102 



A FLYING TRIP TO THE TROPICS. 



Towards evening I was feeling very much better, so I went in to 

 the supper-table, though I confined myself to beef tea. I enjoyed 

 conversation with Mr. Child, as he was well informed about the 

 country. Whilst we were at the table, Mr. Millican, that energetic 

 collector of orchids, came into the hotel. He was just on his way 

 to Honda with a consignment of plants, which he was going to ship 

 to England, and then return at once to his collecting-ground. 

 About eleven o'clock that night I heard quite an uproar, and upon 

 inquiry found that he had unfortunately uttered some criticism 

 about the hotel, which reached the ears of the landlady, and she 

 was so incensed that she immediately turned him and his servant 

 out into the street, driving out his mules, and throwing their sad- 

 dles out of the door after them. 



It was clear and hot during the day, but delightfully cool at 

 night. The fleas, however, entirely prevented our sleeping. 



Friday, July 8, 1892. I felt much better, but still stayed in or 

 near the hotel the greater part of the day, and confined myself to a 

 beef-tea diet. At breakfast I thought that I would try a soft-boiled 

 egg ; but when I cracked it into my plate, it was not done, so I 

 thought then that I would have it scrambled ; and, to hurry it up, 

 I took it out to the kitchen myself. When I had explained what I 

 wanted to the cook, — a dirty old Indian, — she took my plate and 

 scooped up the half-done egg in her hand, and transferred it thus 

 to her pan ; so I changed my mind about wanting egg after all. 

 Speaking of this reminds me that in Guaduas, and in other places 

 in Colombia, they call scrambled eggs " pericos," which means, 

 literally, little parrots ; but why they are thus called I could not 

 find out. The kitchen of our hotel was peculiar. It was a large 

 room, without fireplace, stove, or chimney. Along two sides ran a 

 built-up ledge of stone, much like the hearth in a country black- 

 smith's shop. On this all the cooking was done, a dozen little fires 

 being built at intervals. All of the earthenware utensils made 

 in the country have round bottoms and no legs, so they cannot 

 be made of themselves to stand upright, but three round cobble- 



