76 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1904. 



suggested that he circle the nearby island of Cebaco, stop at 

 Gubernador island and borrow a pilot. And so it was decided, 

 and the start made just as night fell. 



That night the air was heavy with moisture and had in it all 

 of the makings of an electrical storm of great violence, but 

 aside from the St. Elmo's fire that appeared at the mast head 

 nothing happened. The crew were much exercised about these 

 strange balls of light — it was Malo with a capital M to all of 

 them. No such superstition afTected our party, however, and 

 when the morning came we laughed away their fears, and as 



the day ad- 

 vanced they 

 grew ashamed 

 of the terrors of 

 the night. By 

 noon the schoo- 

 ner was off 

 Cebaco, which 

 ends in a jagg- 

 ed reef where 

 rough water is 

 to be found. As 

 the wind was 

 light and the 

 current strong, 

 the Almiranle 

 was carried 

 quite close to 

 this danger 

 point, although 

 both jibs and 

 the fore and 

 mainsail were 

 drawing full, 



the two latter being wing and wing. Just as we passed the reef, 

 with no warning at all, came a squall that was as near as pos- 

 sible to ending the cruise in disaster. The Almii ante heeled 

 over until her rail was under, and plunged forward like a race 

 horse. El Capitan, at the tiller ropes, screeched shrill orders, 

 and the crew worked like demons to get the flying jib and the 

 foresail down. In the face of that wind it was no mean job, as 

 the sail was as rigid as iron and it was not until a sailor climbed 

 the mast and pulled the hoops down, a few inches at a time, 

 that it was lowered. Even then it could not be tied up, but 

 bellied far out into the water. The same difficulty was ex- 

 perienced in reefing the mainsail. But finally, after much 

 labor, the schooner was got in hand and was driving out to 

 sea under jib and reefed mainsail. As the squall had now 

 turned into a hurricane that drove the warm spray from the 

 wave tops into one's face like hail, it looked as if we were 

 likely to be driven far out of our course. El Capitan therefore 

 decided to try to come about and run between Cebaco and 

 Gubernador lor shelter. Three times he tried and each time 

 missed. Then he prepared to jibe. The ^/wfr/crtwoj, however, 

 would not have it, urging that either the rigging would part or 

 the masts be carried away by such a measure, and he finally 

 gave it up. Then he tried to come about again, and by lower- 

 ing the jib for a moment, and raising it again, was successful ; 

 the old tub came about and headed for the haven. Then came 

 three hours of as rough sailing as I ever expect to see. There 

 was no particular danger, if everything held, but the seas that 

 pounded the side and often came aboard were big and angry, 

 and the wind fairly shrieked. Nothing happened except the 

 parting of a stay, and the partial collapse of the cook's galley, 

 and by nightfall anchor was dropped close under the shelter of 



PART OF THE PANAMANIAN ARMY. 



Gubernador, in still water, and the weary voyagers went to 

 sleep to the roaring of the breakers on the other side of the 

 island. 



Going ashore in the morning we found that the island was 

 owned by our friend Don Pablo, and it was here that his pearl 

 fishing schooners refitted. The few inhabitants were Indian, 

 and in looks, habits, and manner of living just what one finds 

 from Mexico all the way down to the Amazon. They were 

 friendly and brought us pineapples that were most delicious, 

 and, after much palaver, secured a pilot. It was while walking 

 along the shore from one little settlement to another that the 

 Scout, with whom I was, had an unpleasant experience. We 

 were under a tree that looked for all the world in bark and leaf 

 like a pear tree, with a fruit that had the appearance of a small 

 apple. We each picked half a dozen, and the Scout bit into 

 one, remarking that it tasted like a sweet apple. I used mine, 

 however, to pelt the native dogs that were following, and then 

 both forgot the episode. After the return to the schooner, 

 however, while getting under way, the Scout was taken sud- 

 denly ill, vomiting, retching, and complaining that he felt as if 

 he were on fire inside. We gave him such simple remedies as 

 were obtainable, but it was some hours before the attack 

 passed off. The natives said later that both tree and fruit, 

 known as the bitter mansana, or arsenic apple, are intensely 

 poisonous. A horse tied under the tree for a few hours be- 

 comes very ill and loses its hair, while it is sure death for a 

 man to eat one of the apples. 



With the pilot aboard we soon gained the gulf again and ere 

 long were off the Palo Secco (the withered tree) where, if luck 

 favored, guides and mules were awaiting us. This time our 

 captain ventured within three miles of the shore and sure 

 enough saw two men. A boat was sent and, in course of time, 

 night having fallen, a light appeared dancing over the waves, 

 and soon there stepped aboard the Pioneer, who was to furnish 

 guides and transport. He had been waiting nearly a week and 

 would have left the next day believing that we had turned back 

 or been wrecked by one of the Pacific hurricanes. 



The Pioneer had been in that country for many years and 

 his stories of rubber gathering up in the Cauca, and adventures 

 in the Darien with the fierce San Bias Indians, were most in- 

 teresting. As is well known, these savages do not allow tres- 

 passers upon their lands although they do not molest those 

 who gather rubber in the wilds adjacent to their domain. The 

 Pioneer acknowledged that he once broke an agreement with 

 a chief, stole across the river that marked his boundary, and 

 began work on the rich forbidden forest. As a result his men 



CAMP RIO NEQRO (TOTBE DESCRIBED LATER). 



