Huntsville gazette., 1890-03-22
LIFE IN HONDURAS.
1t Has Climatic and Other Drawbacks oi
Serious Nature.

a serious Nature.
A gentleman who has lived for some
time III Honduras is thus quoted by the
Globe-Democrat:
Like all tropical countries, it has its
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 hours
were at times very severe. During oui
winter months it will probably average
s. degrees from a. INTO II p m. As
the sun lowers cool breeze comes from
the mountains, followed by a heavy
mist, which chills one through. The
thermometer drops before midnight to
65 degrees, and several times dropped to
81 degrees. 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 win.
dows closed, the wind will sometimes
blow out candle placed in the middle
of the room. Underclothes taken off al
night will be saturated in the morning.
There is no use making fire, as the
heat all goes out through the basketwork
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
5 per cent. of the population free from
chills and fever, and it shakes one pret.
ty lively down there. A great portion
of the people sleep in hammocks.
others on raw hides stretched on a
frame. This style of bed can get
harder and keep cooler before morn
ing 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 nest in the
tiles of the roof. 1t keeps warm and
quiet during the day, and at nigh prowls
around and getting numbed with cold.
loses it's grip, and quite too often con
trives to fall onto or into the bed. Then
there is music They are much larger
than ours---niore than twice the size-but
are not considered dangerous to adults.
The children go into convulsions 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 cassampulgais is small black spider,
with red spots or stripes, and it is great
ly feared by every one. It's bite is in
variably fatal if 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
the center, is as big as a buckshot It's
L. ~ RI; ;rrb+ +ol,
then the skin must be carefully raised
and laid back with needle-point, and
the 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 fol-
lowing. 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 bv
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
twenty-four inches long and as thick as
a big sausage. 1t is of bright green.
and mottled with brown. 1t is called
tamagas. 1t is also very pugnacious
chap. The men cultivate corn and su-
gar-cane. and the women and children
go each day into the hills to wash gold,
with variable luck. Sometimes woman
will make one dollar. and often when
they strike gold gravel it is not unusual
for them to make five dollars in a few
hours. AS may be supposed, poverty is
practically unknown. Besides, they
have at their door, in almost every gar
den, bananas, pineapple, oranges, coffee.
and great variety of fruits not known
in this country.