The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-11-04
IN A PORTO R,cAN FOREST.
fhe Wealth of Tropical Fruits an.
Nuts that Are to BE Found.

fhe Wealth of Tropical Fruits and
Nuts that Are to BE Found.
By nightfall, 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 a
new pongee coat / had bought in San
Juan into an old rag, found myself on
a high range Of sierra. From jibaro
negress learned that was half way
between the towns Of Quemados and
Jaquas, and that 1 would find better
trail for my horse below. So I rode
down lovely green valley, where plan
tations of coffee and tobacco lay side by
side. AS 1t grew darker, bats few all
about me, and heard the evening cries
Of birds which sounded like our whip
poorwtlls and mockingbirds. AT last
struck the trail that the woman had
mentioned. 1 rode on little way, and
took the horse into a clearing, 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 l heard was the beautiful song
of the solitaire singing in copse above
me,
I was awakened early the next morn
ing by the screeching Of green parrots,
quarreling with other birds in the top
Of cocoanut palm. l was drenched
with dew, but forgot all as l thought
n h0rln 7
found him standing behind a bit of ole
ander bush red with flowers, crunching
the juicy stalk Of prickly pear. watch
ed him with interest as he took the
stalk and with his teeth ripped off the
skin with all its thorns. He whinnied
as If we were old friends. After bridling
and watering him found the trail, and
rode off southwark. On the way 1 ate
everything I could find, from green
cherries and guava plums to juicy man
goes, which stained the front Of my
coat, and bell apples, the meat of which
suggested mildew. There were also
custard apples, large green fruit not
unlike cream puffs inside.
The most astonishing and best Of all
was fruit called pulmo-in our Ian
guage, sour sap. 1t Is about as large as
a quart bowl, and so nourishing and
full that a single fruit was enough for
a good meal, although that did not deter
my horse from eating four. Later I
found that they are also relished by
dogs. OF springs and streams there
were so many that had no fear Of dy-
ing of thirst. If water was not handy,
I could always climb a cocoanut tree
and throw down the green nuts, which
were filed with an abundance Of wa
terry milk, more than 1 could drink at
one time. Other nuts there were in
plenty, but many were more curious
than edible, even to my willing appe-
tite. One had delicious odor. tasted
a little, and thought it ideal for flavor
ing candy. But 1t soon dissolved in my
mouth in a fine dust, absorbing all the
moisture, so that had to blow 1t out
like flour. Nothing ever made me so
thirsty in my life, and even after rims
ing out my mouth l felt for a long
time as If were chewing punk or cot
ton. 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
I let him drink.-Century.