S62 
FOREST ^ND STREAM 
[May 13, 1899. 
Nicai'aguan Experiences.—!. 
Greytown^ Nicaragua. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
It has happened to me to spend a large part of the last 
two years in the little village of Greytown, Nicai-agua, 
at the mouth of the San Juan River. Perhaps a brief 
account of a few things I have found strange may interest 
some of your jreaders, and the interest will be augmented, 
I am sure, if our delightful and much appreciated Mr. 
Fred Mather, or any other of your sharps in natural 
history, will kindly answer some questions which natural- 
ly suggest themselves in connection therewith. 
This little village has about 1,200 inhabitants, and is 
situated abotit three miles from the seaj in the middle of 
endless swamps and lagoons. 
Naturally, I brought lots of quinine, and I took some 
daily when I first came, but the town was healthy and I 
stopped it, and have never enjoyed more health and vigor 
anywhere in my life. I attribute the health of the place 
to the sandy soil. The site is low, averaging scarcely 2ft. 
above ordinary tides, and tha sand is dark colored, light 
and loose. It is, fortunately, too near the equator for 
hurricanes, for an 8ft. hurricane tide, such as we some- 
times have on the Atlantic and Gulf coast, would drown 
it out. Yellow fever has never been known here, and I 
attribute its immunity from this, and its general good 
health in spite of such inauspicious looking surroundings, 
to the sandy soil. Colon and Linion, which are on clayey 
soil, are much more sickly, and are both subject to yellow 
fever. Perhaps, too, the rains cut some figurfe. At Grey- 
town there is practically no dry season, and the ranifall 
is anywhere from 200 to 300in. 1 was told, before com- 
ing, that there was very little fishing, but that 1 would 
find at places our black bass of the United States, un- 
der the Spanish name guapote. But, when I saw on the 
map no end of beautiful, dark, deep lagoons and bayous, 
.and thought how I would love to fish in such places, even 
if I caught nothing, I did not hesitate to bring no end of 
tackle of all kinds, and anticipations in proportion. But, 
to make a long story short. I've had to recognize that, 
practically, there is no fishing. 1 never saw so much 
beautiful water, in which a man indeed may fish to suit 
himself, but he will get no bites. And, in all the months 
I have been here, I have never seen a native man, woman 
or child try to fish from a wharf or in open water any- 
where in river, bay or lagoon. 
The reason seems to be that the waters are all under 
the dominion of two dreadful pests, sharks and zavalos. 
The sharks are of the ordinary tropical salt-water, man- 
eater variety, and there are plenty of well-authenticated 
instances of their attacking persons. And the first ques- 
tion I would like to propound to Mr. Mather is, what has 
natural history to s&y to sharks infesting these fresh 
waters, both of the river and of the lakes, one hundred 
miles inland, and no other lakes or rivers, greater or 
smaller, anywhere on the globe? Unless, indeed, it be 
true, as I have heard, that there is one other exception 
found in some river in Africa. 
"Zavalos," meaning savages, is the native name for the 
other pest of the waters, which I think is even more de- 
structive and objectionable than the shark. In build, 
scales and general appearance he resembles a thick and 
heavy built shad, but with a mouth and front teeth de- 
signed and patented apparently to bite a piece clean out 
of a man, exactly of the size and shape that the man 
himself would bite out of an apple. I never heard of 
their really biting such a piece from a man, but the 
mouth irresistibly suggests having been fashioned for 
that purpose. The natives, however, give them few 
chances, for, with both alligators and sharks to look out 
for, waters over knee deep ai"e rarely ventured into. But 
the habits of zavalo are even more objectionable than his 
dentition. He is the most ravenous olYal feeder that 
can be conceived of. Hogs, buzzards and wolves, all 
starved and put together, would be simply not in it with 
zavalos. They go in schools, not for sociability, but to 
fight each other for of¥al, and when any is thrown over- 
board it is almost terrific to see the knock-down and drag- 
out turmoil and commotion in the waters. But, with all 
their greediness, I have ncA^er seen any fish so wary of the 
hook. Fifty times T baited with raw beef, and threw 
among squads of them, figliting for kitchen refuse, but 
I never succeeded in getting a good bite. They would 
sometimes take hold, but quickly drop it. They can be 
caught, however, though they make the most desperate 
fight I ever saw. 
