adventures and letters-第26节

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than　I　have　had　on　this　one　and　the　luck　of　R。　H。　D。　of　which　I　was　fond　of　boasting　seems　to　hold　good。　　That　man　of　war；　for　instance；　was　the　only　American　one　that　had　touched　at　Puerto　Cortez　in　TEN　years　and　it　came　the　day　we　did　and　left　the　day　we　did。　　We　saw　a　big　lithograph　of　Eddie　Sothern　in　a　palm　hut　here　so　we　went　before　a　notary　and　swore　to　it　and　had　three　seals　put　on　the　paper　and　sent　it　him　as　a　joke。　　We　start　tomorrow　the　22nd　so　you　see　we　are　behind　our　schedule　and　I　suppose　you　people　are　all　worried　to　death　about　us。　　We　will　be　much　longer　than　six　days　on　our　way　to　Tegucigalpa　as　we　are　going　shooting　and　also　to　pay　our　respects　to　Bogran　the　ex…president　and　the　man　who　is　getting　up　the　next　revolution。　　But　we　take　care　to　tell　everyone　we　are　travelling　for　pleasure　and　are　great　admirers　of　Bonilla　the　present　president。　　Somers　and　I　are　getting　on　famously。　　He　is　a　very　fine　boy　with　a　great　sense　of　humor　and　apparently　very　fond　of　me。　We　had　five　men　counting　Jeffs　who　we　call　our　military　attache　and　Charwood　and　four　drivers　and　eleven　mules　so　it　is　quite　an　outfit。　　In　Ecuador　with　one　more　man　it　would　constitute　a　revolution。

