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diff --git a/old/43972.txt b/old/43972.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 68da974..0000000 --- a/old/43972.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2816 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's A Journey in Southeastern Mexico, by Henry Howard Harper - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: A Journey in Southeastern Mexico - -Author: Henry Howard Harper - -Release Date: October 18, 2013 [EBook #43972] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNEY IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Whitehead and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -[Illustration: LA CASA - -(_The House at the ranch_) - -THE ONLY AMERICAN-BUILT HOUSE IN THIS SECTION OF THE COUNTRY - -An orange tree stands at either side of the front steps. See p. 70] - - - - - A JOURNEY IN - SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO - - - NARRATIVE OF EXPERIENCES, AND OBSERVATIONS - ON AGRICULTURAL - AND INDUSTRIAL - CONDITIONS - - - - BY - HENRY H. HARPER - - - - - - PRINTED PRIVATELY FOR THE AUTHOR - BY THE DE VINNE PRESS, N. Y. - BOSTON--MCMX - - - - - Copyright, 1910, - By HENRY H. HARPER - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - A LIMITED NUMBER OF COPIES OF THIS WORK HAVE - BEEN ISSUED PRIVATELY FOR DISTRIBUTION - AMONG THE AUTHOR'S FRIENDS AND - BOOK-LOVING ACQUAINTANCES,--MOSTLY - TO MEMBERS OF - THE BIBLIOPHILE SOCIETY - - - - -AUTHOR'S PREFACE - - -The volume here presented to the reader does not profess to be a -history or description of Mexico as a whole, nor does it claim to -be typical of all sections of the country. It deals simply with an -out-of-the-way and little-known region, accompanied by a history of -personal experiences, with comment upon conditions almost or quite -unknown to the ordinary traveler. - -Many books upon Mexico have been written--a few by competent and -others by incompetent hands--in which the writers sometimes charge -each other with misstatements and inaccuracies, doubtless oftentimes -with reason. However that may be, I have yet to discover among them a -narrative, pure and simple, of travel, experiences and observations in -the more obscure parts of that country, divested of long and tedious -topographical descriptions. Narrations which might be of interest, -once begun, are soon lost in discussion of religious, political, and -economic problems, or in singing the praises of "the redoubtable -Cortez," or the indefatigable somebody else who is remembered chiefly -for the number of people he caused to be killed; or in describing the -beauty of some great valley or hill which the reader perhaps never saw -and never will see. - -I have always felt that a book should never be printed unless it is -designed to serve some worthy purpose, and that as soon as the author -has written enough to convey his message clearly he should stop. There -are many books in which the essential points could be encompassed -within half the number of pages allotted to their contents. A good -twenty-minute sermon is better than a fairly good two-hour sermon; -hence I believe in short sermons,--and short books. - -With this conviction, before placing this manuscript in the hands -of the printer I sought to ascertain what possible good might be -accomplished by its issue in printed form. My first thought was to -consult some authority, upon the frankness and trustworthiness of -whose opinion I could rely with certainty. I therefore placed the -manuscript in the hands of my friend Mr. Charles E. Hurd, whose -excellent scholarship and sound literary judgment, coupled with a -lifelong experience as an editor and critical reviewer, qualify him as -an authority second to none in this country. He has done me the honor -voluntarily to prepare a few introductory lines which are printed -herein. - -In view of the probability that very few, if any, among the restricted -circle who read this book will ever traverse the territory described, -I am forced to conclude that for the present it can serve no better -purpose than that of affording such entertainment as may be derived -from the mere reading of the narrative. If, however, it should -by chance fall into the hands of any individual who contemplates -traveling, or investing money, in this district, it might prove to be -of a value equal to the entire cost of the issue. Moreover, it may -serve a useful purpose in enlightening and entertaining those who are -content to leave to others the pleasures of travel as well as the -profits derived from investments in the rural agricultural districts of -Mexico. - -Possibly a hundred years hence the experiences, observations, and -modes of travel herein noted will be so far outgrown as to make them -seem curious to the traveler who may cover the same territory, but I -predict that even a thousand years from now the conditions there will -not undergo so radical a change that the traveler may not encounter the -same identical customs and the same aggravating pests and discomforts -that are so prevalent today. Doubtless others have traversed this -territory with similar motives, and have made practically the same -mental observations, but I do not find that anyone has taken the pains -to record them either as a note of warning to others, or as a means of -replenishing a depleted exchequer. - -In issuing this book I feel somewhat as I imagine Horace did when he -wrote his ode to Pyrrha,--which was perhaps not intended for the -eye of Pyrrha at all, but was designed merely as a warning to others -against her false charms, or against the wiles of any of her sex. He -declared he had paid the price of his folly and inexperience, and had -hung up his dripping clothes in the temple as a danger-signal for -others-- - - Ah! wretched those who love, yet ne'er did try - The smiling treachery of thine eye; - But I'm secure, my danger's o'er, - My table shows the clothes[1] I vow'd - When midst the storm, to please the god, - I have hung up, and now am safe on shore. - -So am I. Horace, being a confirmed bachelor, probably took his theme -from some early love affair which would serve as a key-note that -would strike at the heart and experience of almost every reader. The -apparent ease with which one can make money and enjoy trips in Mexico -is scarcely less deceptive than were the bewitching smiles of Horace's -Pyrrha. Indeed the fortune-seeker there can see chimerical Pyrrhas -everywhere. - -[1] It was customary for the shipwrecked sailor to deposit in the -temple of the divinity to whom he attributed his escape, a votive -picture (_tabula_) of the occurrence, together with his clothes, the -only things which had been saved. - -Although it has been said that truth is stranger than fiction, it -is observable that most of the great writers have won their fame in -fiction, possibly because they could not find truths enough to fill -a volume. In setting down the narrative of a journey through Mexico, -however, there is no occasion to distort facts in order to make -them appear strange, and often incredible, to the reader. We are so -surfeited with books of fiction that I sometimes feel it is a wholesome -diversion to pick up a book containing a few facts, even though they -be stated in plain homespun language. It is fair to assume that in -writing a book the author's chief purpose is to convey a message of -some sort in language that is understandable. In the following pages I -have therefore not attempted any flourishes with the English language, -but have simply recorded the facts and impressions in a discursive -conversational style, just as I should relate them verbally, or write -them in correspondence to some friend. - -H. H. H. - -Boston, Mass., -October, 1909. - - - - -INTRODUCTORY NOTE - -BY CHARLES E. HURD - - -The present volume in which Mr. Harper tells the story of his personal -experiences and observations in a section of Mexico which is now being -cleverly exploited in the advertising columns of the newspapers as -the great agricultural and fruit-growing region of the North American -continent, has a peculiar value, and one that gives it a place apart -from the ordinary records of travel. The journey described was no -pleasure trip. The three who took part in it were young, ambitious, and -full of energy. Each had a fair amount of capital to invest, and each, -inspired by the accounts of visitors and the advertisements of land -speculators setting forth the wonderful opportunities for easy money -making in agricultural ventures along the eastern coast of Mexico, -believed that here was a chance to double it. There was no sentiment -in the matter; it was from first to last purely a business venture. -The scenery might be enchanting, the climate perfect, and the people -possessed of all the social requirements, but while these conditions -would be gratefully accepted, they were regarded by the party as -entirely secondary--they were after money. The recorded impressions are -therefore the result of deliberate and thoughtful investigation,--not -of the superficial sort such as one would acquire on a pleasure-seeking -trip. They differ essentially from the unpractical views of the writer -who is sent into Mexico to prepare a glowing account of the country's -resources from a casual and personally disinterested view of conditions. - -The story of the trip by land and water from Tampico to Tuxpam is -photographic in its realism. In no book on Mexico has the character of -the peon been as accurately drawn as in this volume. Most writers have -been content to sketch in the head and bust of the native Mexican, but -here we have him painted by the deft hand of the author at full length, -with all his trickery, his laziness and his drunkenness upon him. One -cannot help wondering why he was ever created or what he was put here -for. In this matter of character-drawing Mr. Harper's book is unique. - -The results of the investigations in this section of the country to -which the party had been lured are graphically set forth by Mr. Harper -in a half-serious, half-humorous manner which gives the narrative a -peculiar interest. He perhaps feels that he has been "stung," but yet -he feels that he can stand it, and enters no complaint. Besides, the -experience is worth something. - -Of course the volume does not cover all Mexico, but its descriptions -are fairly typical of the larger portion of the country, particularly -as regards the people, their habits, morals and methods of living. -Aside from its interest as a narrative the book has an important -mission. It should be in the hands of every prospective investor -in Mexican property, especially those whose ears are open to the -fascinating promises and seductive tales of the companies formed for -agricultural development. A single reading will make nine out of ten -such restrap their pocketbooks. The reader will be well repaid for the -time spent in a perusal of the volume, and it is to be regretted that -the author has determined to print it only for private and restricted -distribution. - -Boston, October 25, 1909. - - - - -A JOURNEY IN -SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO - - - - -There are few civilized countries where the American pleasure-seeking -traveler is so seldom seen as in the rural districts of southeastern -Mexico, along the coast between Tampico and Vera Cruz. The explanation -for this is doubtless to be found in the fact that there is perhaps -no other civilized country where the stranger is subjected to so -many personal discomforts and vexations resulting from incommodious -facilities for travel, and from the multiplicity of pests that beset -his path. - -The writers of books on Mexican travel usually keep pretty close to -the beaten paths of travel, and discreetly avoid the by-ways in those -portions far removed from any railroad or highway. They acquire their -observations and impressions chiefly from the window of the comfortable -passenger-coach or from the veranda of some hotel where three good -meals are served daily, or from government reports and hearsay,--which -are often unreliable. It is only the more daring fortune-hunters that -brave the dangers and discomforts of the remote regions, and from -these we are rarely favored with a line, either because they have no -aptitude for writing, or, as is more likely, because, wishing to forget -their experiences as speedily as possible, they make no permanent -record of them. Tourists visiting Mexico City, Monterey, Tampico and -other large cities are about as well qualified to discourse upon the -conditions prevailing in the agricultural sections of the unfrequented -country districts as a foreigner visiting Wall Street would be to write -about the conditions in the backwoods of northern Maine. I can readily -understand the tendency of writers to praise the beauty of Mexican -scenery and to expatiate upon the wonderful possibilities in all -agricultural pursuits. In passing rapidly from one section to another -without seeing the multifarious difficulties encountered from seedtime -to harvest, they get highly exaggerated ideas from first impressions, -which in Mexico are nearly always misleading. The first time I beheld -this country, clothed in the beauty of its tropical verdure, I wondered -that everybody didn't go there to live, and now I marvel that anybody -should live there, except possibly for a few months in winter. If one -would obtain reliable intelligence about Mexico and its advantages--or -rather its disadvantages--for profitable agriculture, let him get the -honest opinion of some one who has tried the experiment on the spot, of -investing either his money or his time, or both, with a view to profit. - -In March, 1896, in company with two friends and an interpreter, I went -to Mexico, having been lured there by numerous exaggerated reports -of the possibilities in the vanilla, coffee and rubber industries. -None of us had any intention of remaining there for more than a few -months,--long enough to secure plantations, put them in charge of -competent superintendents, and outline the work to be pursued. We -shared the popular fallacy that if the natives, with their crude and -antiquated methods could produce even a small quantity of vanilla, -coffee or rubber, we could, by employing more progressive and -up-to-date methods, cause these staple products to be yielded in -abundant quantities and at so slight a cost as to make them highly -profitable. We had heard that the reason why American investors had -failed to make money there was because they had invested their funds -injudiciously, through intermediaries, and had no personal knowledge -of the actual state of affairs at the seat of investment. We were -therefore determined to investigate matters thoroughly by braving -the dangers and discomforts of pestilence and insects and looking -the ground over in person. We had no idea of forming any company or -copartnership, but each was to make his own observations and draw his -own conclusions quite independent of the others. We agreed, however, -to remain together and to assist one another as much as possible by -comparing notes and impressions. There was a tacit understanding -that all ordinary expenses of travel should be shared equally from -one common fund, to which each should contribute his share, but that -each one should individually control his own investment, if such were -made. Each member of the party had endeavored to post himself as best -he could regarding the necessities of the trip. We consulted such -accounts of travel in Mexico as were available (nothing, however, was -found relating to the locality that we were to visit), conversed with -a couple of travelers who had visited the western and central parts, -and corresponded with various persons in that country; but when we -came together to compare notes of our requirements for the journey no -two seemed to agree in any particular. Our objective point was Tuxpam, -which is on the eastern coast almost midway between Tampico and Vera -Cruz, and a hundred miles from any railroad center. As it was our -intention to barter direct with the natives instead of through any land -syndicate, we thought best to provide ourselves with an ample supply -of the native currency. Out of the thousand and one calculations and -estimates that we all made, this latter was about the only one that -proved to be anywhere near correct. In changing our money into Mexican -currency we were of course eager to secure the highest premium, and -upon learning that American gold was much in demand at Tampico (the -point where we were to leave the railroad) we shipped a quantity of -gold coin by express to that place. - -Our journey to Tampico was by rail via Laredo and Monterey, and was -without special incident; the reader need not therefore be detained by -a recital of what we thought or saw along this much traveled highway. -This route--especially as far as Monterey--is traversed by many -Americans, and American industry is seen all along the line, notably at -Monterey. - -Upon arriving at Tampico we were told by the money-changers there -that they had no use for American gold coin. They said that the only -way in which they could use our money was in the form of exchange on -some eastern city, which could be used by their merchants in making -remittances for merchandise; so we were obliged to ship it all back -to an eastern bank, and sold our checks against a portion of it at a -premium of eighty cents on the dollar. - -We stalked around town with our pockets bulging out with Mexican -national bank notes, and felt quite opulent. Our wealth had suddenly -increased to almost double, and it didn't seem as if we ever could -spend it, dealing it out after the manner of the natives, three, six, -nine and twelve cents at a time. We acquired the habit of figuring -every time we spent a dollar that we really had expended only fifty -cents. Our fears that we should have difficulty in spending very much -money must have shone out through our countenances, for the natives -seemed to read them like an open book; and for every article and -service they charged us double price and over. We soon found we were -spending real dollars, and before returning home we learned to figure -the premium the other way. - -The moment we began to transact business with these people we became -aware that we were in the land of _manana_ (tomorrow). The natives make -it a practice never to do anything today that can be put off until -tomorrow. Nothing can be done _today_,--it is always "_manana_," which, -theoretically, means tomorrow, but in common practice its meaning is -vague,--possibly a day, a week, or a month. Time is reckoned as of no -consequence whatever, and celerity is a virtue wholly unknown. - -Our business and sightseeing concluded, we made inquiry as to the way -to get to Tuxpam,[2] a small coast town in the State of Vera Cruz, -about a hundred miles further south. We inquired of a number of persons -and learned of nearly as many undesirable