The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-09-16


punch them with long pole tipped with
an iron point.
Some of the houses of Punta Arenas
notably those of the German merchants
the captain of the port, and other govern
ment officials-would do credit to any
town; but the majority are windowless,
with cane walls and matched roofs. and
the best that can be said of them is that
the ventilation is excellent. Nearly every
house has its brand-new sewing machine,
buzzing away just inside the doorway.
manipulated by proud, but barefooted
woman-not so much suggestive of prog
ress, however, as of the persuasive pow
ers of some Yankee agent Being the
only seaport of account on the western
coast Punta Arenas is also bathing
place of fashionable resort-the Cape Nav
of the country, with this difference. that
the Costa Rican resort is patronized in
winter instead OF summer. The season
opens in January and closes in April, and
during those months the first families
flock here to tlirt with Neptune, and in
cidentally, perhaps, with one another.
Their cottages extend for miles along the
shore, and they have their bathing boxes
and clam bakes, their yachting parties
and horseback jaunts, very much after
the manner Of North Americans
There is a big clean looking hospital at
the edge of the town, which is said TO full
ill its purpose satisfactorily. Looking
over its records, | saw that within the
last 10 years 620 foreigners have been
treated within it, and $50 natives: and
out OF the whole number only POI died.
The diseases We're principally remittant
fever, dysenteries and ulcers. The To-
cality is not unbealthful, and yellow fever
has never visited it, however it may be
raging in Panama, not far below, or
in Acapulco above.
Waiting two or three hours in the plaza
for our train to make ready was by no
means a monotonous experience. 1t was
Sunday afternoon, the gala day of the
week; music was in the air, cock pits,
gambling booths, billiard saloons and
drinking places in full blast. Lounging
everywhere were dirty, miserable looking
soldiers, uniformed only in cotton shirts
and trousers, carrying antique sword
bayonets and cartridge boxes. They are
of Costa Rica's regular army, whose en-
tire force numbers 800 men. Every ten
minutes a trumpeter at the gate of the
Quartet executed lively solo, for what
purpose, who can say? The bells of sew
eral churches ratified their rusty tongues
for vespers, apparently all unheeded.
Guitars and mandolinS tinkled in many
doorways, and the patte1 of dancing feet
was heard inside. Here and there a group
of musicians with rude marimbus carried
or a spirited concert, and raked in reales
from admirers of the Spanish and Indian
airs. Everybody who could lay hands on
any sort OF musical instrument gave vent
10 the melody within him. At last
brass band piped up in the middle of the
plaza and the aristocrats turned out to
exhibit their best clothes on the prone
made Still the Angelus bells continued
insistant reminders
Ava Maria lis the houl of prayer.
Ava Maria lis the hour Of love-
And Just as the sun, in crimson and gold
en- glory, was going to bed in the western
Gulf, the shrill whistle Of the tiny loco
motive sounded, and we babe not TN
willing ados to Punta Arenas.
our train consisted of one passenger
and three freight cars. The engine
which burned wood-was made in Tren-
ton, \. j., the cars in Wilmington, Del.
AS only one engine is employed on this
section of the road, going both ways,
passengers need not worry about the dan
ger of collisions. a'he ticket office is as
remote from the point of departure as the
place where postage stamps are sold is
from the post office. The fare for the II
miles to Esparza is three times as much
as it would be for the same distance in
the United States, and the rate of speed
e-third as great. The English conduc-
tor was dressed in jacket and trousers of
dark blue cloth, and the shining handle
of a revolver protruded suggestively from
his right hip pocket. We stopped twice,
once to get water and once to make steam
The road for the first few miles leads
through a tropically rich forest peopled
with birds of brilliant plumage, but with
smell of salt water in the air, and the
sound of surf beating upon rocky shore.
Presently it turns inland, through cocoa
nut and coffee groves, and past groups of
thatched cottages set in iowery gardens.
We crossed one noteworthy bridge, which
the railway company has thrown across
the Barranca River. 1t is 127 yards long
and said to be the finest bridge in Central
America.
| Esparza lies little more than 700 feet
above sea-level, amid lime and orange
groves, cocoa palms and bananas; every
house over-run with flowers and half hid
den by dense vegetation. Upon one side
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