The Republican journal., 1896-09-10


ment, or under some convenient tree, as
suits him best, and cook and eat
his meals wherever he likes, as Jo-
seph and Mary travelled in Judea
Provisions, such as dried beef, chickens.
cheese, eggs, milk, rum and tortillas.
may usually be bought in these VILLAGES
and during seasons of plenty at the small
haciendas, or farms; but what with
locusts and revolutions, and the povertv
and inanity of the people, it is not wise to
take the chances, or the weary pilgrim
may often be compelled to turn sumner
less into his hammock, with no better
prospect for the morrow. He should by
all means go provided with such timed
goods as he can conveniently carry. not
forgetting knife, fork, spoon, plate and
cup; also salt and pepper, ground coffee,
tea, if he is addicted to it, and sugar if he
has not learned to do without that super-
t1uous luxury. small iron affair is also
Indispensable, to serve for kettle. stew
pam coffee pot, punch bowl, and maybe
Tor wash basin in case of emergency. The
alcohol burner with copper vessel on top.
which is our lares and penates and house
mold altar IN the cities, is of no use in these
Wlids, unless one can also carry along a
large amount OF alcohol; and that is
liable to be spilled, or otherwise 'scome
to gllef when far from fresh supply
odd Il, 1.
good company, the stranger may defy
hunger and pass in safety, barring acct
dents, from one end of Honduras to the
other, exchanging a cheerful ''buenos
dias' with every chocolate colored native
he meets; and if he cannot find endless
amusement and ample recompense for his
trouble, he must be alike blind to beauti
full scenery, and incapable of approaching
both the picturesque and ludicrous,
With the zest to enjoy life in an entirely
novel garb, and a constitution strong
enough to bear up under possible mis-
haps, such as an occasional drenching.
dinnerless day. Is hours in the saddle.
| or an involuntary toboggan, mule and all,
down mountain side, he may laugh his
way across the continent and ever after
wards refer to his trip with the most
pleasant recollections.
Unless arrangements have been made
beforehand by some obligng friend on
the spot, the traveller across country is
abln To ha ~
Pedro Sula, before mules and mozos for
his mountain journey can be secured
Like other Spanish Americans the people
hereabouts are full of 'nldndna' and
never do to-day what can possibly be de-
ferred until to morrow; and though ap-
parently i'll wretched poverty are quite
above the Establishments of ''the mighty
dollar" That is, they are Indifferent to
dollars when not inclined to bestir them
selves but demand the highest price for
the smallest service performed. Besides
horses or mules for the party it is neces-
sary to 90 with a mule train to carry the
luggage, in charge of muleteer or chief
mozo, with several other mozos, OF ser
vants-the latter walking the whole dis
lance in their cow hide sandals. Mules
are to Honduras what the camel is to
Arabia, for without these patient and
hardy creatures there would be no means
of transporting goods across the sierras
The tauI0 or she mule is considered much
more valuable than the Htucb0 She is
taught an easy, ambling crack" or rapid
walk, unknown elsewhere, which carries
one over Il wonderful stretch of country
in day with little fatigue to the rider
The mula thus broken is known as an
uudddor0, and is seldom used for cargo
carrying, being valued at from so to
$50; while the price of good, common
mule is only about $50 in silver. In going
across country it is better to purchase a
good animal for oue's own use-and sell
it at the other end of the route for what
one can get, OF give it away if no pur-
chaser is found-than to trust the chances
and probably the greater expense of hir-
ing one. Thanks to our oblging Consul
and the railway people all these details
were perfectly arranged before our ar
rival; and on the appointed morning we
had only to mount our borrowed anda-
doras and sally forth in quest of adven-
ture like modern Dons Quixote. In Hon
duras every lady has her own little saddle
mule, as her sisters in Bahia have their
sedan chairs, or in the United States their
carriages or bicycles. She rides with the
ease and grace that can only come with
constant practice since early childhood -
sitting on the right side of the mule, for
the Central American saddle is construct
ed on opposite principles from those to
which we are accustomed. The right
foot is placed in the stirrup and q tiny
but effective spur is worn on the heel-of
silver, or of gold, if the lady be very
''swell" The habit is usually of gray
linen, or unbleached cotton, or some
light weight checked goods, the broad
brimmed hat, much like those affected by
the female members of the Salvation
r.pv tia1 1p6ar tbn chin while tho