Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-01
THE SPANISH MAIN.
AFFAIRS In COSTA RIGA, POIIII.
CAL AND COMMERCIAL.
The Dukedom Granted to Christie
pher Columbus = Something
About Lost Treasures.

we read of, vixen 'Ethe long, low, suspicious
looking craft, with raking masts." used 10
steal out from sheltered coves to plunder
richly-laden galleons. So beautifully lu-
minous a-e these southern waters that.
looking down into their clear depths at
noonday, one may imagine the Spanish
Main" TO be foored with diamonds, and
that the yellow sea-dowers-loosened and
floating upwards-are made of purest gold.
Sometimes we drifted so clese to shore that
the mountains were distinctly visible,
cleaning all day in blue haze which
turned to amethyst at sunset; gray rocks
were in view, belted with sparkling vapors,
above the spray of which thousands of sea-
birds sported, AMI with the captains glass
we could discern white sands beyond the
line of purple breakers, and here and there
the smoke of some fisherman's hut
Now and then one of those tiny naviga-
tors-the nautilus-glided by with all
sails set; or a disturbed school of gars
leaped, like serpents, around us or a dol
phin-king of the sea-played about the
stern till harpooned and brought on deck
by some cruel sailor, when, as if conscious
of his fallen state, he would instantly be-
come like any other dead fish, his beautiful
eolors faded and lusterless
Then there were the stars, when the sun
was gone-some of them unfamiliar to
Northern eyes; and the Southern Cross
nightly leaning lower upon the horizon
all so plainly mirrored upon an unknown
ocean, that my companions song
When with their trembling footsteps
The faint stars tread the sea,
was not without application.
Until comparatively recent period, the
few travellers who visited Costa Riea
thought it necessary to cross the Isthmus
of Panama, or te sail southwark from San
Francisco and land at Puenta Arenas-a
small harbor in the Gulf of Nicoya, on the
Pacific side. The fact that Matina, on the
Caribbean Sea, is now considered as favor
able port of entrance, is chiefly due to
that
NOTORIOUS FILIBUsTER,
William Walker, who put Costa Rica to so
much trouble, not many years ago but
who-lille many another evil-doer- was
unwittingly made an instrument for good.
The town of Matina lies at the mouth of a
considerable stream of the same name.
formed by the junction of the Chirripo
and Barbilla rivers, which-howiag east
wardly-enters the Caribbean Sea near
latitude l0o north
As usual, there is bar at the mouth of
the river, and vessels are liable to be de-
iayed several days before an entrance can
be effected, Especially during the sea-
son of northers-before small boats can be
sent from shore to convey passengers across
the breakers.
Matina straggIes, in sleepy fashion, over
low sand-hill-no pier, no wharf no
slip" new or old-everything betoken-
ing southern sloth and lack of enterprise.
There are a few whitewashed houses, with
red-tiled roofs; but the majority are
squalid huts thatched with dried grass
or plantain leaves. The somewhat pre-
tentious church has a chime of rusty bells
in its twin towers; and several hag-staffs
float the gaudy colors of the Costa Rican
bdndera. Everything blazes and blisters
beneath the tropic sun, except where, at
rare intervals, the glaring picture is
shaded by groups of indigo trees, feathery
palms, or the poisonous nlGazdaitd
All Central American ports are un-
healthy, but this Of Matina is deadly. for
vomit0 yellow fever) and the dangerous
calenturas peculiar to the coast are con-
tinual visitors. Though our arrival was
timed at the healthful season of the year,
we seemed to encounter death's-head at
every step. The open doors of the first
house showed us a corpse stretched upon
its bier, surrounded by burning candles
A little farther up the street we saw a
funeral procession vending mournfully to-
ward the Campo Santo; and another was
- 81 !
"Oh, no; this is not a sickly season. y
said the keeper of the cane-staik hotel. in
answer to my inquiry; "the fever is al
ways here, you know, but there have been
ONLY FOUR FUNERALS
So far this week" Considering that this
was but the second day of the week and
the village contains less than thousand
inhabitants, we concluded to make our
stay as brief as possible.
The exports of Costa Rica (chiefy coffee
India-rubber, Brazil wood, mahogany,
CEDAR hides, indigo and cocoa, are mostly
shipped from Puenta Arenas, on the Pa
cifc, while many Of the imports-mainly
manufactured articles-are received at
Matina. 1t is estimated that nearly three
million dollars worth of goods are annu-
ally imported into the little Republic
while the exports average about half a
million more. Last year more than tco
hundred million pounds of coffeee were sent
out of Costa Rica-a remarkably good
showing, remembering that the berry was
first introduced there in 1890 Previous
to that time the people were very poor,
and it is only of late years. since coffee
culture has been extensively introduced,
that they have attained to anything like
prosperity.
Next to Salvador, Costa Rica is the
smallest of the Central American States,
with an area of only 26,000 square miles
and a population of 180,000-fully one
fourth of whom are Indians. The FIVE
republics known collectively as Central
America have together an area of little
more than $4,000 square miles, and a
total population of not quite three mill
ions. Costa Rica is considered the most
liberal of them all-except in matters of
religion, which is
INTENSELY ROMAN CATHOLIC.
Its government is supposed to be repre-
sentative, and its supreme executive
(elected every four years. is not eligible,
according to the Constitution, to two sue
cessive terms; but it sometimes happens
as in Mexico, that if President is shrewd
enough, he may keep himself In power
through many terms, by judicious alterna-
tion with an obliging friend.
The Costa Rica Indians are unlike anv
Others l have seen, many of them being
poor and miserable to degree, vet in
tensely religious and scrupulously honest.
Among the various tribes, perhaps the
most interesting are the Talamancas and
the Guatusos. The former are confined to
the Atlantic slope, inhabiting those low
lands between the Matina river and the
Rio Estrella-" River of the STAR" which
flows into Ell Baeo del Zorro. This region
is one of great historical interest, as it
comprises those lands granted by the Span
ish crown to Christopher Columbus soon
after the famous discoverer entered the
Baeo, in 1902, from which circumstance
its lovely little harbor is yet called Bahia
del Almirante { Admirars Bay").
As usual in those days, the territorial
grant was accompanied by title of no.
bility-the Dukedom of Viragua In the
assignment of jurisdiction made to the
first Governor of Costa Rica this Duke
dom was especially excepted Not many