Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-24
ps'iai o0rrcspOnd-nOs Of Tho Evening star.

VISITOR SHOULD TAXI WIFE Mn.
special Correspondents Of The Evening star
PArrcA, HoSDURAs, June "a, 1891.
HAVE SPENT OVER THREE MONTHS
l. here now and can assure you that have en-
joyed my stay immensely. The climate 10 sim
ply perfect l have a thermometer hanging in
my house and whenever I look At Il. which d
nearly every day, the mercury stands at sbous
| IS, varying only two three degrees In week.
I have never seen II rise above 81 nor fall belov
80 that remember Of
Every day at about in the morning q gentls
breeze springs mp in the east. which. blowing
from the sea all day. moderstes the tempers-
ature and makes the houses and shady sposs
delightfully."- cool and comfortable The 80
breeze dies down at or 10 O'Clock at night and
land breeze from the south begins blowing
One sleeps very comfortably with only shess
over him all night
Up THE rAruoA.
1returned several days ago from . trip Of .
weeks duration, about forty miles mp the Pc
tuca, TO Cropunto. The Patuca 10 exceedingly
| tortuous and is q very pretty river far 40
| have seen did not go above Cropunto. but
am assured that the farther mp one goes the
better the country becomes AT this season
grassy banks, rising gradually from three feet
| al Patuca City TO fifteen at Cropunto. During
| the Hood season the river sometimes overhows
some OF the lower banks but this does no
harm, as the water subsidies.
The river banks all the way up 10 Cropunts
| are covered with heavy growth OF trees and
| underbrush Of VARYING density called bush"
The soil upon which il grows IL very rich aud
moist and as admirably adapted 70 the cultivs-
non OF bananas, pineapples and other fruia
and many vegetables The natives called
| Sambos or Mosquito Indians have many plan,
tations lining the river. sometimes on both
sides and extending for half mile.
BANANAS AND yEsETABLEs
About two months ago three OF the settlers
on the Grant bought a small sail boat Of four
tons burden. In few days Mr. Burch viii fn
her with bananas from his plantation and send
| her TO Ruatan.
The punches are better ones than can be hsd
| on this coast. and 20 cents is being paid fos
them at Bonacca. and they are scarce at that
price. you can readily understand what Q nns
advertisement the first shipment Of bananas
/ from this point will be.
Just above Mr.. Burch's plantation . settler
has started vegetable garden. He Ia nov
| building native house. about fifteen by thirty,
and viii soon be able 70 make himself fairly
| comfortable, although he came here entirely
destitute. He has lbs plantain suckers set Qua
| beans growing finely and ready TO eat tomato
| plants well started. muskmelons watermelons,
squashes, corn and other produce growing
| rapidly. In year or two he will have green
vegetables enough to supply Patuca
LIKE AN ENGLISH PARK.
At Cropunto the first pine ridge comes dowa
to the river and found there some land that
surprised me. IL is a rolling savanna covered
| with great pine trees nearly q hundred feet
high and averaging two feet in diameter. Az
Tar as the eye reach 20 the north and east
the pine ridge continues. The land is high
and gravelly, with a black, rich top soil. Al
| day gentle breeze blows through the trees
| from the sea. The ground is covered With
| short grass and looks like a beautiful lawn.
| The general aspect of the place makes me think
| OF the English parks 80 often read of. No better
grazing land can be found believe and as q
| site for a house, surrounded by ones orange
| grove, vegetable garden and banana plantation,
| II is simply perfection.
| few miles above Cropunto You can look
| across savanna land clear 10 the horizon. The
| the rivers and rayines are bordered by bush
| The scenery is beautiful
Patuca, at the mouth OF the river, Ia place
| of about fifty native houses with a population
of between two and three hundred. At present
there are dozen Americans residing bore.
The natives are very orderly and docile and re-
| sembe a negro community. Ii 10 against the
| Law 70 sell tobacco and rum on the Grant
feel quite sure that by next year we shall
| have a river steamboat running here and will
be able to get up and down from our planta-
tons quickly and cheaply, and also 10 get our
freight rapidly transferred.
WHAT Is NEEDED.
Let me advise any one who thinks Of VISITING
this country TO bring no heavy wooden clothing
and no heavy underclothine. Little else 10
needed here but plenty Of good cotton and
mixed cotton and wool shirts (outing shirts)
and pantaloons made Of heavy ducking and %
overall cloth. Bring several pairs Of good,
cheap shoes and number of wide -brimmed
hats. Also, thirty TO fifty yards of cheap cheese
| cloth will be useful for making mosquito nets
and lining rooms Bring pair Of rubber blan-
kets. For cooking utensils bring Dutch oven,
small iron pot a frying pan, several plates,
| cups, knives. forks and spoons.
Unless one has already rife, il win be better
not TO bring one, but a good light single oe
double-barrel shot gun. twelve-bore. will pro-
| vide all the fresh meat that can be used. re-
volver and hunting knife might be useful some
day. thirty-two is large enough and Q six-
inch blade is long enough.
| The new conner should have at least s1OO in
cash, as il costs something 10 live and to have
| work done here. II several live together u
will not cost much more than for one alone.
Frequently we go shark fishing for diver
sion. have helped to catch half q dozen
sharks in an hour here, and then two or three
| hours after have gone in swimming in the
| same river within 500 yards of the place. We
frequently see alligators. and every day focks
| Of pelicans come to feed on the sandy points.
| II. w. =.