Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-28
A RIDE In GUATEMALA.
A ROUGH TRIP THROUGH THE COR
olLLERAS' SIDE SPURS.

stage Travel in Central America-Indiap
Ways-A Lively Scene Driving Through
Town at Full Gallop-A Tiresome
Ascent-Down Grade.
left QuezaltenangN by stage for San Mar.
COS recently. The road runs through the
sde spurs OF the Cordilleras for thirtv-six
miles, and the up grades are so heavy that to
make any time the animals are whipped
along on every level stretch and sent faster
oo"h hll' the brake being applied only
when the wagon gains too much on the
horses The team we had was made up of
! three miserable horses, not more than four
teen hands high, and one lazy mule of about
the same size. The stages are canvas COW
cred spring wagons, seating four people in
side and one with the driver, all seats on the
same level and cushioned with leather stuffed
with straw, and as hard as the boards under
meath Most of the drivers are Mexicans.
wearing sandals and such clothes as they may
beg, borrow. or steal The diligence com
pany supplies few extra pieces Of chain
leather, an immense lash whip, and a large
knife, with which the driver fashions the
leather to repair the dozen or so breaks of
The first town reached was San Mateo
about two leagues from Ouezaltenango and
one league further on, as we neared the foot
Of the mountains, we passed through San
Juan Ostuucalco, pueblo of Goo or 700
souls. 1t was about o'clock in the morning
and the streets were filled with Indians
bringing in market produce some carrying
the loads in baskets on their heads, but the
majority had their cargoes on their backs in
what is called ''canasta." This is a wooden
framework Of shelves fastened into four up
right pieces of wood and stiffened with raw
hide thongs, those of ordinary size being
about four feet high, thirty inches wide and
twenty inches deep. Cords around the bot
tom and middle are joined to the leather
headpiece, or broad strap, which passes
across the mans forehead and serves to hold
the continuance in place. The Indian in
Ginning his body slightly forward, travels for
days thus laden with his pack Of $50 pounds
SO delicately balanced and adjusted that he
feels no excess of strain on any particular
| point. Many were driving goats and sheep
in front of them, and others dragging them
with ropes tied around their necks
The pretty, bright colored dresses of the
Indians added much to this lively scene Now
and then you could see the entire family
bringing IN the produce of their farm, the
father himself carrying his load and driving
the "burro, so heavily packed that nothing
| but the tips Of his ears and his feet could be
seen, followed by the mother with basket
on her head and the youngest strapped to her
back, with his legs dangling out of the folds
Of the shawl and his little black head peep.
/ ing out of the top Then come the two boys,
/ both carrying loads the older one Juggling at
a rope tied to the neck of an obstinate
/ squealing pig, who wishes to 60 in any direc-
/ ton but the proper one, and who is being
| urged forward by the younger boy, who is
laying his whip across its hind quarters at
! every step. They seem to make but slow
/ progress, but they will reach the plaza and in
4 time for market hours.
/ Through the main street of San Juan,
/ paved with cobble stones and filled with such
a crowd, our diver forced his animals at q
| gallop, urging them on with his whip and a
shrill whistle, and being comparatively fresh
they responded quite willingly The leaders,
/ with sleigh bells tied to their necl1s, warned
all in advance to get out of the way. Away
we went, bounding over the uneven pave
ment with a great racket, and in ways so
narrow that the crowd had to hug the sides
of the houses to escape our wheels For blocks
in front you could see the Indians escaping
into the side streets when possible, and
though these people are subjected to the dan
/ ger of being run over every time a diligence
passes, they seem to bear no i'll viii to the
careless drivers They have never seen any
other management of horses, and | presume
they think that this is the proper wav to
drive And besides, they depend on the stage
line for the execution of any commissions
they may have il the neighboring towns.
Many times our driver stopped in the long
streets Of San Juan, always a welcome guest.
dropping packages here, picking them up
there, and at every stop receiving his small
! piece of silver and a drink in payment. He
took so many drinks before coming to the
hills that | began to have some fears for our
safety on the steep and dangerous roads TO
come,
! Three miles to the north of San Juan the
long and tiresome ascent begins, and so mar
row that horsemen only can pass the stage
The road is cut into the mountain side,
many places in solid rock, in which, as you
/ go slowly ahead, can be seen many names
and prettily carved crosses; and on nearing
the summit you see many wooden crosses
planted on the roadside, inscribed with the
names of the saints in whose honor they
were erected. Looking back, the entire val
/ ley Of Quezalte nango is spread out before
and about 1900 feet below you, and often
obscured by the clouds, for you are above
them and in them, and the blankets over
I your knees and your heavy wraps do not
make you feel over warm. We were nearly
five hours making the ridge, distance Of
about seven miles. The mountain scenery
in this region is grand, but any views, no
matter how beautiful, would become monot-
onous when seen from an almost sprngleSs
/ vehicle, dragged over a rain washed, rocky
road at a gallop, accompanied by a Mexican
drivers yells and whistles, and the iucessant
swapping of his whip; so, at about l o'clock
when we pulled up at the breakfast station
/ i'll a lovely green mountain valley, it was net
/ the meal that pleased US but the relief felt
| in getting out of that hard cushioned wagon
and away from the drivers noise.
The stages meet at this stopping place, and
when the drivers had finished their converse
ton without any consideration for the feel
ings of the impatient passengers we were
again off, and soon on the down grade. 1t
was so rocky that with my fe4 braced in
front and holding on to the sides, very often
came down on the seat with so violent a
bump that | felt as if my spinal column had
gone up through my brain. Now and then
/ the stage would give a side lurch and smash
the brim of my hat against the side STICKS.
/ This down hid ride continued for two hours,
until, thoroughly exhausted, we arrived at
the town of San Pedro, where we caught a
/ glimpse Of a rather level country in advance.
Guatemala Cor. New York Times.
The Barrancas of Brazil.
/ Some of the upland regions Of Brazil