St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-14
In a Porto Rican Forest.

A war correspondents adventures are
set forth by Edwin Emerson, Jr, in the
September Century in an article entitled
Alone in Porto Rico" Mr.. Emerson
says: By nightfall, after l had ridden
up and down some OF the most unpre-
possessing hills, and had got tangled in
no end OF chaparral, cactus and other
thorny undergro with, which changed a
new pongee Hat had bought in San
Juan into an old rag, found myself on
high range of sierra. From a jibaro
negress | learned that ! was halfway
between the towns of Quemados and
Jaguas, and that | would find better
trail Tor my horse below. So rode
down lovely green valley. where plan
tations oil coffee and tobacco lay side by
side. AS it grew darker, bats flew all
about me, and heard the evening cries
OF birds which sounded like our whip
poorwills and knocking. birds. At last |
struck the trail that the woman had
mentioned. rode on little way, ana
took the horse into a clearing, where
there was spring well hidden rom
view, and there hobbled his feet to the
halter rope, flung myself on the ground
and went fast asleep. The last thing |
heard was the beautiful song OF the soli-
taire singing in copse above me.
was awakened early the next morn
ing by the screeching Of green parrots,
quarreling with other birds in the top of
a cocoanut palm. was drenched with
dew, but forgot all as thought OF my
horse. To my great relief ! found him
standing behind bit of oleander bush,
red with flowers, crunching juicy stalk
of prickly pear. l watched him with
interest as he took the stalk and with
his teeth ripped off the skin with its
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 / ate everything
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
were also custard apples. a large green
fruit not unlike cream puffs inside.
The most astonishing and the 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
tnat single 1ruit was enough lot goou
meal, although that did not deter my
horse from eating four Later | found
that they are also relished by dogs. o.
springs and streams there are so many
that had no fear Of dying of thirst. j
water was not handy, ! could always
climb cocoanut tree and throw down
the green nuts, which were filed with an
abundance of watery milk, more than
could drink at one time. Other nuts
there were in plenty; but many were
more curious than edible, even to my
willing appetite. One had delicious
odor. tasted a little and thought it
ideal for favoring candy. But it soon
dissolved in my mouth in fine dust, alb
sorbing all the moisture, so that | had
to blow it out like fl ,ur Nothing ever
made me so thirsty in my lite, and even
after rinsing out my mouth felt for a
long time as if | were chewing punk or
cotton. The fruit of the tamarind only
added to my torments by setting all my
teeth on edge. When we reached the
next spring fell off my horse for fear he
would get all the water. Only after
had satisfied my thirst would let him
drink,