River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-10-07

what he regarded as the oppression OF
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 oil
rections one cannot see the shore
the wind began to rise, and we were
in danger Of being swamped.
Back Of this immense Karataskai
lagoon are four other large lagoons,,
into one Of which the lbantara river
empties. About it's shores there is a.
small Miskito population. A man of
this neighborhoOd, who had the prom,
Using name of Morning STAR owned,
a large dugout canoe, which he
agreed to lend us and to accompany
us on our way. His was the only
family at home in his little village
everyone else having crossed the Kar-
alaska lagoon to attend a "Siko," or
ghost-expelling drinking bout. Morn
ing Stars mother-in-law was most
repulsiye-looking creature-a good
model for 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 along
the Butuk river. We had great diff
Guilty in securing transportation down
river. A boatload of merchandise,
mainly rum, had been brought over
the route the day before, and almost
every man was suffering from the eff
fects OF it's presence in this region.
In IL hours travel with the river
current, we did not encounter single
human being nor any habitatiOn Of
man The banks Of the river, how
ever, literally swarmed with iguanas.
1t was the time of the year when
they lay their eggs, and wherever a
high sandbank stood out it was honey
combed with their burrows. Our peo-
pie caught them with their hands.
Iguana flesh is superior to chicken,
though the eggs are not as good as
turtle eggs.
At the mouth of the Plantain river,
between Black river and Brewers
Lagoon bar, a few Indians of the
Paya tribe were encountered. Most
Of their people live far inland. They
resemble the Sumu Indians Of the him
terland Of Nicaragua, but have a Ian
guage quite distinct from theirs. At
village at the eastern mouth Of the
Butuk river We were received
most cordially. Some relatives of our
party had their homes here, and we
were Toasted on milk and native rice,
besides the ubiquitous green ba-
nanas.
In about thirty six miles Of walking
after leaving this place, we saw only
one house; and at the little village of
Uni, only four. Our host at Uni was
a desperate-looking character, and the
houses and the rest Of the people were
filthy and repellent. We were insulted
according to the Miskito cOde) by be-
ing called wild, and threatened with
divine wrath, if we did not stay to
hold meeting. 1t seemed that Dana
Bias, our host, had heard somewhere
about the meetings that padres keep,
and got the idea that one of them
would surely bring good luck to his
place!
Half days march from the Kruta
river we reached the Kaukirra group
of villages-the poorest houses of any
we had yet seen, Here we discov-
cred heather preacher, who actually
possesses part of an English Bible,
which of course he cannot read. a
few families from Grand Caymans live
in this neighborhood, and raise cat
tie and cocoanuts. They say that since
the cessation of mahogany cutting, the
Indians have no money.
Kruta was reached on Maundy
Thursday, and we had real mission
airy meeting on Good Friday. That
night we icurneyed on to Cabo Ora
cias Dios and arrived there on the
morning of our tweEty-ninth day, hav-
ing covered, as nearly as we can es-
innate, a distance CT from 450 to 47s