Januaut 5, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



445 



amorous Alonzo, -who haunted the kitchen, teasing I he pretty 

 cook for a caress. Her mother, a wrinkled old lady, learn- 

 ing that I could not speak Spanish, pulled a dolorous coun- 

 tenance and called mc " pohrecito''— poor little fellow — and 

 wanted to know where in the world I lived, that the people 

 couldn't speak "Castillano." We finally got fairly astride 

 our steeds at the cross of San Jose, near a big ceybo tree, 

 and turned into a narrow trail that was, its whole length, 

 very stony, or "niny piedragozo." This led into the forest, 

 forming part of the belt that lines the eastern and northern 

 coasts of Yucatan, the trees gradually increasing in size and 

 becoming more open as we advanced. Birds grew more nu- 

 merous, especially the queer bird called the road-runner — 

 " el core-camino" — u species of cuckoo, or the chapparel 

 cock. Wc had to walk our horse?, the road was so slippery, 

 very little soil covered the coral rock, which was full of 

 holes, caves and "senotes," nearly all leading to water. At 

 noon wc halted at a small "senote," where there was an 

 opening in the rock about three reel long and two feet wide, 

 down which our Indian went and got a calabash full of pure 

 water. A team of pack mules came up just then and their 

 owner sat down with us and joined ina "Yucateco refresco." 

 Into the calabash of water Alonzo put a big ball of corn 

 mixture, procured of the Mestiza in the morning, and stirred 

 it up with his fingers. 'When of proper consistency it was 

 passed to me, and drinking of it I found it sweet and re- 

 freshing. This is prepared by the women, of maize, spiced 

 and sweetened, and isin universal use in Yucatan and Southern 

 Mexico, forming, with water, a pleasant and strengthening 

 drink. We drank all around from the same calabash, then 

 mounted and went on agaiu. The great woods were open 

 at times, sweet, clean and inviting, and the leaves lay on the 

 ground as in autumn in the North ; but 1 had no stomach for 

 them, desiring to reach the end of a ride that promised to be 

 interminable. Late in the afternoon wo reached a change in 

 the dry, hot road, au "aguada," or small pond, and here, at 

 a sign from Alonzo, i got off my horse and crept 

 toward the water with my gun, Through the bushes 

 I saw a galliuule, a beautiful bird, which T 

 shot, and immediately after another that flew up 

 at the report of the gun. These Alonzo secured by 

 Wading into the dark pool, though he had sore feet, and 

 our Indian, though bare-legged, refused to. The " aguada" 

 was deep, its surface well covered with lilies and water 

 plantB, and fringed with an abundance of dead snail shells. 



My friend had hitherto ridden perched upon two packs of 

 luggage, while 1 had used his horse, while the Indian 

 carried a great load on his back, supported by a band passing 

 across the front of his forehead. We both dismounted here 

 and pursued the rest of our way on foot, and I shot a ' ' ehacha- 

 lacci," a kind of pheasant, and from a little gem of an 

 "aguada "we put up three large ducks. The gallinules, 

 Alonzo tells me, are " pacharos prcciosas," or very precious 

 birds, and they are, indeed, a rare species and valuable ad- 

 dition to my collection. The whole character of the forest 

 changed af.er this— the " aguadas" were more frequent, and 

 the entire country appeared as though at times submerged. 

 Of this, in fact, my friend assured me, adding that when he 

 came here last June, where he had his camp— now dry land 

 —was entirely under water. 



I was very weary when we at last reached a meadow, in 

 which some horses were feeding, and was told that we were 

 near the "rancho." To my great surprise my friend's 

 "raneho" — from the name of which I was led to expect a 

 small farm— proved to be nothing more than a collection of 

 four huts of palmetto leaves, merely a roof to shed the rain, 

 with open ends and sides. They were on the southern rim 

 of a lovely " aguada," surrounded by palmetto and decidu- 

 ous trees. A pile of logwood, thatched with leaves, a bath 

 house of palm leaves, and a leaf roof over some hollow logs 

 that served as bee-hives, completed the establishment. A 

 dozen horses, with loads of wood, had evidently just come 

 in from the forest. 