or impossible ways of getting -there. There were coastwise steamers from Tuxpam up to Tampico, but -none down the coast from Tampico to Tuxpam. After spending a whole -day in fruitless endeavor to find a means of transportation we were -returning to the hotel late in the afternoon, when a native came -running up behind us and asked if we were the Americans who wanted to -go to Tuxpam. He said that he had a good sailboat and was to sail for -Tuxpam _manana_ via the _laguna_,--a chain of lakes extending along -near the coast from Tampico to Tuxpam, connected by channels ranging -in length from a hundred yards to several miles, which in places are -very shallow, or totally dry, most of the time. We went back with him -to his boat, which we found to be a sturdy-looking craft about thirty -feet long, with perhaps a five-foot beam. It was constructed of two -large cedar logs hewn out and mortised together. The boatman said -he had good accommodations aboard and would guarantee to land us at -Tuxpam in seven days. He wanted two hundred dollars (Mexican money, of -course) to take our party of four. This was more than the whole outfit -was worth, with his wages for three weeks thrown in. We went aboard, -and were looking over the boat, rather to gratify our curiosity than -with any intention of accepting his monstrous offer, when one of the -party discovered a Mexican lying in the bottom of the boat with a -shawl loosely thrown over him. Our interpreter inquired if anyone was -sick aboard, and was told by the owner that the man was a friend of -his who was ill with the smallpox, and that he was taking him to his -family in Tuxpam. We stampeded in great confusion and on our way to the -hotel procured a supply of sulphur, carbolic acid, chlorine, and all -the disinfectants we could think of. Hurrying to one of our rooms in -the hotel, we barred the door and discussed what we should do to ward -off the terrible disease. Some one suggested that perhaps the boatman -was only joking, and that after all the man didn't have smallpox. It -didn't seem plausible that he would ask us to embark for a seven days' -voyage in company with a victim of an infectious disease. But who would -venture back to ascertain the facts? Of course this task fell upon the -interpreter, as he was the only one who could speak the language. While -he was gone we began preparing for the worst, and after taking account -of our stock of disinfectants the question was which to use and how to -apply it. Each one recommended a different formula. One of the party -found some sort of a tin vessel, and putting half a pound of sulphur -into it, set it afire and put it under the bed. We then took alternate -sniffs of the several disinfectants, and debated as to whether we -should return home at once, or await developments. Meanwhile the room -had become filled almost to suffocation with the sulphur fumes, the -burning sulphur had melted the solder off the tin vessel, and running -out had set the floor on fire. About this time there was a vigorous rap -at the door and some one asked a question in Spanish; but none of us -could either ask or answer questions in that language, so there was no -chance for an argument and we all kept quiet, except for the scuffling -around in the endeavor to extinguish the fire. The water-pitcher being -empty, as usual, some one seized my new overcoat and threw it over the -flames. At this juncture our interpreter returned and informed us that -it was no joke about the sick man, and that the police authorities had -just discovered him and ordered him to the hospital. He found that the -boatman had already had smallpox and was not afraid of it; he was quite -surprised at our sudden alarm. As the interpreter came in, the man who -had knocked reappeared, and said that having smelled the sulphur fumes -he thought someone was committing suicide. When we told him what had -happened he laughed hysterically, but unfortunately we were unable to -share the funny side of the joke with him. - -[2] The reader should not confound this with other Tuxpams and Tuxpans -in Mexico. The name of this place is nearly always misspelled, Tuxpan, -with the final _n_; it is so spelled even in the national post-office -directory; but it is correctly spelled with the final _m_. - -That evening when we went down to supper everybody seemed to regard us -with an air of curious suspicion, and we imagined that we were tagged -all over with visible smallpox bacteria. - -We afterwards learned that the natives pay little more heed to -smallpox than we do to measles; and especially in the outlying country -districts, they appear to feel toward it much as we do toward measles -and whooping-cough,--that the sooner they have it and are over with -it (or rather, it is over with them), the better.[3] One of the party -vowed that he wouldn't go to his room to sleep alone that night, -because he knew he should have the smallpox before morning. After -supper we borrowed a small earthenware vessel and returning to our -"council chamber" we started another smudge with a combination of -sulphur and other fumigating drugs. Someone expressed regret that he -had ever left home on such a fool's errand. During the night it had -been noised about that there was a party of "Americanos ricos" (rich -Americans) who wanted to go to Tuxpam, and next morning there were a -number of natives waiting to offer us various modes of conveyance, all -alike expensive and tedious. We finally decided to go via the _laguna_ -in a small boat, and finding that one of the men was to start that -afternoon we went down with him to see his boat, which proved to be of -about the same construction and dimensions as the one we had looked -at the previous afternoon. He said that he had scarcely any cargo and -would take us through in a hurry; that he would take three men along -and if the wind was unfavorable they would use the paddles in poling -the boat. His asking price for our passage, including provisions, -was $150, but when he saw that we wouldn't pay that much he dropped -immediately to $75; so we engaged passage with him, on his promising to -land us in Tuxpam in six days. He said there was plenty of water in the -channels connecting the lakes, except at one place where there would -be a very short carry, and that he had arranged for a man and team to -draw the boat over. We ordered our baggage sent to the boat and not -liking his bill of fare we set out to provide ourselves with our own -provisions for the trip. - -[3] The mortality from smallpox in Mexico is alarming. Three weeks -later our party stopped over night about twelve miles up from Tuxpam -on the Tuxpam River opposite a large hacienda called San Miguel. We -noticed when we arrived that there was a constant hammering just over -the river in the settlement. It sounded as though a dozen carpenters -were at work, and the pounding kept up all night. In the morning we -inquired what was the occasion of this singular haste in building -operations, and were told that the workmen were making boxes in which -to bury the smallpox victims. It was reported that fifty-one had died -the day before, and that the number of victims up to this time was -upwards of three hundred, or nearly one-third of the population of -the place. One of the natives told us that a very small percentage of -the patients recover, which is easily understood when it is explained -that the first form of treatment consists of a cold-water bath. This -drives the fever in and usually kills the patient inside of forty-eight -hours. There was no resident physician and the physicians in Tuxpam -were too busy to leave town. They would not have come out anyway, as -not one patient in fifty could afford to pay the price of a visit. A -nearby settlement called Ojite, numbering sixty odd souls, was almost -completely blotted out. There were not enough survivors to bury the -dead. - -When we arrived at the boat we found our baggage stored away, with -a variety of merchandise, including a hundred bags of flour, piled -on top of it. There was not a foot of vacant space in the bottom of -the boat, and we were expected to ride, eat and sleep for six days -and nights on top of the cargo. The boatman had cunningly stored our -effects underneath the merchandise hoping that we would not back -out when we saw the cargo he was to take. However, we had become -thoroughly disgusted with the place and conditions (the hotel man -having arbitrarily charged us $25 for the hole we burned in his cheap -pine floor), and were glad to get out of town by any route and at any -cost. We all clambered aboard and were off at about three p.m. As we -sat perched up on top of that load of luggage and merchandise when the -boat pulled out of the harbor we must have looked more like pelicans -sitting on a huge floating log than like "Americanos ricos" in search -of rubber, vanilla and coffee lands. We didn't find as much rubber in -the whole Republic of Mexico as there appeared to be in the necks of -those idlers who had gathered on the shore to see us off. - -The propelling equipment of our boat consisted of a small sail, to be -used in case of favorable breezes--which we never experienced--and -two long-handled cedar paddles. The blades of these were about ten -inches wide and two and a half feet long, while the handles were about -twelve feet long. The natives are very skillful in handling these -paddles. They usually work in pairs,--one on each side of the boat. -One starts at the bow by pressing the point of the paddle against the -bottom and walks along the edge of the boat to the stern, pushing as -he walks. By the time he reaches the stern his companion continues -the motion of the boat by the same act, beginning at the bow on the -opposite side. By the time the first man has walked back to the bow -the second has reached the stern, and so on. The boats are usually run -in the shallow water along near the shore of the large bodies of water -in the chain of lakes, so that the paddles will reach the bottom. The -boatman had three men besides himself in order to have two shifts, and -promised that the boat should run both night and day. This plan worked -beautifully in theory, but how well it worked out in practice will be -seen later on. We glided along swimmingly until we reached the first -channel a short distance from Tampico, and here we were held up for -two hours getting over a shoal. That seemed a long wait, but before we -reached our destination we learned to measure our delays not by hours -but by days. After getting over the first obstruction we dragged along -the channel for an hour or so and then came to a full stop. We were -told that there was another shallow place just ahead and that we must -wait awhile for the tide to float us over. We prepared our supper, -which consisted of ham, canned baked beans, bread, crackers, and such -delicacies as we had obtained at the stores in Tampico. The supper -prepared by the natives consisted of strips of dried beef cut into -small squares and boiled with rice and black beans. At first we were -inclined to scorn such fare as they had intended for us, but before -we reached Tuxpam there were times when it seemed like a Presidential -banquet. After supper three of the boatmen went ahead, ostensibly to -see how much water there was in the channel, while the fourth remained -with the boat. After starting a mosquito smudge and discussing the -situation for a couple of hours, we decided to "turn in" for the -night. The interpreter asked the remaining Mexican where the bedding -was. His only response was a sort of bewildered grin. He didn't seem -to understand what bedding was, and said they never carried it. We -were expected to "roost" on top of the cargo without even so much as a -spread over us,--which we did. It was an eventful night,--one of the -many of the kind that were to follow. After the fire died out we fought -mosquitoes--the hugest I had ever seen--until about three o'clock in -the morning, when I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. There being no -frost in this section to kill these venomous insects, they appear to -grow and multiply from year to year until finally they die of old age. -A description of their size and numbers would test the most elastic -human credulity. Webster must have had in mind this variety when he -described the mosquito as having "a proboscis containing, within the -sheathlike labium, six fine sharp needlelike organs with which they -puncture the skin of man and animals to suck the blood." - -I had been asleep but a short time when the party returned from the -inspection of the "water" ahead, and if the fire-water they had aboard -had been properly distributed it would almost have floated us over any -shoal in the channel. They brought with them two more natives who were -to help carry the cargo over the shallow place, but all five of them -were in the same drunken condition. In less than ten minutes they all -were sound asleep on the grass beside the channel. We were in hopes -that such a tempting bait might distract some of the mosquitoes from -ourselves, but no such luck. The mosquitoes had no terrors for them and -they slept on as peacefully as the grass on which they lay. All hands -were up at sunrise and we supposed of course we were to be taken over -the shoal; but in this we were disappointed, for this proved to be -some saint's day, observed by all good Mexicans as a day of rest and -feasting.[4] We endeavored to get them to take us back to town, but no -one would be guilty of such sacrilege as working on a feast-day. When -asked when we could proceed on the journey they said "_Manana_." After -breakfast our party strolled off into the pasture along the channel and -when we returned to the boat a few minutes later the Mexicans shouted -in a chorus "_Garrapatas! mucho malo!_" at the same time pointing to -our clothes, which were literally covered with small wood-ticks, about -half the size of an ordinary pinhead. - -[4] I was told in Mexico that every day in the year is recorded as the -birthday of some saint, and that every child is named after the saint -of the same natal day. For instance, a male child born on June 24 would -be named Juan, after Saint John, or San Juan. The anniversary days of -perhaps thirty or forty of the more notable saints are given up to -feasting and dissipation. - -_Garra_--pronounced gar-r-r-ra--means to hook or grab hold of, and -_patas_ means "feet," so I take it that this pestilential insect is -so named because it grabs hold and holds tight with its feet. If this -interpretation be correct, it is well named, because the manner in -which it lays hold with its feet justifies its name, not to mention the -tenacity with which it hangs on with its head. It is very difficult -to remove one from the skin before it gets "set," and after fastening -itself securely the operation of removing it is both irritating and -painful. If it should ever need renaming some word should be found that -signifies "grab hold and hang on with both head and feet." - -They cling to the grass and leaves of bushes in small clusters after -the manner of a swarm of bees, and the instant anything touches one of -these clusters they let go all hold and drop off onto the object, and -proceed at once to scatter in every direction; taking care, however, -not to fall a second time. We had noticed a few bites, but paid no -special attention to them, as we were becoming accustomed to being -"bitten." Many of them had now reached the skin, however, and they -claimed our particular attention for the remainder of the day. We -inquired how best to get rid of them and were told that our clothes -would have to be discarded. The loss of the clothes and the wood-ticks -adhering to them was not a matter of such immediate consequence as -those which had already found their way through the seams and openings -and reached the skin. We were told that to bathe in kerosene or -turpentine would remove them if done before they got firmly set, and -that if they were not removed we would be inoculated with malaria and -thrown into a violent fever, for being unacclimated, their bite would -be poisonous to our systems. Of course there was not a drop of kerosene -or turpentine aboard, so the direst consequences were inevitable. Our -trip was fast becoming interesting, and with the cheering prospects of -malarial fever and smallpox ahead, we began to wonder what was next! -All interest in the progress of the journey was now entirely subverted, -and, with the mosquitoes and _garrapatas_ to play the accompaniment -to other bodily woes and discomforts, sufficient entertainment was in -store for the coming night. - -After digging out our trunks and changing our clothes we thoughtlessly -laid our cast-off garments on top of the cargo, with the result that -in a short time the whole boat was infested with the little pests. Our -one comforting hope was that they might torture the Mexicans, but this -proved to be a delusive consolation, for we found that the natives were -accustomed to their bites and paid but little attention to them. I -refrain from detailing the events and miseries of the night following, -because I wish to forget them. Not least among our annoyances was the -evident relish with which the Mexicans regarded our discomforts during -daylight, and the blissful serenity with which they slept through it -all at night. As they lay there calmly asleep while we kept a weary -vigil with the mosquitoes and ticks, I was strongly tempted to push -one of them off into the water just to disturb his aggravating rest. -They laughed uproariously at our actions and imprecations over the -wood-ticks, but the next laugh was to be at their expense, as will be -seen further along. - -Next morning at sunrise (from sunrise to sunset is regarded by the -Mexicans as the duration of a day's work) they began unloading the -cargo and carrying it half a mile over the shoal. The strength and -endurance of the men were remarkable, considering their meagre -fare. Each man would carry from two to three hundred pounds on the -back of his neck and shoulders the entire distance of half a mile -without stopping to rest. By two o'clock in the afternoon the cargo -was transferred and the boat dragged over the shoal. In this latter -undertaking we all lent a hand. If any of our friends at home could -have witnessed this scene in which we took an active part, with our -trousers rolled up, wading in mud and water nearly up to our knees, -they might well have wondered what Eldorado we were headed for. By the -time the boatmen got the cargo reloaded it was time for supper, and -they were too tired to continue the voyage that night. - -We slept intermittently during the night, and fought mosquitoes -between dozes. We started next morning about five o'clock. This was -the beginning of the fourth day out and we had covered less than six -miles. One of the men told us that on the last trip they took ten days -in making the same distance. It began to look as though we would have -to go on half