Graham guardian., 1903-12-25
RATES OF LEeAL ADVERTISING,
FRIDAY, DEC. 25, 1908.
A Trip to Qulrlqua

A Trip to QulTlqua.
A party consisting of father,
friend aud myself, left Yacapa OF
the morning train, arriving at Lo
Amates, on the banks of the Mon
tague river, about three hour
later, Here we procured MozC
and boat to take us down the riv
er TO a point near the ruins, a dis
tanoe of about two miles, and tC
act as guide ont through the forest
We were soon in the boat and by
me assisting with paddle, The
distance was soon covered, landing
near small village where our boat
was made fast. We walked to a
house and obtained permission to
leave our blankets and what things
we did not want to carry, and pro-
eeeded TO follow our guide through
the jungles.
After walking for some time, we
decided that our trailer was off his
bearings and as the sun was get
ting low, decided to go back and
make another start early in the
morning. 1t was just dusk when
we reached the house where we
bad left our things. The old
Fincaro, or rancher, was just call
ing the cows, which he did by
blowing large horn. The cattle
came out of the brush in all direc-
tions and ran into the corral,
where they were held to be MIXED
in the morning. Cows are only
MIXED once day here and the
calves are allowed to run with
their mothers until they are as
large as the cows.
A NATURAL GARDEN.
The soil Of this valley is unsur-
passed in richness. The wash
from the mountains mixed with
decayed vegetation, compose a
soil that will produce anything.
Every fruit that can grow in the
tropics will thrive here. Large
cocoa trees from which chocolate
is made, zapotes, mango planta-
tions, bananas, figs, bread fruit,
lines, lemons, pomegranites and
chico constitute the makeup of
this vast orchard, which was once
the cradle of civilization. Here
the soil is so rich that it only
needs to be scratched to be made
yield a hundred fold, There are
broad levels where sugar cane will
flourish as in no other quarter of
world, and the very choicest lands
for the cultivation of tobacco.
There is no limit TO the agricul.
tural resources of this country.
There are rice and cotton lands
which could be cultivated on
large scale and made very pro6ta-
Bile. The traekless forests abound
in mahogany, ebony, cedar and
rosewood. These are available,
having railroad connections and a
waterway down the Montague
rive. Some Americans are taking
advantage Of this and are making
u nice profit on their valuable and |
rare wood.
A PLEASANT NIGHT.
After eating our lunch, we talk
ed with the native, our host, the
light being furnished by burning
pitch splinters in the front yard.
When bed time arrived, we were
given quarters in the upper story
of the pig pen, which was fully as
good, if not better than the house.
In this country they build a place
for their hogs to get in out of the
rain. The sides are laid up with
poles about three feet high, then a
floor is laid, consisting of bamboo
canes split and mashed fiat, These
form a board about three fourths
Of an inch thick and sometim es a
loot wide, according to the size of
the cane, the roof is then thatched
with Palm leaves or Manaca and
made water proof. On this kind
If floor we spread our quilts and
aid down tor the night. The
Dogs, a half dozen in number, ,hav.
ng retired in the lower apart
nent early IN the evening. slept
ONE, but was kept awake most Of
he night by our companion and
me of the hogs, who seemed to be
noring a contest. We arose early
n the morning and after drinking
III the new milk we wanted, aud
his was no small amount after be
ng without for three months, we
tarted with another guide to find
he great ruins of Quiriqua.
Our last Moro seemed more
amiiar with the location and soon
truck the trail, which led direct
o the ruins, where we arrived
bout an hour later.
The first indications we saw
we're mounds of stone, which had
i one time been spacious build
ngs. bat were now covered with a