120 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 



Prior to this, what is really the dry season is often broken by rainfall; 

 in fact, it rains a little about half the time. Beginning with the first 

 of June, however, and lasting until the first of September, come the 

 torrential rains, except that there is, in August, a week or ten days 

 of dry weather. Nine days out of ten during the torrential rains, the 

 morning breaks bright, clear and sunshiny. Then in the early afternoon 

 heavy thunder is heard, followed by the roar of the rain through the 

 forest, the water falling in sheets from one-half to one and one-half 

 hours. It also rains regularly during the night. 



When night fell at La Buena Ventura, we all went indoors, for 

 beautiful though the tropical moonlight is, fevers are most easily caught 

 after sundown, and particularly if one sleeps out in the open. In fact, 

 native or planter will do almost anything rather than thus expose him- 

 self. We did sit in the doorway, for awhile, and drink in the glorious 

 view of tropical luxuriance, made almost as light as day by the full 

 moon, yet softened to a weird, rich beauty that the northern climes 

 cannot equal. 



For the first time in my life I slept under a gracefully draped series 

 of muslin curtains. As there were no mosquitoes, I thought it rather 

 unnecessary until my host said that although the country was a para- 

 dise, centipedes, small snakes, and tarantulas sometimes dropped from 

 the inside of the thatched roof, and while they were not as poisonous 

 as many thought, I might not care to share my couch with them. I slept 

 under a blanket, it was so cool, and awoke to find awaiting me, at the end 

 of a palm thatched corridor, a fine shower bath. Few planters have 

 them, but Mr. Harvey's English blood, so it is said, impelled him to 

 build this before he had a roof on his house. It was certainly a great 

 luxury, and one to which my thought often turned when later I awoke 

 from a night's alleged sleep in a passenger coach or native hut. 



The day was Sunday, and we had coffee and rolls soon after rising, 

 and breakfast about twelve, as is the custom of the country. In the 

 afternoon many neighboring planters rode over on horses or mules, dis- 

 cussed crops, and asked the news from the outer world. They were 

 most cordial in their invitations to me to visit their places, and it was 

 with the greatest regret that I was able to avail myself of only a few 

 of these privileges. 



It was during this social Sabbath that I renewed a pleasant acquaint- 

 ance with the tw r o 'Fish brothers, Wisconsin Yankees, who were looking 

 at land in that region, and who, I believe, finally purchased La 

 Florencia estate, said to have the oldest cultivated rubber in that 



