The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-01

INTERESTING NICARAGUA.
CURIOUS PEOPLE AND RACES TO
BE FOUND THERE.

BE FOUND THERE.
Their ways or Doing Natlv,
Artlstsand Their ork-Makinc Jlcars.
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ShawIs
dian Rsiics-Primitive Filagree Work.
For she Tines
GRANADA. NICARAGUA, Dee. 99.-Amer,.
cans are iar.famed relic-hunters. and. fol.
lowing a natural instinct, we determined IN
make the most OF our opportunities for fer.
reting out interesting native work and an.
tiQue remains Of the aborigines Of Mica.
ragua. My companion, Mr.. :. G.. Bra.da.
has travelled in many ODD corners OF tbo
earth. Aprotessor Of languages at Prince.
ton, speaking perfectly half a dozen ldioms
he gave up he dull routine OF a college lie
two years ago, and has since been in tue ac-
tive service Of the Nicaragua Canal Con.
structiOn Company. On The stan Of Chief
Engineer MenOcal. he now accompanies him
on a trip to the capital and inspection Of the
work west OF the lake: and while the chief
engineer is engaged in official matters We
lind time to 90 hunting-hurtng for what ia
odd and curious in Ncaraguan handiwork
An UNKNOWN PEOPLE.
II is about impossible for one accustomed
TO active commercial life in the states. and
untutored in the ways OF the people here. 10
comprehend the ways OF doing business
the possibilities OF trade here and the me.
chanical genius If the people that, through
the force Of circumstances, has been allow.
cd 10 lie largely dormant through past gen.
eratiOns. The idea that is very prevalent
that the people living in the warm
climates are incident beyond reclamation j.
shown TO be false in many ways. As sturd,
lab0rers the canal company can find no bet.
ter employees than those il hires here. and
one who travels through the country sees
evidence Of industy, handicapped nv a lack
OF knowledge OF improved methods, that
would be power if only properly guided.
After all, IN dealing with questions Of ma.
tiOna character the immediate incentive 10
effort and the possibility OF finding intelli
gent guidance in work is answerable for a
large part of what il accomplished by a
peOpl Here we iiud in abundance the ma
tive instinct tor the execution of artistic
work, but on the one hand the local mar.
ket is too small TO bring an industry t0 any
large proportions, and the work done Is not
Of kind that can be exported except as
curiOsities,
NATIVE ARTISTS.
OF half a dozen cities of the country with
populations ranging from ten to forty thous.
and, ca III has "A distinct class Of work that
is turned out. and what you Will lind at one
place is made nowhere else. We started
our hunt for curiosities at Riyas, less than
twenty miles from the Pacific and west Of
the great lake. as are all the larger settle
ments of the country. At an outlying town
10 which we are guided we stop before the
bars that form the only gateway to the cac-
tus hedge, and taking down the top ones
enter the yard. Our every step is contested
by a couple Of dogs that bark, but retreat
before is. They are useful in bringing out
tO the doorway of the adobe house = young
girl with Indian features, who calls On the
CANNES and salutes us with "buenOs
dias.' This young girl and her
sister are known rs tie caryers of
'Jicaras,' or chocolate cups, in manner
that no others can equal. We enter tn
living room OF the house. walking on the
hard clay floor, and inquire u she has any
Of her work on hand. she z es 10 an adj
joining room and brings forth a single sam
PIE. gJurd beautifully carved with forms
10 birds amid mechanical design eucir.
cling d.. the piece being cur Oh az one end
t0 fran "A cup. We succeed in getting two
or three j.caras, and IL we want more "a,
mu-t order them and wait Tor weeks. fh.
custom of WORKING by order is 81 prevalent
ucr. that d is alm0s; impossible to fluid ans
thing ready made Of any kind. Later en-
$50 visit another expert carver, but heI
work is Of "a different style. her signs be-.
of ftf.ltf- Gf
uai American countries. which she copies
rom silver pieces &C. money They each do
their work with lha point of an old
liable knlle, lie latter carver being
surrounded rs "a brood Of rather
d.lly faced children, who play on The mud
llDruf her cane house. \ third carver az lu,
work We nld Acgc used only the Cocoanu'
i- his material. and this he adorns Will
binds aud shields. afterwards staining them
black. which gives the whole rich ebony
APPEARANCE. The '.iicara' is the cup oi ne
country for the mass no The people, and al
nearly every h0us 10 is common 20 srp %
.rec.shapcd stand within doors ln which
they hang. Every cup i5 carved in SOM
fashion, but 10 You want iine carving you
viii Doe told t0 send G. kiyas. n YOU give
an order. and iate patience, you can haNr
any design initiated by lhese csri ers, whose
81 Is lIIlIIt NnliiNN iilt HllIi Nill-ilts Nfi
are others who carve rings and ornamrrt o.
OF tue coyol mas. iced in making ieWcir
each workman conhning himself tO q sti-
irdte branch Of the work.
MAKING HAAIMOCKs.
But now we want hammock. We can
lind none where the cups are made, lnou-b
the plant which gives the fibre needed Tor
!ts manufacture grows here a. readily As
anywhere in the country, and we aie met
by the sight OF hedges Of il on all sides.
We must 20 10 Leon or Masaya, aud there
probably not liud single line hammock
ready 10 be sold. We must order them AMI
wait for month or so until they are made
The Indians are the manufacturers Of these
hammOcks. the easy chairs and lounges oi
the country, in which mid day sestas are
taken. Visiting the neighborhoCd where
thy are made. our attention 10 attracted bl
a couple OF Indian girls and n man backing
across tn road from one OF the yards OF The
houses, each with "A bundle OF iOre in hand
and gradually lengthening a cord being
twisted from the other end. A we aT-
preach We notice an old Indian several hun
bred yards from the others turning great
wooden wheel, which gives 10 the strands the
rotary motion, allowing the makers 10 feed
the fibre 10 the end, thus twisting II into
longer and longer pieces. IL Is Kept from
fI round IV farnptraI Gfiplz IN which II