Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-11-09
IN A PORTO RICAN FOREST.
The Wealth of Tropical Fruits and Nuts That
Are TO be Found. =.

hlC W US Iouuus
a war correspondents adventures
are set forth by Edwin Emerson, Jr,
in the Century In an article entitled
.Alone in Porto Rico" Mr.. Emerson
says:
By nightfalI, after had ridden up
and down some OF the most unprepos-
sessing hills, and had got tangled in
no end Of chaparral, cactus, and other
thorny underground, which changed
new pongee coat / had bought In
San Juan into an old rag, found my
self on a high range of sierra. From
jlbaro negress I learned that I was
halfway between the towns OF Que.
mados and Jaguas, and that would
Bnd better trail for my horse below.
So rode down a lovely green valley,
where plantations of coffee and to-
bacco lay side by side. AS 1t grew
darker, bats few all about me, and l
heard the evening cries Of birds which
sounded like our whippoorwllls and
nocking-birds. At last l struck the
trail that the woman had mentioned.
I rode. ON q. little way; and took the
Rotse into d. elearng where there was
a spring well hidden from view, and
there hobbled his feet to the halter
rope flung myself on the ground and
went fast asleep. The last thing I
heard was the beautiful song of the
solitaire singing in copse above me.
Il was awakened ealy the next morn
ing by the screechlng of green parrots,
quarreling with other birds In the top
OF q cocoanut-palm. / was drenched
with dew, bat forgot oil ns.t thought
of my horse. To MY great relief, |
found him standing behind d, bit Of
Ff6leandef=busti red with flowers,
ficrunching the juicy stalk Of q prickly=
pear. watched him with interest as
he took the stalk and with his teeth
ripped off the skin with nil is thorns.
He whinnied as If we were old friends.
After bridling and watering him,
found the trail, and rode. Off south
ward. On the way I ate everything
/ could find, from green cherries and
guava piums to juicy nangos, which
stained the front Of my coat, and bell
apples, the meat Of which suggested
mildew. There we're also custarl.
apples, large green fruit hot unlike
cream-puffs inside;
The most astonishing. and the best
of all was fruit called pulmo-ih OUT
language, sour-sap. It is about aH
large as a quart bowl, and so nourish.
ing and full that n single fruit was
enough for good nenl, although that
did not deter my horse from entina
four. Later I found that they are
also relshed by dogs. OF springs anil
streams there were so many that. !
had no fear Of dying of thirst. If
water was not handy, I could always
climb a cocoanut-tree, and throw down
the green nuts, which were filled with
an abundance Of watery milk, more
than / could drink at one time. Other
nuts there trere in plenty; but many
were more curious than edibleN even
to my willing appetite. One had a de.
licious odor. / tasted little, and
thought it ideal for havoring candy
But 1t soon dissolved in my mouth In
a fine dust, absorbing all the moisture
SO that had to blow it'out like -four
Nothing ever made me so thirsty II
my life, and even after rinsing out my
mouth felt for long time as If
were chewing punk CT cotton. The
fruit of the. tamarind only added to my
torments By setting all my teeth on
edge. When we reached the next
spring, 1 fell off my horse for fear he
would get all the water. Only after
I had satisfied my thirst would lie,
him drink.