DICK。

DEAR　FAM：　　　　　　　　　　　　SANTA　BARBARAJanuary　25；　1895。

We　are　not　at　Tegucigalpa　as　you　observe　but　travelling　in　this　country。　　〃As　you　see　it　on　Broadway　〃　and　as　you　see　it　here　are　two　different　things。　　We　have　had　five　days　of　it　so　far　and　rested　here　today　in　order　to　pay　our　respects　to　General　Bogran　the　ex…president　of　the　Republic。　　It　is　still　six　days　to　Tegucigalpa。　　The　trip　across　Central　America　will　certainly　be　one　of　the　most　interesting　experiences　of　my　life。　　It　is　the　most　beautiful　country　I　have　seen　and　the　most　barbarous。　　It　is　also　the　hottest　and　the　most　insect…ious　and　the　dirtiest。　　This　latter　seems　a　little　view　to　take　of　it　but　it　means　a　great　deal　as　the　insects　prevent　your　doing　anything　in　a　natural　way；　as　for　instance　sitting　on　the　grass　or　sleeping　on　the　ground　or　hunting　through　the　bushes。　　It　is　pretty　much　as　you　imagine　it　is　from　what　you　have　read；　that　covers　it；　and　I　have　discovered　nothing　new　by　coming　to　see　it。　　I　only　verify　what　others　have　seen。　　The　people　are　most　uninteresting　chiefly　because　they　are　surly　to　Americans　and　do　not　make　you　feel　welcome。　　I　do　not　mean　that　I　did　not　do　well　to　come　for　I　am　more　glad　that　I　did　than　I　can　say　only　I　have　not；　as　I　have　been　able　to　do　before；　found　something　that　others　have　not　seen。　　I　never　expect　to　see　such　a　country　again　unless　in　Africa。　　If　you　leave　the　path　for　ten　yards　you　would　never　get　back　to　it　except　by　accident　and　you　could　not　get　that　far　away　unless　you　cut　yourself　a　trail。　　In　some　places　the　mail　route　which　we　follow　and　over　which　the　mail　is　carried　on　the　backs　of　runners　is　cut　in　the　rock　and　we　go　down　steps　as　even　as　those　of　the　City　Hall　and　for　hours　we　travel　over　rough　rocks　and　stones　and　a　path　so　narrow　that　your　knees　catch　in　the　vines　at　the　side。　　The　mules　are　wonderfully　sure　footed　and　never　slip　although　they　are　very　little；　and　I　am　pretty　heavy。　　The　heat　is　something　awful。　　It　bakes　you　and　will　dry　your　pith　helmet　in　ten　minutes　after　you　have　soaked　it　in　water。　　But　the　scenery　is　magnificent；　sometimes　we　ride　above　the　clouds　and　look　down　into　valleys　stretching　fifty　miles　away　and　see　the　buzzards　half　a　mile　below　us。　　Then　we　go　through　forests　of　manaca　palms　that　spread　out　on　a　single　stem　sideways　and　form　arches　over　our　heads　with　the　leaves　hanging　in　front　of　us　like　portiers　or　we　cross　great　plains　of　grass　and　cactus　and　rock。　　The　best　fun　is　the　baths　we　take　in　the　mountain　streams。　　They　are　almost　as　cool　as　one　could　wish　and　we　shoot　the　rapids　and　lie　under　the　waterfalls　and　come　out　with　all　the　soreness　rubbed　out　of　us　as　though　we　had　been　massaged。　　We　went　shooting　for　two　days　but　as　they　had　no　dogs　we　did　not　do　much。　　I　got　the　best　shot　of　the　trip　and　missed　it。　It　was　a　large　wild　cat　and　he　turned　his　side　full　on　but　I　fired　over　him。　　Somers　and　I　spent　most　of　the　time　firing　chance　shots　at　alligators；　but　they　never　gave　us　a　good　chance　as　the　birds　warn　them　when　they　are　in　danger。　　One　old　fellow　fifteen　feet　long　beat　us　for　some　time　and　then　Somers　and　I　started　across　the　river　to　catch　him　asleep。　　It　was　like　the　taking　of　Lungtepen。　　We　had　our　money　belts　around　our　necks　and　our　shoes　in　one　hand　and　rifles　in　the　other。　　The　rapids　ran　very　fast　and　the　last　I　saw　of　Somerset　he　was　sitting　on　the　bank　he　had　started　from　counting　out　wet　bank　notes　and　blowing　the　water　out　of　his　gun　barrel。　　I　got　across　all　right　by　sticking　my　feet　between　rocks　and　put　on　my　shoes　and　crawled　up　on　the　old　Johnnie。　　He　smelt　of　musk　so　strong　that　you　could　have　found　him　in　the　dark。　　I　had；　a　beautiful　shot　at　him　at　fifty　yards　but　I　was　too　greedy　and　ran　around　some　rocks　to　get　nearer　and　he　heard　me　and　dived。　　I　shot　a　macaw；　one　of　those　overgrown　parrots　with　tail　feathers　three　feet　from　tip　to　tip。　　I　got　him　with　a　rifle　and　as　Griscom　had　got　his　with　a　shotgun　I　came　out　all　right　as　a　marksman　although　I　was　very　sore　at　missing　the　wild　cat。　　We　sleep　in　hats　and　we　sleep　precious　little　for　the　dogs　and　pigs　and　insects　all　help　to　keep　us　awake　and　I　cannot　get　used　to　a　hammock。　　The　native　beds　are　made　of　matting　such　as　they　put　over　tea　chests；　or　bull's　hide　stretched。　　Last　night　I　slept　in　a　hut　with　a　woman　and　her　three　daughters　all　over　fifteen　and　they　sat　up　and　watched　me　prepare　for　bed　with　great　interest。　　I　would　not　have　missed　this　trip　for　any　other　I　know。　　I　wanted　to　rough　it　and　we've　roughed　it　and　we　will　have　another　week　of　it　too。　　We　have　some　remarkable　photographs　and　the　article　ought　to　be　most　interesting。　　Bogran　proved　to　be　a　very　handsome　and　remarkable　man　and　we　had　a　very　interesting　talk　with　him。　　From　Tegucigalpa　we　will　probably　go　directly　to　Venezuela　across　the　Isthmus　of　Panama　and　not　visit　another　Republic。　　We　have　all　travelled　too　much　to　care　to　duplicate；　and　that　is　what　we　would　be　doing　by　remaining　longer　in　Central　America。　　A　month　of　it　will　be　enough　of　it　and　we　will　not　get　away　from　Amapala　before　the　first　of　February。　　We　are　all　well　and　happy　and　dirty　and　sing　and　laugh　and　tell　stories　and　listen　to　Griscom's　anecdotes　of　the　aristocracy　as　we　pick　our　way　along。　　So　goodbye　and　God　bless　you　all。

