The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-24

flow by, running like sparkling. innocent
brooks: with beyond a glimpse Of the roar
ing cataracts which fall IN foamy. mad
dening masses some three hundred feet
below. One of our greatest artists
said, : when he saw this particular
stream and fan, that Niagara was pos
sibly grander, but In all his journeys he
had never beheld SO beautiful scene A
curious hill, too, arises nearby, almost
perpendicular, and yet covered with syme-
trcal rows of coffee trees. A traveller
upon asking how in the name of thunder,
Mars or some other diety they were plant
ed there, received the reply from his Mex
lean friend, who accompanied him, why,
with a shotgun, of course" Mexicans have
their spirit of wit as we'll
1t was with real regret we babe good
bye to Jalapa, and going to Vera Cruz the
Spanish for True Crosse boarded the
steamer. We left the harbor at five in the
afternoon and should have arrived the next
morning at our port; but man proposes
and-Well, this time the Norther disposed.
One moment the stars beaTning brightly,
the next, backneSs SO deep You could cut
it with a knife. and angry sea, bowling
winds and pitching, tossing steamer. If
you have ever Travelled on one OF these
dirty Spanish coasters, you viii weep with
US when you hear that we were detained
thereon for five days. There is no har-
Dor where we landed and the steamer an
chored about two miles out to avoid the
sand shoals. Small sail-boats come out
to her ard possible passengers. Five
weary, dismal days we lay there rolling
and tunb,ing on the angry. seethns Gulf
Then the storm abated sufficiently for an
old and intrepid fisherman to come out
N his boat 10 take us off. We were in
real peril Of being swamped several times
in crossing the bar, but what mattered IT,
even if we were shut down below in the
hold, where it was pitchdark, while above
us we could hear. the natives shouting and
calling upon all the saints in the calendar
for a fair wind am! '.un buen viaje. while
now and then the waves swept over the
deck. drenching the seanty raimenI of the
'.pobre marneros.'
4 SIMPLE NEAL.
Once on shore. the old fisherman took
us up to his cabin and spread before US
his simple fare Hor1eiy il was, to be sure,
but after the bareback and garlic abroad
that steamer il was as ambrosia 20 our
sharpened awe1i1es. This old man was,
by the way, the most perfect specimen of
manhood I ever heheid. A Greek god could
not have been more superb!y, more syme-
trically nodded Such noble head on such
a magnificent physique one only fnds at
rare intervals. once more WSpt III SD!llt
that I was not an artist.
After arpeasing the panss of hunger
and shaking hands ali around with he nu-
merous family. kicking out Of the way
several small dogs and big pigs that were
between the table and the door, we pro-
ceeded to accomplish the journey planned
to reach the promised land"
The trsp up the river was made IN
canoes. hewn from cedar logs. about thirty
five feet long, just wide enough TO
seat one person with 'peon'' at ether
end to pole" This part OF the journey
Will ever be joyful remembrance. The
sparkling water, the foliage dense OF
palms, bamboo, fern, cocoanut, coffee and
orange trees adjoining The banks. tae
graceful curves OF the stream, ever ana
anon an Indian girl standing knee deep
in tne water, washing, her few clothes.
the low wailing song of the boatmen ana
last, hat not least, the beautiful! CLEAN OF
the sun as ii sank in fiery glory to us
rest.
This is real hunters paradise. Here we
have snipe, heron. deer and wild ducks
In fact. all kinds Of game aid birds OF say
p!u,nage.
Ts.ece is never-endius source Of delight