Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26
A TROPICAL ADVENTURE.
Battling With the Surf on the Carib
Coast.
The Happy Life of the Natives on the Coast
ofths Spanish Department. OF Mosqui-
tia-Americans Welcome.

| LIMOS. HONDURAS. July Is, 1893.
When we were wrecked here in the heavy
storm last January events succeeded one
another SO quickly and We were thrown
| ashore with such speed that we scarcely
| had time to realize the actual dangers
| which threatened.
Subsequently. however, We were given
| ample opportunity to witness the power of
the waves and the perils of attempting to
run ashore through the surf
1t was Sunday and we were sitting in a
mahogany canoe which had been hauled up
| ON the beach: Mrs. b. with a novel, the
baby playing in the sand and Cousin b.
and myself with paper and pencils. The
shore was lined with Caribs, the men in
spotless garments and the women in brill
liant skirts and vari-colored handkerchiefs
bound turban-like about the head. 1t was
almost a gala day among them and the
saults on the sand, catching crabs and
sporting in the surf. while the older peo-
pie were greatly interested and amused in
| bareback horse race taking place along
| the waters edge the most iudicrous part
of which was riderless mare that took
much pleasure In galloping back and forth
FAR In the rear of the others.
A big Carib man who hai been sitting
on the sand at my feet busily iigging a
chicoe out of his big Zoe with my knife.
cast his glance seward and sspytns sail
in the northwest called our attention TO it
with the words, Sail, ahor' A tiny sneck
OF white was Just visible against a threat
been rising in the north AMI west. AS We
watched II the sail rapi lily grew larger
until q man standing by tine forema st
| could be distinguished. AS the boat drew
st.ll closer We were told that il was re-
turning from trip to Truxi,lo. where II
had taken the baggage Of the other white
the 18th. and as the ewner lived in the
town 1t would be run ashore here Except
in our own accident we had never seen a
boat beached through a heavy surf, ard
concluding from our experience that 1t
would be an interesting sight We followed
further along the shore.
The Perils of the Surf.
When the dory arrived opposite this
point the people beckoned to the men
aboard. They turned the boat seaward
| ran her out short distance. and then
coming about headed her straight for shore
with the wind direct abaft. They came
steadily onward and when Just on the outer
augment their speed. But a swell, Larger
than the average, came sweeping up he
mind the little craft, gaining height and
speed as ii approached shallow water.
Just as the stern of the dory rose to ride
the oncoming wave the crest topple-l for
ward ward, breaking into smother Of foam
tnat came pouring down upon the hack of
the man at the tiller, making him lose
control of the rudder and half filing the
the impetus Of the break her bow plow-
Ing rapidly through the water and throw
ing the spray far upon either side. But the
the left. then shot out in a sharp curve At
right angles to her course and the wall OF
roaring foam. catching her broa lsile filled
tators could exclain. There she gcesr'
For several seconds We i-azed at the
breadth Of yellow fro tn eft by :he retiring
breaker. then the dark gunwaie of the boat
rose into view, floating wreckage appeared
and at last three heads were seen bobbing
about IN the water The owners OF tho Sc
the overturned boat, where wave after wave
broke over them in quick success on
where large dugout was hastily run down
10 the waters edge. some paddles brought,
ana hve stalwart men, casting OFF their
shirts. ran It into the surf, Jumped in and
carefully made their way put betweeo the
breakers to the distressed boat IL seemed
very remarkable to US that no excitement
or hurry had been displayed, and that in
stead OF first picking up the crew who we're
being ouneted about by the waves the res
SSning party gave all their attention to the
rum. tobacco and gunpowder.
We watched with interest and much rner-
nment tne performances of one Garth who
puied on his shirt and springiag into a
cedar canoe not much larger ;han himself.
kneeled IN the bottom and started out
MS dory buried its nose in the curling
breakers then shot out nearly it's fun length
on the other side and fell with a splash in
the trough beyond. But he was not SO for
| tunate every time: twice his ,anoe was
swamped and buried out of sight but tLe
Carn. who was quite at home in the sea.
hands climbed in again and went on his
way az fuli OF gayety as boy.
,h ne nnany succeeded in getting out to
time diving and swimming about in search
OF property. often standing upright in his
o cosslns poa.. In coming ashore he was
three fas,t
reached land with piece of broken mast
line larger dory came ashore success
the wreck. The men made repeated at.
tempts to put the dory out a second time,
put were as often swamped by the RAPIDLY
| vain. '' -
The three sailors slowly riehted their
easily brought her to land with paddles.
Fond Of Smuggling.
BY this time 1t had begun to rain. and
our host advised US to return to the house
We may have done the hospitable Cd fell
low injustice by thinking that he wanted MS
to leave. SO that We might not see the cargo
when it was landed. for the Caribs are
great smugslers, and annually cheat the
government out Of much revenue Their
greatest trade Is done in the government
monopolies-rum, tobacco and gunpowderE
of which there are large Quantities consum
ed on this coast. Belize is the ba Sc of sun
plies, and being free trade English colony
everything Is very cheap there in comma ri
son with the same articles i'm any OF the
neighboring Central American republics
where extortionate import duties are levied.
The penalty for contrabanding is the seiz
ure or the goods and also the craft engaged
IN the business as well the imprisonment
or the offending parties, and the Spanish
authorities are constantly on the alert 10
eaten some OF them, and, as the Caribs "a
Dey humbug; We too much" But the peo.
pie exercise great care and are seldom dis
covered in the act ~
A few nights ago, long after we had .ona
TO bed We were awakened by the bloWins
of a conch shell out at sea- Soon the tow5
busting about and talking in muffied ZONES
Our host and hostess were I'm and out many
times during the night, and il was not untSl
near dawn that quiet reigned again In
the morning We learned that our hosts SON
had returned from Belize with a cargo of
rum, soap, cloth, etc. VI
That day two Spanish officers rode into
town on their way to a coast village some
nifty miles to the east. They arrived IN tbe
| evening, and after dark one of them No :
seen strolling about our end of town. He
stopped before our door and looked in but
did not enter. We sympathi with our
| host, who acted very uneasy, and with rea
| son, for there was a quantity of contraband
| goods In the house
Next morning the Spaniard returned with
Carib interpreter, who was frightened out
amused us all by repeating to US in Spanish
| the oficer's words and attempting To So
render our English that the other couId
comprehend IL. However we finally learn
| ed that we were honored with a visit from
the governor of the newly created depart