The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-30

constipation DIT Pierce 5 Pleasant Pellets
should be occasionally taken with the
others. They never grippe.
for to leave them out of the reckoning
would be to almost depopulate any of
these coast towns. AS before indicated,
foreigners are much more numerous here
than Costa Rcans. In fact more incon-
gruous cOnglomeration of the genus homo
one small city. But the tropical air which
pervades the place, the waving palms and
screeching parrots and chattering mon
keys, nude pickaninnies gamboling in
the streets and turkey buzzards biacken-
ing the house tops--all possess a certain
charm for newly arrived travellers. There
is a big American hotel, called the
Grand resting on piers set in the cor
al reef where ceaseless spray from the
nearby surf reflects rainbow tnts in the
sunlight. Fronting the hotel is a large
plaza distressingly ''laid OUT by land
scape gardeners; but having recently es-
capped their hands it may in time recover
and become the thing of beauty in
tended. In these exuberent regions
Mother Nature is the best gardener-al-
ways beniticent, generous and in harmony
with the surroundings. Nowhere else do
roses grow wild in such endless variety
and indescribable luxuriance. Orchids,
and ditfuse inetfable fragrance. Though
growing parasitically on the trunks and
branches of trees and drawing nourish
ment only from the atmosphere, each
blossom generally remains in full pelfec-
ton about three months. Some of them
are as freakish as though endowed with
animal life, assuming the most grotesque
shapes of beasts and insects | have
seen perfect representations OF huge
tiutterng butterflies, in all their brllian-
cy OF c0loring; others resembling bees,
spiders, lizards, birds and bull head fish :;
and few are shudderngly like wiggling
serpents. These singular flowers abound
in most fantastic loveliness in the dam p
forests of Talamanca, yet have been
known to thrive well when transferred o
city greenhouses. They have even been
exported to the United States and Eng
land--and in the latter country are so
highly priced that last year Lord Some
body is said to have paid six hundred
pounds sterling for one fragile plant
Speaking OF flowers, the one most
valued in Costa Rica is species of orchid
known as the Espiritu Santo, or "Holy
Ghost - The base of the blossom is pure
white, in the shade of large vase, while
tiuttering within it is the complete simili-
tude of an exquisite dove, with out
stretched wings: SO perfect and strik-
ing is the resemblance that the supersti-
tious natives attach to it supernatural
significance; and to neglect to cross one
self at sight of the phenomenon is looked
upon as rank heresy. Indeed, the most
irreverent and unimaginative Yankee
would feel like taking off his hat before
such wonder as | saw in Limon, "a
great cluster of Espiritn Santo blossoms
clinging to red-tile roof and forming a
bases, the color was purple to all its vary
ing tints, from the darkest shade to the
faintest lilac, the petals shimmering wit h
recent dews as if powdered with diam ond
dust
Are there snakes in Costa Rica? is a
question | am frequently asked. Well,
far as encouragement to immigration is
concerned | wish we could draw the
veil literally, between them and our
selves-a cast-iron veil, deep as we'll
and high as a church steepie; but even
then have no doubt that their persistent
snakeships would manage somehow to
snakes, and such tales as are told of
them by the natives, who seem to gloat
over horrors of this nature with grim
sort of fascination, much as they fear and
detest them. To credit the stories that
are narrated around campfires and in
home circles to shuddering but delighted
youngsters, would be to believe that the
forests are fairly swarming with reptiles,
big and little, with monstrous serpents,
writing around every limb and deadly
vipers lurking under every leaf, while the
river, beds are lined and paved with
alligators whose sole food is human flesh.
But great deal Of allowance must be
made for the lurid fervor of the Latin
imagination. In sober truth, the snakes
are many in certain localities, and some
times dangerous, but not nearly SO
numerous and venomous as in some parts
of the world, Thew are freouentlv met