rations in order to make our food supply last through -the journey. We moved along the channel without interruption during -the day, and late in the afternoon reached the point where the channel -opened into a large lake several miles long. We camped that night by -the lakeside,--the Mexicans having apparently forgotten their promise -to pursue the journey at night. They slept on the bare ground, while we -remained in the boat. A brisk breeze blew from the lake, so we had no -mosquitoes to disturb the first peaceful night's sleep we had enjoyed -since the smallpox scare. - -During the night we made the acquaintance of another native pest, known -as the "army-ant," a huge black variety measuring upwards of half an -inch in length, the bite of which produces much the same sensation -as the sting of a hornet or scorpion, though the pain is of shorter -duration. The shock produced by the bite, even of a single one, is -sudden and violent, and there is nothing that will cause a Mexican to -disrobe with such involuntary promptness as the attack of one of these -pestiferous insects. They move through the country at certain seasons -in great bodies, covering the ground for a space of from fifty feet -to a hundred yards wide, and perhaps double the length. If a house -happens to stand in their way they will rid it completely of rats, -mice, roaches, scorpions, and even the occupants. They invade every -crevice from cellar to garret, and every insect, reptile and animal -is compelled either to retreat or be destroyed. Nothing will cause a -household to vacate a dwelling more suddenly at any time of the night -or day, than the approach of the dreaded army-ant. - -The boatmen were all asleep on the bank of the lake, while we, -remaining aboard the boat, had finished our after-supper smoke and were -preparing to retire. Suddenly our attention was attracted by a shout -from the four Mexicans almost simultaneously, which echoing through -the woods on the night air, produced the weirdest sound I had ever -heard. It was a cry of sudden alarm and extreme pain. In an instant the -four natives were on their feet, and their shirts were removed with -almost the suddenness of a flash of lightning. They all headed for the -boat and plunged headlong into the water. The army-ant being unknown to -us, and not knowing the cause of their sudden alarm, we were uncertain -whether they had all gone crazy or were fleeing from some wild beast. -They scrambled aboard the boat, and one of the regrets of my life -was that I couldn't understand Spanish well enough to appreciate -the full force of their ejaculations. All four of them jabbered in -unison--rubbing first one part of the body and then another--for fully -ten minutes, and judging from their maledictions and gestures, I doubt -if any of them had a good word to say about the ants. It was now our -turn to laugh. In half an hour or so they ventured back to the land -and recovered their clothes, the army of ants having passed on. They -were up most of the night nursing their bites, and once our interpreter -called out and asked them if ants were as bad as _garrapatas_. One of -the men was so severely poisoned by the numerous bites that he was -obliged to return home the next day. - -At about eight o'clock next morning we arrived at a little village, -or settlement, and after wandering around for half an hour our party -returned to the boat, but the boatmen were nowhere to be seen. We -waited there until nearly noon, and then started out in search of them. -They were presently found in the store, all drunk and asleep in a -back room. We aroused them, but they were in no condition to proceed, -and had no intention of doing so. We remained there just twenty-eight -hours, and when we again started on our journey it was with only three -boatmen, none of them sober enough to work. The wind blew a steady gale -in our faces all the afternoon, and we had traveled only about four -miles by nightfall. We had now been out more than six days and had not -covered one quarter of the distance to Tuxpam. At this rate it would -take us nearly a month to reach there. - -About three o'clock next day we went ashore at a little settlement, and -upon learning that there was to be a _baile_ (a dance) that night, the -boatmen decided to stay until morning. It was an impoverished looking -settlement of perhaps forty huts, mostly of bamboo with thatched roofs -of grass. A hut generally had but one room, where the whole family -cooked, ate and slept on the dirt floor. This room had an aperture -for ingress and egress, the light and ventilation being admitted -through the cracks. We did not see a bed in the entire village, and -in passing some of the huts that night we observed that the entire -family slept on the hard dirt floor in the center of the room with -no covering. In one hovel, measuring about 12 x 14 feet, we counted -eleven people asleep on the floor,--three grown persons and eight -children, while the family pig and the dog reposed peacefully in one -corner. All were dressed in the same clothes they wore in the daytime, -including the dog and pig. The garments of the men usually consist of -a pair of knee-drawers,--generally of a white cotton fabric,--a white -shirt-waist, leather sandals fastened on their feet with strings of -rawhide, and a sombrero, the latter usually being more expensive than -all the rest of the wearing apparel. The natives here are generally -very cleanly, and change and wash their garments frequently. The women -spend most of their time at this work, and when we landed we counted -fourteen women washing clothes at the edge of the lake. - -The dance began about nine o'clock and most of the participants, both -men and women, were neatly attired in white garments. The men were -very jealous of their girls, though for what reason it was hard to -understand. Many writers rhapsodise over the beauty and loveliness of -the Mexican women, but I couldn't see it. There are rare exceptions, -however. The dance-hall consisted of a smooth dirt floor with no -covering overhead, and the orchestra--a violin and some sort of a -wind-instrument--was mounted on a large box in the center. A row of -benches extended around the outside of the "dancing-ground." The men -all carried their machetes (large cutlasses, the blades of which range -from eighteen to thirty-six inches in length) in sheaths at their side, -and two or three of the more gaily dressed wore colored sashes around -their waists. All wore their sombreros. The dance had not progressed -for more than an hour when one of the villagers discovered that his -lady was engaging too much of the attention of one of our boatmen, -and this resulted in a quarrel. Both men drew their machetes and went -at one another in gladiator fashion. It looked as if both would be -carved to pieces, but after slashing at each other for awhile they were -separated and placed under arrest. It was discovered that one of them -had received an ugly, though not dangerous, wound in his side, while -the other (our man) had the tendons of his left wrist severed. The men -were taken away and the dance proceeded as orderly as before. We now -had only two boatmen left. In discussing the matter at home a year -later a member of our party remarked that "it was a great pity that the -whole bunch wasn't put out of commission; then we would have returned -to Tampico, and from there home." One of the natives very courteously -invited us to get up and take part in the dance, but after the episode -just mentioned we decided not to take a chance. - -Our boatmen spent all the next day in fruitless endeavor to secure -another helper, and we did not start until the day after at about nine -o'clock--a needless delay of forty-two hours; but they were apparently -no more concerned than if it had been ten minutes. We were learning to -measure time with an elastic tape. Ober complains of the poor traveling -facilities in Mexico, and says that "in five days' diligent travel" he -accomplished but 220 miles. We had been out longer than that and had -not covered twenty miles. - -The wind remained contrary all day, as usual, and having but two -men, our progress--or lack of progress--was becoming painful. Our -provisions, too, were exhausted, and we were reduced to the regular -Mexican fare of dried beef and boiled rice. We took a hand at the -paddles, but our execution was clumsy and the work uncongenial. Someone -suggested that in order to make our discomfiture complete it ought to -rain for a day or two, but the boatman reassured us upon this point, -saying that it never rained there at that season of the year,--about -the only statement they made which was verified by facts. Having made -but little progress that day, we held a consultation after our supper -of dried beef and rice, and decided that the order of procedure would -have to be changed. The wind had ceased and the mosquitoes attacked -us in reinforced numbers. We were forced to remain in a much cramped -position aboard the boat on top of the cargo, because every time we -attempted to stretch our legs on shore we got covered with wood-ticks. -It occurred to some of us to wonder what there could possibly be in -the whole Republic that would compensate us for such annoyance and -privation, and even if we should happen to find anything desirable in -that remote district, how could we get in to it or get anything out -from it? Certainly none of us had any intention of ever repeating the -trip for any consideration. Thus far we had not seen a rubber-tree, -vanilla-vine, coffee-tree, or anything else that we would accept as a -gift. - -Next morning we went over to a nearby hut, and our interpreter -calling in at the door asked of the woman inside if we could get some -breakfast. "_No hay_" (none here) said she, not even looking up from -her work of grinding corn for _tortillas_.[5] He then asked if we could -get a cup of hot coffee, to which she again replied "_No hay_." In -response to a further inquiry if we could get some hot _tortillas_ he -got the same "_No hay_," although at that moment there was one baking -over the fire and at least a dozen piled up on a low bench, which, in -lieu of a table, stood near the fireplace,--which consisted of a small -excavation in the dirt floor in the center of the room. The fire was -made in this, and the _tortillas_ baked on a piece of heavy sheetiron -resting on four stones. The interpreter said that we were hungry and -had plenty of money to pay for breakfast, but the only reply he got was -the same as at first. We therefore returned to the boat and breakfasted -on boiled rice and green peppers, the dried beef strips having given -out. Soon after our meal I had a severe chill, followed by high fever. -Of course we all feared that it was the beginning of smallpox or -malaria, or both. Another member of the party was suffering from a -racking headache and dizziness, which, he declared, were the first -symptoms of smallpox. There was no doctor nearer than Tuxpam or Tampico. -The aspect was therefore gloomy enough from any point of view. - -[5] See description of the _tortilla_ on p. 36. - -We made but little progress during the day. That night after going over -the various phases of the situation and fighting mosquitoes--which -would bite through our garments at any point where they happened to -alight--with no prospect of any rest during the entire night, we found -ourselves wrought up to such a mutinous state of mind that it appeared -inevitable that something must be done, and that quickly. We directed -our interpreter to awaken the owner of the boat and explain the facts -to him, which he did. He told him that we had become desperate and that -if not landed in Tuxpam in forty-eight hours we purposed putting both -him and his man ashore, dumping the cargo, and taking the boat back to -Tampico; that we would not be fooled with any longer, and that if he -offered any resistance both he and his man would be ejected by main -force. The interpreter was a tall, powerful man, standing six feet and -two inches in his stocking feet, and had a commanding voice. He had -spent several years on the Mexican frontier along the Rio Grande, and -understood the Mexicans thoroughly. He needed only the suggestion from -us in order to lay the law down to them in a manner not to be mistaken -for jesting. This he did for at least ten minutes with scarcely a break -of sufficient duration to catch his breath. The boatman, thinking -that we were of easy-going, good-natured dispositions, had been quite -indifferent to our remonstrances, but he was now completely overwhelmed -with astonishment at this sudden outburst. He begged to be given -another trial, and said he would not make another stop, except to rest -at night, until we reached Tuxpam. We passed a sleepless night with -the mosquitoes, frogs, cranes, pelicans, ducks--and perhaps a dozen -other varieties of insects and waterfowl--all buzzing, quacking and -squawking in unison on every side. In the morning my physical condition -was not improved. A little after noon we approached a small settlement -on the border of the lake, and stopped to see if we could obtain some -medicine and provisions. Our interpreter found what seemed to be the -principal man of the place, who took us into his house and provided us -with a very good dinner and a couple of quart bottles of Madeira. I had -partaken of no food for nearly thirty-six hours, and was unable now to -eat anything. We explained to him about the smallpox episode and he -agreed that I had all the customary symptoms of the disease. I wrote a -message to be despatched by courier to Tampico and from there cabled -home, but on second thought it seemed unwise to disturb my family -when it was utterly impossible for any of them to reach me speedily, -so I tore it up. We arranged for a canoe and four men to start that -night and hurry us back to Tampico with all possible speed. The member -of our party who had been suffering with headache and dizziness had -eaten a hearty dinner, and having had a few glasses of Madeira he was -indifferent as to which way he went. During the afternoon I slept for -several hours and about seven o'clock awoke, feeling much better. -Not desiring to be the cause of abandoning the trip, I had them -postpone the return to Tampico until morning. Meanwhile we paid off -our boatman, as we had determined to proceed no further with him under -any conditions. He remained over night, however. In the morning I felt -much better and the fever had left me. We decided to change our plans -for return, and to go "on to Tuxpam;" in fact this had now become our -watchword. We had had enough of travel by water, and finding a man who -claimed to know the route overland we bargained with him to furnish us -with four horses and to act as guide, the price to be $100. He also -took along an extra guide. The distance, he said, was seventy-five -miles, and that we would cover it in twenty-four hours. The highest -price that a man could ordinarily claim for his time was fifty cents -per day, and the rental of a horse was the same. Allowing the men -double pay for night-travel each of them would earn $1.50, and the same -returning, making in all $6 for the men; and allowing the same for six -horses, their hire would amount to $18, or $24 in all. We endeavored to -reason him down, but he was cunning enough to appreciate the urgency of -our needs, and wouldn't reduce the price a penny. - -It is worthy of note that in this part of the country there is no -fixed value to anything when dealing with foreigners. If you ask a -native the price of an article, or a personal service, he will very -adroitly measure the pressure of your need and will always set the -figure at the absolute maximum of what he thinks you would pay, with -no regard whatever for the value of the article or service to be given -in exchange. If you need a horse quickly and are obliged to have it at -any cost, the price is likely to be four times its value. In bartering -with the natives it is wise to assume an air of utter indifference as -to whether you trade or not. I once gave out notice that I wanted a -good saddle-horse, and next morning when I got up there were seventeen -standing at my front door, all for sale, but at prices ranging from two -to five times their value. I dismissed them all, saying that I didn't -need a horse at the time, and a few days later bought the best one of -the lot for exactly one quarter of the original asking-price. We were -told in Tampico of a recent case where an American traveler employed a -man to take his trunk from the hotel to the depot, a distance of less -than half a mile, without agreeing upon a price, and the man demanded -$10 for the service, which the traveler refused to pay, as the regular -and well-established price was but twenty-five cents. The trunk was -held and the American missed his train. The case was taken to court -and the native won,--the judge holding that the immediate necessity of -getting the trunk to the station in time to catch the train justified -the charge, especially in that it was for a personal service. The -native had been cunning enough to carry the trunk on his back instead -of hauling it with his horse and wagon, which stood at the front door -of the hotel. The traveler was detained four days in trying the suit, -and his lawyer charged him $50 for services. In these parts it is -therefore always well to make explicit agreements on prices in advance, -especially for personal service to be performed. - -In purchasing goods in large quantities one is always expected to pay -proportionately more, because they reason that the greater your needs -the more urgent they are. I discovered the truth of this statement when -purchasing some oranges at the market-place in Tampico. The price was -three cents for four oranges. I picked up twelve and gave the man nine -cents, but he refused it and asked me for two reals, or twenty-five -cents. I endeavored to reason with him, by counting the oranges and -the money back and forth, that at the rate of four for three cents, a -dozen would come to _medio y quartilla_ (nine cents), and nearly wore -the skin off the oranges in the process of demonstration; but it was -of no use. Finally I took four, and handing him three cents took four -more, paying three cents each time until I had completed the dozen. -I put them in my valise and left him still counting the money and -remonstrating. - -We agreed to the extortionate demand of $100 for the hire of the -horses and men, only on condition that we were to be furnished with -ample provisions for the trip. Leaving our baggage with the boat to -be delivered at Tuxpam we started on our horseback journey just after -sunset, expecting to reach Tuxpam by sunset next day. The trail led -through brush and weeds for several miles, and in less than ten minutes -we were covered with wood-ticks from head to foot. Shortly after -nightfall we entered a dense forest where the branches closed overhead -with such compactness that we couldn't distinguish