On the road we kad'met a train of mules, each with a great 

 plank, fifteen feet long and two wide, lathed on each side, 

 one end projecting beyond his ears, the other dragging on 

 the around. This is the only way in which Western Yuca- 

 tan can get its timber, all the west and central portion being 

 covered with scrub or second growth. 



About twenty Indians and Mestizos, with bare bodies and 

 legs, sandals and great cutlasses, were lounging about as we 

 rode in. Three Indian women and a comely Mestiza were 

 busy about their household duties. Upon a large plauk, 

 three feet wide, supported on four legs, were two "metates" 

 with rollers used for grinding corn for tortillas, and in ad- 

 dition to this there were a few tubs, a giind-stone, and all 

 the things nccessiry to a camp in the forest. From pole to 

 pole, under the thatched roofs of the open huts, were 

 stretched hammocks of Sisal hemp, and two great mosquito 

 bars told their own tale of insects at night. 



We rode into this logwood camp, and I was iuvited to a 

 hammock while they talked over news and business, for 

 Alonzo had been gone some time. I noticed one man, a 

 "Mestizo," who had an uneasy look, and one woman, a 

 "Mestiza," who was comely and had an anxious look, 

 though a very sympathetic one, as they say here "muy 

 sympatica." Of the other women one was fat and restless 

 aud the other old and honest. They all worked well, not 

 intermiiling their labors for a minute. 



Supper was soon ready. After the fashion of the country 

 we firBt washed our hands in a calabash, and five minutes 

 later that same calabash was brought in full of water to 

 drink. 



Poor Alonzo had but two bowls besides calabashes, for he 

 was only camping, and no knife, fork or spoon, so I took 

 my jack-knife while they ate with fingers and "tortillas." 

 Our' companion was a Spaniard, lately from Europe, a 

 pleasant, black-eyed young man, who was sent by a firm 

 there to look after their interests in the logwood. There 

 were no chairs, of course, and wc sat in hammocks while the 

 food was placed ou a box on a clean cloth. As we ate, more 

 tortillas were brought, hot from the fire, handed to us on a 

 cloth by the cook, and taken by us and clapped down on the 

 table. ' Quite a pile was heaped up before we left, and these 

 were taken and warmed over for the men. After eating, a 

 calabash was passed round full of water for rinsing the 

 mouth. The proper way is to fill the month with water, 

 and, after inserting the finger and scrubbing the teeth, to 

 spit it out. This custom prevails throughout Mexico, even 

 in the houses of the rich. Coffee and cigarettes then followed; 

 the latter, in fact, were going all thetime. By this time dark- 

 ness had settled down and some of the men retired to their 

 hammocks. Though surrounded by strangers and some with 

 not very pleasant faces, I left all my arths outside the mos- 

 quito bar, as I retired, conscious that they as well as myself 

 were safe. Later in the season, in the Highlands of Mexico, 

 l would have sooner slept without my blanket than without 



my revolver, for the people of Yucatan are as honest aud 

 irueasthe Aztecs are treacherous and faithless. After a 

 second coffee we all sought our hammocks, where Alonzo 

 and I reclined smoking and chatting. I was anxious to go 

 on to the coast for flamingoes, but my host told me I could 

 not, that I was at his disposition, which remark 

 rather irritated me, until he added, with a smile, 

 "and I am at yours, also." I had got accustomed to this, 

 polite insincerity, however. On the way, I asked him if the 

 horse he rode was his and he replied, "Si senor, y de usted, 

 tainbien "— " Yes sir, and yours as well." After that I ven- 

 tured but one more question of the kind, and that was when 

 in the house of the young lady who had prepared our break- 

 fast, I asked if she was his sweetheart. The customary re- 

 ply came readily to his lips: "Si, amigo mio," and yours 

 also." 



