every day. Light freight
comes on the backs of jackasses and they
come in about two weeks The mail leaves
and arrives here once n month
Send mo piece of ice so can get a cool
drink. You know am almost on the equa-
.or.
''Yours in despair