The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-04-23

and saddles your mules, shows thu
way, does any odd thing you wish
while on the road, and may be de
pended on always to get you house
for the night, for, except In Amapala
Tegucigalpa, Puerto Cortes or the
largest places, so-called hotels cannot
be found
AS rule, the night will be spent In
a native house, sometimes little more
than nut, built Of mud, matched or
rooted with tiles. One is apparently
always welcome to the best the house
affords; but hammock as part of the
travellers outfit is a necessity.
The monetary system of the country
should be studied Immediately upon
landing. The standard is silver and
the rate of exchange Is about two and
one-half to one; in other words, the
Honduran dollar (peso or sol) Is worth
40 cents gold. Funds should be taken
from the States In gold coin only;
this will pass everywhere and is eager
ly sought for by the merchants. The
paper money Of the country is as good
as the silver, but away from the large
towns and cities 1t is hard to get
small change for bill hence 1t is ad-
visable always to have a good supply
OF silver to pay the charges met with
here and there on the road.
Arrived In Tegucigalpa, one discov.
ers that 1t is not necessary to carry q
large outfit from the States. The city,
with the adjacent town of Comaya-
guela, boasts a population of from a.
900 to $4,000 and has many good
stores where almost all the ordinary
things required on such trip can be
purchased.
If long trip into the interior from
is intended, a supply of
canned food should be obtained In the
city; but along a regular trail tortil-
las, beans, rice, some sort of meat,
coffee and a few other things can
Usually be obtained at small cost.
If one Is to enter Honduras from
he Atlantic or Caribbean side, Puerto
Cortes, the principal northern port,
nay be reached by any one of several
Orleans or Mobile, The mail boats
rom New Orleans take between FIVE
nd six days to make the trip, as they
all at various ports on the coast; the
fobile boats make the run IN three
nd four days.
From Puerto Cortes a rails4ad runs
D La Pimienta, which means another
ay, although the distance is hrs than
0 miles. There begins fivs or six
avs ride on mules over fairly hard
'afls, which are very bad in spots.
Land of Hills and Valleys.
Honduras is country of hills and I,
alleys; Of rain and sunshine; of
rye and small rivers. half dozen :
vers may be crossed in one day, and,
lille they are usually narrow and
lallow, few hours rain will turn
EN- into roaring torrents, absolutely ]
,passable. One may be held up for t
lys by stream that when previous l.
crossed was less than three feet in e
pth. But given favorable conditions. v
e Puerto Cortes journey may be b
Id to be only one-half as long In C
ne taken as the route via Amapala. e
Honduras is on the whole not an I'M o
althful country. Along the rivers
d on some parts of the coast fevers
to be expected at times but are t
so frequent in the interior at alti- d
aes of 1000 feet or more. v
On the south slope of the country e,
rainy season extends from about h
: last Of June to the first of Novem- g,
r; on the north slope 1t begins
rlier and lasts longer. IL
N time the country will be far bet HI
known than 1t at present seems to 3,
for 1t undoubtedly holds great min q,
II wealth among its natural re- II
lrces. \,