I had fallen asleep, as soon as the insects feasting on me— 

 ticks, sand-files, fleas and chinches — would permit, but soon 

 awoke suddenly, conscious that Alonzo had darted out from 

 under the bar and was in angry expostulation with the man 

 with the evil eyes. This man, early in the evening, had gone 

 raving to his hammock, and after crying there awuile he had 

 come tearing out and seized his woman, she with the pretty 

 face, dragging her away from her work. She had submitted, 

 though expecting a beating, merely glancing at her torn 

 "uipil," but one of the men jumped at him as he drew her 

 along, and quieted him for a while. Now he had broken 

 out afresh, threatening to kill Alonzo if he didn't immedi- 

 ately pay him his wages, and brandishing a great ''machete'' 

 furiously. Alonzo was in nowise frightened, but sprang at 

 him like a jaguar, promising him a beating thai, would an- 

 swer for his wages. And I have no doubt the Indian would 

 have got it, though my friend is a little man, for in Qilam 

 he had flown at a man who talked Insolently lo him, slapped 

 his face and pounded him well, until he ceased from talking. 

 So they had it out in talk and piled fresh fuel on the fire as 

 though they intended to be at it all night, making my hut as 

 light as day. The fight ended, Alonzo quietly entered the 

 mosquito bar, which was made large enough for two ham- 

 mocks, and ordered coffee and cigarettes for two. Wbeu he 

 asked me to enter he said in Maya, " Kom in," which is the 

 equivalent in that language for come in. There are also 

 other words similar in sound and signification to CairB. 

 In the morning, after coffee and cigarettes, we all 

 went into the woods to inspect the logwood — the "palo 

 tinla" or "palo de Carnpeche"— which the men had 

 cut during Acosta's absence. It was theu very hot, though the 

 night had been fret zing cold, as w T e eni ered the logwood forest. 

 The logwood tree, "hematoxyloncampeacheanum," grows to 

 a height of 20 or more feet, is rough and gnarled, with one 

 trunk that divides soon from the ground, with t ob-ovate 

 leaves. 



The wood they had cut lay in little heaps where they, had 

 cut it, It was trimmed of all the outer bark and white outer 

 wood and was in color from light red to dark purple. One 

 of the men had a steel yard wi'h him, and this was hung 

 from a tree and the wood piled on a suspended platform and 

 weighed, four " arrobas" or 25 pounds, at a time. This was 

 noted down, with the name of the man who cut it, and we 

 passed on to the next, being engaged in this way several 

 hours. The horses were then led up aud a load of four "ar- 

 robas" packed on each and carried to the camp. 



The. sun was blazing hot, butterflies played about us, birds 

 sang in the thin-foliaged trees, and a native quail, or "f'ai- 

 san," got up at intervals. We saw one deer, " venado," and 

 one turkey, " pavo del monte," but not near enough for 

 a fair shot. There were many caves and depressions in the 

 limestone surface, with water in them looking cool and invit- 

 ing for a bath, but numerous adders swimming across them 

 rendered them less attractive. Thousands of dead snails lay 

 in windrows, but not a live one was to be found, though 

 I searched diligently under dead logs and leaves. The log- 

 wood was brought into camp and stacked, whence it will be 

 carried to the port of oilam and shipped. There seems to be 

 vast quantities of it, but it is in remote sections where it is 

 difficult and expensive to gel it out. As we returned to camp, 

 my friend was taken with cratfip in the stomach, and howled 

 and cried, and the man with whom he had quarrelled in 

 the morning was the first to hasten to his aid. I suspected 

 then it was but a ruse to bring about a change of sentiment 

 through sympathy. In the evening Alonzo brought out a 

 big bag of silver which he had brought to pay the men wiih, 

 aud proceeded to devote it to that purpose. I admired the 

 pluck of my little friend that would not let him be brow- 

 beaten into paying it out before he was ready, though in ap- 

 parent danger from the Indian with the bad-looking eyes. 

 We walked out in the cool of the evening toward the 

 "aguadas," or ponds; the birds were still and a quiet 

 brooded over the lovely place, except for the cries of the gal- 

 linules in the marsh. One of these birds Alonzo shot, and 

 waded into the water waist-deep to secure it. Sometimes 

 the simplest thing will awaken thoughts of home when in a 

 strange country where the scenery is different, and mine 

 were carried back to the North by the sight of a group of 

 cat-tail flags, growing as In Northern meadows. 



