The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-04-01

/ INC pIoptlllnS power, HdrneSSeu three
abreast, the central one in the shafts.
When native travels in style, he re-
quires several more mules to his carriage,
i a leader, ridden by postillion, harnessed
ahead of the three, and as many in the
rear as he can afford mozos (men- ser
vants) to mount them. The roads in
Salvador are, as rule, extremely bad
unpaved, ungraded cuts, just wide
enough to allow two carts to pass one
another, leading sharply up hill and down
dale. The ground is very soft and fire.
quently muddy, the rainfall excessive dur
ing the wet season, and bridges scarce as
hens teeth. Whenever traffic or rain
storm cuts deep holes and bitches in the
road bed bundles of twigs and brush,
loose earth and stones, are dumped in at
the expense of the government and con-
Sidered quite sufficient to remedy the i'm
perfection. Transportation of goods from
Sonsonate, and from the other two sea-
ports of the country to the inland towns,
is uoHe DS UltduS Oh lWO- WneeIeQ carts
drawn by oxen. The cart is of solid con-
struction, 9 feet long by three and one
half feet wide, and the body rests directly
upon the wooden axle without any
springs; and as may be imagined, its
crcaking makes the welkin ring. In
the dry season, when the roads
are supposed to be good, seven "cargas, :"
of l. ''arrobas'' each, e, 100 pounds) is
considered the average load of one cart :;
but in rainy weather, when the roads are
we'll nigh impossible, the load is reduced
to 500 pounds OF less. Whenever an axle
breaks, which is very common occur
renee, or, more commonly STILL when
ever cart gets stuck in mud hole out
of which the small, lean, ill-fed beasts
cannot pull it after any amount of cudgel-
ing, it is the custom of the road to I'M
load the cargo and carry it on the Shout
ders of the cartmen beyond the difficult
pass, in order to draw the empty vehicle
to a safe place, where they load again !;
only to repeat the sticking and unloading
process two or three miles ahead perhaps
many times in course of the journey.
None think of mending the ditch or hole
that detains them, and the next Corners
fare the same way The country shows
plenty of forest lands, rich pastures
among the hills and the usual small farms
of sugar cane, corn and beans. Coffee is
produced in all parts of Salvador, at an
elevation of between 800 and 1000 feet,
and is by far the most important product
of the country, for some years past form
ing more than half the total export. In
digo is another staple production, but has
fallen off in value good deal since chem
ical dyes have come into favor. The
plant known to botany as Indigofera
Anil, is called in Salvador by the aborig-
inal name, Jilquilite. 1t grows best on
high, rocky soil and is cultivated to a con-
siderable extent by the crudest methods
The usual plan here is to merely burn off
the bush scatter seed broadcast, and let
( IL SION do DtSl IL Cdl HIS Is ptucGdllN
done in May; and by September the har-
vest is ready-when the flower buds are
about to open being the time when the
plant is richest in indigo yielding matter
1t is cut at a few inches above the root
the leaves and stems tied into small bun
dies and conveyed at once to the factory
In ba lot h,Ia
together, each one being on a little lower
level than the other. The sheaves are
piled IN the uppermost tank, covered with
water, and heavy weights piled on top
A fermentation, more or less rapid takes
place, according to temperature, IA hours
being the limit. The liquid, which has
run off into the next lower tank, where it
must be kept in state of violent agita-
ton in order to oxygenize it. For this
purpose it is beaten for several hours by
men armed with long paddles, thus con-
stantly exposing new surfaces to the ac-
ton of the air. 1t is then run off into
Il
ed shrub, known as ''cuaja tinta," (ink
curdler) is added, which has the effect of
precipitating the indigo to the bottom of
the tank. Then the water is drawn off,
leaving the ''tinta' in the shape of pur-
pie colored mud at the bottom, which is
afterwards dried and pressed into cakes
ready for market. There is no doubt that
this industry might be rendered much
more profitable if careful methods and
improved apparatus were introduced in
the cultivation and manufacture of the
product. Last year about 10, 600 serrones
of indigo were exported from Salvador
one serron being equivalent to $50 pounds.
Sugar cane is cultivated to some extent
all over the country, and besides furnish
ing enough sugar, molasses and rum fol-
home consumption, ranks next to indigo
among the exports. The soil and climate
seem particularly adapted to its growth,
and with the introd NC ton Of capital and
improved machinery Salvador would soon
take front rank among the sugar produc-
ing countries. The greater part of that