St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-10-04
In the Forests Of Honduras.


A correspondent writing from Hon
duras, saws: [ would like to write YOU a
few lines about this beautiful and inter-
esting country. We have here settle
ment of Americans, one hundred miles
from Belize, in the middle of forest,
as it is called here. 1t would brighten
Eimid people to see the situation of our
home. 1t is right in the wild woods.
The brush is like solid wall all around
us, except place large enough for a
ward and garden. The frame and roof
of our house were made by the natives,
the sides being closed in with long
leaves forty or fifty feet in length and
tied with vines. There is not nail in
the whole house, and the ground serves
for floor. Some of the settlers here
plant orchards and send the fruit to
New Orleans. Sugar cane is the crop
at our settlement. 1t has to be planted
only once in several years, and what
little cultivation is necessary is done
with the hoe, it being impossible to
plough the land, as the stumps are too
numerous. The forests are beautiful,
and the mahogany tree is SO common
that we use its wood for our cooking
stove.
The hottest part of the year is about
the end of MAY, which is the close of the
dry season, but the heat even then is
less than with you in summer, for the
sea breeze never fails us. The wet sea-
son begins the first of July, and lasts
until Christmas, and the Wether then ia
.Dleasant-lixe our bright fall days. 1t
'rains only at night, the sun shining holly
all day But you never saw anything
10 equal the mud.
The CARDS, or natives, are very black,
but it is considered a great insult to call
them negroes. They are clearly and
honest. They live on fish, cassada and
green fruit Cassada is a kind of bread
which the natives make of root, baking
it on stones. 1t is very cheap, and we
have learned to like it. Plantains,
which are coarse variety of bananas,
ARE great help to the housekeeper, as
they can be cooked in many different
ways.
One of our men shot a large jaguar,
or tiger, which came into our field after
the oxen, and as we were told it was
good to eat we tried it, finding its meat
white and as tender as that of a chicken.
The natives cure meat by cutting it
from the bone and hanging it in the sun
to dry. One drawback to this beautiful
country is the innumerable crowd of in
sects-ants, mosquitoes, gnats, and bugs
of all sorts. There are, however, no
house flies. November is the orange
season, and we have good many fine
oranges, but we have to buy them at the
coast, where they grow better than in
land. But our lemon trees are loaded
and breaking down with ripe fruit, and
it is impossible for US to consume them
ALL Lemon custards and pie are a
luxury we can indulge in without ex-
pense. We treat ourselves to pots of
coacoanut candy, too. The young peo-
pie in this settlement have a fashion of
getting up dancing frolics, which are
like our surprise parties at home, only
they cook up baskets of provisions,
as we do for picnies, and carry them
with them. Sometimes the frolic lasts
until after daylight. We have some
splendid game in these woods, among
which is the gibnut, a beautiful little
animal, which, when cooked, tastes very
much like nice fat little pig.
In September we planted second
crop Of vegetables, including corn, but
ter beans, field peas, okra, cashaws, and
cucumbers. June and November are
the planting seasons. The fruits here
are, | think, as a general thing, I'M
wholesome, as we cannot indiscrimi-
nately eat them. Every stick, fruit, leaf
or vegetable that you touch in this
country leaves an indelible stain, so that
our men and boys have given up white
shirts except on Sunday. Malaria feyers
are prevalent all the time. 1t is fine
country for poor people to exc out a
living, but Americans cannot stand the
climate.-N. Y Sun.