The industry of the Indian women of Yucatan is a matter 

 of wonder. From long before daylight till late at night, 

 after we had retired to our rest, they were toiling at the 

 "metates," grinding corn for the morrow. It is the most 

 laborious of occupations to work the stone roller over a 

 smooth slab of stone all day long. I saw two girls in Timas: 

 who worked twelve hours a day at the "metates," grinding 

 castor beans, for which they received eighteen- cents per day. 

 Our women were kept employed unusually late that night in 

 cooking up a store of tortillas for our journey next day, for 

 we were to go to the coast for flamingos. - Obek. 



Wild CitLitirr.— A very valuable description of the wild 

 celery is given elsewhere. We understand that several at- 

 tempts have been made to transplant the seed, Mr. Cross 

 having very kindly furnished the seed. The results of these 

 trials will be awaited with interest. 



Quail m Confinement.— Many club3 will be interested 

 in the report published elsewhere of the Springfield Gun 

 Club experience in keeping live quail for stocking purposes. 

 We hope that other persons who have tried keeping quail 

 will add what information they may. 



A Book containing much information about guns is 

 Greener's new work on the Gun and its Development. We 

 can still furnish copies to those desiring them. Price, S7.50, 



ONE DAY'S HUNT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



(Tho following' extracts from a private letter written to our cor- 

 respondent, " Yo," and by htm tarnished to us for publication, will 

 be read with Interest by our readers. The scene of the hunt is in a 

 locality which, though not very tar distant irorn the settlements, Is 

 yet seldom penetrated by the white man, and where, as will be seen , 

 the game Is abundant and tame.] 



Bubkard's Iklbt, British Columbia, Nov. 25, 1881. 



EVER since your departure from Burrard's Inlet I have felt 

 £0 annoyed at my failure to furnish you a day's sport 

 with the goats that I could not settle myself down to work 

 until I had got some sort of satisfaction. While I was con- 

 sidering whether it was best to make the trip alone with 

 Seaoimux, the door opened, and in walked a fellow in a red 

 shirt, his hat on the back of his head, and a Ballard rifle 

 slung over his shoulder ; and as he reached out his hand I 

 recognized Dick G., au old companion who had been for the 

 last year trapping up the coast. So, with Seammux and a 

 younger Indian, Sillicum by name, the party was made up, 

 and leaving the hotel at daylight one morning, we took 

 our way up the North Arm. We went as far as a point on 

 our left, at the foot of the big island, which, if you remem- 

 ber, is near the head of the inlet. At the time of your first 

 visit up the Arm I think I pointed out to you, from the deck 

 of the steamer, a bare peak on which a considerable bank of 

 snow was lyiug. It. was at the foot of this peak that we 

 landed, and dividing our blankets and grub into two packs 

 for the Indians to carry, we commenced Ihe ascent at half- 

 past twelve, noon, and after five and a half hours' traveling, 

 pitched our camp within the timber, a few hundred yards 

 below the bare summit. The Indians advised this, lest by 

 camping in the opening our camp fire might warn the game 

 of our presence. 



The next morning by daylight we had devoured our break- 

 fast of bacon, crackers and coffee, and leaving the timber 

 behind, we passed up a beautiful grassy lane to the summit. 

 We had scarcely reached this, when a dense fog^encireled us 

 in every direction. It was so thick that objects two hundred 

 yards distant were totally obscured. This was aggravating, 

 the more so as appearances indicated a continuation of this 

 state of things all day. 



The air was chilly, and as we had left our coats below, we 

 were obliged to unpack our blankets and wrap them around 

 us. And in this state, grumbling at our luck, we moped 

 like delate BeUalicumx (true spirits) moving in the fog. 