the movement of our -hands immediately before our eyes. The interpreter called to the guide -in front and asked if there were any wild animals in these woods; in -response we received the cheering intelligence that there were many -large panthers and tigers, and that further on along the coast there -were lions. After that we momentarily expected to be pounced upon by -a hungry tiger or panther from some overhanging bough. The path was -crooked, poorly defined, and very rugged. Our faces were frequently -raked by the branches of trees and brush, and the blackness seemed -to intensify as we progressed. We loosened the reins and allowed the -horses to take their course in single file. The guide in front kept -up a weird sort of yodling cry which must have penetrated the forest -more than a mile. It was a cry of extreme lonesomeness, and is said -by the natives to ward off evil spirits and wild animals. I can well -understand the foundation for such a belief, particularly in regard to -the animals. The pestiferous wood-ticks were annoying us persistently, -and it looked as though we had changed for the worse in leaving the -boat. At length we came out into the open along the Gulf, and traveled -several miles down the coast by the water's edge. It was in the wooded -district at our right along here that the lions were so abundant, but -I have my doubts if there was a lion, or tiger, or panther anywhere -within a mile of us at any time. In my weakened physical condition -the exertion was proving too strenuous, and at three o'clock in the -morning we all stopped, tied the horses at the edge of the thicket -and lay down for a nap beside a large log that had been washed ashore -on the sandy beach. The natives assured us that the lions were less -likely to eat us if we remained out in the open. A stiff breeze blowing -from off the water whirled the dry sand in eddies all along the beach. -We nestled behind the log to escape the wind and sand, and in a few -minutes were all fast asleep. When we awoke a couple of hours later -we were almost literally buried in sand. The wag of the party said it -would be an inexpensive burial, and that he didn't intend ever to move -an inch from the position in which he lay. - -Unaccustomed as we were to horseback riding, it required the most -Spartanlike courage to mount our horses again. After going a few miles -it came time for breakfast and our interpreter asked one of the guides -to prepare the meal. He responded by reaching down into a small bag -hanging at his saddle-horn and pulling out four _tortillas_, one for -each of us. This was the only article of food they offered us. - -It may be explained that the _tortilla_ (pronounced torteeya) is the -most common article of food in Mexico. It is common in two different -senses,--in that it is the cheapest and least palatable food known, -and also that it is more generally used than any other food there. -In appearance the _tortilla_ resembles our pancake, except that it -is thinner, tougher, and usually larger around. The size varies from -four to seven inches in width, and the thickness from an eighth to -a quarter of an inch. It is made of corn, moistened in limewater in -order to remove the hulls, then laid on the flat surface of a _metate_ -(a stone-slab prepared for the purpose), and ground to a thick doughy -substance by means of a round stone-bar held horizontally with one hand -at each end and rubbed up and down the netherstone, washboard fashion. -The women usually do this work, and grind only as much at a time as may -be required for the meal. The dough--which contains no seasoning of any -kind--not even salt--is pressed and patted into thin cakes between the -palms of the hand, and laid on a griddle or piece of sheetiron (stoves -being seldom seen) over a fire to bake. They are frequently served -with black beans--another very common article of food in Mexico--and -by tearing them into small pieces they are made to serve the purpose -of knives, forks and spoons in conveying food to the mouth,--the piece -of _tortilla_ always being deposited in the mouth with the food which -it conveys. Among the poorer classes the _tortilla_ is frequently the -only food taken for days and perhaps weeks at a time. It is never -baked crisp, but is cooked just enough to change the color slightly. -When served hot, with butter--an _extremely_ rare article in the rural -districts--it is rather agreeable to the taste, but when cold it -becomes very tough and in taste it resembles the sole of an old rubber -shoe. - -Such was the food that was offered us in fulfillment of the promise to -supply us with an abundance of good provisions for the journey. I had -eaten scarcely anything for three days, and with the improvement in -my physical condition my appetite was becoming unmanageable. We found -that it would probably be impossible to obtain food until we reached -Tamiahua, a small town about thirty miles down the coast. It would be -tiresome and useless to dwell further upon the monotony of that day's -travel along the sands of the barren coast, with nothing to eat since -the afternoon before. Suffice it to say that we all were still alive -when we arrived at Tamiahua at about three o'clock in the afternoon. -Meanwhile we had been planning how best to get even with the Mexicans -for having bled us and then starved us. Fortunately, we had paid only -half the sum in advance, and the remaining half would at least procure -us a good meal. We went to a sort of inn kept by an accommodating -native who promised to get up a good dinner for us. We told him to get -everything he could think of that we would be likely to enjoy, to spare -no expense in providing it, and to spread the table for six. - -Tamiahua is situated on the coast, cut off from the mainland by a -small body of water through which the small freight-boats pass in -plying between Tampico and Tuxpam. There happened to be a boat at the -wharf, just arrived from Tampico with a load of groceries destined for -Tuxpam. The innkeeper suggested that there might be some American goods -aboard, and we all went down to interview the boatman. He informed us -that the cargo was consigned to a grocer in Tuxpam and that he couldn't -sell anything, but when our interpreter slipped a couple of silver -_pesos_ (dollars) into his palm he told us to pick out anything we -wanted. We took a five-pound can of American butter, at $1 a pound, an -imported ham at fifty cents a pound, a ten-pound tin box of American -crackers at fifty cents a pound, four boxes of French sardines, two -cans of evaporated cream, and a selection of canned goods, the bill -amounting in all to $22.25. This was all taken to the inn and opened -up. The innkeeper was instructed to keep what we couldn't eat. The -butter was so strong that he kept the most of that, with more than half -of the crackers. At five o'clock we were served with a dinner of fried -chicken, fried ham and eggs, canned baked beans, bread and butter, -coffee, and native fruit. The two guides were invited to sit down with -us to what was doubtless the most sumptuous feast ever set before -them. After dinner we called for a dozen of the best cigars that the -town afforded, and two were handed to each one, including the guides. -After lighting our cigars we called for the bill of the entire amount, -which, including the sum of $22.25 for the boatman, came to $38.50. -We called the innkeeper into the room, counted out $50 on the table, -and paid him $38.50 for the dinner and the boatman's bill; then gave -him $5 extra for himself, while the remaining $6.50 was handed to the -head guide. He almost collapsed with astonishment, and wondered what he -had done to deserve such a generous honorarium; but his amazement was -increased ten-fold when the interpreter informed him that this was the -balance due him. A heated argument ensued between them, and the guide -drawing his machete attempted to make a pass at the interpreter, with -the remark that he would kill every _gringo_ (a vulgar term applied -to English-speaking people by the Mexicans in retaliation for the -term _greaser_) in the place. The innkeeper pounced upon him with the -quickness of a cat and pinioned his arms behind him. His companion -seeing that he was subdued made no move. The innkeeper called for a -rope and in less than five minutes the belligerent Mexican was bound -hand and foot and was being carried to the lockup. The interpreter -explained the whole matter to the innkeeper, who sided with us, of -course. The effect of the five-dollar tip was magical. He went to the -judge and pleaded our case so eloquently that that dignitary called -upon us in the evening and apologized on behalf of his countrymen for -the indignity, assuring us incidentally that the offender would be -dealt with according to the law. We presented him with an American -five-dollar gold piece as a souvenir. He insisted that we remain over -night as his guests, and in the morning piloted us through the village. -The first place visited was the cathedral, a large structure standing -in the center of the principal street. Its seating capacity was perhaps -five times greater than that of any other building in the village. It -contained a number of pieces of beautiful old statuary, and on the -walls were many magnificent old paintings, of enormous dimensions, with -splendid frames. They are said to have been secretly brought to this -obscure out-of-the-way place from the City of Mexico during the French -invasion, but for what reason they were never removed seems a mystery. - -A _fiesta_ was in progress in honor of the birthday of some saint, -and it was impossible to get anyone to take us to Tuxpam, only a few -miles distant. We desired to continue via the _laguna_, and engaged -two men to take us in a sort of gondola, with the understanding that -we should leave just after sunset. We gave the men a dollar apiece in -advance, as they wished to purchase a few articles of food, etc., for -the journey, and they were to meet us at the inn at sunset. Neither of -them appeared at the appointed time, and in company with the innkeeper -we went in search of them. In the course of half an hour we found -one of the men behind a hut, drunk, and asleep. He had drank a whole -quart of _aguardiente_ and the empty bottle lay at his side. We left -him and went to the boat, where we found the other man stretched out -full length in the bottom with a half-filled bottle beside him. We -concluded to start out and to put the man at the paddle as soon as -he became sufficiently sober. The innkeeper directed us as best he -could and we pushed off from the shore about an hour after nightfall, -expecting to reach Tuxpam by eight o'clock next morning. We were told -to paddle out across the lake about a mile to the opposite shore, where -there was a channel leading into a large lake beyond. The water was -very shallow most of the way, and filled with marshgrass and other -vegetation, which swarmed with a great variety of waterfowl. Disturbed -by our approach they kept up a constant quacking, squawking and -screeching on all sides, which, reverberating on the still night-air, -made the scene dismal enough. There was a _baile_ in progress near -the shore in the village and as we paddled along far out in the lake -we could see the glimmer of the lights reflected along the surface -of the water and could hear the dance-music distinctly. When we had -gotten well out into the lake the drunken man in the bottom of the -boat waked up and inquired where he was and where we were taking him. -Seeing the lights in the distance and hearing the music he suddenly -remembered that he had promised to take his girl to the dance, and -demanded that he be taken back to shore. Upon being refused he jumped -out into the water and declared that he would wade back. We had great -difficulty in getting him back into the boat and came near capsizing -in the operation. The ducking he got sobered him up considerably and -at length we got him at the helm with the paddle and told him to head -for the mouth of the channel. He neared the shore to the right of the -channel and following along near the water's edge was within a quarter -of a mile of the village before we realized what his trick was. The -interpreter took the paddle away from him and told him of the dire -consequences that would follow if he didn't settle down and behave -himself. After turning the boat around and following along the shore -for half a mile he promised to take us to Tuxpam if we would agree -to get him another bottle of _aguardiente_ there and also a present -with which to make peace with his girl. Upon being assured that we -would do this he seemed quite contented and set to work in earnest. -As we entered the narrow channel a large dog ran out from a nearby -hut, and approaching the boat threatened to devour us all. Provoked -at this interference the Mexican made a swish at him in the dark -with the paddle, but missing the dog he struck the ground with such -violence that the handle of the paddle broke off near the blade, and -both Mexican and paddle tumbled headlong into the water with a splash. -This provoked the dog to still greater savagery, and jumping from the -bank into the boat he attacked the interpreter with the ferocity of a -tiger. He was immediately shot and dumped into the water. Meanwhile our -gondolier had clambered up on the bank and the two pieces of the paddle -had floated off in the darkness. What to do was a serious question. -The native at the hut had probably been aroused by the shot and was -likely to come down on us with more ferocity than the dog. We could -not therefore appeal to him for another paddle. It was so dark that -we could scarcely see one another in the boat, and it was exceedingly -fortunate that none of the party was shot instead of the dog. While we -were debating the various phases of our predicament the Mexican--who -had now become quite sober after his second sousing--unsheathed his -machete and cut a pole, with the aid of which he soon had us a safe -distance down the channel. A few miles further on we got out at a hut -by the side of the channel and bought a paddle, for which we paid three -times its value. - -The channels from here on were generally overhung on both sides with -brush and the boughs of trees, and the darkness was so intense that -it was impossible to distinguish any object at a distance of three -feet. The man at the paddle set up the same doleful yodling cry that -we had heard in the woods, and continued it at intervals all through -the night. He advised us to be careful not to allow our hands to hang -over the edge of the boat, as the channel abounded with alligators. -As a matter of fact, I doubt if there was an alligator within miles -of us. The native was doubtless sincere in his statement, because he -had perhaps heard others say that there were alligators there. The -story of the lions, tigers and panthers in the woods along the coast -was also undoubtedly a myth which like many other sayings had become a -popular belief from frequent repetition. The same is true of dozens of -tales one hears in Mexico, and about Mexico when at home. For example, -the fabulous stories about the vast fortunes to be made in planting -vanilla, rubber trees and coffee; but I shall treat of these matters in -their proper place further on. - -We finally arrived at Tuxpam in the morning at nine o'clock. As I -reflected upon the experiences of the past two weeks I shuddered at the -very thought of returning. It is doubtful if all the riches in this -tropical land could have tempted me again to undergo the tortures and -anxiety of body and mind that fell to my portion on that journey. It -was an epoch long to be remembered.[6] - -[6] After a lapse of twelve years I can recall the incidents and -sensations of the journey from Tampico to Tuxpam as connectedly and -vividly as though it had been but a week ago. - -Tuxpam is a pleasant sanitary town of perhaps five thousand -inhabitants situated on the banks of the beautiful Tuxpam River a few -miles inland from the coast. The town is built on both sides of the -river, which carries off all the refuse and drainage to the ocean -below. This being a narrative of experiences rather than a history of -towns and villages, I have purposely refrained from long-drawn-out -topographical descriptions. The reader is doubtless familiar with -the general details of the crude architecture that characterizes all -Mexican villages and cities, and a detailed recital of this would be -a needless repetition of well-known facts, for there is a monotonous -sameness in the appearance of all Mexican towns and villages. For the -purpose of this narrative it matters little to the reader whether -the people of Tuxpam are all Aztecs, Spaniards, French or Indians, -though in point of fact they consist of a sprinkling of all of these. -Tuxpam itself is simply a characteristic Mexican town, but it should -be here permanently recorded that it has within its precincts one of -the most adorable women to whom the Lord ever gave the breath of life: -Mrs. Messick, the widow of the former American consul, is a native -Mexican of ebony hue, but with a heart as large and charitable and -true as ever beat in a human breast. She is far from prepossessing in -appearance, and yet to look upon her amiable features and to converse -with her in her broken English is a treat long to be remembered. Her -commodious home is a veritable haven for every orphan, cripple, blind -or otherwise infirm person that comes within her range of vision, and -her retinue of servants, with herself at their head, are constantly -engaged in cooking, washing and otherwise caring for the comforts and -alleviating the sufferings of those unfortunates who are her special -charges. She furnishes an illustrious example of the spirit of a saint -inhabiting a bodily form, and it is almost worth the trip to Mexico to -find that the native race can boast a character of such noble instincts. - -Arriving at this picturesque town we went at once to the hotel. This -hostelry consisted of a chain of rooms built upon posts about nine feet -from the ground, and extending around the central market-place. There -is a veranda around the inside of the square, from which one may obtain -a good view of the market. The stands, or stalls, are around the outer -edge under the tier of rooms, while in the center men and women sit -on the ground beside piles of a great variety of fresh vegetables and -other perishable articles for household use. There is perhaps no better -selection of vegetables to be found in any market in America than we -saw here. - -The partitions dividing the tier of rooms were very thin and extended -up only about two-thirds of the way from the floor to the ceiling, -so there was an air-space connecting all the rooms overhead. One -could hear every word spoken in the adjoining room on either side. -The furniture consisted of a cot-bed, a wash-stand and a chair. We -each procured a room, and as we looked them over and noted the open -space overhead, someone remarked that "it would be a great place -for smallpox." Having had no sleep the night before, and being very -tired after sitting in a cramped position all night in the boat, we -retired shortly after reaching town. At about four o'clock in the -afternoon I was awakened by a vigorous pounding at my door, and my two -companions, who were outside, shouted, "_Get up quick!