The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-07-22
E!CARAGUAN IRREGULARITIES.
in Physical Development
and Marry Young

A member of the Mughouse club. re-
Gently returned from the Mosquito ter
ritory, or reservation. otherwise the
department of Zelaya. says that the
people down there are for the most part
a mixture of Spanish, Indian and negro,
and possess the characteristics of each
race-the treachery of the Spaniard,
the cunning of the Indian and the tim
idity of the negro. The cross results in
high cheekbones, small, deep-set eyes,
thick lips and Il fiat nose. The color is
light brown. The men are understood,
but the women are remarkably tall and
have a most graceful carriage. due to
the custom of carrying on their heads
burdens which we ordinarily carry in
our hands. This gives them an erect
bearing. and, on account of the con-
slant exercise of the muscles of the
neck and shoulders, beautifully round
ed threats and busts.
These people are utterly unable to
comprehend the meaning of Il pugilistic
encounter. They have no conception
VI uSlllS llNti hiiN "a" "
Tense. Nearly every boy, from the age
of II up, carries a pistol or dirk, and,
strange as it may seem to Americans,
the revolver is the favOrite. The men
carry machetes. Natives rarely engage
in a fair fight. The custom is assassi-
nation. If a murder be not Witnessed
by at least two persons the murderer
cannot be convicted or punished. When
men quarrel they roar and below at the
top Of their voices. and but seldom get
together unless one has Il decided adj
vantage. The padres are l;centious be-
vond belief. and have a strong hold on
the people.
The women are precocious in phys
zeal development. and become mothers
at IL and - years of age. have known
themto bear children at the age of nine.
Babies are not carried in arms, but
astraddIe of the right hip. \ woman
will walk thus burdened for many
miles, and carry a round-bottomed
gourd of wafer on her head without
dropping the vessel or splitting a drop
VI tllt lltilII. III Ip pm vi '"
did anyone ever see Il child in the arms
of a man. This is considered by the ma
tives as a dcmeaning to his manhood.
Just as much as putting a saddle on a
mare-somcthin~ that is never done, as
it would subject the man bold enough
to attempt the innovation to ridicnle
and assault.
One of the institutions of the country
is the sacred ass of Greytown. This an
imal is honOred with the life duty of
bearing in a feast day" procession a
man representing the Saviour entering
Jerusalem. He IS the spoiled pet of the
community and does not hesitate to in
trude upon II household at meal time
and help himself to what he pleaScs
from the table. At times in the parade
he gets stubborn. and when he wants
to halt he haltS. and heaven and earth
cannot move him until he is ready TO 90
on. The procession must await his
pleasure to move.
A highly popular drink of the natives
is a liquor made from mangoes, said TO
have been distilled many years ago by
one Sebastian Gomez. 1t tastes like al
cohol favored with ~turprntine. 1t is
not as seductive as the rum punch of
the Caribbean sea or the couperie of
Dominica.
\ curfew for foreigners only is es-
tablished in Grenada. Anyone caught
on the streets after nine o'clock at night
is arrested.-N. Y. Press.