Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-01-17
LIFE IN HONDURAS.
Strange Customs That Prevail In tho vi
lagos of the Carlbs.

Strange Customs That Prevail In tho VII
lagos of the Caribs.
The approaches from the interior OF
Honduras 10 Truxillo are mere trails
through the mountains. Tho only |
means of transportation is by pack
mules. Most Of tho houses in Truxillo
are long. low-roofed, ono-story dwell
ings, built of stone and mortar, cool
and we'll adapted to the climate. Very
substantial. am told they are; indeed.
some of thom have boon standing
hundreds of years. They are any thing
but picturesque looking, being totally
unornamonted on tho outside. 1t
seems TO mo that all the houses look
alike; In fact, an air Of samencss per-
vades the place.
The surrounding scenery, on tho
other hand. compensates for the dull
ness and makes beautiful frame for a
plain picture.
Behind the town Is high range OF
mountains thickly wooded, with little
streamlcts trickling down to the sea.
In the valleys on either sido are Carib
villages-ono, the village on the Rio
Crystallis, the other on tho Rio Negro.
We visited the Carib town on the Rio
Crystallis and found it n much larger
settlement than 1t appeared to be.
These so-called Caribs are, properly
speaking. not Caribs, but are the de-
scendants OF an African tribe. Yet
they most decidedly object TO being
classed as negroes, and boast that they
have never bocn slaves. They are
quite like the ordinary negro, with
this exception. that they are scru-
pulously clean about their persons.
As is common among most peoples
of rude civilization, the women are
the drudges. They are the hewers of
wood and the drawers OF water, and
1t is not uncommon to see mother
padding q dory load of bananas, with
her infant squatting In the bottom o.
the boat.
When man among the Carib'
wishes to take unto himself wife ht
hews himself out q dory, and, with thu
!. assistance of his friends and jug O.
rn, gathers together the wherewitha
a anu 10 nn fRt which consists of few
10 his house. aud some few the tiool
n cohune palm to thatch the roof Wa
n He then clears OF a patch of groun
i and plants few ears of corn and son,
!, yams and cassava root This he eaIl
Q his plantatiop.,-Ha-is- ~ ".
: an crIgipiU swain, and is In positio
. to choose partner from among tn
dusky maidens.
This plantation Is entirely locke,
after by the woman. She gathers tn
| corn TO make tortillas, aud digs th
cassava root TO make her bread.
, visited Carib house and watche,
the operation Of cassava bread
making They first wash tn,
root. then grato it on a boarC
! studded with small. sharp particles
Of flint 10 form rough surface; ther
strain Il in order TO extract the surplu.
Juice. which is considered poisonous
Their mode of straining Is cxtremel '
primitive. Tho article used as
strainer is long snake-like arrange.
mont, made from species of palmetto
grass plated together, and looks ex-
actly like hugo serpent 1t is about
eight feet long and about three inch es
in diameter and open at ono end.
The strainer is suspended on hook
from the rafters. tho grated cassaya Is
poured in. then a heavy weight is at
tached to the lower end. which causes
the straincr to contract, and SO ex-
presses the juice. Aftor it has been
thoroughly strained It is baked into
large. fiat cakes, which form the daily
bread Of tho Carib
These appliances for packing the cas-
sava broad --togornor with a couple
oi stools. a table, and the veritable
hammock. comprise the furnishings Of
the house.
While walking through the town we
happened in on the school There
were about fifty Carib boys, all order
ly and clean-looking, taught by a
young Spaniard. The text books are
all Spanish. the history and geogra-
| ply OF Honduras being the principal
studies. We had delightful ride on
horseba elk along the beach and up TO
the Rio Crystallis. where we surprised
number Of Carib women who were
washing clothes in the stream There
they stood. knee deep in the water,
rinsing the clothes and putting them
TO dry on the stones While riding up
hill and fording tho river we gave tho
horses me reins aud allowed them to
choose their own path, and to the ut
ter constornation of the G arb washer
women, the horses walked right over
the spotless clothes.
The beautiful crystal stream finds
its source away up in the mountains,
and besides lending o charm 10 tho
surrounding scenery, furnishes the
town Of Truxillo with drinking water.
1t is brought into the town by tho
Carlb women in jugs for which they
charge half real jug.
1t is o strange sight TO witness these
Carib women, with shawl, sometimes
of wool, but generally Of silk. thrown,
mantilla fashion, over their heads and
their shoulders. arms and feet without
any covering save what Dame Nature
provided. M O. Times Democrat
-4-e-s-
SIMPLY ASTONISHING.
How Eccentric George Plainly nrade HIe
Fortune,