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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



and Turrialba (10,900) in the center of 

 the country. From Irazu, the whole 

 of Costa Rica and both oceans are 

 visible, and its ascent is a profitable 

 and easy excursion for the ambitious 

 tourist. Destructive eruptions have 

 occurred in this section in historical 

 times, and severe earthquakes have 

 destroyed the city of Cartago on two 

 occasions. Slight shocks occur almost 

 annually. 



South of Turrialba there is a pro- 

 nounced break, the continental divide 

 is very narrow, and the sources of the 

 rivers Reventazon and Rio Grande de 

 Tdrcoles are within half a mile of each 

 other, flowing to the Caribbean and 

 Pacific respectively in broad, deep 

 valleys. Still further to the south- 

 east is an unbroken expanse of moun- 

 tains, rivers, and primeval forest, 

 inhabited by wild Indians, and practi- 

 cally unexplored. The so-called Tala- 

 manca or Chirrip Mountains rise in 

 this section, culminating in Chirripo 

 Grande (11,485 ft.), Pico Blanco (9645) 

 and Rovalo (7050), the last two placed 

 in Panama on some maps. All altitudes 

 given are uncertain. 



The Caribbean coast is monotonous 

 and unbroken. It is covered with heavy 

 forest, numerous rivers descend rapidly 

 from the mountains in narrow valleys, 

 separated by steep ridges, and the 

 climate at low levels is unhealthy and 

 malarial. The Pacific coast, however, 

 is quite different. It is steeper on the 

 whole, and includes two bold promon- 

 tories or capes. The peninsula of 

 Nicoya is separated from the mainland 

 by the shallow Gulf of Nicoya. The 

 chief port town of Puntarenas is situated 

 about half way up this gulf. In south- 

 western Costa Rica another bold pen- 

 insula is separated from the mainland 

 by the Golfo Dulce. The Cape of 

 Burica is the dividing line between 

 Costa Rica and Panama. It projects 

 straight south into the Pacific and forms 

 the western boundary of David Bay. 

 On the Pacific side are several more or 

 less isolated groups of mountains, rang- 



ing from 4000 to 8000 ft. One of them 

 is directly back of Puntarenas, and 

 another on the Nicoya Peninsula oppo- 

 site, making the scenery very attractive. 

 As a general rule the rivers are fewer in 

 number but of larger size and rapid 

 current. The Rio Grande de Terraba 

 has a large delta, with several mouths. 

 The bulk of the population lives in 

 the central plateau, around the four 

 provincial capitals, and at the ports of 

 Puntarenas and Limon on the Carib- 

 bean. There is a remarkably high per- 

 centage of Spanish blood, compared 

 with other Central American countries, 

 and the negro element is exceedingljr 

 small. Indians in a state of complete 

 savagery still exist along the Nicaraguan 

 border and in the Talamanca section. 

 They are inoffensive and are rapidly 

 disappearing. 



2. Climate 



As in Nicaragua, the moisture-laden 

 trade winds from the Caribbean cause 

 a tremendous rain-fall on the Caribbean 

 slope of Costa Rica, sometimes exceed- 

 ing 200 in. annually. It is fairlj^ con- 

 tinuous throughout the year, but is 

 lightest from January 15 to April 1, 

 which is consequently the pleasantest 

 season of the j^ear. The rainfall de- 

 creases with altitude, the only exception 

 being the highest peaks. In the plateau 

 region and the Pacific slope very differ- 

 ent conditions prevail. There is a 

 marked rainy season from May 1 to 

 the end of November, light the first and 

 last months, but daily the rest of the 

 time, and often very violent. The 

 remainder of the year is entirely with- 

 out rain. Altitude divides the country 

 into three distinct climates from the 

 point of view of temperature. It is 

 tropical from sea level to about 4000 

 ft., cool or subtropical from 4000 to 

 7500 ft., and temperate or cold above 

 that. At San Jos6, the capital, at 

 4000 ft., a light overcoat is welcome at 

 night during the winter months. Frost 

 occurs frequently above 7500 ft., and 



