CHAPTER VII. 



CUKACAO AGAIN. 



Saturday, July 23, 1892. This morning at daybreak we had a 

 magnificent view of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta. I could 

 not believe at first that the immense snowy masses that apparently 

 towered above us could be anything else but clouds. They appeared 

 to rise abruptly from the seashore, but in reality they are some thirty 

 miles inland. The highest peak is over 16,000 feet above the level 

 of the sea. As the sun rose, clouds began to gather, and soon 

 blotted out from our sight the last portions of the Colombian 

 coast. Alice was feeling better at night, though still suffering from 

 headache. I was seasick all day, so sat around and confined myself 

 to a diet of toast and ginger ale. There was a perfect menagerie 

 on board, belonging to the officers and crew : a tiger cat, a peccary, 

 two monkeys, a red and white squirrel, a pair of thick-billed 

 euphonias, and about twenty macaws, parrots, and parrakeets. The 

 tiger cat, which was of the same species as those of which we pur- 

 chased the skins on the Magdalena, was taller and slightly larger 

 than our wild-cat, and very prettily marked. 



It was clear and hot. 



Sunday, July 24, 1892. Early this morning we passed on our 

 right the island of Aruba. It is similar in appearance to Curagao, 

 which place we sighted about noon. We finally entered the har- 

 bor of Santa Ana between four and five. I went ashore as soon 

 as possible, and secured some good rooms at the Hotel .Commercio ; 

 then returned, got together our baggage, and we left the ship. 

 We had a large, bright room through which the trade wind blew 



