The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1915-11-06

Z
+ the government officials, who visit
them occasionally and tax them for
their cattle. The old man supplied us
with two boats and accompanied US
with his chief wife on the long jour
ney to- Tansen on the inland side OF
| Lake Karataska. AS we were cross
! ing the lake-so wide that in some di.
rections one cannot see the shore
the wind began to rise, and we were
in danger of being swamped.
Back Of this immense Karataska
lagoon are four other large lagoons,
into one of which the Ibantara river
empties. About its shores there is
small Miskito population. A man OF
this neighborhood, who had the prom
Using name of Morning STAR owned
large dugout canoe, which he
agreed to lend us and to accompany
US on our way. His was tho only
everyone else having crossed the kar-
alaska lagoon to attend "Siko, or
ghost-expelling drinking bout. morn
| ing Stars mother-in-law was d nnosC
ranuIsiye-looking creature-a goou
model for a witch of Endor painting
but when we left her she said: Pray
for me-"
Down the Butuk River.
Fourteen hours of padding and sail
ing brought us through three OF the
lagoons to the small settlements alohs
the Butuk river, We had great dlIE'
cuItv in securing transportation down
river boatload of merchandise
mainly rum, had been brought over
the route the day before, and almost
every man was suffering from the Ell
fects of it's presence il this region.
In - hours travel with the rive
current. we did not encounter slhgi
human being nor any habitatlon
man The banks of the river, how
ever, literally swarmed with lguanaS
!, # was the time of the year vine
: they lay their eggs, and wherever
high sandbank stood out it was hone!
combed with their burrows. our pe'
ME caught them with their hahd
Iguana flesh is superior to chlcKel
: though the eggs are not as gooo
: turtle eggs.
= At the mouth Of the Plantain rive
:. between Black river and Brewer
a Lagoon bar, few Indians Oh u
a. Paya tribe were encountered. TO
- of their people live far inland. IN
- resemble the Sunni Indians OF the 81
~ terIand of Nicaragua, but have la
u guage quite distinct from theirs.
80 a village at the eastern mouth or
Butuk river we were fecelF
most cordially. Some relatives OF 0
- marty had their homes here, ana
- we're toasted on milk and native III
~ besides the ubiquitous green
,e- nanas.
lie In about thirty-six miles OF Walk
he after leaving this place, we saw OF
cir one house: and at the little village
ter Uni, only four: Our host at UNI
Nv. a desperate-looking character, ana
led houses and the rest Oh the peopie )"
err filthy and repellent. We were lhsul
according to the Miskito ccde) by
Of ing called wild, and threatened
ON divine wrath, if we did not stay
led hold a meeting. 1t seemed that ia
and Bias, our host, had heard someWh
dis about the meetings that padres NJ
me and got the idea that one or u
hev would surely bring good luck to
re- place!
us Half a days march from the III
all river we reached the kauklrra Ct
With of yillages-the poorest houses OF
hev we had yet seen Here we dis
we'll cred a heather preacher, who actu
we're possesses part Of an English p
civ which of course he cannot read
rude few families from Grand Caymans
wall. in this neighborhood, and raise
or tie and cocoanuts. They say that
here the cessation OF mahogany cutting
rees, Indians have no money.
made Kruta was reached on Ma
bark Thursday, and we had a real mis-
tiful. airy meeting on Good Friday.
max night we journeyed on to Cabo
cias a Dios and arrived there on
next morning of our twenty-ninth day,
man ing covered, as nearly as we ca
ppeal innate, a distance of from 45O q
ainst miles.