The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-05-31
LIFE IN HONDURAS.
Some of the Unpleasant Features
of the Country.
Cold Nights, Vicious Insects.
and VenomouS Snakes.

A gentleman recently returned from
Honduras, Central America, speaking to
a correspondent of the st. Louis Giode-
Democrat, said: "Like all tropical
countries, Honduras has its drawbacks.
First, the climate. Although we were
at an elevation of 5000 feet and 200
miles from the coast, the changes dur
ing the twenty four hours were at times
very severe. During our winter months
it will probably average 50 degrees
from S a. m. TO II p. m. As the sun
lowers cool breeze comes from the
mountains, followed by heavy mist
which chills one through. The ther-
mometer drops before midnight to IS
degrees, and several times dropped to
"a degrees. The houses are made of
mud-not adobe. The roofs are made
of tiles so laid as to keep out only the
sun and rain, but with doors and win
dows closed the wind will sonnet lines
blow out candle placed in
the middle of room. Underclothes
taken off at night will be saturated in
the morning. There is no use making
a fire, as the heat all goes through the
basket work roof. Besides. it must be
built on the floor in the middle of the
room, and the heat seems to draw every
insect within forty yards into the house.
There is not per cent. of the popula-
ton free from chills and fever, and it
shakes one pretty lively down there. A
great portion of the people sleep in
hammocts, others on raw hides stretched
on a frame. This style of bed can get
harder and keep colder before morning
than the lining of an ice box. Not
even the poorest will sleep on the
ground. The insects are various,
vicious and venomous. The scorpion
is very plentiful, and builds its nests in
the tiles of the roof. 1t keeps warm
and quiet during the day, and at night
prowls around, and, getting numbed
with cold, loses its grip. and quite too
often contrives to fall onto or into the
bed. Then there is music. They are
much larger than ours-more than twice
the size-but are not considered dan
gerous to adults. The children 20
into commissions from the pain of the
sting, and it is so severe sometimes as
to cause death. 1t depends upon what
portion of the body is stung. The
cassampulga is small black spider
with red spots and stripes, and 1t is
greatly feared by every one. Its bite
is invariably fatal if not attended to at
once. The negua, or jlgger, is the
chap that lays its eggs under the skin
of the toes, and in three days its nest,
of which it is the center, is as big as a
buckshot. Its presence is known by q
slight itching; then the skin must be
carefully raised and laid back with
needle point and the little sac removed
without breaking it. 1t locks like
grain of barley, and leaves clean cut
round hole to the flesh, which will be
healed the day following. If the sac
is broken and any of the eggs left. as
is often the case, it is sometimes weeks
before the person is able to walk, and
the sting must be carefully attended to.
"There are species of flea brought
about the doorway of the houses by
hogs. who are often rendered unfit for
food from the ravages of this little pest.
/ have seen them with both toes of the
hind foot almost eaten away. The
most dreaded of all the snakes is one
about "a in ches long and as thick as a
big sausage. 1t is of a bright green
and mott.ed with brown. It is called
tamagas. 1t is also a very pugnacious
chap. The men cultivate corn and
sugar cane and the women and chill.
dren go each day into the hills to wash
gold with variable luck. Sometimes n
woman will make 81, and often when
they strike gold gravel. it is not unusu-
al for them to make S. in few hours.
As may be supposed poverty is practi-
cally unknown. Besides, they have at