Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13
IN A LAND OF MONKEYS.
Strange Sights Seen by u Member Of the
Nicaragua Canal Expedition.

rue TRIP FROM INSTRUMENTATION N rnop-
IoAL srAs-ExAaoxaATED RfroRrs ABorr TIE
BLACK FEvER-LrfR IN TuK INTERIOR wuDs-
SNAKES, ANTS AND PARROTS
n LETTER was recently received by the
INV family Of Mr.. Daniel nagner Thomas,
ASvwho left this city some months ago for
~ vGreytown, where no il connected
~@sA with the Nicaragua Canal Construction
Company. The letter is dated San Juan Del
Norte, Nicaragua, July IS: ''IIaving Just fn-
ished delightful dinner of beans and stewed
monkey, am just in the mood for . long let
ter home. In the first place. don't believe
anything you may see in the newspapers re-
garding the unhealthfulpess OF this country or
the aiiurIng reports of the ravages Of the black
fever. There has not been a night since our
arrival that we have not slept under heavy
blankets while notice in the papers sent rs
there mas been great suffering from the heat
throughout the states. Although We are in the
tropics have not once suffered here from the
neat as l have done time and again in WASH
ington. This peculiar mildness Of climate,
presume, is due in great measure to the con-
fnuous rainsalls, as the seasons seem to be
pretty evenly divided between the wet and the
damned wet. do not wish, however, to con-
lor ~ Is SO very often. but the nights arc inva-
fisoiy cold We have no twilight
THE TRIP TO NICARAGUA.
Now,to start from the very beginning, I sup
pose you will want to know everything. AZ Won
were away from home whom my first letters
arrived. The trip lasted for fifteen DAYS: the
nrst land sighted after leaving New York was
san salvador, then the Fortune Islands. Cuba
AND Jamaica. Kingston is the queerest place
nCyth
the crowd Of fruit vendors on the wharf 70.
minded me forcibly of the chorus in a comic
opera, the background of scenery supplied by
the strange-looking native houses interspersod
WIN pineapple, banana, cocoanut trees and
palms. Here and there, lowering above the
narrow streets. were buzzards of immense size.
Every moment l expected the picturesque
snrong to part andsee the prima donna Jeannie
Winston-come dancing down to meet us. No
sooner had we touched the wharf than the
crowd swarmed over the side of the steamer
ana Immediately took possession CT it, clamor-
ing us to purchase their wares OF tropical
fruit.
I'm place OF the ordinary affirmative or mega
i've; II one asks a question, tho answer is inva-
riably Yes, my love- or No. nv love- AZ
the case MAJ be. 1t is quite a common occur
renee 70 nave strappins negro woman dance
up 70 you and say: Buy pineapple, my lover
virtue is said to be an unknown quantity on
voyage down here were flying fish, sharks, por-
poises and nautilus. or Portuguese sailors, as
they are generally called by sailors They come
to the surface Of the water, spread a thin sail
and are then carried along by the wind.
LAND OF MONKEYS.
MY attention was Immediately attracted on
landing at Nicaragua by the quantities of mon
keys swinging from the trees. One large species
OF this animal called Congo makes a hideous
noise which resembles the braying of donkey.
The canal is, as yet, thing of the distant
future, plan OH paper. as the first dredge has
but recently arrived from New York under
stand that there is likely to DO some trouble in
the health department when this is set In opera
ton ON account OF the quantity OF mud which will
DC stirred up but as our party are likely to be at
some distance from it by that time we have no
personal misgivings. In fact We have not been
at Greytown for some while past, but are up in
the mountains at Camp Menocal, with facilities
Tor receiving mail only once month. Often
after writing letters they have to lie around
camp for days waiting for the transportation
boat from San Juan before they can be sent to
the places OF shipment to the states.
"The temporary houses in which we live are
called shacks and consist of four poles with a
roof OF palm branches, the sides being left ex-
posed. Each morning We start out by putting
on wet clothes and work all day in water no to
our waists. Luckily this has no i'll effect in this
climate.
ExClT1NG CANOE RACES.
1--WE go to our work in canoes padded by
Spaniards, Indians and Carabs These trips
are rendered quite exciting by races between
the various crews, who keep up weird chant.
developing at times into wild screams a. one
canoe tries to pass another. Such a thing az
turning aside for logs or other obstructions is
never thought of. We shoot right over them,
sometimes landing high and dry on a fallen
tree. Then the crew will jump into the water
n n OrE
most part we are kept busy ducking our heads
under fallen branches and steering clear of the
quantity OF vines called monkey ladders which
hang to the waters edge. The trees are full of
parrots Of gorgeous hues which awaken the
echoes of the woods with their dscordant
screaming. Tho antics of the monkeys would
amuse you immensely. and it would not re-
quire great stretch Of imagination to think
ones self Robinson Crusoe in gazing upon the
strange scenes which meet the eye at every
turn. The most cOmical sight is to see the
monkeys 60 scamperng away az our approach,
ohatterlng 10 themselves. some with funny
looking young ones clinging closely to their
mothers neck, their small black eyes gazing
at Us In surprise and establishment.
OVERWHELMED BY ANTS.
"One day recently we witnessed the phe.
nomona Of shower Of winged ants. We had
just sat down to the evening meal. when sud-
denly the air became thick with thousands L
these insects, which Immediately covered tn
table, getting into the soup and over every
thing. We were forced to beat hasty retreat
and seek shelter under our mosquito nets
which in Nicaragua are made of calico. The
ants remained about half an hour at the end
OF which time they dispersed as mysteriously
as they had come, leaving Rs evidence of their
visit millions OF wings. The next day we had
a repetition OF tho visit and few DAYS since
were treated to another Of smaller and differ
ent species called travellers. These marched
in at one end of our shacks and out of the
other, though we were compelled to vacate in
their favor for the time being, as they syarmed
over everything. Their stay, however, was
short and great damage was done by their visit
BIG FERN AND BIG SNAKE.
yesterday came across the largest fern I
have ever seen-the whole plant was the size
Of a big tree, the trunk Of the circumference
Of mans arm. To-day I had another sur
prise in the shape Of large black snake. about
eight feet long, lying just outside my shack
l was assured that the reptile was perfectly
harmless, but I did not wait to investigate.
The doctor who ia with our camp camo to this
country about year ago prospecting for gold
with a companion, who was bitten by q snake
and died after an agony Of seven hours.
Orchids in full bloom hang from every tree
and vine, in addition to which are countless
beautiful plants, which would bring fabulous
prices at home and easily make fortune for
the florists who could transport them in safety
the sight my eyes tire at times Of the super |
abundant vegetation and, in the sight of 90 |
much green, long. for glimpse OF bricks |
and mortar. Send me the papers whenever
you can, for cannot tell you how glad all the |
fellows in camp were over the last package of /