_ there is a -case of smallpox in the next room!" I jumped up quickly and in my dazed -condition put on what clothing I could readily lay my hands on, and -snatching up my shoes and coat ran out on the veranda. After getting -outside I discovered that I had gotten into my trousers hind side -before and had left my hat, collar, shirt and stockings behind, but did -not return for them. We all beat a hasty retreat around the veranda -to the opposite side, of the court, or square, and the people in the -market-place below having heard the pounding on the door, and seeing me -running along the veranda in my _deshabille_ concluded that the place -was afire. Someone gave the alarm of fire, and general pandemonium -ensued. The women-peddlers and huxsters in the market hastily -gathered up such of their effects as they could carry and ran out of -the inclosure into the street. In remarkable contrast to the usual -solicitude and thoughtfulness of motherhood, I saw one woman gather -up a piece of straw-matting with about fifty pounds of dried shrimp -and scurry out into the street, leaving her naked baby sitting howling -on the bare ground. Vegetables and all sorts of truck were hurriedly -dumped into bags and carried out. Happily this episode occurred in -the afternoon when there was comparatively little doing, and very few -pedestrians in the place; for had it happened in the early morning -when all the people are gathered to purchase household necessities -for the day, a serious panic would have been inevitable. About this -time our interpreter appeared, and three soldiers in white uniforms -came rushing up to us and enquired where the fire was. My companions -explained to the soldiers, through the interpreter, that it was only a -practical joke they had played on me. It now became my turn to laugh, -for they were both placed under arrest and taken before the magistrate, -charged with disturbing the peace and starting a false alarm of fire. -When the interpreter explained the matter to the magistrate that -official lost his dignity for a moment and laughed outright. He was -a good-natured old fellow (an unusual characteristic, I understand, -among Mexican magistrates) and appreciated the joke even more than I -did. He recovered his dignity and composure long enough to give us an -impressive warning not to play any more such pranks, and dismissed the -case. - -Our baggage did not arrive until five days later, and was soaking wet, -as the boatman said he had encountered a gale in which he had barely -escaped inundation. - -There was an American merchant in Tuxpam by the name of Robert Boyd, -whose store was the headquarters of all Americans, both resident -and traveling. Had we talked with Mr. Boyd before going to Mexico -there would have been no occasion for writing this narrative. He was -an extremely alert trader and in his thirty years' residence, by -conducting a general store and trafficking in such native products as -_chicle_ (gum,--pronounced chickly), hides, cedar, rubber and vanilla, -which he shipped in small quantities to New York, he had accumulated -about $50,000 (Mexican). We had expected to make on an average that sum -for every day we spent in Mexico, and were astonished that a man of his -commanding appearance and apparent ability should be running a little -store and doing a small three-penny[7] business. Three months later we -would have concluded that any American who could make fifty thousand -dollars by trading with Mexicans for thirty years is highly deserving -of a bronze monument on a conspicuous site. For clever trading in a -small way, the Mexican is as much ahead of the average Yankee as our -present methods of printing are ahead of those employed in Caxton's -time. They are exceedingly cunning traders and will thrive where even -the Italian fruit-vender would starve. - -[7] The customary measurement of money values in Mexico is three cents, -or multiples of three, where the amount is less than one dollar. -The fractional currency is silver-nickels, dimes, quarters, halves, -and large copper pennies. Three cents is a _quartilla_, six cents a -_medio_, and twelve cents a _real_. Although five-cent pieces and dimes -are in common use, values are never reckoned by five, ten, fifteen or -twenty cents. Fifteen being a multiple of three would be called _real y -quartilla_, one real and a quartilla. In having a quarter changed one -gets only twenty-four cents no matter whether in pennies, or silver and -pennies. A fifty-cent piece is worth but forty-eight cents in change, -and a dollar is worth only ninety-six cents in change, provided the -fractional coins are all of denominations less than a quarter. If a -Mexican, of the peon class, owes you twenty-one cents and he should -undertake to pay it (which would be quite improbable) he would never -give you two dimes and a penny, or four five-cent pieces and a penny; -he would hand you two dimes and four pennies (two _reals_), and then -wait for you to hand him back three cents change. If you were to say -_veinte y uno centavos_ (twenty-one cents) to him he wouldn't have the -slightest idea what you meant; but he would understand _real y medio y -quartilla_,--being exactly twenty-one cents. - -When we informed Mr. Boyd that we had come in search of vanilla, rubber -and coffee lands he must have felt sorry for us; in fact he admitted -as much to me a few months later when I knew him better. With his -characteristic courtesy, however, he told us of several places that we -might visit. We learned for the first time that the three industries -require entirely different soils and altitudes. For coffee-land he -recommended that we go up the Tuxpam River to what was known as -the _Mesa_ (high table-lands) district, while for vanilla-land he -recommended either Misantla or Papantla, further down the coast; and -rubber trees, he said, could be grown with moderate success in certain -localities around Tuxpam. He did not discourage us, because it was not -consonant with his business interests to dissuade American enterprise -and investments there, no matter how ill-advised the speculation might -be. Others before us had come and gone; some had left their money, -while others had been wise enough to get back home with it, and stay -there. Some investors had returned wiser, but never was one known to -return richer. All this, however, we did not learn until later. We -made several short journeys on horseback, but found no lands that -seemed suitable for our purposes. There were too many impediments -in the vanilla industry,--not least among which was the alacrity -with which the natives will steal the vanilla-beans as fast as they -mature. In fact, a common saying there is, "catch your enemy in your -vanilla-patch,"--for you would be justified in shooting him at sight, -even though he happened there by accident. It requires a watchman to -every few dozen vines (which are grown among the trees) and then for -every few watchmen it needs another watchman to keep an observing eye -on them. Again, the vanilla country is uncomfortably near the yellow -fever zone. - -As to rubber, we found very few trees in bearing, and the few -scattering ones we saw that had been "tapped," or rather "gashed," in -order to bleed them of their milk, were slowly dying. True, the native -method of extracting the milk from the trees was crude, but they did -not appear hardy. - -One of the principal articles of export from this section is chicle. -The reader may not be aware that a great deal of our chewing-gum -comes from this part of Mexico, and that it is a thoroughly pure and -wholesome vegetable product. The native _Chiclero_ is the best paid -man among the common laborers in Mexico. Tying one end of a long rope -around his waist he climbs up the tree to the first large limb--perhaps -from thirty to sixty feet--and throwing the other end of the rope over -the branch lets himself down slowly by slipping the rope through his -left hand, while with the right hand he wields a short bladed machete -with which he chops gashes in the tree at an angle of about forty-five -degrees, which leading into a little groove that he makes all the -way down, conducts the sap down to the base of the tree, where it is -carried into a basin or trough by means of a leaf inserted in a gash -in the tree near the ground. This is a very hazardous undertaking and -requires for its performance a dexterous, able-bodied man. A single -misstroke may sever the rope and precipitate the operator to the -ground. In this way a great number of men are killed every year. The -sap is a thick, white creamy substance, and is boiled down in vats -the same as the sap from the maple tree. When it reaches a certain -thickness or temperature it is allowed to cool, after which it is made -up into chunks or squares weighing from ten to forty pounds each. It is -then carried to market on mule-back. The crude chicle has a delightful -flavor, which is entirely destroyed by the gum-manufacturers, who mix -in artificial flavors, with a liberal percentage of sugar. If the -gum-chewer could obtain crude chicle with its delicious native flavor -he (or she) would never be content to chew the article as prepared for -the trade. - -Rubber is produced in the same way as chicle, and the milk from the -rubber tree is scarcely distinguishable, except in flavor, from that of -the chicle-producing tree. The latter, however, grows to much greater -size and is more hardy. It abounds throughout the forests in the -lowlands. The native rubber trees die after being gashed a few times, -and those we saw in bearing were very scattering. You might not see a -dozen in a day's travel. - -The easiest way to make money on rubber trees is to write up a -good elastic article on the possibilities of the industry, form a -ten or twenty million dollar corporation and sell the stock to the -uninitiated,--if there are any such left. It would be a debatable -question with me, however, which would be the more attractive from an -investment point of view,--stock in a rubber company in Mexico, or one -in Mars. Both would have their advantages; the one in Mexico would -possess the advantage of closer proximity, while the one in Mars would -have the advantage of being so far away that one could never go there -to be disillusioned. The chances for legitimate returns would be about -the same in both places. It seems a pity that any of those persons who -ever bought stock in bogus Mexican development companies should have -suffered the additional humiliation of afterwards going down there to -see what they had bought into. - -It is surprising that up to the present time no one has appeared before -the credulous investing public with a fifty-million dollar chicle -corporation, for here is a valuable commodity that grows wild in the -woods almost everywhere, and a highly imaginative writer could devote a -whole volume to the unbounded possibilities of making vast fortunes in -this industry. - -While I was in Mexico a friend sent me some advertising matter of one -of these development companies that was paying large dividends on its -enormous capital stock from the profits on pineapples and coffee, when -in point of fact there was not a coffee-tree on its place, and it was -producing scarcely enough pineapples to supply the caretaker's family. - -In regard to coffee, we found that some American emigration company -appeared to be making a legitimate effort to test the productivity of -that staple, and had sent a number of thrifty American families into -Mexico and settled them at the _mesa_,[8] several miles inland from -Tuxpam. They had cleared up a great deal of land and put out several -thousand coffee-plants. There are many reasons why this crop cannot be -extensively and profitably raised in this part of Mexico,--and for that -matter, I presume, in any other part. Foremost among the many obstacles -is the labor problem. The native help is not only insufficient, but is -utterly unreliable. It is at picking-time that the greatest amount -of help is required, and even if it were possible to rely upon the -laborers, and there were enough of them, there would not be sufficient -work to keep them between the harvest-seasons. It would be totally -impracticable to import laborers; the expense and the climate would -both be prohibitive. Again, the price of labor here has increased -greatly of late years, without a corresponding appreciation in the -price of coffee.[9] - -[8] In 1907, I received a letter from my foreman at the ranch, saying -that yellow fever had spread throughout the Tuxpam valley district, and -that upon its appearance in the American settlement at the _mesa_ the -whole colony of men, women and children literally stampeded and fled -the country, taking with them only the clothes that were on them. The -old gentleman (American) from whom I bought my place, and who had lived -there for forty-seven years prior to that time, fell a victim to the -yellow plague, together with his two grown sons. Thirty years before -his wife and two children had fallen victims to smallpox. Thus perished -the entire family. It is said that this is the first time in many years -that yellow fever had visited that district. I scarcely ever heard -of it while there, though Vera Cruz, a few miles further south, is a -veritable hot-bed of yellow fever germs. - -[9] There is nearly an acre of coffee in full bearing on my place, but -I have not taken the trouble even to have it picked. Occasionally the -natives will pick a little of it either for home use or for sale, but -they do not find it profitable, and so most of the fruit drops off and -goes to waste. - -Neither vanilla, coffee nor rubber had ever been profitably raised -in large quantities and we therefore decided that under the existing -circumstances and hindrances we would dismiss these three articles from -further consideration. - -If we had been content to return home and charge our trip to experience -account, all would have been well,--but we pursued our investigations -along other lines. The possibilities of the tobacco industry claimed -our attention for awhile--it also claimed a considerable amount of -money from one of my companions. Someone (perhaps the one who had the -land for sale) had recently discovered that the ground in a certain -locality was peculiarly suited to the growth of fine tobacco, which -could be raised at low cost and sold at fabulous prices. We learned -that a large tract of land in this singularly-favored district was -for sale; so thither we went in search of information. The soil was -rich and heavily wooded; it looked as though it might produce tobacco -or almost anything else. I neither knew nor cared anything about -tobacco-raising and the place did not therefore interest me in the -least. One of my companions, however, had been doing a little figuring -on his own account, and had calculated that he could buy this place, -hire a foreman to run it, put in from five to eight hundred acres -of tobacco that year, and that the place would pay for itself and -be self-sustaining the second year. By the third year he would have -a thousand acres in tobacco, and the profits would be enormous. It -would not require his personal attention, and he could send monthly -remittances from home for expenses, and probably come down once a year -on a _pleasure trip_. Parenthetically, by way of assurance to the -reader that the man had not entirely lost his reason, I may say that -we learned in Tuxpam that of all routes and modes of travel to that -place we had selected by far the worst; that the best way was to take -a Ward Line Steamer from New York to Havana, and from there around by -Progreso, Campeche, and up the coast to Vera Cruz, thence to Tuxpam. -From Tuxpam the steamers go to Tampico, then back to Havana and New -York. However, one cannot count with certainty on landing at Tuxpam, -as the steamers are obliged to stop outside the bar and the passengers -and cargo have to be lightered over. The steamers often encounter bad -weather along the coast, and it frequently happens that passengers and -freight destined for Tuxpam are carried on up to Tampico. - -My friend had gotten his money easily and was now unconsciously -planning a scheme for spending it with equal facility. The more we -tried to dissuade him the more convinced he was of the feasibility of -the plan. We argued that no one had ever made any money in tobacco -there, and that it was an untried industry. He said that made no -difference; it was because they didn't know how to raise tobacco. -He would import a practical tobacco-man from Cuba--which he finally -did, under a guarantee of $200 a month for a year--and that he would -show the Mexicans how to raise tobacco. He bought the place, arranged -through a friend in Cuba for an expert tobacco-raiser, and sent -couriers through the country to engage a thousand men for chopping and -clearing. He was cautioned against attempting to clear too much land, -as it was very late. The rainy season begins in June, and after that -it is impossible to burn the clearings over. The method of clearing -land here is to cut down the trees and brush early in the spring, trim -off the branches and let them lie until thoroughly dry. In felling a -forest and chopping up the brush and limbs it forms a layer over the -entire area, sometimes five or six feet deep. Under the hot sun of -April and May, during which time it rarely rains more than a slight -sprinkle, this becomes very dry and highly inflammable. Early in June -the fires are set, and at this season the whole country around is -filled with a hazy atmosphere. The heat from the bed of burning tinder -is so intense that most of the logs are consumed and many of the stumps -are killed; thus preventing them from sprouting. Every foul seed in the -ground is destroyed and for a couple of years scarcely any cultivation -is required. - -Our would-be tobacco-raiser paid no heed to advice or words of -warning; he was typical of most Americans who seek to make fortunes in -Mexico,--they have great difficulty in getting good advice, but it is -ten times more difficult to get them to follow it. You rarely obtain -trustworthy information from your own countrymen who have investments -there, for the chances are fifty to one that they are anxious to sell -out, and will paint everything in glowing hues in the hope that they -may unload their burdens on you. Even if they have nothing to sell, -they are none the less optimistic, for they like to see you invest your -money. Wretched conditions are in a measure mitigated by companionship; -in other words, "Misery loves company." - -Hereafter I shall refer to the man who bought the tobacco land as Mr. -A., and to my other companion as Mr. B. - -Mr. A. was delayed in getting his foreman and had the customary -difficulty in hiring help. Three hundred men was all he could muster -at first, and they were secured only by paying a liberal advance of -twenty-five per cent. over the usual wages. They began cutting timber -about the 28th of April,--the season when this work should have been -finished, and continued until the rainy season commenced, when scarcely -any of the clearing had been burned; and after the rains came it was -impossible to start a fire, so the whole work of felling upwards of -four hundred acres of forest was abandoned. Every stub and stump seemed -to shoot up a dozen sprouts, and growing up through the thick layer -of brush, branches and logs, they formed a network that challenged -invasion by man or beast. The labor was therefore all lost and the -tobacco project abandoned in disgust. - -I was told by one of the oldest inhabitants--past ninety--that it -had never once failed to rain on San Juan's (Saint John's) Day, the -24th of June. Sometimes the rainy season begins a little earlier, -and occasionally a little later, but that day never passes without -bringing at least a light shower. Of course it was in accord with -my friend's run of luck that this should be the year when the rainy -season began prematurely; but the truth of the matter is, it was about -the most fortunate circumstance that could have occurred; for as it -turned out he lost only the money laid out for labor, together with -the excess price paid for the land above what it was worth; whereas, -had everything gone well he was likely to have lost many thousands of -dollars more.