The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-21
Novelties Of Voyage South From
San Francisco.
TRAVELLED PACIFIC MAIL ROUTE
Old Style Landings for Big Places.
Industries and PeOpie-A Case
of PenanCe.
(By II. r. HANNAH.

Comparatively lew people know the
pleasure of sea voyage from San
Francisco down the west coast of Mex
leo and Central America. The steam
ers Of the Pacific Mail Co. are more
than comfortable; and officers perfect
gentlemen who do their utmost to con-
tribute to the comfort and pleasure of
the voyagers. The table is excellent
and the staterooms clean and comfort
able.
Not long since, l boarded the steam
er Colon, at San Jose de Guatemala on
my way to San Francisco. San Jose is
the main seaport of Guatemala and
there is great deal Of freight shipped,
both to and from that port A large iron
wharf runs about one-fourth mile in
to the ocean, and the freight and pas
sengers are lightered to and from the
steamer. Freight is raised and lower
ed in sings from the wharf to the
lighters, with the aid Of the donkey
engine, and the passengers are treated
likewise, in cage. The sensation is
rather a peculiar one-to find oneself
floating in mid-air, dropping down in
to the launch thirty or forty feet; but
the men are very careful, and acct
dents are very rare. Reaching the side
of the steamer, we are taken on board
in the same manner, and are soon ar
ranging our traps in our staterooms,
and then down below again to see that
our trunks are properly marked for
our different destinations. One young
lady, who had made a trip some time
previously from Champerico, was dis
appointed when she arrived in San
Francisco, to find that her trunk had
been put off at Champerico. on account
of the old sticker.
About O'Clock we get our clearance
papers, the last mail packet, and short
ly a steam launch brings abroad Don
rior of the Republic of Guatemala, and
prominent member of the legisla-
ture of that Republic, Don Francisco
Toledo.
supper, gather on the deck, and scan
the faces of our fellow passengers,
Two ladies are all we can boast ola
young German lady who is travelling
with her brother, and a married wo-
man, with her husband, a young Qua
ternalan. Among those who were on
board are three mining engineers, who
by a strange coincidence came down
on the same steamer with me, IS
months since, and who are gladly re-
turning to civilization from a trying
experience in the Peruvian mines.
A few hours sail and morning finds
us anchored at Champerico. Several
hours we wait and no launches come to
receive our cargo. On investigating
we find a difference of a few dollars
between the agency and the longshore-
men. After a good deal of palaver
thisris settled and we unload and next
morning we are in Ocas. Short lines Of
railroad run up from these ports into
Guatemala and bring out a great deal
of coffee, which is the principal ex-
port of Guatemala. Very fine coffee is
raised here, the choicest being all ship
ped TO Germany.
Our next stop is at Acapulco, Mexico,
ana a beautiful bay it is. The town is
about 5000 and quite picturesque,
with it's narrow streets, low tile roof
ed houses. The market place is a curl
osity of dirt and filth; meat is cut from
all bones and hung up in festoons,
seemingly for the sole purpose of at
tracing the flies, which abound in
swarms. Mud matched houses are the
residences of the lower classes. Green I
cocoanuts are sold for the milk they
contain, considered very fine by all. |
Three or four may be purchased for /
10 cents. All kinds of tropical fruits, !
cakes and native CONNECTIONS, "refres-
cas- or cooling drinks, (Which are not |
cooling) are to be had on all sides for
a few cents.
The people are devout Catholics |
here, especially the women. About |
five blocks from the church we en-
young woman, % or "a
years of age, nicely dressed in the ma
i've costume, laboriously walking
along the middle of the street, on her
knees, in that boiling tropical sun,
towards the church, accompanied by
her serving woman, who endeayored
o in a measure protect her from the
sun. A few people were struggling
along behind, and we inquired the |.
,ause of this extraordinary behavior.
We were told that the young lady had
ust risen from a serious illness of sew