St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-02-15
Life in Honduras.

UNPLEASANT FEATURES OF THE PLACE
WHERE MAJOR E. A. BURKE RESIDES.
a special dispatch to the St. Louis
Globe Democrat from San Antonio, Tex,
says Mr.. Alfred Raphael, who has been
absent for three years, has returned to San
Antonio. A great part of his time has
been spen. in Central America, and especi-
ally in Honduras. Concerning the con-
State treasurer of Louisiana, he says:
'It is located three miles from the town
of Concordia, and l have been over it very
often. 1t is many miles in extent and is
very valuable, particularly from mineral
point of view. The lodes are both gold
and silver bearing. the latter predominant
ing, and some of them very rich. | did
not see Burke while there"
OF Honduras in general, Mr.. Raphael
says: Like all tropical countries, it has
it's drawbacks. First, the climate. Al
though we were at an elevation of 5000
feet and 200 miles from the coast, the,
changes during the twenty-four hour
were at times very severe. During ond
winter months it probably averaged essi,
from a. m. to II p. m. AS the sun lows IS
cool breeze comes from the mountaZaat,
followed by a heavy mist, which chills CT
through. The thermometer drops befo' az
midnight to So, and several times dropoe !
to 540. :
s'The houses are made of mud mot
adobe) The roofs are made of tiles so
laid as to keep out only the sun and rain,
but with doors and windows closed The
wind will sometimes blow out candle
placed in the middle of the room. Under
clothes taken off at night will be saturated
in the morning. There is no use making
fire, as the heat all goes ont 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 population
free from chills and fever, and it shakes
one pretty lively down there.
ga great portion of the people sleep in
| hammocks, others on rawhides stretched
on 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 it's nest in the tiles of the roof
1t keeps warm and quiet during the day
and at night prowls around, and getting
numbed with cold and looses it, grip and
quite too 1ften contrives to fail onto or
into the bed. Then there is music. They
are much larger than ours, more than
twice the size, but are not considered d.
gerous to adults. The children 60 into
| commissions from the pain of the sting,
and it is so severe sometimes as to cause
death. 1t depends on what portion of the
body is stung The cassampulga is small
black spider with red spots or stripes, and
| it is greatly feared by everv one. It's bite
| is invariably fatal is not attended to at
once The negua. or jigger, is the chap
that lays it's eggs under the skin of the
| toes, and in three days it's nest, of which
it is in the center, is as big as buckshot.
| It's presence is known by slight itching
then the skin must be carefully raised and
| laid back with needle-point and little
sac removed without breaking it. 1t looks
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 l have seem
them with both toes of the hind foot all
most eaten away The most dreaded of az,
the snakes is one about twentY-foyL,
inches long and as thick as a big sausages
1t is of bright green and notified witt,
brown. 1t is called tamagas. 1t is also :
very pugnacious chap. The men cultivatd
corn and sugar cane, and the women an,
children go each day into the hills to wal ~ :,
gold with variable luck. SometimesNt
woman will make 81, and often when thsa
strike gold gravel it is not unusual
them to make S. in few hours. as n
be supposed, poverty is practically u,
known. Besides. they have at their do,
in almost every garden, bananas, piness a1
pies, oranges, coffee and great vari " Of
fruits not known in this country"