[10] - -[10] A few years later Mr. A. sold his unimproved land for about -one-third of what it cost him, so that now I am the only one of the -party to retain any permanent encumbrances there. Be it said, however, -to the credit of my injudicious investment, that there has never been -a year when I have not received a small net return, over expenses; and -that is far more than I can say for my farm in Massachusetts, with all -its modern equipments. It has lately been discovered that that section -of Mexico is rich in petroleum, and in 1908 I leased the oil-privileges -alone for a sum nearly as large as I expected ever to realize for the -whole place. - -In the meantime I had been looking the field over industriously, and -had concluded that the sugar and cattle industries promised the surest -and greatest returns. I heard of a ranch, with sugar-plantation, for -sale up in the Tuxpam valley. It was owned by an American who had -occupied it forty-seven years, during which time he had made enough -to live comfortably and educate two sons in American schools. He -was well past seventy and wished to retire from the cares of active -business,--which I regarded as a justifiable excuse for selling. We -visited the place and found the only American-built house we had -seen since leaving home. The place was in a fairly good state of -repair, though the pasture lands and canefields had been allowed to -deteriorate. The whole place was for sale, including cattle, mules, -wagons, sugar-factory, tenement houses, machinery and growing crops; -in fact, everything went. The price asked appeared so low that I -was astonished at the owner's modesty in estimating its value. I -accepted his offer on the spot, paying a small sum down to bind the -bargain,--fearing that he would change his mind. It was not long, -however, before I changed my estimate of his modesty, and marveled at -his boldness in having the courage to ask the price he did. On our way -back to town my companions argued that I was foolish to try to make -money in sugar or cattle raising; that there was no nearby market for -the cattle, and that the Cuban sugar was produced so abundantly and -so cheaply that there would be no profit in competing with it in the -American market. This was perfectly sound logic, as testified to by -later experiences, but it fell upon deaf ears. I had been inoculated -with the sugar and cattle germ as effectively as my friend had been -with the tobacco germ, and could see nothing but profit everywhere. -Mr. A. was to have a Cuban tobacco man, and why couldn't I have an -experienced Cuban sugar man? I expected to double the magnitude of -the canefields, as the foreman--who promised to remain--had declared -that this could be done without crowding the capacity of the factory. -I would also import some shorthorn cattle from the United States, and -figured out that I should need a whole carload of farming implements. - -It may be remarked that almost without exception the American visitor -here is immediately impressed with the unbounded possibilities -of making vast fortunes. The resources of the soil appear almost -limitless. The foliage of the trees and shrubs is luxuriant the year -round, and the verdure of the pastures and all vegetation is inspiring -at all seasons. The climate is delightful, even in midsummer, and with -such surroundings and apparent advantages for agricultural pursuits -one marvels at the inactivity and seeming stupidity of the natives. -After a few months' experience in contending with the multiplicity of -pests and perversities that stand athwart the path of progress, and -becoming inoculated with the monotony of the tropical climate, one can -but wonder that there should be any energy or ambition at all. The -tendency of Americans is always to apply American energy and ideas to -Mexican conditions, with the result that nothing works harmoniously. -The country here is hundreds of years behind our times, and cannot -be brought into step with our progressiveness except by degrees. Our -modern methods and ideas assimilate with those of Mexico very slowly, -if at all. It is almost impossible to develop any one locality or -industry independent of the surroundings. The truth is, if you would -live comfortably in Mexico (which in these parts is quite beyond human -possibility) you must live as Mexicans do, for they are clever enough, -and have lived here long enough, to make the best of conditions. If -you would farm successfully in Mexico, you must farm precisely as they -do, for you will eventually find that there is some well-grounded -reason for every common usage; and if you would make money in Mexico, -stay away entirely and dismiss the very thought of it. Pure cream -cannot be extracted from chalk and water,--though it may look like -milk,--because the deficiency of the necessary elements forbids it; no -more can fortunes be made in this part of Mexico, because they are not -here to be made, as every condition forbids their accumulation. The -impoverished condition of the people is such that a large percentage of -the families subsist on an average income of less than ten cents a day, -silver. - -Although the peon class are indigent, lazy and utterly devoid of -ambition they are so by virtue of climatic and other conditions that -surround them, and of which they can be but the natural outgrowth. The -debilitating effects of the climate, and the numberless bodily pests -draw so heavily upon human vitality that it is surprising that any one -after a year's residence there can muster sufficient energy to work at -all. The natives, after a day's labor will throw themselves upon the -hard ground and fall asleep, calmly submitting to the attack of fleas -and wood-ticks as a martyrdom from which it is useless to attempt to -escape. It is a labored and painful existence they lead, and it is not -to be wondered at that smallpox, pestilence and death have no terror -for them; indeed, they hail these as welcome messengers of relief. -When by the pangs of hunger they are driven to the exertion of work -they will do a fair day's labor, if kept constantly under the eye of a -watchman, or _capitan_, as he is called. One of these is required for -about every ten or twelve workmen; otherwise they would do nothing at -all. If twenty workmen were sent to the field to cut brush, without -designating someone as captain, they would not in the course of the -whole day clear a patch large enough to sit down on. The best workmen -are the Indians that come down from the upper-country settlements. -Upon leaving home they take along about twelve days' rations, usually -consisting of black beans and corn ground up together into a thick -dough and made into little balls a trifle larger than a hen's egg, -and baked in hot ashes. They eat three of these a day,--one for each -meal,--and when the supply is exhausted they collect their earnings -and return to their homes, no matter how urgent the demand for their -continued service may be. In two or three weeks they will return again -with another supply of provisions and stay until it is consumed, but no -longer. If Thoreau could have seen how modestly these people live he -would have learned a lesson in economic living such as he never dreamed -of. The frugality of his meagre fare at his Walden pond hermitage -would have appeared like wanton luxury by comparison. If the virtue -of honesty can be ascribed to any of these laborers the Indians are -entitled to the larger share of it. They keep pretty much to themselves -and seldom inter-marry or mingle socially with the dusky-skinned Aztecs. - -It is difficult to get the natives to work as long as they have a -little corn for _tortillas_ or a pound of beans in the house. I have -known dozens of instances where they would come at daylight in search -of a day's work, leaving the whole family at home without a mouthful of -victuals. If successful in getting work they would prefer to take their -day's pay in corn, and would not return to work again until it was -entirely exhausted. Hundreds of times at my ranch men applying for work -were so emaciated and exhausted from lack of nourishment that they had -to be fed before they were in a fit condition to send to the field. - -The basic element of wealth is money, and it is impossible to make an -exchange of commodities for money in great quantity where it exists -only in small quantity. In other words, if you would make money it -is of first importance that you go where there is money. If--as is -the case--a man will labor hard from sunrise to sunset in Mexico, and -provision himself, for twenty-five cents in gold, it would indicate -either a scarcity of gold or a superabundance of willing laborers, and -it must be the former, for the latter does not exist. Some have argued -that money is to be made in Mexico by producing such articles as may be -readily exchanged for American gold, but there are very few articles -of merchandise for which we are _obliged_ to go to Mexico, and these -cost to produce there nearly as much or more than we have to pay for -them. For example, a pound of coffee in Mexico[11] costs fifty cents, -the equivalent in value to the labor of an able-bodied man for twelve -hours. There is some good reason for this condition, else it would -not exist. In other words, if it didn't cost the monetary value of -twelve hours' work (less the merchant's reasonable profit, of course) -to produce a pound of coffee, it would not cost that to buy it there. -It does not seem logical, therefore, that it can be produced and sold -profitably to a country where a pound of this commodity is equal in -value to less than two hours of a man's labor. If it were so easy and -profitable to raise coffee, every native might have his own little -patch for home use, and possibly a few pounds to sell. In order to be -profitable, commodities must be turned out at a low cost and sold at -a high cost; but here is a case where some visionary Americans have -thought to get rich by working directly against the order of economic -and natural laws. I have not consulted statistics to ascertain how the -Mexican exports to the United States compare with their imports of our -products, but it is a significant fact, as stated at the beginning -of this narrative, that the highest premium obtainable for American -money is for eastern exchange, used in settling balances for imports -of American goods. The needs of the average Mexican are very small -beyond the products of his own soil, and if the agricultural exports -from their eastern ports were large the merchants would have but little -difficulty in purchasing credits on New York, or any important eastern -or southern seaport. - -[11] It will be understood, of course, that in speaking of Mexico I -refer only to the district where I visited. - -I had the good fortune _not_ to be able to make any satisfactory -arrangement for a practical sugar-maker from Cuba. I was more fortunate -than my friend Mr. A., in not having any friend there to look out for -me. Thus I saved not only the cost of an expert's services, which, -comparatively speaking, would have been a trifling item, but was held -up in making the contemplated extensions and improvements until my -sugar-fever had subsided and I had regained my normal senses, after -which I was quite contented to conduct the place in its usual way with -a few slight improvements here and there. I had not in so short a time -become quite reconciled, however, to the idea that the place could -not be run at a profit; but figured that it could be made to yield -me a considerable revenue above expenses, and that it would afford a -desirable quartering-place for my family on an occasional tropical -visit in winter. After returning home later in the season I induced my -family to return with me in the fall and spend a part of the following -winter there; and although we experienced the novelty on Christmas-day -of standing on our front porch and picking luscious ripe oranges from -the trees,--one of which stands at each side of the steps,--I have -never again been able to bring my persuasive powers to a point where -I could induce them to set foot on Mexican soil. It is largely due to -the abhorrence of smallpox, malaria, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, -_garrapatas_, fleas, and a few other minor pests and conditions to -which they object. Mosquitoes, however, did not molest us at the ranch. - -Once while we were at the ranch my wife was told by one of the servants -that there was a woman at the front door to see her. Upon going into -the hall she found that the woman had stepped inside and taken a seat -near the door. She arose timidly, with a bundle in her arms--which -proved to be a babe--and spoke, but Mrs. Harper could not understand -a word she said. The maid had entered the hall immediately behind my -wife, and, as she spoke both Spanish and English, the woman explained -through her that the baby was suffering with smallpox, and that she had -heard that there was an American woman there who could cure it. The -resultant confusion in the household beggars description. Every time -I mention Mexico at home I get a graphic rehearsal of this scene. The -poor woman had walked ten miles, carrying her babe, and thought she was -doing no harm in bringing it in and sitting down to rest for a moment. -She was put into a boat and taken down the river to Tuxpam by one of -the men on the place who had already passed through the stages of this -disease, and under the treatment of a Spanish physician whom I had met -there the child recovered and was sent back home with its mother. - -It may be observed that since arriving at Tuxpam I have appeared to -neglect my friend Mr. B., but, although so far as this narrative is -concerned he has not as yet been much in evidence, he was by far the -busiest man in the party. Being the only unmarried man in our company -he had not been long in Mexico when he began to busy himself with an -industry in which single men hold an unchallenged monopoly, and one -that is far more absorbing than vanilla, rubber, coffee, sugar and -tobacco all combined. The immediate cause of his diversion was due to -a visit that we all made to the large hacienda of a wealthy Spanish -gentleman of education and refinement, who had a very beautiful and -accomplished daughter but recently returned home with her mother from -an extended tour through Europe, following her graduation from a -fashionable and well-known ladies' seminary in America. I have made the -statement in the foregoing pages that no American fortune-hunter had -been known to return home from here richer than when he came, but later -on we shall see that this no longer remains a truth. For the present, -however, as long as we are now discussing problems of vulgar commerce, -we shall leave Mr. B. undisturbed in his more engaging pursuit, and -return to his case later. - -Next to silver, corn is the staple and standard of value in Mexico, -though its price fluctuates widely. Everybody, and nearly every -animal, both untamed and domestic, and most of the insects, feed upon -this article. It is the one product of the soil that can be readily -utilized and converted into cash in any community and at any season. -The price is usually high, often reaching upwards of the equivalent of -$1 a bushel. It is measured not by the bushel, but by the _fanega_, -which weighs 225 pounds. It may appear a strange anomaly that the -principal native product should be so high in a soil of such wonderful -productivity. An acre of ground will produce from fifty to seventy-five -bushels, _twice a year_. It is planted in June as soon as the rains -break the long, monotonous dry season which extends through March, -April and May, and is harvested early in October; then the same ground -is planted again in December for harvesting early in April. The ground -requires no plowing and, if recently cleared, no weeding; so all that -is necessary to do is to plant the corn and wait for it to mature. It -sounds easy and looks easy, but, as with everything else, there are a -few obstacles. Corn is planted in rows, about the same distance apart -as in America, and is almost universally of the white variety, as this -is the best for _tortillas_. The planting is accomplished by puncturing -the ground with a hardwood pole, sharpened at one end. The hole is -made from four to six inches deep, when the top of the pole is moved -from one side to another so that the point loosens up the subsoil and -makes an opening at the bottom of the hole the same width as that at -the top. The corn is then dropped in and covered with a little dirt -which is knocked in by striking the point of the pole gently at the -opening. The moisture, however, would cause it to sprout and grow -even if not covered at all. The difficulties now begin and continue -successively and uninterruptedly at every stage of development to -maturity, and even until the corn is finally consumed. The first of -these difficulties is in the form of a small red ant which appears in -myriads and eats the germ of the kernels as soon as they are planted. -When the corn sprouts there is a small cut-worm that attacks it in -great numbers. When the sprouts begin to make their appearance above -the ground there is a blackbird lying in wait at every hill to