The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-01-03
THE TROPICS.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM
MRS. MARIA Il. WARWICK.

How the People Live in British Hon
duras-No Household Furniture,
the Duslxy Inmates-The Women
Wear Only a Chemise-Young Girls
Carry Nude Babies Along the Streets.
SHIP BREAK WATER, Dec. 12, '9l.
On the 5th Of December we steamed out Of
the dock at New Orleans, small and select
party of tourists bound for visit to the tropics.
We had never turned our steps in this direction
| before knew no one that had ever been there
and, while strong in the faith as to the wonders
to be seen, little dubious about the comforts
by the way--a secondary consideration, but
when stormy seas, small steamers, mo JquitOs,
tropical suns, ETC., loomed up in the distance,
II was not strange we thought occasionally of
the fact that three solitary females 80 far from
home under these circumstances might have a
rather hard time. Our cabin presented mix
ed appearance of divers coors in its occupants.
| Among others, very pretty woman, from the
Mosquito reservation, undoubtedly part Indian,
with the cutest little darkie baby tumbling on
the floor. This suggested miserfes at night
fall. Numerous other half breeds, with satch-
els and bundles, with Spaniard or two and
our own party Of five made up the cabin pass
engers. Our gentlemanly conductor, Mr.. Mar
tin exerted himself in every way to make us
comfortable and after an introduction to our
captain, Louis Rivera, and close inspection
of our state rooms we felt quite at home and
ready to enjoy ourselves.
Our ride through the eddies and down to the
mouth OF the river was most delightful. After
our entrance on the Cult of Mexico my grief
commenced. Oh, the horrors Of NAL de mere!
But as all do not suffer in this way, ONLY such
need dread this passage across the gulf. The
majority of the passengers were undisturbed
and enjoyed the lovely weather and the very
excellent meals for our entertainment. The
meals on board ship are, coffee at a. M,
breakfast at o, lunch a. IL and dinner at 5.
Being an early riser, in company withione 9TH
er member of our party, we took a breakfast OF
| fresh eggs,-always fresh-fried ham and cafe
| nois, with toast at O'clock instead of joining
the breakfast party at o'clock.
We sailed at II o'clock Thursday and at 8
| o'clock Sunday afternoon arrived in the harbor
of Belize, the largest city visited in our travels
and situated in British Honduras, on the Car.
| ribean Sea- We landed by sail boat, of which
| members came out to the vessel to carry off
the mails and whatever freight is to be left at
| the settlement
| ants, of which only a small portion lay any
| claim TO being white. mixture of Carrihee
Indian and negro and some Spanish predom-
| mate.
We made the tour of the city, sought anx.
| iously for Curiosities, but as everything is
brought here from England or the States, we
| could find but little of the kind we sought. One
| of our party bought Panama hats. We took
pictures of many of these half civilized people,
/ and admired our first view of the bearing CO.
coanut, the majestic palm, with all tho rare
trees and shrubbery seen only in the green
| houses at home, but growing in their native
| soil rich and luxuriant.
The houses of these people are built of mud
and sugar canes rooted with palm leaves
| The ladies in full dress, as we would term it,
| wear kind of low necked slip, short, and
| with no cloth to spare in its construction. In
J this style of dress fashion has no say, the
shining black arms and neck showing to fine
advantage. We now began to feel the ex-
treme heat, the Thermometer standing at SO
in the shade. Notwithstanding our rather
heavy clothing, like good soldiers we went ON
investigating the narrow streets, and often
/ without impoliteness would go into the houses
| to see them cooking, others nursing baby,
| or setting watching two or three or dozen as
| the case might be, of her own black and shiny
! progeny. These houses have no floors or com
partments no chimneys, in short nothing in
the way of furniture only rugs or skins to
| sleep on and few cooking utensils.
| Among other places of interest visited was
the governors house, the government build
| ing, in front of which, like sentinels of the
post, stand two immense mahogony trees, pc
culiar only in the dark appearance of the
leaf, which is small and the finish of the
wood.
Opposite the governors house is the
Church of England, brick edihce, rather
ancient in appearance, and nothing striking
I in its style of architecture. We also visited
the Scotch Presbyterian bishop house, the
| Catholic church and the school for boys, the
| last mentioned presided over by a most agree
| able Spanish priest who spoke English flu
! emily. brighter, nicer looking set of boys
| never saw than were receiving instruction at
his hands. On the walls were very good spec
linens in drawing, which seemed to be the
principal feature of this school work. The
father kindly offered to send pupil with us to
visit the sisters belonging to the school, which
/ we declined as the distance was too great
| At 2 o'clock we stopped at place we hoped
| to get some ice cream, but none to be had, we
substituted refreshing drink Of raspberry ice
| water sweetened. Calling at the principal
store of the place we examined a few little
| souvenirs, such as spoons. pins, articles Of
| iewelry, and finding nothing we could consider
| as worth anything in the way Of curios. Re-
| turning to the vessel we partook of an excel
lent lunch, and a lovely moonlight evening
was passed In discussing the very interesting
events of our first day in the tropics.
Our next stop was at Port Livingston, Guata-
mala. We landed on the pier and walked
up the hill through the town. The
people here are halfbreeds, Spanish and
Indian, fome quite fine looking. As we
passed along the streets we occasionally looked
into the houses where in every case women
ard children of all ages could be seen, moth
ers nursing nude babies in their arms, while
little boys of three and four without any cloth
/ ing parading the streets and sitting on door
steps. little girl Of about eleven summers
| passed along balancing tin pan on her head
| with naked boy baby on one arm. 1t was an
| odd sight. AS far as L saw the girls were all
| dressed In short chemise. The washing
seemed to be done in the waters of a creek like
| in other countries the vessels for washing
were small and shallow. The houses were of
the same kind as those ut Belize.
From Livingston we proceeded to Port Bar
| rows. Here we were introduced to Mon. and
| Mdme BOisesain who received us most cor
daily showing us through their lovely trop-
| ical home, also accompanying us to the home
| of Mr.. Miller who is in charge of the cOnstruc-
tion of the railroad. Here we landed about go
negros brought to work on the railroad Poor
| fellows they little know TO what suffering and
| trial they are coming. The climate at this
point is most unbearable. The colored people
| suffer more than the whites, because of hard
labor and lack of personal comforts Here a
| very pleasant young man left us. His name was
| Love. Among our passengers was teacher,
one Mrs. Causene. This lady is employed by
| the government to instruct the children at
| Santa Thomas. She was quite Ill. We landed
at her home. While at Livingston we were
taken on a steamer up the Rio Dulce
| A most charming excursion. The scenery
/ was lovely. At times the river seemed surpen-
| tine In its windings then widening out giving
| a most gorgeous display of island and border
scenery All along the bank the luxuriant
and foliage are interspersedwith small houses
with matched roofs and little bright gardens
almost to the waters edge.
lovely land is this Nature bOunteous in