IN MEXICO. 



199 



have driven the sly jaguar back to the 

 mountains. 



From Mazatlan to San Bias the Sierra 

 Madre parallels the coast, the foot hills be- 

 ing 15, and in some parts, 30 miles, inland. 

 The coast line is formed of long, low, nar- 

 row, sandy islands, occupied by ranches; 

 but the territory between the foot hills 

 and coast islands, is one vast net-work of 

 tide water lagoons, connected by narrow 

 waterways. In the rainy season all this 

 land is under water; in the dry season it 

 has a height of about 18 inches above high 

 water. 



This land is mud, washed from the 

 mountains; the shore presents a bright 

 green wall, about 20 feet high, of small 

 growth mangrove. • Penetrating inland, 

 ponds are found in every direction; the 

 ground between strewn with dead trees, as 

 a hard blow levels large tracts of this small 

 growth. The margins of these ponds is 

 the favorite resort of the swamp jaguar, 

 where he pounces on the turtles and small 

 alligators. Cranes, bitterns and snipes, are 

 plentiful, and from November to March the 

 large shallow lakes are alive with ducks, 

 geese and snipes from the North. Here 

 are seen the immense white pelicans who 

 have a stretch of wings of 8 and 9 feet, in 

 flocks often numbering more than 100. 



Near the shore line are scattered " coco- 

 chalas " or " Colorado turkeys " as they are 

 called in Arizona. 



There are 2 indigenous ducks that do not 

 migrate: The " Peluleros " which are black, 

 except the secondary quills of the wings 

 which are white, with red warts on head 

 and neck. The drakes weigh 10 to 13 

 pounds. The " Pichachineis," a trim, short 

 feathered duck of a dark reddish color, 

 considerably smaller than a mallard, with a 

 " peep, peep " note like that of a snipe. 

 Both kinds are fine eating. 



Outside the swamps are found jaguar, 

 tiger cat, ounce, coon, possum, " tejou " 

 an animal like, but larger than the coon, 

 deer, peccary, " faisain," " chichabaca," 

 both pheasants, the " faisain " larger than 

 a chicken, quail, 4 kinds of doves, jack-rab- 

 bits and rabbits. Last but not least, for 

 good meat, comes the armadillos. 



Tracks of these inhabitants of the 

 " monte " are plentiful; the deer jump the 

 rancher's fence and eat the young corn and 

 bean plants, and the peccaries play hog 

 when the corn is in the ear; but the brush 

 is so thick and " joquisli " so plenty, that 

 it is difficult to get a shot, or travel off the 

 beaten trails. " Joquisli " is a kind of 

 maguey, that grows about 4 feet high, the 

 edges of the long, thick leaves lined with 

 needles, and when the plants grow close 

 together there is nothing to do but cut a 

 way through, or go around. The deer will 

 jump it and disappear in a twinkle, while 



all other animals enter by crawling close 

 to the ground, and so find a safe refuge. 



A short, light rifle, or carbine, with a 

 " smashing " cartridge is the best, as long 

 shots are exceptional and handiness and a 

 " kill 'em quick " bullet is what counts. An 

 outfit for reloading with light load, and bul- 

 let for small game, is good to have, as no 

 wing shooting with shot gun can be done 

 except on the lakes. The Savage carbine, 

 fitted with Lyman's ivory hunting and re- 

 ceiver sights, would fill the bill I think. 



Uncle Sam, in his " Directions to Sailing 

 Masters," gives this section a bad name 

 that it does not deserve. I have been here 

 through 2 rainy seasons without a chill or 

 a shake. When it comes to " torments " 

 we have a lively list. Mosquitos are every- 

 where, and all the year around. Then there 

 are the gnats, small but vicious biters, which 

 make it necessary to sleep under a bar of 

 muslin or calico, and that is a hardship on 

 account of the heat. " Jiotes " are like a 

 virulent ring-worm, and start from some 

 scratch or rubbed mosquito bite. They will 

 cover a man from head to foot in a month 

 if not killed. 



In the rainy season, June 15th to October 

 15th, one returns home from a tramp in 

 brush with small itching lumps on the body, 

 caused by " aradofes." If there are few 

 they are rubbed off with a needle, or point 

 of a knife; if many, a good coat of tallow, 

 well rubbed in, will stop the fun. On the 

 same ground in the dry season, you will 

 lay in a stock of " weners " or young ticks, 

 which will make your blood circulate until 

 rubbed off with a red hot rag. 



Snakes are scarce, I have killed 3 kinds 

 which the Mexicans claim are poisonous, 

 but found them to have no fangs; there are 

 rattlesnakes but I have seen none. " Es- 

 cupion " is a large lizard, sort of a Gila 

 monster, but larger. The natives say the 

 bite is sure death. 



A scorpion stung me in the calf of the 

 leg, while in bed; thinking it did not hurt 

 enough to be a scorpion, I let it go. I was 

 soon undeceived by numbness of the lips, 

 which had been described to me. The next 

 day there was a numbness which can be 

 likened to the foot being " asleep," in the 

 whole body. The parts mostly affected 

 were the feet, chest, throat, arms and lips. 

 This was followed the second day by col- 

 lapse, and I felt too weak to stand. Being 

 stung lately while taking a bath, by a scor- 

 pion that was on the towel, I had a chance 

 to try permanganate of potassium, which I 

 have for snake bites. This sting was a hard, 

 straight jab in the left side, and felt like 

 carbolic acid on a sore finger. I injected 

 the potassium within 2 or 3 minutes after 

 being stung, and felt no effect from it, ex- 

 cept a slight numbness of the lips, that 

 lasted about half an hour. 



