The Republican journal., 1896-11-12

=
tween it and other islands-a harbor with
in harbor-is calm as trout pool, but
with room enough to anchor a thousand
vessels within pistol shot of the town.
Yet, owing to the Incidence of the ma
tives, the short distance between anchor
age and shore must be made by passengers
in dug out canoes and little sail boats with
curious awnings; while freight is convey
ed on lighters, by men using rude pad
dies tied to long poles. The wharves of
Senior Dardano's day have fallen into de-
cay in the lapse of years, and seemingly
there is nobody in Honduras with energy
enough to repair them. The boats are
run as near as possible to the shelving
beach, and both passengers and freight
''toted' to shore on the boatrnen's Shout
ders.
Ones first impression of Amapala is of
wonderfully vivid coloring-green sea,
blue sky, yellow beach, white walled
houses, lush mountain foliage, gorgeous
flowers and birds of brilliant plumage.
To the right OF the landing place, in a
small plaza full of cocoanut trees, stands
white marble statue of Francisco Mora
zan. The low iron fence surrounding it
has all it's posts topped with figures rep
resentng the quetzal-the national en-
blem of liberty, like Uncle Samuel's eagle
the bright green bodies, scarlet breasts,
yellow heads and long tails of the little
paint can do it. prominent feature in
the landscape is the inevitable barracks,
with swarthy, cigarette soldiers
lounging around it; their wretched-lo
ing women squatted on the ground near
by cooking tortillas and frejoles; and
naked babies rolling in the sand. Beyond
the barracks, at the end of the decayed
wharf, stands the all important aduana.
or Custom House, from which Honduras
derives considerable revenue. Amapala' S
main street is picturesquely shaded by
mangoes and cocoa palms; and under the
trees in the open street, and in the CORR
doris surrounding the Custom House,
market is held in the early morning.
Alphabetically, the most interesting
structure is a very quaint old church,
half way up the hillside in the outskirts
of the village. 1t has three towers
in a line with the facade, pierced with
innumerable small green windows, the
| rest of the edifce painted white as
white can be, in glaring contrast with
the surroundings. The view from this
point is inspiring. Close before you
stretches Sacate Grande Island, irregular
ly shaped and yellow erased; to the left,
ranks OF cone islands, all aglow with green
on all sides blue mountains, outlined
against a bluer sky, some near, some
shadowy in the distance. The oldest
mountain shapes appear on the mainland
of San Salvador, in peaks and broken
ridges, which seem to rise in regular ter
races. The little you can see of Hondu-
ras, with Sacate Grande between, looks
like a great mangrove swamp, above
which hangs a thick veil of mist; but
looking closely, behind the haze you pres
emily discern low hills covered with verdi
ure, and beyond them more ragged peaks
and cones. Directly above you, Tigre' S
3, 600 feet loom skyward, growing higher
and higher the Longer you gaze, its sum
nit lost in a cloud-cap. The whole great
cone is loaded with greenest verdure to
the waters edge where, just visible above
the glistening surf, are gigantic masse s
of lava, like a black wall, outlining all
In the sleepy little village few Germans
are engaged in business, few natives
serve them as roustabouts and cargadores,
and a few Indians fish along shore. But
for the most part the island is still unin-
habited.
The broad level plains between the
ridges are said to be immensely fertile and
capable of sustaining at least 10000 peo-
Pile; but except for half dozen small
cleared spaces near Amapala it is all
! densely wooded the haunt of deer and
other game.
The route to Hond uras' Capital from
its western border is environed with as
many difficulties as the Mohammedan' S
road to heaven. After the Custom House
inspectors of Amapala have been wrestled
with and overcome, you naturally en-
quire what arrangements can be made for
the rest of the journey, the 105 miles to
Tegucigalpa, counting the Is miles to the
main land. AS elsewhere in this weary
world there are plenty of people to give
good advice, but the renderers of actual
assistance are rare as visiting angels. They
tell you that travel by the canine real,
the great highway across Honduras, is I'M
surpassed-only it is extre mely dusty in
the dry season and dangerously Doggy in
the wet. OF course you must go on mule
back; but are informed that it is almost i'm
possible to get mules at either port, because
passenger travel is so small. The natives,
and foreigners living in the country, have
their own animals, but nobody finds ii
worth while to keep extra ones for the few
| outsiders who NAV bannan a1onU in the