Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-07-20


hands. The gnats bother US worse than
the mosquitoes, for they make no noise
In flying, and are 80 small that their
presence Il known only when they bite.
Their bite. too. IL more severe than
that Of the mosquito, and VIII often itch
for a week
Il must be- understood in speaking Of
pests that the flea IL always with US.
We have now come 90 regard him as a
part and portion OF the expedition.
lie bites only when he needs
20 eat and eats only
three or four times a day, At first we
spent much time in trying 10 get rid
OF him, but when the road-tIcks. the
gnatB and the mosquitoes came. our
opinion OF the flea changed for the
better
NOW IN NICARAGUA.
On Monday. June 3rd, at $3.50 a. mo
We crossed the line into Nicaragua,
ard after travelling through pleas
ant country for three hours came TO
large hacienda called Las Mesas, where
we nOOned. II is owned by q family
named Balladares Carcache, and is the
largest stock hacienda We have seen
since we left Mrs Hursts Baylcoroa
ranch IN the Sierra Madres. Dr. Yulio
Castro a physician In Leon, and a
member OF the family by marriage, was
at the hacienda on business at the
time Of our visit and In the absence
OF the other members he kindly invit-
ed us 10 stay for dinner
The house is situated on hill ana
commands u view which for beauty
Is seldom eqGaled To the east for tel
miles is q beautiful rolling valley,
where. North and west are the moun-
In the distance. TO the south a level
plane stretched out twenty miles to
the range Of volcanoes, Of which Chin
andega Is the most prominent peah.
There are green trees and grass every
where. North and west are the noun
tains and hills Of Honduras. over which
we have lately travelled This hacienda
has ten caserias or ranches, which
milk six thousand head OF cows. But
ter and cheese are It's main products
the butter finding ready market In
Leon at dollar a pound. The butter
we had Tor dinner was us good, though
not SO hard as our ranch butter at
home, while the cheese Is equal 10 the
best we have seen south of Mexico,
For three days we travelled over land
owned on controlled by the owners or
Las Mesas, and both for grazing or for
agriculture the land rs equal TO the
best. Their estate extends for forty
miles In length and is almost as broad
as long.
Wednesday evening we met a new
obstacle, On account Of the recent
heavy rains one of the small streams
which forms the Negro river was far
beyond the fordlng point, and from a
large creek was swollen TO a rushing
river. We could not cross, 30 IN a de-
serted house near By we made camp
for the night, and discussed the situa.
tion. We knew that during the wettei
months OF the rainy season all travel
along this road was suspended on ne
count OF high water We were told,
too. that at times the rivers overflow
their banks and form one continuous
stream ten miles Wide. and wo be to
any belaled traveller who happens TO
get In the Hood We were surprised,
too. TO see water coming from some
where, we did not know where at the
! time, and flooding the road mile or
two back, bat we did not suspect for n
moment that already the rising OF the
waters had begun As Il was late, moth
ing could be done that night. 30 we de-
cided tofawalt developments, The food
might be past by morning, or some one
might come with "a canoe and thus our
troubles be ended But when morning
came the river had risen rather than
fallen, and as It had ralned again In
the night all hope OF speedy fall was
| abandoned We determined 10 make a
raft. but could find no timber suitable
| finally In our search we found where
large trees on either bank leaned out
ward, and on the lower limbs OF these
| we could lay poles, thus forming u
bridge This was decided upon, and
soon oil were at work getting poles
clearing brush and unnecessary limbs
away. BY ten o'clock the bridge was
| finished No one but an expert or u
tlght-rope dancer could walk IL. and
| hence We had considerable trouble In
getting our things across. but by II
O'Clock all were across, including the
horses, which swan across the ford be-
low. And luckily We met with no worse
| acciden, than the loss Of a saddle pad:
| though the slip OF foot. or the break
A Ina ,s tel,