Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-06
DOWN ON THE ISTHMUS
THE DISCoMFoRTs OF LIFE IN
PANAMA.
Despite All the Disadvantages of TX
istence There One Yearns
to Return

From the San Francisco Call.
Life in Panama has its disadvantages,
said a mining man from the Darien dis
trict. The luxuriant vegetation, gayly
plumaged birds and the happy, care-free at
mosphere of the tropics may appeal to peo-
pie of artistic temperament, but the prac-
teal man is too conscious of the many
physical discomforts that he meets l can
tell you that it is no fun to ride a mule
that has to wade through mud four feet
deep, to be poisoned by the venomous in
sects that infect those regions or to put up
with the lazy, unprincipled habits Of the
degraded natives.
ITO begin with, the number of insects that
gion. We think the fieas of California are
a dreadful pest, but we do not appreciate
the fact that it is possible t. catch them Gf
one have sufficient agility. Now the Pan
anna flea is tiny creature, bright red in
color, and it is almost impossible to see
him. When you are aware of his presence
land he is very forcble in making himself
known, the only means of relief is to battle
in alcohol. And. since he is an omnipresent
creature that means an alcohol bath every
night before retiring If you omit this OPP
Grafton you are assured of a wakeful night.
Foot Insects.
Still worse than the little red flea and far
that gets into the flesh of the feet usually
about the nail. This insect itself is micro
SCOPE, and it burrows into the flesh laying
an egg that soon matches and causes a most
disagreeabe itching with final swelling.
| The little sack in which the egg is laid
Swells to the size of ordinary pea and
causes so much soreness and pain that If
| has to be removed as soon as possible in
order to prevent blood poisoning Many
people have had to have toe amputated
on account Of the infection of this little
insect.
The novice in the opera ton of removing
the insect from his foot experiences much
discomfort for. as in everything else there
Is the proper wa to do it, and the for
eigner that is shrewd will take his cue from
| the natives, who evince much skill in this
| little surgical operation. When the itching
| is first felt the sack may be easily removed
without dra wing the blood. but If allowed
| to remain the soreness and swelling make
| the operation a painful one. Many Ameri-
| cans have been laid up for months on ac-
| count of these insects. and there are cases
| in which foot Las been amputated to save
! life.
ITO be free from the torments of these
! cleatures seems an utter impossibiiity since
| they and the red fleas win find their way
| under heavy buckskin legeins and stiff
| walking boots. The only solution of the
! problem Is to learn from the natives the
! trick of removing them. when out upon
| expeditions it is not uncommon to see the
| natives sit suddenly upon the ground and
| begin to operate upon their toes. There is
| another creature. boring worm. that
sometimes gets below the skin. 1t is similar
| in effect to the one l have just described
| and may be cut out in the same manner
Snakes Are Plentiful
Snakes of all descriptions. from the boa
constructor to the common harmless snake
| of smallest dimensions also thrive in the
| regions of Panama One of the most deadIv
of these reptiles infests the trees that over
| hang the streams and when polling I'D the
| rivers the natives are constantly on the
alert for them. The white man who wishes
| to sail on the streams sits in the middle of
| the Canoe-'piragu his gun across
his knees and shoots as the natives point
out the snakes in the spreading branches
| AS many as twenty of these large. poison
| Gus snakes have been shot In distance of
| two or three miles up the river There
| seems to be no creature of which the blacks
| have more fear than they have of these
| venomous snakes, and they will pole away
| out into the current rather tnan go beneath
| the thick Eark trees, where these enemies
| TO human life may Turk"
Some of the snakes make a sound like the
cluck of hen. One night, the mining man
related, after he had put out the light, he
heard this peculiar noise, which sounded
loud enough TO be in his room. He dared
not step on the floor but, reaching for a
| lantern, struck light and cautiously made
his way about the room. Finding nothing
he went outside gun in hand. The houses
are set four feet from the ground to per-
NIT of q free circulation of air and thus
prevent fever, and when he stopped and
cast the light of the lantern under the
house there was a o0iled snake larger round
| than a mans arm and fully ten feet long
| He shot the snake and found easy explana-
ton for the nearness of the sound since the
| mahogany floors Mahogany is just as COM
mon in Panama as redwood Is in Califor-
MAJ are made with wide cracks And the