New-York tribune., 1892-12-23
THE GUATEMALAN PASSES'
TIE PERVERSITY AND TIE uSi-f i-'i' ~
TUE CENTRAL AMERICAN Nj IL
IEIElD

nEN
-. r .c,, tbnn that which ereted our cl's "
.,.,Ir cu,,hed tne mountain trail altcr '''
cr,ss.crovn street Of PanzoS' INC w ., t,~
mosntee lay heavy in the valley bn' oI IL >, .,,h M
n ,hc mountain side. The air scin'u I'' ,
.,,,r. v,o onened our moHths and lathcn our "
in !, AID the blood flowed with new enceS ,,,
us tbe palmthatchcd cal@naS sho"'' - .,,.s nnI
.o,oe rron q CARPET OF emerald gre en- I"'n'' "
so,,,,r crew the sounds Of drum mbei'' "uS'7 DIV
co,di,rs TO morning duties. ABOVE "' '""e Ill
a',nto,o ~ nj, clothed with scaGty veldurc' ""'e
rcvond the village the RiO Polocmc sho'I' III" ~
thread. Around Us was tropical InN"ii'"'' - 'o,
OIL vo ,etv Ont OF the shallow barIanca rcao"c'
,h. tall straight boles OF the india rubber ''o WIZ"
avs NJ CLASSY or en- the cotton tree ooVefeu WIZ"
any iolls O, creamy white; the m"hOSohI' WIN ~
re,inre Il less val abl' codars. Upon III 'P'.7
stes grew tie wild orange ana leho"' ,.0 ~ =.
NJ whose fruit could be appreciated as auui"S
th otmcsphcre as well as variety TO the ioha-e
lunches OF Wild bananas from whose end seiiou o','H
misses OF leaves twenty OF moro iee' Io's ""O
ops dronp,d Deeper In the ravine. ana III pocN'''
uber, s,agr mt vaer formed mar'h' gre" H''"'
luncbfs OF caladiumS who'e elophahtcar "'N'' -
10 e-o:mOus s re, putting 10 slahe "'c '
which appear upon Northern lawns y" o'."
sional olcander occupied space 10y Hse'i' a. -
Exclusive and ari,tocratic to mnglc with the mas" o
common vegetation: its cluster OF deHca" o0S'o'
0ninc the air with fragrance and TIE forest VIII o'
A. This was our first day upon mule back our 1t
tntton was pretty evenly divided between the S'ansc
SURROUNDINGS. the mules AM Ourselves 'u' a.
were not bred for racing This was apparent iIo" '0
first and while they could be ridden, they tNiuehP
con.ldcrod tn, rider as so much paee's'' - Wv
heas,s he'd served m apprenticeship on Northern
r,,reod ,bev could not have learned the arr oi ""s
cora smashing more thoroughly. We tried the hrS'
I,voI spot T. make them lOpc. but they cVdeh'' III"
not comprehend the art. Then we 'rleu "o' O"'
our punishment wa, greater than we colld bei' Lcn
We let them walk This pace evidently s"''' "'''
cons IL tons. We did not make i;htning progress
BIT anything was better IMAM INC P'"H'''e "'''
Yith create. sp cd. M
The trail narrowed to the narrowcSt possible W d'n
rs II ascendei and the shoulders OF IoeH MADE Il sun
narrower. The mules were evideA'N aiiali 90 h'''7
over the edge and so chung to the pcrpendcnlir wall
with uncommon tenac ty They pressed our I'''
against the sharp angle ana lanmed Us ashl'' I"o
,eciIrr shoulders our spurs were armed win slHTP
,o.p,e reorv an inch long These jabhed into the
sidcs OF the brtes, but the points only tcK et cir
tough hides. For week my fg ana SIDE wef1 D'ue
from the bruises received thai first days ride.
