Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18

Rica" (the one re
centiy In controversy at Amapala. and I'm
oer the same excellent officer CAPT Doyle,
was new, fresh and thoroughly comforta bl,
III all that adds charm to travelling. Tn,
.Facinc was on its most placid behavior
literally rocking us in the gentlest cradle O.
the deep Each day after leaving Panam,
we mad entered new and beautiful port
and when this happened to be at the EARL
est streak OF daylight, and sailing steadil,
INTO the very teeth Of some of the most in
oescribably magnificent sunrises eve,
tempting Christian from the true faith Il
the worship Of the God Of Day." one wa.
thconsciously impelled to breathe his nat
usal gratitude for life AID the power O,
such enjoyment
| Punta Arenas in Costa Rica San Juan
del Sur and Corinto in Nicaragua were sue.
cessively visited, enjoyed and left behind
u.s. and at last we were within sight and an
| hours sail Of our first objective point, Tigre
Island In the splendid harbor Of Fonseca
| BAY. The entrance to the bay is marked
| upon the right and left by the giant ward
| ders, Conchagua and Conseguina two ex.
| tinct volcanoes towering thousands of feet
| to the skies, vivid landmarks for the nayi-
| gator. Surrounding US in the harbor as we
slowly steamed northwa-d to our destina-
| ton were the beautiful islands dotting 1t
| In every direction, and we could but think
that even II SO fair a picture might exist
elsewhere on earth II could not possibly
surpass in beauty the one around U.S.
Such scenes. no doubt are measurable by
| metes and bounds, but here and Later 1 de-
cline to submit to the control or even the
| slightest interference of statistics of any
Kind. Distances. colors, climate and their
consequent emotions or sentiments were
Just as felt them, and SO shall they ap-
pear-let others as they please bind them
to the exactness of rod and scale.
Three Central American republics touch
upon Fonseca Bay, San Salvador on the left
or west. Nicaragua on the east (both slight
ly, while Honduras to the north and CEN
ter. has far more important frontage in
GLIDING the rare old town of Amapala on
Tigre Island her only outlet on the Pacific
coast. Right ahead of US was this romantic
spot, famous in olden times as the resort Of
Drake and other savage buccaneers of the
days when "a confused noise and garments
rolled in blood" were the dreaded penalties
of all exposed towns on the Spanish main
and Indian ocean frontiers.
Tigre Island is a perfect cone some 5000
feet high. it's sea or south front a perpen-
dicular precipice, and as we steamed slowly
around its western point the pretty town
of Amapala lay dis 'osed before us strung
along its north and shelving front a dis
lance of a couple of miles In front Of it,
a few hundred feet from it's clean, bright
colored houses. we slowly stopped, COM
mands were quietly given, chains ratified,
the anchor plunged. motion ceased silence
ensued and here We were at last, "as idle
as painted ship upon a painted ocean"
A Surprise in Store.
had started on this somewhat unusual
trip partly for health, partly for pleasure,
partly for business; expected to be
stranger in a strange land, had but vague
ideas Of what was before me, but Intended
to make the best of all there was and thor
oughy enjoy things as they existed And
although thus prepared for almost any
fate. I confess that I was staggered by
what just then did happen. Leaning with
Capt. Doyle lazily over the rail discussing
the situation, he advised his willing listener
not to leave him until he sailed several
hours later. that 1t was hot on shore no
ice etc. etc, and we started in to "chum"
1t most lovingly in contemplation of the
deferred separation.
And so. when with startling flourish and
salute. the official boats at that moment
Of11CerS.
asking If General So and So from the
United States was on board, the astonished
captain answered Yes, here he isr' and
then when the message was loudly pro-
claimed that the president of the republic
had ordered for him every public honor and
attention, and that therefore they had now
come for him, bag and baggage, scrip and
scrippage, poor Doyle could only whisper
reproachfully to his equally astonished com
panion, "Why didn't you tell me YOU were
a HI Of fellow?' To which was the in.
nocent response, Il didn't know it.''
And so 1 left the gallant Costa Rica"
and her staunch commander, and 'vowing
oft to meet again." we separated for our
different destinies.
Fair Amapala.
The friends thus providentially furnished
made the few days stay in Amapala exceed
ingly pleasant Our two-story hotel, the
only one in the place, was within a few
yards of the waters edge, and as / had a
large upper room on the western corner
with the usual tropical balconies, such
slight breezes as were not too lazy to stir
out in the sun and were otherwise unclaim-
ed drifted in to see me. The town is very
pretty. of about one thousand or SO in
and sustaining number of able
and prosperous merchants, importers and
exporters. A considerable garrison Of the
regular army is of course stationed here
hhu dAlSi a SioSC Intimacy lOT weeks with |
some Of it's soldiers and many Of its officers
of all ranks 1t is pleasant to be able To |
mention them in high terms Of commenda-
ton. The latter / found to be much like
our own officers at home handsome, well
uniformed intelligent and gentlemanly
favorably in general appearances
and soldierly conduct with any in INV ex-
perience. The men were usually of a poorer |
peasantry than we are familiar with, but |
quiet, orderly and obedient. Their common
uniform is very cheap and simple but we'll |
adapted to both men and climate One
thing is unmistakable, and that is. that
they are brave to rashness, and cannot
easily be disposed of In battle short of actual |
killing, mere wounding being void and of |
no effect. Their guns are used for the first |
few volleys, then tossed aside and the "pre-
vious question" promptly called with the |
deadly "machete," the sharp sword like |
knife universally carried by Central Ameri- |
can and Mexican peasants. Familiarity has
bred Indifference to the comparatively small
holes made by the ordinary bullet of com
merce, but the large vivid cash OF the
machete gladdens the martial heart OF the |
perpetrator with distinct satisfaction. AS
a result Of such encounters but few nris
oners are taken, a CHASTITY reducer of ponu-
latiOn in the course of time, though a sure
preventive of large pension rolls.
These Honduranan soldiers are also In
credible marchers as well as deadly fight
ers, and would not lightly care to risk NV
life On their failure to march in force I'm
miles in twenty-four hours to take It. Nice
ties of drill and parade are unknown, but
as said above, they can march and fight
as we'll as any men alive. which. after ali.