OH, SHOOT! 



come rain, come shine, one sees ghostly fleets 

 of cayucas blown, like moths ahead of a gale, 

 towards the mainland or the reefs and keys 

 outside. The San Bias coconuts are very 

 fine, and the Indians are rich in trees. The 

 islands are covered with them, and other 

 groves line the rivers. There appear to be 

 no exact land boundaries, and frequently a 

 man will own a single tree here, another there 

 in which event he respects his neighbor's title 

 and gathers only the fruit that belongs to him. 

 While the man works with his crops, the 

 woman does her laundry. Every day is Mon- 

 day, for they are a cleanly people, and every 

 garment must be washed at least once a day. 

 Soap grows wild on trees, in the form of 

 globular berries, and they use vast quantities 

 of it. In no village did I discover any filth; 

 in no house did I encounter unpleasant odors. 

 They have, in fact, a tribal custom, of the 

 highest sanitary value to a crowded tropical 

 people, which absolutely forbids the careless 

 practices common to primitive races, and which 

 makes the ocean the immediate receptacle of 

 all refuse of whatever character. As a result, 

 they do not suffer from dysentery, hookworm, 

 and similar diseases. 



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