AT noon we had rossad one m untaln spnr ana
descended the opposite side TO the bottom ihOIsl
which rushed a rapl:, muddy rtcr, whose name
cond not learn from our guide, but which l con
c,udci must b. tho Cahalon, which forms Junction
with the Polochic a few miles below !anhos 1t was
not very deep, but the current Wa s" ana inc "'s'
.tonos in the brd had been worn smooth by thr con
slant grinding Of smaller stones ard gilt wa,el uo"
from above. Giving the MUGS their own way th'y
moved slowly into the water ard picked their way
over 50 carefully that almost forgot their mean
oess on the trail. grassy slope The bank o. tie
river sheltered by the reaching arms OF ennt OAK
Afforded re- ting are. which we improved also a'
lnnc hing place. Our good host at phn1o' PAheroh
had packet basket for and We blessed lin - we
oJened Il. Fresh coee syrnp, ready for the diiuoh
OF hot water roast chichen. cassava bread as white
six hours
climb and the added exercise o. attempting n nj our
selves 10 the peculiar shape Of the mules gave zcs 10
rfst and Iefr shmcnt The recollection Oi taai iTst
lunch in the Sierra dc Santa Cruz will never fade from
merory. Never chicken so good, coffee 50 rch'
bread so sweet and never were pipe and tobacco 50
exh larating We SHOUTED, and the hills echoed and
e echoed the % nd. We laughed, and the liver AID
or 81 seemed 10 feel the effect Of our eXaberaac We
mad been 50 long I'm the atmosphere OF disease ana IL
The presence OF death, I a, here IN tbs mountain
valley 1000 feet above the sea- WITH the clear Sky,
tle pure air. the fresh brsez', whre disease never
comes, feel that our escupc Is assured, and unt
hereafter our danger IS certainly not from cpd' mics
which sweep on their path OF destruction am from
/ which ter, IS no escape.
AT the river turn into rar l. used trail which
/ our guide tells US Is a short eat = Scnaju. lie says
the Nay l. quite good, but the difference In DIS
! tance than compensates for the more difficult
| travelling. We tried II. believing that whichever
7
otatr. From the river had 800 feet 20 climb,
! lnt refreshed by our lunch started hopefully. Vt
rr.t tie trail led a'ong the river and then gradually
above II. Up our h tie no1r OF the barrac1
dropped away from oar Pcth untl the rv,r va hidden
pipcnd.cular Elm Upon our left the pcrpcrdicuaf
Val 4 black volcanic tuia and ash, in'emineed with
low quality OF obsldan which neither glass nor
stone, high above Ms The trail was Just vide
cno1gh tor he mules and no are room for our leg,
/ so we disnounted and followed the animals. AT
/ short dstlnc.s TIE water had washed lttc runway
down the side of the elm and cut wedge shape open
try the>e places fist. 1t was curious t. watrh how
carefully they felt tne,r way along, ana how surely
they avoided the edges Of these waterways. The AMI
mails did not jump They appeared to understand
tnc talk Of oar Quche guide and stepped With the Ger
refore reaChing senaju we had another oppor
! unity of Witnessing the skill Of the mule. We had
p5sssd p nsa ns c l Kne r E one r %
we were Obliged TO eros, narrow stream or BROS VII
banks 100 abrupt ana water too deep TO b. i"dcd -
the Onl, biice was a log. We hcsltat'd lttle bat
s and a'G in mome" T was ' aly 'v over tier % ho"
ought us to sena!u seven leagues from Plnzos an
TIE elevation Of senaju IS such tina, the tcnrorat
!; delieh'tul durng the entire year, and yler, iron
backed by high peals from which water has beer
brought to supply the fountain in The ccriro Of {
tai their entire supply; dapldatci church,
freshly wtit1wnshei catldo store Or two and {
street bordered by hedge Of Towering shrub
whlCh ] had Fnown In the state as Iiorponda. bu
the Indian name ! could not learn. Each shrub wa
a mass OF fragrant bellshaped flowers.
We found good lodgings NJ the house OF Mr.. ca'
Por che. the merchant. German OF tn" progressive
school. and although a bachelor. n most liberal en-
trainer. We had har'lv finished our lunch bcfor
several GermrnS and one American who had hclri O
our rival care TO p'y thc'r resp c. and learn tIl
news We sat late into the the night llstcring &
the condition Of the coffee crop and Guat'mnlcai
politics.
As our mules were ONLY engaged f,r this place. W
were oh g d 10 ma @ new a 'rlrgcmcnfs. whch ai Is
We succeeded In doing. paying for the uS' o. mule
from enaju 20 Cohan almnSi y not quito. the iil vau
OF tie anm1ls. II was O'Clock befOr could
ard then sirrtef ~ Indian filc,
and two mOSchos on foot rs drivers and guides on
way TO ATanal.