National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-08-25
LIFE IN GUATEMALA.
A STRANGELY JUMBLED POPULATION
AND HOW 1T EARNS A LIVING.
Tho Vicious Caribs of the seashorc
Twenty Volcanoes within $50 Miles
b Incidence and Undcveioped Re-
sources.

sources.
QUEzALTESANGo, Aug. 10.-EDIToR Ma
TioEAL REPUBLICAN, The latest census OF
BGuios's time computes the entire popua-
ton Of HIS country at u little less than
100000. OF this number only about
1900 are whites and large percentage of
these were not born in Guatemala. The
native Indians, who number moro than
100000. are by nature kind, pcaccable, aud
hospitablc. 1t is only on the Atlantic
coast, where they have amalgamated with
negroes from the West Indies, that the tray
eler ia liable to find trouble. The Caribs-
as the mixed negro and Indian race Is
called-are nearly as pronounced "bru-
nettes" as pure-blooded Africans, and arc
more vicious, lazy, and prone to thievery,
appearing to have inherited all the vices
and none of the virtues of their combined
ancestry. But they are truly blessed, accord
ing to the Mormon standard, each man being
allowed to possess three wives, who support
him in all the luxury the sea affords. When
one OF these "better halves n--or, more
properly speaking better thirds--desires the
slightest service from her lord and master
she is
COMPELLED TO PAY HIM ron 1T,
at the highest market price, in the coin OF
the country--i. c., iish. The,Carihs do moth
ing but fish, battle, and eat, all Of which,
however, may be classed as one and the
same occupation, since they fish only for
food, and their primitive method of obtain
ing this marine staff of life renders them
almost amphibious.
The various races of Guatemala-Span-
iards, Indians, negroes, Chribs, and Mes
tiros (tbe latter Of mixed Spanish and Indian
blood) live, generally speaking, as entirely
to themselves as IL each race occupied n
separate continent Yet, despite tho great
diversity of caste, there is little variety in
costume. The proud and wealthy Span
iards adopt European fashions, and are as
well dressed as any people In the world,
their garments being mostly imported from
Paris, London, or Madrid. The garb of the
male Mestiros consists OF short wooden or
kid jacket of native manufacture; loose,
wide brooches of white cotton, betucked
and bcruflled white shirt, worn with "hapsn
outside; big palm-leaf hat covered with oil
cloth, and gorgeous, many-hucd zarape
(blanRet) to be thrown over the shoulders
in lieu of coat when the air is chilly. The
women Of this class wear clothes as nearly
initiating those of their social supcriors as
female pride and ingenuity can devise from
cheaper fabrics.
The Caribs, male and female, dispense
with all superfuities Of the toilet, and come
as near to "beauty unadorned" as the
weather will permit The Indian men dress
much like the Mestiros-except less Of shirt
and more of blanket, and with bare or san
daled feet instead Of leather shoes. Their
women wear nothing but strip of blue
cloth reaching widthwise from waist to
ankles, drawn tightly across the back, and
laid In few folds at the front TO allow for
the motion of the knees In walking. On
fete days or other rare occasions an Indian
woman will sometimes "sling stylen to the
extent Of donning loose chemlse; but com
monty she depends only upon bit of ragged
blanket to partially screen her figure from
shoulders to waist. Her tangled black hair
always thickly populatcd) is interbraided
with red strings and wound around her
temples; huge pair of brass or silver hoops
bedecks her ears, and greasy string with
cross, charm, or amulet attached-for they
are all intensely Roman Catholic--is hung
around her neck. The Inevitable mahogany
hued baby is forever dangling at her back,
with its patient face upturned to the sun
and head Hopping like that of Jumping
jack as the mother trots along, while as
many more OF the same species us she has
numbered years beyond the age Of IL follow
at her heels.
The Indians are-comparativel industri-
Gus, but the mechanical arts are not much
practiced in Guatemala, even among their
betters, and all the tools ard implements
are of the most primitive character. There
is little raised In the country except cochi-
neal, coffee, and tobacco.
THE CULTIVATION OF COFFEE
has been more extensive since 1872 in
which year distemper became prevalent
among the cochineal insects, and this berry
largely took its place. 1t is significant
fact that while coffee planted in Guatemala
is the identical berry cultivated in Michoa-
can Ia near by Mexican state), the product
of the two localities is entirely different,
owing to influences of soil and climate
While results In Michoacan have been
highly satisfactory, and have given rise to
hopes that in the near future Its beautiful
semi-tropic valleys will contribute largely
to the coffee markets of the world, II has
been demonstrated that the area is exceed
ingly limited in which the berry can be
grown in Guatemala, and that most OF 1t
will be inferior in quality. Especially in
the Uruapam district of Michoacan, where
experiments have been conducted during
the past five years, the product has been Of
such unrivaled quality as to give impetus to
fresh enterprises; In TuXpan de Michoa-
can such excellent coffee has been produced
that news comes from that PARKWAY valley
Of which the world knows nothing that its
acreage of coffee culture will largely in
crease during the coming year, and that
Java may look to her laurels, for formida-
bic rival is coming TO the fore. In Guate-
mala, however, the same berry can scarcely
lie called paying product, since It costs on
Gp average Of 6 cents pound to
raise it, and 1t sells for only z
or s cents. There being but two
short railroad lines in Guatemala, both in
the vicinity. of the capital, the difficulty of
transportation is u serious drawback. There
leing no way for the haciendadoes to get
their produce to market except by mule
back, sometimes the difficult mountain trails
ore impossible for months together during
the annual season OF rains, not infrequently
the crops are kept on hand from year to
year.
In the farfamed valley of Ceban, which
contains the ruins of one of the most an
oient cities OF Maya origin, much
TOBACCO
has been raised, of quality unsurpassed
by that grown In any other part of the
world. But for the last five years the whole
tobacco product Of Cehan has been monop-
olized by an old woman, whose entire stock
amounts to about a thousand pounds per
annum, and who rGtails villainous cigars Of
her own manufacture at three "blts" (37l
cents) per hundred.
In these fertile valleys almost anything
might be grown were It not for the consti-
tutional incidence of the people, A few
wealthy planters who have recently intro
duccd plows, in place of forked sticks, raise
wheat, corn, and other cereals. The vine
and olive thrive here to perfection; also
cotton, sugar cane, rice, and vanilla. Most
Of the fruits Of the temperate zone do well
with proper care, and nowhere else can be
found such luscious mangocs, guavas,
aQuacates, chirimayas, pomegranites, and
ALLIGATOR pears, Indigo, cocoa, and pine
apples abound, also such aromatic and
medicinal plants as dragons blood mastlc,
ialap, palma-chnsti, ipecac, sassafras, aud