New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-27
BEAUTIFUL COZUMEL.


tba omen air is delight. But we wanted house
all the same. and were not by any means charmeu
vben informed that it would be very difficult 10
And n loJeipg The centre OF the village OF st'
kiguel is an immense grassgrown square, oounueu
on the west by the sea, on the east by thatcheu
church. and on the north and south by thatched
dwellings The rest of the village Is scattered a'on'
the beach and little way back of the square, out
not far for there are only five hundred inhabitants
Having no tent to pitch in the great square we
in sisted upon house, and were at last allowed W
take possession Of o one-room residence az tho
southeast corner of the square. Ii was gloomy
damp dirty the floor thickly strewn Win dry
cocoanuts and there were two doors but no window
In one corner there apple of cocoanuts to when
we immediately began adding the Others. We were
throwing one after another fast as possible when
The old priest of the village introduced himself ana
said he was glad TO find out what the noise was. as
he had feared it might be earthquake coming on (;
thong Oh they had never had one in CozumeL Father
Rejon was In shirt sleeves. and said he could not
afford to a coat every day. but he invited us 10
20 and play cards with him in the evening. tie also
gave us tie welcome intelligence that our house
was haunted. We were still throwing nuts when
an Indian girl came running across the square 10
invite us to dine wit her mistress 50 we locked our
doors and went to the house of Dona Concha. In
her sittingroO we found Captain Low. In whose
schoonsr we had arrived and several unfortunate
hens tied in pairs by the feet struggling on the
floor The poultry of Cozumel is of superior size
and qaality, and when taken to Key West always
fetehes a good price, Captain Low wanted five
dozen that had to be collected from all over the
VILLAGE, He paid SO cents for each, though for the
came birds the villagers only charged each other 20
cents The captain also wanted load of fruit. but
that he could not have. bona COucha said it was
impossible because only week or two before a
tornado had swept over the island uprooting every
fruit tree.
These periodical tornadoes are the only drawback
70 life IN Cozumel. Perhaps that is one OF the
reasons why it is almost uninhabited Nevertheless
when the Spanish Conquerors arrived there. more
than $50 years ago. the population Numbered
100 OOO besides so 900 pilgrims who yearly visited
the shrines. The island was then called Cozmil,
which means in MAY a language " the place of swal-
lows The soil is strewn with vestiges of ancient
dwellings that are concealed beneath forests rich
with valuable timber. Among the trees are the
ebony, Brady wood, cedar, sapote. ramon. rose
wood and the Sae-hana (house of white water
under whose roots there is ALWAYS spring Of pure.
clear water Tho thickets alive with pheasants,
ouails pigeons and other game, and with q little
care every kind of tropical fruit. of very hne
quality, grows abundantly; vanilla grows Wild and
plenty of oopal can be gathered from the trees. as
we'll as honey and wax. the product OF harmless
wild bees Only labor is needed to turn all this to
wealth the natives have quite as much work as
they care to do being oontehted to live from hand
to mouth. We found few Americans from New
Orleans and Key West living there. and they said
that they could make plenty of money if they had
good laborers. Tobacco grown in Coznmel is quite
equal to the weed produced in Cuba and many cigars
sold as Havanas" are from Cozumel, whence they
are sent boxed ready for the market The principal
planter there took us through his plantation. and
gave us a little useful information. When the plant
is two feet hign. the top is broken OFT to prevent
further growth. 50 that the whole strength and
virtue may be taken up by the leaves already
formed. only few plants being left to run ~ seed.
The same soil does not serve for tobacco more than
ohe year, but during that time three crops can be
raised: Such leaves as turn yellow before tue weed
is ready to pluck must be cut oil, aud are used IN
second-rate Cigars and the ground must be kept
perfectly free of all other weeds. When ripe the
plant is hung for eight ten days, within doors.
to dry thoroughly. Zach leaf then separately
nloistened in detection OF TOBACCO and strung ON
q hue vie. The wires stretched III lines, one
above another, i'll building Kept for the purpose.
The operation of drying and moistenng IS repeated
four or vc times alter which the leaves tied up
in Oundl S, put IN hogsheads, and covered over 70
-sweat.' Ii is upon tnis sweating" operation
thai the Uavor and Odor of the cigar depend.
Near the plantation there were some curious little
buildings that had once served as temples 10 worry
diminuGivo of people whose existence ID
proved by whole cities OF similarly small houses on
the east coast of Yucatan. We examined tie small
houses bur the owner of the plantation said that
there much more interesting at a place
called Bnena VISTA We decided to 20, though tue
Ind Sale led die Naa IA
We started with hun aud his four small hunting
dogs aud soou ackuowl led ed that the road iuIghG
be better. lie fact is there was no road, nOthlng
but "A footpath through the dense forest and 30
obliterated IN places, owing to the tornado. that
even our guide paused from t,me time TO consider
whether keeping III the track. We were
walking GU coral rocks over winch a perfect
network o. small roots, just like ropes, spreading IN
every direction, the Interstices being OF most
convenient size to catch neel or toe. From time 10
time the dogs made of iii quest of fanced prey aud
losing tier way, set uD dismal hOwnng for thclr
master to gui4e them back with volco. These
dogs, thoLgn small teariessiy chase the boar and
hOid IL ti the hunter cOinoS " xii IL, winch 10
generally done WIN woO.eu spear. W hen
bad walked aD0dG ave inIIeS, aud were 40 tired as
IL We had been trampns Tor twehty-Iour nodrs Oh
O good road, We asked our guide, VINO mad not once
opened Ills lips, except 10 whlstie to ms dOsS. If
We were near buena Vista. Not haI way was
the crushing reply. We dared not rest Tor more
than a low miuute5 Tor tue forest was Cool aud
damp, ANA We were pr0lusely peispiIng from
tlnaal efforts 10 Keep from stumbling Another
mno Tho rocky hllls getIlng sieepe. aud sleeper.
Then bseive that our boots gong 10
pieces. The Indian seemed to cnuckle lnwardly at
our misery when uiOruied taaL there Was uO
place " rest AT Duend ista mIcn less any cODDcr
10 mend our boots. 1t was eyiuent that We shOulL
reacn that place baroIOOted, that IN any case
ours would De u bO0tless Journey before got
back, and our ieet were already Dllstered. We
turned hoUeward, and swUro That the neat
alIu Iua na.I XS Inn tent
TO taAe has word Tor il. When Reached the Dail-
tatiVn we hnDed Us though nad OH nine
days tramp. and before were under cover d
shower OF lam droncned us 10 tue SKIN. he
consequence burning fever all nignt, our
torture belIg Increased by hundreds OF tiny wood
ticks that had worked tue.r way under our skIii o
cOMplele our chs. Nm We wore a,suIel LlY W nn