pull it -up and get the kernel. These birds, which in size are between our crow -and blackbird, appear in great numbers and would destroy a ten-acre -field of corn in one day if not frightened away. They have long sharp -beaks, and insatiable appetites. Following these the army-worm attacks -the stalk when knee high, and penetrating it at the top or tassel-end -stops its growth and destroys it. These ravages continue until the corn -begins to tassel, if any is so fortunate as to reach that stage. When -the ears appear another worm works in at the silk, and a little later -a small bird resembling our sapsucker puts in his claim to a share in -the crop. Beginning at the outer edge of the field and proceeding down -the row from one hill to another, he penetrates the husks of almost -every ear with his needlelike bill, and the moment the milky substance -of the corn is reached the ear is abandoned and another attacked. When -punctured in this way the ear withers and dries up without maturing. -The succession is then taken up by the parrots and parrakeets, which -abound in Mexico. They may be seen in flocks flying overhead or -hovering over some field, constantly chattering and squawking, at -almost any hour of the day. When the corn begins to mature the raccoons -appear from the woods, and entering a field at night they eat and -destroy the corn like a drove of hogs. As a means of protection against -these pests many of the natives keep a number of dogs, which they tie -out around the field at night, and which keep up an almost constant -barking and howling. Finally, just as the corn has matured and the -kernels are hardening the fall rains begin, and often continue for days -and even weeks with scarcely an interruption. The water runs down into -the ear through the silks and rots the corn. In order to prevent this -it is necessary to break every stalk just below the ear and bend the -tops with the ears down so the water will run off. Later it is husked -and carried to the crib, when it is subjected to the worst of all the -evils, the black weevil. The eggs from which this insect springs are -deposited in the corn while in the field and commence to hatch soon -after it is harvested. I have personally tested this by taking an -ear of corn from the field and after shelling it placed the corn in -a bottle, which was corked up and set away. In about three weeks the -weevils began to appear, and in six weeks every kernel was destroyed. -At first I wondered why the Mexicans usually planted their corn in such -small patches and so near the house, but in view of the foregoing -facts this is easily explained. Almost the same vexatious conditions -prevail in nearly everything that one attempts to do in this country, -the variety and numbers of enemies and hindrances varying with each -undertaking. There is a hoodoo lurking in every bush, and no matter -which way the stranger turns he finds himself enmeshed in a veritable -entanglement of impediments and aggravations. - -All along and up and down the banks of the Tuxpam River, and in other -more remote localities, there are countless wrecks and ruins of sugar -mills, distilleries and other evidences of former American industry, -which mark the last traces of blighted ambitions and ruined fortunes of -investors. The weeds and bushes have overgrown the ruins and tenderly -sheltered them from the sun's rays and the view of the uninquisitive -passer-by. They have become the silent haunts of wild animals, -scorpions and other reptiles. At the visitor's approach a flock of -jaybirds will immediately set up a clamorous chattering and cawing in -the surrounding trees, as if to reproach the trespasser who invades the -lonely precincts of these isolated tomb-like abodes. They tell their -own tale in more eloquent language than any writer could command. With -each ruin there is a traditional and oftentimes pathetic story. In -some cases the investor was fortunate enough to lose only his money, -but in many instances the lives along with the fortunes of the more -venturesome were sacrificed to some one or other of the various forms -of pestilence which from time to time sweep over the country. - -Among the native fruit products in this section the orange and the -mango hold first rank, with bananas and plantains a close second. In -close proximity to almost every native hut one will find a small patch -of plantain and banana stalks. The plantain is made edible by roasting -with the skin on, or by peeling and splitting it in halves and frying -it in lard or butter. - -Of all tropical fruits the mango is perhaps the most delicious. Its -tree grows to enormous size and bears a prolific burden of fruit. In -front of my house are a great number of huge mango trees which are said -to have been planted more than two hundred years ago. The fruit picked -up from under a single tree amounted to a trifle over one hundred and -sixty-one bushels. Unlike the banana or even our American peaches, -pears and plums, the mango is scarcely fit to eat unless allowed to -ripen and drop off the tree. Much of the delicacy of its flavor is lost -if plucked even a day before it is ready to fall. When picked green -and shipped to the American markets it is but a sorry imitation of the -fruit when allowed to ripen on the tree. It ripens in June, and it is -almost worth one's while to make a flying trip to the tropics in that -month just to sit beneath the mango tree and eat one's fill of this -fruit four or five times a day. - -The only native fruit that ever could be profitably raised here for -the American market is the orange. The Mexican orange is well known -for its thin, smooth skin and superior flavor and sweetness. The trees -thrive in the locality of Tuxpam, and bear abundantly from year to year -without the least cultivation or attention. On my place thousands of -bushels of this fruit drop off the trees and go to waste every year, -there being no market for it. I made an experimental shipment of 1,000 -boxes to New York on one of the Ward Line Steamers. After selecting, -wrapping and packing them with the greatest care, and prepaying the -freight, in due time I received a bill from the New York commission -house for $275 (gold) for various charges incidental to receiving and -hauling them to the public dump. The steamer, however, had been delayed -several days. The ratio of profit on this transaction is a fair example -of the returns that one may reasonably expect from an investment in any -agricultural enterprise in Mexico.[12] If ever we get rapid steamer -service between Tuxpam and Galveston or New Orleans, it is my belief -that orange-growing could be made profitable in this country, but until -then it would be useless to consider the orange-growing industry. - -[12] While this volume was in process of issue there appeared in -several leading newspapers a full-page advertisement by some Mexican -orange-grove company, which contained many of the most extraordinary -offers. For example, the promoters agree, for a consideration of $250, -to plant a grove of fifty orange trees and to care for them two years; -then turn the grove over to the investor, who receives $250 the first -year, $375 the second year, and so on until the tenth year, when the -grove of fifty trees nets an income of $5,500 (gold) per annum, which -will be continued for upwards of four hundred years. The company's -lands are located "where the chill of frost never enters, where the -climate excels that of California, where you are 500 miles nearer -American markets than Los Angeles and 60 days earlier than Florida -crops--this is the spot where you will own an orange grove that will -net you $5,500 annually without toil, worry or expense. We will manage -your grove, if you desire, care for the trees, pick, pack and ship your -oranges to market, and all you will have to do is to bank the check we -send to you." It would appear that anyone with $250 who refuses this -offer must indeed be heedless of the coming vicissitudes of old age; -for the promoters pledge their fortunes and their sacred honor that -"when your grove is in full bearing strength you need worry no longer -about your future income." - -Having had some experience in farming in my boyhood, I thought I -knew more about corn-raising than the natives did and that I would -demonstrate a few things that would be useful to them; so I instructed -my foreman to procure a cultivator and cornplanter from the United -States. At Tuxpam I found an American plow which had been on hand -perhaps for some years, and was regarded by the natives as a sort of -curiosity. No merchant had had the rashness, however, to stock himself -with a cultivator or cornplanter. The foreman was ordered to plow -about fifteen acres of ground and plant it to corn as an experiment. -The natives hearing of the undertaking came from a distance to see the -operation. They thought it was wonderful, but didn't seem to regard -it with much favor. The piece was planted in due season, and the rows -both ways were run as straight as an arrow. It required the combined -efforts of all the extra help obtainable in the neighborhood to rid the -corn of the pests that beset it, but after cultivating it three times -and "laying it by," the height and luxuriance of growth it attained -were quite remarkable. Standing a trifle over six feet tall I could -not reach half the ears with the tips of my fingers. The ground was -rich, and as mellow as an ash-heap and appeared to rejoice at the -advent of the plow and cultivator. One night in August there came a -hard rain, accompanied by the usual hurricanes at this season, and next -morning when I went out, imagine my astonishment to find that not a -hill of corn in the whole field was standing! Its growth was so rank -and the ground so mellow that the weight of one hill falling against -another bore it down, and the whole field was laid as flat as though -a roller had been run over it. It was all uprooted and the roots were -exposed to the sun and air. We didn't harvest an ear of corn from -the whole fifteen acres. The other corn in the neighborhood withstood -the gale without any damage. This experience explained why it is that -the natives always plant corn in hard ground, and also furnishes -additional proof that it is usually safe to adhere pretty closely to -the prevailing customs, and exercise caution in trying any innovations. - -After clearing a piece of land for corn the natives will plant it for -a couple of years, then abandon it to the weeds and brush for awhile. -They then clear another piece, and in two or three years the abandoned -piece is covered with a growth of brush sufficiently heavy so that -when cut and burned the fire destroys such seeds as have found their -way into the piece. After land here has been planted for a few years -it becomes so foul with weeds that it would be impossible for a man -with a hoe to keep them down on more than an acre. It is surprising how -rapidly and thickly they grow. The story of the southern gentleman who -said that in his country the pumpkin vines grew so fast that they wore -the little pumpkins out dragging them over the ground would seem like a -plausible truth when compared with what might be said of rapid growth -in Mexican vegetation. They say that the custom of wearing machetes at -all times is really a necessity, as when a man goes to the field in the -morning there is no knowing but that it may rain and the weeds grow up -and smother him before he can get back home. I am, however, a little -skeptical on this point. - -A serious difficulty which has to be reckoned with in Mexico is -the utter disregard that many of the natives have for the property -rights of others. Pigs, chickens, calves, and even grown cattle, -are constantly disappearing as quietly and effectually as though -the earth had opened in the night and swallowed them. One evening a -native came in from a distance of twelve miles to purchase six cents' -worth of mangos, and being otherwise unencumbered in returning home -he took along a calf which he picked up as he passed the outer gate. -At another time when the cane mill was started in the morning, it was -discovered that a large wrench, weighing probably twenty pounds, was -missing. There being no other mill of similar construction in the -community, it was inconceivable that anyone could have had any use -for the wrench. The foreman called the men all together and told them -of the disappearance. He discharged the whole force of more than a -hundred men, and said there would be no more work until the wrench was -returned. Next morning it was found in its accustomed place at the -mill, and every man was there ready to go to work. - -Shortly after buying the ranch I was spending the night there, and went -out to hunt deer by means of a jack,--a small lamp with a reflector, -carried on top of the head, and fastened around the hatband. Assuming -that the reader may not have had any experience in this lonesome -sport, I would explain that on a dark night the light from the jack -being cast into the eyes of an animal in the foreground produces a -reflection in the distance resembling a coal of fire. If the wind is -favorable, one can approach to within thirty to fifty yards of a deer, -which will stand intently gazing at the light. The light blinds the -eye of the animal so that the person beneath cannot be seen even at a -distance of twenty feet. The hunter can determine how near he is to -the game only by the distance that appears to separate the eyes. For -instance, at 125 to 150 yards the eyes of a deer will shine in the -darkness as one bright coal of fire, and as one approaches nearer they -slowly separate until at fifty to sixty paces they appear to be three -or four inches apart, depending upon the size of the animal. It is -then time to fire. It is always best to proceed against the wind, if -there is any, otherwise the deer will scent your presence. The eye of -a calf or burro will shine much the same as that of a deer, and one -must be cautious when hunting in a pasture. I took my shotgun with a -few shells loaded with buckshot, and passing through the canefield -came to a clearing about half a mile from the house. As I approached -the opening I sighted a pair of eyes slowly moving towards me along -the edge of a thicket next the clearing, apparently at a distance -of about seventy-five yards. I knew it was not a deer, because that -animal will always stand still as soon as it sights a lamp. It was too -large for a cat, and did not follow the customary actions of a dog; -but what it was I couldn't imagine. The two enormous eyes came nearer -and nearer, moving to first one side and then the other, the animal -appearing to be unaware of my presence. When it approached to within -perhaps fifty yards of where I stood, I thought it was time to shoot, -and so cocking both hammers of my gun I blazed away, intending to fire -only one barrel and keep the other for an emergency. In my excitement -I must have pulled both triggers, as both cartridges went off with a -terrific bang. The recoil sent me sprawling on my back in the brush, -the gun jumping completely out of my hands and landing several feet -distant. The light was extinguished by the fall, and I lay there in -utter blackness. When I fired, the animal lunged into the thicket with -a crash, and in the confusion of my own affairs immediately following, -I heard no more sounds. I discovered that I had thoughtlessly come -away without a match, and being unfamiliar with the territory, had no -idea in which direction the house stood. Groping around in the dark -I finally located the gun and struck back into the brush in what I -supposed to be the direction I came. Presently I ran into a dense -jungle of terrible nettles, which the natives call _mala mujer_ (bad -woman). They are covered with needlelike thorns and their sting is -extremely painful and annoying. I was also covered with wood-ticks, -which added appreciably to my misery. It was cloudy and the night was -as dark as death. Realizing that I was on the wrong route it seemed -necessary to spend the night there, but I could neither sit nor stand -with comfort amid the nettles. After proceeding five or six hundred -yards through these miserable prickly objects (which in height ranged -from two to thirty feet, thus pricking and stinging me from my face to -my knees) I suddenly plunged headlong over a steep embankment into the -water, when I became aware that I had reached the river; but whether I -was above or below the house (which stands back about a thousand yards -from the river) I couldn't tell. After groping my way along under the -river bank for nearly half a mile, during the space of which I again -fell in twice, I concluded that with my customary luck I was headed -the wrong way, and so retraced my steps and proceeded along down the -river for nearly a mile, when I came to a landing-place. Leaving the -river I went in the opposite direction a short distance, and soon -bumped into some sort of a habitation. After feeling my way more than -half-way around the hut and locating an aperture (the door) I hallooed -at the top of my voice four or five times, and receiving no response -I ventured in only to find the place vacant. Returning to the open -I manoeuvred around until I found another hut, where I proceeded to -howl until the natives woke up. I couldn't imagine how I was to make -myself understood, as of course they could not understand a word of -English. The man struck a match and seeing me standing in the door -with a gun in my hand, and with my face all scratched and swollen to -distortion from my explorations in the nettle patch, both he and his -wife took fright and jumping through an opening on the opposite side -of the room disappeared in the darkness, leaving me in sole possession -of the place. After groping around the room in vain search of a match, -and falling over about everything in the place, I returned to the open -air. Meantime the clouds had begun to break away and I could see the -dim outline of a large building a short distance beyond, which proved -to be the sugar-mill. I was now able to get my bearings, and discovered -that the hut from which the two people had fled was one of a number of -a similar kind which belonged to the place and which were provided free -for the workmen and their families that they might be kept conveniently -at hand at all times. I was not long in finding the main road leading -to the house, and when I arrived there everybody was asleep. After -fumbling around all over the place in the dark I found a match and -discovered that it was twenty-five minutes of three. Thus ended my -first deer-hunt in Mexico. In the morning I noticed the _zopilotes_ -(vultures) hovering over the field in the direction I had taken the -night before, and upon going to the spot I found an enormous full-grown -jaguar lying dead about ten feet from the edge of the clearing. Several -shot had penetrated his head and body, and luckily, one entering his -neck had passed under the shoulder-blade