DICK。


TEGUCIGALPA；　　CENTRAL　　AMERICA。　February　lst；　1895。

4th；　1895。　DEAR　FAMILY

Here　we　are　at　last；　the　trip　from　Santa　Barbara　where　I　　last　wrote　you　was　made　in　six　days。　　It　was　not　so　　interesting　as　the　first　part　because　it　was　very　high　up　and　the　tropical　scenery　gave　way　to　immensely　tall　pines　and　other　trees　that　might　have　been　in　California；　or　the　Rockies。　　The　Corderillas　which　is　the　name　of　the　mountains　we　crossed　are　a　continuation；　by　the　way；　of　the　Rockies；　and　the　Andes　but　are　not　more　than　4；000　feet　high。　　We　had　two　very　hot　days　of　it　in　the　plains　of　Comgaqua　where　there　was　once　a　city　of　60；000　founded　by　Cortez　but　where　there　are　not　now　more　than　6；000。　　The　heat　was　awful。　　We　peeled　all　over　our　faces　and　hands　and　dodged　and　ducked　our　heads　as　though　some　one　were　biting　at　us。　　My　saddle　and　clothes　were　so　hot　that　I　could　not　place　my　hand　on　them。　　At　one　village　we　heard　that　a　bull　fight　was　to　be　given　at　the　next　fifteen　miles　away；　so　we　rode　on　there　and　arrived　in　time　to　take　part。　　They　had　enclosed　the　plaza　with　a　barricade　of　logs　seven　feet　high；　bound　together　with　vines。　　They　roped　a　big　bull　and　lassoed　him　all　over　and　then　a　man　got　on　his　back　with　spurs　on　his　bare　feet　and　held　on　by　the　ropes　around　the　bull's　body　and　by　his　toes　and　threw　a　cloak　over　the　bull's　eyes　when　ever　it　got　too　near　any　one　They　stuck　it　with　spears　until　it　was　mad　and　then　let　the　lassoes　slip　and　the　bull　started　off　to　tear　out　the　torreadors。　　I　thought　it　would　be　a　great　sporting　act　to　kodak　a　bull　while　it　was　charging　you　and　so　we　all　volunteered　to　act　as　torreadors　and　it　was　most　exciting　and　funny。　　It　was　rather　late　to　get　good　results　but　I　got　some　pretty　good　pictures　of　the　bull　coming　at　me　with　his　head　down　and　then　I'd　skip　into　a　hole　in　the　wall。　　The　best　pictures　I　got　were　of　Somers　and　Griscom　scrambling　over　the　seven　foot　barriers　with　the　bull　in　hot　chase。　　We　all　looked　so　funny　in　our　high　boots　and　helmets　and　so　much　alike　that　the　savages　yelled　with　delight　and　thought　we　had　been　engaged　especially　for　their　pleasure。　　Our　〃mosers；〃　or　mule　drivers　treated　us　most　insolently　but　we　could　not　do　anything　because　Jeffs。　had　engaged　them　and　we　did　not　want　to　interfere　with　his　authority　but　at　a　place　the　last　day　out　one　of　them　told　Jeffs。　he　lied　and　that　we　all　lied。　　He　had　lost　or　stolen　a　canteen　of　Griscom's　and　they　had　said　we　had　not　given　it　to　him。　　Jeffs。　went　at　him　right　and　left　and　knocked　him　all　over　the　shop。　　There　were　half　a　dozen　drunken　mule　drivers　at　the　place　and　we　thought　they　would　take　a　hand　but　they　did　not。　　That　night　Jeffs。　thought　to　try　us　to　see　what　we　would　have　done　and　left　us　bathing　in　a　mountai