Presently tnephatter of aflook of ifefl crossbills (Ourvirostra 

 nmericana) come up from the tops of the pines just below 

 us, and 1 looked at the old Indian, thinking this might be an 

 indication of clear weather. But the stoical savage gave no 

 sign, and I was about to ask Dick's opinion on the subject, 

 when out of the murky darkness flitted two birds, which I 

 identified as Bohemian wax wings (Ampeiis garrulus). This 

 was a chance I could not let slip; so, picking up my 

 shot-gun, I was about starting in pursuit when the old In- 

 dian caught me by the arm, telling me if I fired a shot I 

 would forfeit the chance of seeing a goat that day. So I let 

 them go; but had 1 known as much "about mountain goats 

 then as I learned a few hours later, I would have secured the 

 birds if I had been obliged to fire a dozen shots to do it. 



At half-past eleven, a slight breeze sprang up, a few faint 

 shafts of light penetrated the darkness, and then, as if by 

 magic, the great bank of fog rolled away, the sun burst forth 

 in all the splendor of noon, and daylight was with us. We 

 were now enabled to determine our position, and found we 

 were on the summit of the divide between the Norih Arm 

 and Searnour Creek, a broken and uneven back bone, made 

 up of sharp ridges, deep ravines and level stretches as smooth 

 as if graded by human bands, and everywhere, except on 

 the very tops of the rocky ridges, was heather—" beautiful, 

 sweet scenting heather" — over which we moved as noiselessly 

 as if treading on carpet. We now picked out a place for a 

 permanent camp, leaving our grub and blankets there, and 

 then started out on our hunt. At every step we came upon 

 fresh signs of the game, but for a while "the Indians appeared 

 puzzled as to which way to steer ; for, although the country 

 was quite open and the eye could reach for mUee iu any di- 

 rection, yet the broken state of the ground was such that 

 goats might be within a few hundred yards of us, and still oiiti 

 of sight. 



At length Seammux left us and started down the side of 

 the ridge ; but he had hardly got two hundred yards away 

 when he turned and signalled us to approach. Supposing 

 the game to be at least three or four hundred yards away, 

 we hastily scrambled down after him, but what was our sur- 

 prise upon reaching him and peeping over the clump of 

 cypress, behind which he was standing, to discover four goats 

 within thirty yards of us. 



There was a clear open field for a running shot, did they 

 attempt to escape, and feeling confident that my Winchester 

 was good for two of them before they got beyond its range, 

 I stood out in open view to watch their actions. But there 

 was none of that startled look about them which we always 

 notice with deer and animals of that kind at the approach 

 danger. There was no throwing up the head for a moment, 

 and then a bound as if a whirlwind had undertaken to pack 

 them out of your sight. On the contrary, these silly brutes 

 appeared to look at us from under their eyebrows— trotted 

 off about a dozen yards to the right, then wheeled and re- 

 traced their steps. I felt almost ashamed to shoot, but hear- 

 ing the lever of Dlck'8 Ballard falling back to its place, I 

 opened fire, and with four shots we dropped the four within 

 fifty feet of where wc first discovered them. 



Just here a rather laughable incident occurred. I bad laid 

 down my rifle and was instructing the Indians how t< I take 

 the skin off, when, as Dick I ook hold of one of his goats by 

 the horns to drag it to a level place to skin, the animal sud- 

 denly sprang to its feet and started down the hill. I turned 

 to pick up my rifle, but before I reached it Dick had grappled 

 with the animal, and they both, falling on the slippery 

 heather, rolled down the hill at least fifty feet. 



When they reached the bottom the life was out of the goat, 

 and Dick so bespattered with blood, that he looked as if he 

 had just escaped from some of the disturbed districts iu Ire- 

 land. 



It was past one when we had the pelts off, and feeling 

 somewhat hungry we decided on making our noonday meal 

 of mountain goat. So, building a fire, we soon bad choice 

 slices of mountain kid broiling — Indian fashion — before it. 



The meal finished, I gave my rifle to Seammux (who had 

 come without a gun) and taking my shotgun started toward 

 the top of one of the ridges, on the lookout for ptarmigan, 

 while Dick and the two Indians moved along the bottom to 

 a gap which cut through this Bame ridge, about a quarter of 

 a mile from the point at which I was ascending. 



Before reaching the top I turned to get a look of the 

 country behind me, and just here I picked up a little expert- 