and through the heart. The -natives said it was the only jaguar that had been seen in that locality -for years, and it was the only one I saw during the whole of my travels -in Mexico. - -That morning it was discovered that every hut in the settlement at the -mill had been vacated during the night, and there was not a piece of -furniture or a native anywhere in sight; the place looked as desolate -as a country-graveyard. Later in the day we found the whole crowd -encamped back in the woods, and were told that during the night an -Evil Spirit in the form of a white man with his face and clothes all -bespattered with blood, had visited the settlement, and wielding a huge -machete, also covered with blood, had threatened to kill every man, -woman and child in the place. A few years prior to that an American had -been foully murdered at the mill by a native, who used a machete in -the operation, and this, they said, was the second time in five years -that the murdered man had returned in spirit-form to wreak vengeance -on the natives. It was more than three months before they could all -be induced to return to the houses. I cannot imagine what sort of an -apparition it was that molested them the first time. The frightened -native and his wife had doubtless returned and alarmed the others with -a highly exaggerated story, and gathering up their few belongings they -had fled for their lives. I told the foreman the circumstances, but he -strongly advised me not to attempt to undeceive them, because they had -a deepseated superstition about the mill, and no amount of explanation -would convince them that the place was not haunted by the spirit of the -murdered man, especially as this was their second alarm. - -The peon class in Mexico are exceedingly superstitious and there is -scarcely an act or circumstance but what portends some evil in the -mind of one or another. About the only thing about which they have no -superstitious misgivings is the act of carrying off something that does -not belong to them. - -Late one afternoon, while on a trip out through the country, we met -an American in charge of two Mexican soldiers (in citizen's dress) -who were returning with him to Tuxpam. They said he was a desperate -character who had broken jail while awaiting trial for murder. He -was seated astride a bare-backed horse and his legs were securely -leashed to the body of the animal, while his feet were tied together -underneath. His arms were tied tightly behind his back, and altogether -his situation seemed about as secure and uncomfortable as it could -be made. He was not allowed to talk to us, but the officers talked -rather freely. They said he had recently killed an officer who pursued -him after breaking jail. The poor fellow looked harmless and passive, -and had a kind, though expressionless, face. His eyes and cheeks were -deeply sunken and he showed unmistakable evidence of long suffering. -They had captured him by a stratagem, having overtaken him on the -road and pretending to be _amigos_ (friends) they offered to trade -horses with him. His steed being much fatigued he eagerly grasped the -opportunity to procure a fresh one, and as soon as he dismounted he -was seized and overpowered. The vacant and hopeless expression of the -prisoner as he sat there bound hand and foot, and unable to converse -with his own countrymen was indeed pathetic, and judging by his looks -we were convinced that he was not a hardened criminal. We therefore -determined to look him up on our return to town and ascertain the -facts. Three days later upon returning to Tuxpam we learned that soon -after we passed the party the officers had camped for the night, and -tying their victim to a tree had taken turns at guard duty during the -night. At about three o'clock in the morning the prisoner had managed -to work himself free from the bonds and while the officer on watch was -starting a fire to warm the breakfast for an early morning start the -prisoner pounced upon him and seizing his revolver struck him a blow on -the head which laid him out. At this juncture the other officer woke -up just in time to receive a bullet in his breast which despatched him -to the other world. Taking one of the horses the fugitive fled, and up -to the time I left Mexico he had not sent his address to the police -authorities; nor did any of them appear very anxious to pursue him -further. The officer who was first attacked came to his senses a little -later, but he was perhaps more interested in looking to his own comfort -and safety than in attempting to follow the fugitive, with the prospect -of sharing the fate of his fellow-officer. We were informed that the -prisoner had been a poor, hard-working, and law-abiding resident who -had migrated to this country from Texas several years before, bringing -with him his wife and one child. He had brought about $1,000 American -money, which had been sunk in a small farm near Tuxpam where he had -cast his lot, hoping to make a fortune. One night his home was invaded -by a couple of drunken natives who were determined to murder the whole -family on account of some imaginary grievance. In defending his family -and himself he killed one of them, and wounded the other, and next day -was cast into prison, where he was kept for almost two years--until his -escape--without an opportunity to have his case heard. Meanwhile both -his wife and child died of smallpox without being permitted to see him, -and were buried without his knowledge. It was reported that after his -incarceration his wife and child had moved into a hovel in town, and -that when the coffin containing his child's body was borne past the -jail on the shoulders of a native, en route to its last resting-place, -by a most singular and unhappy coincidence he happened to be peering -out through a small hole in the stone wall, and saw the procession. He -is said to have remarked to another prisoner that some poor little one -had been freed from the sorrows of life. - -How any white man can survive two years' imprisonment in a Mexican jail -is beyond human comprehension; in fact we were informed that it is not -intended that one should. I heard it remarked that "if a prisoner has -plenty of money it is worth while hearing his case, but if he is poor, -what profit is there in trying him?" The judges and lawyers are not -likely to go probing around the jails merely for the sake of satisfying -their craving for the proper dispensation of justice. We were told by -one of the oldest resident Americans that if in the defense of one's -own life it becomes necessary here to take the life of another, the -safest thing to do is to collect such arms, ammunition and money as -may be immediately at hand and make straight through the country for -the nearest boundary line, never submitting to detention until the -ammunition is exhausted and life is entirely extinct. The filthiness -and misery within the walls of a Mexican jail exceed the powers of -human tongue to describe, and tardy justice in seeking a man out in one -of these Plutonic holes is generally scheduled to arrive a day too late. - -With the exception of wood-ticks, the crop that thrives best of all -in this part of Mexico, all the year round, is grass. There are two -notable varieties; one is known as the South American Paral grass, and -the other as Guinea grass. Both are exceedingly hardy and grow to great -height. The Paral grass does not make seed in Mexico, but is generated -from the green plant by taking small wisps of a dozen or more pieces, -doubling them two or three times, after which they are pressed into -holes made in the ground with a sharp stick, much after the manner of -planting corn, and in rows about the same distance apart. Three or -four inches of the wisp is allowed to protrude above the ground. It -is generally planted thus in the latter part of May,--though at this -season the ground is very dry,--because when the rains begin everybody -is so busy planting and caring for the corn-crop that everything else -is dropped. As soon as seasonable weather begins the grass sprouts -and sends out shoots along the ground in every direction, much like a -strawberry-vine. From each joint the roots extend into the ground, and -a shoot springs up. By the early fall the ground is completely covered, -and by the first of January it is ready to pasture lightly. The growth -is so thick and rapid that it smothers the weeds and even many of the -sprouts that spring up from the stubs and stumps. I saw a small patch -of this grass that had been planted early in April when the ground was -so dry that it was impossible to make openings more than two or three -inches deep with the sharp-pointed sticks, as the holes would fill up -with the dry loose earth. This patch was planted by a native who wished -to test the hardiness of the grass, and with little expectation that -it would survive the scorching sun of April, May and a part of June, -until rain came. It was in May that I examined this patch, and pulling -up several wisps I did not find a single spear that had sprouted or -appeared to have a particle of life or moisture in it. But when the -rainy season commenced every hill of it sprouted and grew luxuriantly. -During the rainy season in the fall it will readily take root when -chopped into short pieces and scattered broadcast on the ground. - -The Guinea grass is almost as hardy as the Paral, but is planted only -from the seed. It grows in great clusters, often to a height of six -feet, and soon covers the ground. These two grasses seem to draw a -great deal of moisture from the air, and stand the dry season almost -as well as the brush and trees. The cattle fatten very quickly on them -and never require any grain. Beef-cattle are always in good demand -at high prices, and there is no other industry so profitable here as -cattle-raising. - -The deadly tarantula is as common here as crickets are in the United -States, but to my astonishment the natives have no fear of them, and I -never heard of anyone being bitten by one of these, perhaps the most -venomous of all insects. They abound in the pastures and live in holes -which they dig, two to four inches in the ground. One can always tell -when the tarantula is at home, for the hole is then covered with a web, -while if he is out there is no web over the hole. I have dug them out -by hundreds, and one forenoon I dug out and killed seventy-two, often -finding two huge monsters together. They sometimes bite the cattle when -feeding, and the bite is usually fatal. Their deadly enemy is the wasp -(_Pompilus formosus_) by which they are attacked and stung to death if -they venture out into the open roadway or other bare ground. - -The most deadly reptile is the four-nosed snake; it usually measures -from four to six feet in length and from 2-1/2 to four inches in -diameter at the largest part, with sixteen great fangs, eight above -and eight below. They have the ferocity of a bulldog and the venom -of the Egyptian asp. The natives fear them next to the evil spirit. -The most remarkable feat of human courage that I ever witnessed was a -battle between an Indian workman and one of these snakes. In company -with a number of other workmen the Indian was chopping brush on my -place around a clearing that was being burned, and the snake sprang at -him from a clump of bushes as he approached it. The Indian struck at -the snake with his machete, at the same time jumping aside. The snake, -narrowly missing his mark, landed four or five feet beyond. Immediately -forming in a coil he lunged back at the Indian, catching his bare leg -just below the knee, and fastening his fangs into the flesh like a -dog. The Indian made a quick pass with his machete and severed the -snake's body about four inches from the head, leaving the head still -clinging to his leg. He stuck the point of the machete down through -the snake's mouth, and twisting it around pried the jaws apart, when -the head dropped to the ground. Four of the workmen and myself stood -within fifty feet of the scene, all petrified with amazement. The -Indian realizing that his doom was sealed stood for a moment in silent -contemplation, then walked directly to where the fire was burning and -picking up a burning stick he applied the red-hot embers on the end to -the affected part, holding it tightly against his leg and turning it -over and over until the flesh was seared to the bone. After completing -the operation he fell in a dead faint. He was carried to the house and -revived. His grit and courage saved his life, and in less than three -weeks he was at work again. I offered a bounty of one dollar apiece -for every snake of this variety killed on my ranch, and the natives -would form hunting-parties and look for them on Sundays and rainy days. -They were brought in in such numbers that I began to think the whole -place was infested with them, when presently I discovered that they -were killing and bringing them from all the surrounding country. They -were so cunning that they would bring a snake and hide it somewhere on -the place, then coming to the house they would announce that they were -going snake-hunting, and in fifteen or twenty minutes would march in -triumphantly dragging the snake, usually by a string of green bark. - -There is in Mexico a small tree called _palo de leche_ (milk tree) -which produces a milk so poisonous that the evaporation will -sometimes poison a person at a distance of several feet. The smallest -infinitesimal part coming in contact with the mucous membrane of the -eye will produce almost instant blindness, accompanied by the most -excruciating pain. The only antidote known to the natives is to grind -up peppers of the most powerful strength--as strong as those of which -tabasco sauce is made--and pour the liquid into the affected eye. I saw -this distressing operation performed twice while in Mexico. The natives -naturally dread to encounter these trees when clearing. - -There is an abundance of scorpions in Mexico. They are to be found -under rocks and logs, and particularly throughout the house. One -morning I found four snugly housed in one of my shoes. After putting -my foot into the shoe the instinctive promptness with which I removed -it from my foot reminded me of the army-ant episode when the boatmen -so hastily removed their shirts. In putting on my shoes after that I -learned to "shake well before using." - -Among the nuisances in Mexico the fleas take their place in the first -rank. They appear to thrive in every locality and under all conditions. -Like vicious bulldogs, they are especially fond of strangers, and -never lose an opportunity of showing their domestic hospitality. In -connection with the flea family there is a very small black variety, -the name of which in Spanish is pronounced n[=e]waw. They usually -attack the feet, especially of the natives--for they wear no shoes--and -burrow in under the skin around the toenails or at the bottom of the -foot, and remaining there they deposit a great number of eggs which -are surrounded by a thin tissue similar to that which covers a ball of -spider eggs. The presence of this troublesome insect is not noticeable -until the eggs begin to enlarge, when there is an irritating itching -sensation followed by pain and swelling. The skin has to be punctured -and the sack of eggs removed,--not a pleasant operation, especially -when there are forty or fifty at one time. These insects thrive at all -seasons, and, next to the omnipresent wood-tick, are one of the worst -torments extant. I have frequently seen natives whose feet were so -swollen and sore that they could scarcely walk. At recurrent seasons -there is a fly that deposits a diminutive egg underneath the skin of -human beings by means of a needlelike organ, and the larva of which -produces an extremely disagreeable sensation, sometimes followed by -fever. - -This does not by any means exhaust the list of disagreeable insects -and reptiles, but enough are mentioned to give the reader some idea of -the bodily torments to which both the inhabitants and the visitor are -constantly subjected. - -Having obtained a fair idea of the existing conditions we may now -return to our friend Mr. B., and then wend our journey homeward. After -the visit to the hacienda of the wealthy Spanish gentleman (who, by -the way, brought most of his wealth from Spain), he was perhaps the -least concerned of any man in Mexico as to whether vanilla, rubber, -coffee or anything else could be profitably grown there. Like Dickens -with his Dora, he could see nothing but "Carmencita" everywhere, and -no matter upon what line or topic the conversation turned it was sure -to end in the thought of some new charm in the black-eyed beauty. She -was not only a flower, but a whole garden of flowers, too beautiful and -too delicate to subsist long in that vulgar soil. She longed for the -life, excitement and companionship of the friends of her schooldays in -America, compared with which the humdrum monotony of a Mexican hacienda -seemed like exile. With ample means and social standing as an armor -the conquest was therefore a predestined conclusion. The conquering -knight returned home with me, but in less than seven weeks he was back -again, though not by the way of the loitering route down the _laguna_. -In the following November he returned again to America, bringing with -him the coveted treasure whom he installed in a beautiful home in -America's greatest metropolis. The union of these two kindred souls -was a happy event. Their home has since been blessed with the advent -of two lovely girls and one boy. It is therefore no longer true that -no American fortune-hunter has ever returned from the rural districts -of southeastern Mexico richer than when he went there; for here is an -instance where one of the most priceless of all gems was captured and -borne triumphantly away from a land which appears to abound in nothing -but pestilence and torment. - -Verily may it be said that this part of Mexico whose people, -possibilities, peculiarities, pestilences and pests I have briefly -sketched in the foregoing pages, was made for Mexicans, and so far as I -am personally concerned, they are everlastingly welcome to it. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: - -Obvious printer errors have been corrected. Otherwise, the author's -original spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been left intact. - -[=e] in n[=e]waw represents the letter 'e' with a macron which is a -diacritical mark used in this case to indicate a long 'e' sound. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Journey in Southeastern Mexico, by -Henry Howard Harper - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNEY IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO *** - -***** This file should be named 43972.txt or 43972.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/9/7/43972/ - -Produced by Chris Whitehead and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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