ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 153 



monkeys. This latter animal, I regret to say, was conspicuously missing 

 at the time of my visit, the story being that a year or two before 

 they had taken yellow fever, and nearly all of them died. 



It was during this most interesting chat that supper was announced, 

 and we were soon luxuriating on ham and eggs, hot biscuits, and fine 

 coffee that the Chinese cook knew how to prepare to perfection. I could 

 not help remarking that the Chinaman was already considerably in evi- 

 dence as a cook in the cities, at railway camps, and on plantations. 

 Indeed, there are many who believe that the labor problem for the planter 

 will be solved by the importation of a sufficient number of them. It is 

 the general judgment, however, that while they may be taught to clean 

 the rubber from weeds and vines, and to do a certain amount of culti- 



TREES ON FILISOLA. 



[Photo Copyright by C. B. Waite.] 



vating, that they will not be of much use either in forest clearing, or in 

 tapping. In addition to this, the prices that the Chinese companies want 

 for securing coolies is at the present time much too high to allow of their 

 profitable use. 



Mr. Ames, his two assistants, Messrs. Jones and Hawkins, my com- 

 panion and I spent a very pleasant evening in what perhaps might be 

 called the parlor car, and later adjourning to the sleeping car, forgot 

 everything earthly until awakened in the early morning by the shrill whist- 

 ling of a locomotive. This was the signal for breakfast and an early start. 

 In due time we boarded a flat car in front of the engine, and were off for 

 Santa Rosa. We sat in a row on the extreme front of the car, ready to 

 jump if it left the track. Along the route the worthy chief showed us 



