The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-27
IN PANAMA FOREST.
Some of the Pests Which Make
Travelling Unpleasant on the 18TH
mus--Nature Reveling in Prodi-

gality. ...
George II. Paine In the Sun.
Game Is In profusion: waterfowl in
the marshes and along the rivers, with
occa sionally cayman; in the bush,
monkeys, deer (smaller, but otherwise
like our own of the Eastern states)
pheasants, peccaries, parrots, pigeons,
and multitude of other forms, many
of them with an appetizing sound, to
the American ear, and many others,
Just as nutritious perhaps and common
enough on the local bill Of fare, but
nauseating In name and aspect. To
'live off the country" would be SIM
pie matter, were 1t not that all game
must be eaten within an hour or two
Of being killed and is consequently
tough. Jerking" is an unknown art
IN those ATTITUDES and is probably i'm
practicable because of the prevailing
humidity; nor does salt (Which is soon
found to be luxury as the bush Is
penetrated) appear to act as an effec-
tive restrainer on insect attack. The
absence of ice, the great modern pre-
servative, is the only real hardship to
Northerner, and Is felt in many ways
Sc far as the potability of warm water
is concerned, one gets used to 1T after
the first two or three days, but the
thought of the cold morning plunge,
which one longs for, dreams of even,
and yet cannot possibly have, is posi-
tive torture at times.
Everywhere, along the trails and on
the infrequent savannas, is vegetable
food for man and beast-if it's identity
could only be known to any but a nat
uralist. So "touch not, handle not"
must be the motto of the casual
stranger. Reach out in passing, to idly
break a slender vine and with only
slight twitch, the finger is cut to the
bone, followed by an open and irri-
tatng sore for fortnight. And there
are other. quite as good, reasons for
letting things alone. Lean thoughtless-
ly against a fallen tree and, If you are
lucky and have quick eyes, you will be
able to escape a sting from a lurking,
bark-colored centipede or scorpion.
Brush carelessly against a low-hang-
ing bough and presently you are a
crawling mass Of parasites, almost
microscopic, who will bury their effect
i've little heads or their sure-to-hatch
little eggs under your skin; they yield
to an alcohol or kerosene "rub," but
are not the less provoking on that score
and are the mortal pest of domestic
cattle. When the sort which buries its
head first takes hold it is not larger
than the head of a very small pin, but
shortly you shall see it grow to the
size Of a very large bean; few dozen,
in the folds of the skin or the external
ear of horse or steer, IL not attended
to, may literally worry the animal to
death. Hence the cattle, which draw
the mahogany logs from the hills to
the streams, are generously sprayed
with kerosene.
The streams are full of fish; not very
good eating to one who is accustomed
to our firm-feshed, toothsome trout,
bass and whitetish, since their tropical
congeners are fabby and bony. Never
theless, they are sometimes a pleasant
change from the otherwise endless iter-
alton of very tough game or very salt
meat. If you are native, you are not
an angler. In the first place, you have
not hook, and secondly, to angle in
wolves an appreciable amount of con-
tinuous effort and attention. So, in
stead, You strip several armfuls of bark
from certain common treee, allow it
to dry in the sun, pulverize it in a
large wooden mortar, and then. when
you want fish, spread a few handfuls
ever pool, and presently, your fish
will rise, stupefied, to the top of the
water.
Scrambling up the sides, sliding down
the sides of gullies at angles which
seem impossible to anything without
it is actually accom-
plished; lodging tree here, jumping
log there, ducliing to avoid a low limb
which over-stretches the trail. Some
times clinging to the pommel, some
times to the cantle of your saddle, to
prevent being shot over your pony's
ears or left behind by way of his tail,
and always surrounded by objects Of
novelty or beauty. Orchid blossoms in
such plenty that a bushel might be
gathered in an hour; an anaconda
slides across the narrow trail, too
quickly and silently for you>to do more
han observe its tremendous length and
beautiful coloring of yellow and black;
and then dashes away. If it is the |
Amy season, you will ride for an hour |
n brilliant and scorching run, and,
With scarcely any warning-not more !!
han five minutes at the most, OF |
cannonading. lightning |
md darkening sky--tind yourself in a |
lrenching downpour only Just short of |
| solid mass of water. These are a
ew of the varieties Of an excursion in
he bush"