284 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



unoccupied land for many years, probably centuries. That 

 it was once occupied, however, perhaps thickly settled, is 

 shown by the great number of Indian graves which con- 

 tain quaint gold ornaments of forgotten workmanship and 

 pottery of shapes and glazing far beyond the skill of the 

 present native potter. The pottery was not firebaked and 

 when first taken from the graves was as soft as mud, but if 

 carefully removed and exposed to the sun it became as hard 

 as rock although brittle. The gold ornaments were usually 

 in the form of animals or birds, often quite accurately 

 worked, and were found only in certain kinds of graves, 

 supposed from the better workmanship and finer quality of 

 pottery and the golden ornaments to be those of chiefs or 

 important men. 



The house at La Emilia was a two-story wooden building 

 with a long ell and balconies nearly all around on both 

 floors. In front of the house, between it and the tracks, was a 

 formal garden with beds in geometrical patterns and the path 

 edged with beautiful pink and white "mariposas" or peri- 

 winkles. The garden was rather new as yet but gave prom- 

 ise of being very pretty. Halfway down the walk was a pair 

 of large "gavilans" {Pentaclethra filamentosa), leguminous 

 trees with much divided leaves, but having the leaflets so 

 closely arranged that they look quite solid and undivided. 

 They were stiff and glossy and did not present at all the 

 fern-like appearance of the guanacaste, for example, which 

 has its leaves divided to the same degree. The pods were 

 large, twelve to fifteen inches long, and borne stiffly at the 

 outer surfaces of the crown of the tree. 



Mrs. Woodbridge was extremely fond of flowers. All 

 around the balconies were numerous potted plants and hang- 

 ing baskets of orchids, ferns, caladiums and begonias. Many 

 of the orchids were now blooming beautifully and all the 

 plants were luxurious and thriving. One of the doorways 



