Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-17
OUR SERIAL LETTER
Something About Honduras, It's People
and Products.
.ontrIbuted 10 Lho puhlIo Ledrer.l

W.
Contributed to the Public Ledger.l
As soon as we entered the noun
tains the temperature radically
changed. With this we were willing
to submit to many of the disadvan-
tages ofa rocky and rough road. With
this change of temperature there
seemed an almost entire change of
vegetation. The tall palm, which had
reached an altitude Of one hundred
and fifty feet, was now degraded to a
stunted bush or entirely discarded in
a new family of trees. The huge cac-
tus which lined our road through the
plain, was now cut down to a mere
shrub, or disowned amid a stranger
vegetation. Such, in fact, was the
universal change, and many of the
plants were familiar to us as the ma
tives Of a cold climate, and it seemed
as though the products of the Tenn
perate zone had been transported here
into the very heart of the Tropics.
During our next day We traversed
the entire Dept. Albuquerque and
crossed the San Salvador line at San
Antonio del Norte. We stopped dur
ing the afternoon at Saco, a city near
Fonseca Bay, on the Pacific coast.
Here, as contemplated, we made a stop
of three days, to give our jadod mules
a rest. 1t was well that we had made
our calculations to this end, or else
our three days s%ojourn would have
been compulsory, owing to its being
the time ofthe Catholic Fiesta. Dur
ing these three days they, every year,
close all avenues of business and labor
and allow no traffic or travel under a
heavy penalty.
So, if our journey ahead had been
very urgent il would have been all the
same, as this course is sanctioned by
law. The union of Church and State
precludes religious liberation, and
consequently a conformity to their re-
ligious as we'll as civil laws is neces-
sary.
San Salvador is essentially an agri-
cultural State, owing to its remarkable
fertility, being watered by large rivers
in every part. The principal products
are indigo aud sugar, though all the
grains and sarsaparilla, gum arabic,
cochineal and numerous gum trees
grow easily and luxuriantly tobacco
is also raised on an extensive scale.
The seasons here are fully defined.
The wet season commencing in May
and ending in October. During the
balance Of the year the sky remains
perfectly serene.
To while away our resting spell at
Saco, we took frequent jaunts into the
woods and down the GOascoran river,
which ran by the city. Beyond the
limits of the town, like almost every
one, is an unbroken forest, accessible
only by a few old beaten cattle paths.
Enormous trees tower aloft, with
trunks of every variety and form.
Around these huge, snake-like vines
send up their l~ong-reaching arms, fas-
tening together in one network the
entire forest. Nor is this wild luxu-
rance unenlivened or unseen. Every
variety Of birds are warbling theil
peculiar notes. Monkeys are chasing
each other amid the branches and per
forming all their characteristic mimici
in the freedom of their native home
squirrels of peculiar species are leap
ing from bough to bough, and a lay
sloath, sometimes awakened by the
general carnival around him, lends hi
presence to the scene.
At one time we got a glimpse of q
jaguar, as he hastily bounded into the
u%nderbrush, while the sharp crack Of
our rifles quiekened his pace. Thi:
was a sight | long wished for-to view
that dreadful tiger bounding in his
native element; more formidable, how
ever, in ancient story than in modern
reality. We were told that they are
rarely ever e in day time, but We
had frequently heard him bowling al
night, as he started forth in search Of
his prey, which was not unfrequently
a good sized hog or even a young calf
We vainly tried to get sight Of a
tapir, or dauto, as he is called BY the
natives, which abound in large nun
bers here, but we were never success
full. Although the largest q~uadruped
indigenous to Central America. the
tapir is very little known to natural
lists. He is a very shy animal and his
haunts are generally beyond the reach
of the hunter. 1t is very solitary and
its active life is altogether nocturnal
We frequently saw their tracks anC
places of feeding, but they kept out Of
our reach.
One of the interesting incidents Of
these excursions was an ant battle
1t took place between a variety of RED
ant and black ant. We arrived upor
the battlefield after the contest haC
begun. 1t seemed that the two varie.
ties had arranged their armies in tru,
military style, and as the battle wageC
fresh recruits were constantly comins
in. They marched forward and grap
pied each other, falling down, rollinl
over, singing and biting until each
exhausted, fell over dead. Theil
places were instantly supplied by re.
serves, who marched forward to GER
tain death with all the heroism mag
Unable. Thus the conflict continued
until a bank of the dead of these val
liant little insects was created of ne
small Dimensions. We witnessed thil
battle for nearly an hour, until there
seemed no prospect ~ofvictory for eth.
er side, when we left them to theil
carnage. A, j. MILLER.
A. au.hssso.. ru