The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-11-11
IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
Scenes IN a Large Market
Plaza.
A STYLISH WATERING PLACE
Strange Products of a Marvellous
COuntry-Bread and h utter,
Tallow and Soup.

PUENTA ARENAS, CosTA RIGA, October
%, 1888. - Special correspondence OF
The HERALD. Most travellers who
come to Costa R!ca. either for pleasure
or business, are landed first at Puents
Arenas-a small port on the Gulf OF
Nicoya, close TO Nicaragua's south
western borders, and about three days
sailing from Panama in favorable
weather.
There are two harbors on this small
Republic that of Matlns, affording
ancorage only For vessels of lightest
draught, while the
BoCA DEL ZORRO,
which is universally conceded to be
one of the finest in the world, is useless
to Costa Rican commerce for the rea-
son that neither railway nor wagon
road connects it with the interior.
Indeed, the Boca no longer belongs to
this country though washing its shores,
having been foolishly conceded to New
Granada in t. ire. ey of 1856, when, by
virtue of an I'M ct chart. published
in Madrid more man century ago,
the Panamains claimed it as portion
of their territory. Now the noble
harbors are comparatively lost to both
countries, and might, as well be q
mirage of Sahara, for any practical ad-
VANTAGE il OromiGes tn either
The new road to the Rio SerapiqIi,
which for twenty years has been in
process of construction, will probably
render the Nicaraguan part of San Juan
del Norte of future service to Costa
RIGA. For the present, however, Puenta
Arenas, on the western coast, monopo-
Lies most of the commerce of the
Republic. 1t is free port, moreover,
having been priv1ledged as such by q
special act of Congress soon after the
DEADLY cALDERA,
few miles lower down, had been
officially abandoned. All articles OF
merchandise. except such government
monopolies as tobacco, brandy, gun
powder and fire arms, are exempt here
from any kind of restriction. The
monopolies aforesaid are deposited in
the public stores, and cannot be sent
into the country, or out OF it, without
special permission from the govern
ment. Aside from this, the fullest
liberty is guaranteed to commerce, and
the ships of all nations may pass in
and out of Gulf Nicaya, remaining as
along as they like, with neither pilotage,
tonnage nor anchorage to pay, nor any
leeching from health officers and gov
ernmen inspectors.
Strangely enough, the custom house
is located sixty miles away in the ia
terror, at the G6rita del Rio Grande
low down in the slope of dark ravine.
In that remote spot, the duties on all
foreign goods are levied, and from there
alone can such merchandise find its
way into the inhabited portions of the
country. Between Puenta Arenas and
the Garita, vast wilderness intervenes,
in which several villages are hidden
notably Esparzs, San Meteo and Atenas
only by a single wagon
road,
ROCKY, DANGEROUS AND RoBBER-INFEsTED.
An hours brisk gallop along the
beach which connects Puenta Arenas
with the main land, brings one to
Chacarita, aa outpost of the custom
house, where foreign goods destined for
any point between the port and the
Garita, must be inspected, weighed and
paid for. This outpost consists merely
of banana patch, a pig sty, poultry
yard and matched hut of wild bam-
0lyryf mr. Of
the latter, one may always find the
hammock with cigarette between his
teeth.
A wilder place is the Garita, at the
brink of stupenduous ravine in the
heart of the forest. Over the chasm is
a stone bridge of one bold arch, with
gate and covered causeway, linking the
Across this bridge all wayfarers must
above or below, is punished with ten
Beyond the bridge, shaded by a mag
nifcent grove of cocoa trees, is neatly
constructed wooden building, long and
low, with roof of red tiles projecting
six feet beyond the front walls to row
vi CCO6I POoLos Lao 10 lAO CuoLOLh
house-all there is of it. Here barrels
are tapped, bales and boxes ripped
opsn and trunks turned inside out;
and here the principal revenue of Costa
RIGA is collected.
But let US return to Puenta Arenas.
Struggling up and down low bank of
burning sand stands its white washed
frame houses with their red-tiled roofs,
its numerous poorer
NOVELS THATCEED WITH PLANTAIN LEAVES
its churches and fagstaffs, all glowing
in the suns rays, intensified by refec-
ton from the water. Slightly modify
ing the gIaring picture, but scarcely
shading it, are occasional groups of
feathery palms and indigo trees; while
beyond the town, On all sides, except to
seward, rise the mountains with
forests stretching to their feet, and
fragrant gardens between.
Considering its climate, Puenta
Arenas has one great advantage, viz:
that in half an hours time the inyesti-
eating tourist can see all there is in it..
Close to the shore, he observes quaint,
III, L.,