Evening journal., 1898-09-12
IN A PORTO RICAN FOREST

A war correspondents adventures
are Get forth by Edwin Emerson, Jr.s in
the September Century, in an article
entitled Alone in Porto Rico" Mr..
Emerson says:
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 l had bought in San
Juan into an old rag, / found myself
on a high range Of eierra. From il
baro negroes learned that l was only
half way between the towns OF Quema-
dos and Jaguas, and that / would find a
better trail for my horse below. So l
rode down a lovely green valley, where
plantations of coffee and tobacco 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 whippoorwills and hooking
birds. At last l struck the trail that
the woman had mentioned. / rode on
a little way and took the horse into a
clearing, where there was spring hid
den from view, and there l hobbled his
feet to the halter rope, flung myself to
the ground, and went fast asleep. The
last thing l heard was the beautiful
song OF the solitaire singing in a copse
above me.
| was awakened early the next morn
ing by the screechlng OF green parrots
quarreling with other birds in the top
OF a oOcoanut palm. l was drenched
with dew, but forgot all as / thought Of
my horse. To my great relief, l found
him standing behind BIT OF oleander
bush red with flowers, crunching the
juicy stalk OF prickly pear. watched
him with interest as he took the stalk
and with his teeth ripped on the skin
with all it's thorns. He whinnied as II
we were old, friends. After bridling
and watering him. l found the trail,
and rode OF southwark On the way
l ate everything l could find, from
green cherries and guava plums to
juicy mangos, which stained the front
OF my coat, and bell apples, the meat Of
which suggested mildew. There we're
also a custard apple, large green fruit
not unlike cream puffs inside.
The most astonishing and the best
VI an Mdn q III NdAltu buiAhS III Jul
language, sour sap 1t is about as large
as a quart bowl, and so nourishing and
full that a single fruit was enough foI
good meal, although that did not de.
ter my horse from eating four. Later
found that they are also relished by
dogs. OF springs and streams there
were so many that I had no fear o.
dying Of thirst. II water was no
handy, I could always climb a cocoanu
tree and throw down the green nuts
which were filled with an abundance o
watery milk, more than / could drinl
at one time. Other nuts there were il
plenty, but many were more curious
than edible, even to my willing appe
tite One had delicious odor. tastei
little, and thought it ideal for flavor
ing candy. But it soon dissolved in m.
mouth in a fine dust, absorbing tn
moisture, so that had to blow it on
like flour. Nothing ever made me s.
thirsty in my life, and even after rims
/, ing out my mouth felt for long tim
as II we're chewing punk or cottor
The fruit Of the tamarind only added t
my torments by setting all my teeth o.
edge When we reached the mex
spring I fell off my horse for fear h
would get all the water Only after
had satisfied my thirst would let hiI
drink