The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-11-06

boWn OI aDOub TWO LnOuShnu peDplty Sll-
uated on tho Southern Peninsula. This
place seemed somewhat cleaner than Port
au-Prince, but II Is Hayti still. Our next
stop was at the island of Navassa, belong
ing to Hayti, but leased to an American
company, who are removing guano from
the island. From this point we sailed !
South 2lo East across the Caribbean Sea to !
Savanilla arriving there Sept. 10th. Here
we took the cars for Barranquilla and after
passing the Custom House inspection went
up town, to breakfa fast at "IIotel de Barrsn-
quilla." Barranquilla is town of about
5000 to 10000 inhabitants. The streets
are nothing but sand. There are few side
walks. The houses are all only ono story
high except the cathedral and public build
ings, and possibly two or three of the most
wealthy persons. Here we paid our usual
visit to U. y. officials, calling on the L. S.
Consul and others connected with the
Consulate. We remained two days in
Barranqnilla and then started for this
place as passengers on board the steamer
"Confianza."
The trip up the Magdalena River was
very pleasant though quite ulow. 1t ro-
quired seven days to make the 4l2 miles.
The vegetation in the tropics is very lux
uriant. We frequently saw forests utterly
| impenetrable except by cutting ones way.
Nowhere have 1 seen such immense but
tresses to the trees as here. We saw leaf
stalks twenty feet long, and leaves, one of
which measured was IA feet long and two
and one half feet wide. The leaf stalk
was fully inches in diameter. Insect
life is not as plentiful ~ ore might sup
pose. This is owing to the immense num-
Der Of lizards and small reptilie who eat
the eggs, or Larvae OF the insects and catch
thousands OF those that are mature. The
festive turkey is everywhere to
be seen, and here constitutes the board of
health, AZ tho hog does in Hayti. There
are thousands OF species of rich plumaged
birds fitting among the trees, and parrots,
guacamayos, parroquets, and other birds
of the same family arc very plentiful
many very beautiful birds OF which
have not learned the names. We saw
many alligators or crocodiles ranging in
length from to 20 feet. Small plantations
were occasionally seen on the banks of the
river. The soil is exceeding fertile and
anything planted needs no further atten-
ton than to keep down the dense under
growth. Bananas, plantains, yucca, yams,
pepper, and other plants are cultivated,
and many cattle were seen along the
banks. The population Is largely Aborig-
inal Indian mixed with whites and ne
groes, until there is every conceivable
shade from white, black or red to an
equalization of the three. Their houses
are miserably constructed and the North
American beaver surpasses them as far in
architectural skill as the New York archi-
tect's work surpasses the beaver. The
native house consists of four, six, eight or
ten according to size of the house,) poles
stuck into the ground, to which other
poles are lashed with the tropical vines
that grow everywhere; to these they lash
split bamboo canes and the roof is made
, of wine palm leaf thatch; the earth is the
floor; no chairs or seats or furniture OF
} any kind. Three stones about six inches
in diameter laid so as to support round
bottomed earthenware pot constitutes their
stove and kitchen furniture of all kinds
all hands eat from the same pot. They
can not read or write; never see q paper
) or a book have no enjoyments of life, but
merely exist, yegetate and die. The va
cancy caused by the demise OF one of these
, is certainly about as infnitesimal as the
calculus of that name contemplates COM
: prehenSion. Fully twenty-five per cent
: of the native population are tainted, visi-
! bly,, with foul diseases and the Lord only
knows the proportion that are affected and
! yet not perceptible. The native and mixed
r races constitute what is called "peons, -
, and the whites dominate over these in the
T most cruel and despotic manner, and the
peon obeys, or rather tries to leave the
impression that he is obeying, without a
murmur of dissent, or in any way resent
his treatment, until he gets filled and
: soaked with "aguardente," (white rum,
} when he usually ''razors'' his aggressor
, The poems usually receive six reals (equal
. to thirty cents American gold) per day,
, and as they only earn about one half ol
7 that you can form pretty fair opinion Of
D the value OF poems work when meas
! ured with an American ''stick." They
! have little or no idea how work should be
done and when shown how to do it, inya
riably do it the "other way" We arrived
r at Puerto Berrio Sept 18th, and were re-
ceived by a representative of the Govern
ment and invested with the authority oI
our respective positions. Lieut.. w. p
+. Michel, 10th Regiment N. G. p, one o
our party, is here, in charge of the impor.
D tant position OF superintendent OF bridges
: and buildings, and director of the cal
] shops. Mr.. NJ. l.. Chadman, formerly
D editor OF tho Forest National Democrat
! having charge Of the -of-way
0 and assistant chief engineer, while your
. humble servant wields the gavel in the
Q chief engineers chair and has assumed
! charge of the operation Of t.o road. Tho
| road of which We have control Is the
! "Ferrocarril de Antioquia,' owned by the
l Government and which will soon be ex-
r tended to the Pacific Ocean, via Medellin
= and connection with the Cauca Road from
J. Buenaventura. The system when COM
= pleted will be nearly 400 miles long. The
{ road has heavy grades and sharp curves
= and the extension OF the road will not be
tI,n "A