GUANACASTE—PUNTARENAS TO LIBERIA 403 



progress, owing to the damage done by termites, which had 

 reduced much of the panelling to a mere shell. Some of us 

 climbed up into the air-space beneath the galvanized iron 

 roof and found that the termite galleries ran along the 

 wooden roof beams to the very summit of the quadrangular 

 pyramidal roof. The ceiling joists of the second story where 

 the uprights of the roof beams rested bore termite nests 

 composed of the chewed and partly digested wood. One of 

 these nests, broken up, was swarming with the termites, with 

 which we filled a vial. The attempt was being made to de- 

 stroy the termites by putting corrosive sublimate into the top 

 of the nests in the hope that it would be gradually carried 

 downward, and swallowed by the insects in their gnawing. 



We delayed our departure from Orotina in order to avoid 

 riding in the hottest part of the day. Most of the members 

 of the Commission had considerable baggage and this was 

 started on its way to Esparta in an ox-cart. We followed on 

 small mules and one white horse, leaving at 3.10 P. M. 

 There were six of us, as the Commission had a secretary. 

 During the afternoon there were frequent clouds and occa- 

 sional sprinkles but we seemed to be on the edge of the rain 

 so that we received none of any consequence. 



Our route from Orotina was the same as that to Surubres 

 as far as a place called El Higuito, on the Carretera Na- 

 cional. We went through San Mateo so as to pass the church, 

 a plaster-covered building with a dome looking more like 

 that of an astronomical observatory, except for the absence 

 of an opening for the telescope. Near San Mateo I noticed 

 a breadfruit, a tree which seemed to be less abundant here 

 than on the Atlantic side. There were many jicaras and 

 guacals with large shining green gourds. 



Beyond El Higuito was to me unknown country. The 

 road was in good condition from Orotina, in agreeable 

 contrast with its state in October; it was now dry, hard and 