One day, a deck hand on our steamer fixed a bait and 
caught one to shoAv me. It w'eighed about lolbs., but I 
think I saw in the river some which seemed twice as 
heav)'. I think the zavalos are largely responsible, in two 
wa^'s, for breaking up fresh-water fishing in this country. 
First, they are in great abundance, and I don't see how 
any other fish can flourish in the same waters. And, sec- 
ondly, their ravenous offal-eating cannot but disgust any- 
one who sees it with an idea of a fish diet from the same 
Avaters. The only fish supplied to market here seem to 
be salt-water fish, caught outside with a seine. If the 
scientists can offer any apology whatever for the zavalo — ■ 
even a latin name — it will be gladly received and applied 
as far as it will go. 
The majority of the market fish are mullet, though 
sometimes fine cavalli are caught outside. The mullet 
are generally the same that Ave have from North Caro- 
lina to the Gulf, but among them, occasionally, is a very 
fine large mullet, entirely new to me, and a most desirable 
fish if we could naturalize him. The natives call it "calli- 
piver," and it is considered the best fish known here. In 
richness, flavor and delicacy it has. in fact, seemed to 
me fully equal to the shad, and it is without any troiible- 
some bones. The few I've seen Avould run probably 
from 5 to 8!bs- in Aveight. and I could see but little 
difference in appearance from ordinary mullet. But 
there is a difference to those familiar with them. I AA'ill 
consider a good botanical name for these excellent, fish 
as a real persona! favor. 
Another fish I have learned "io recognize on the _table. 
the natives call mohara, but I haven't seen him in his 
scales, and T can only say that he seems to be a "plain, 
light-colorei fish, built like a sheepshead, and about 2lbs. 
a\^erage Aveight. I think that he is a salt-Avater denizen, 
but I do not know. 
And now, I've left to the last the "guapote," which 
was said to be the same as our black bass. After hunt- 
ing and fishing faithfully for him in vain, at many times 
and places, I am constrained to believe that there is no 
fish here even remotely resembling the bass. The fish 
which as always brought me as g:uapote is as unlike a 
bass as it is unlike a salmon. It is of, Avhat I call, the 
perch tribe, with a small moutla and the build and size of 
beam. It is very dark colored; and if I had to name it I 
would suggest black bream. They are an excellent pan 
fish, and I would enjoy fishing for them if I could get at 
them. But, as far as I can catch on to their habits, and 
those of all the river fish that are good for anything — and 
there must be some — they can be found only in thick 
tangles of grass and roots, and such places, where no 
zaA^alos or sharks can get at them, and where naturally 
one's hook is forever getting tangled. 
There, at any rate, are the only places where I have 
ever seen the natives fish. I have myself tried only on 
the edges of these spots, and on the edges have had no 
lilck; while back in thick places the natives usually get 
some. I have tried several files and varieties of artificial 
bait, but ahvays in vain. 
While speaking of fish, I had as well throw in the 
alligators and crocodiles. They are both here, as they 
are also in Florida, and probably in Louisiana and Texas. 
They are easily told apart, for the crocodile is web-footed 
lifid his teeth come together between each other, tlie ca- 
nines fitting into notches in the jaw. The alligator's foot is 
not webbed, and the lower jaw is broader, and upper teeth 
fall inside of lower, but fit in notches in the upper jaw. 
The strange thing about both in this country is their 
scarcity and shyness, when one considers the suitable 
climate and immense extent of beautiful waters for them, 
the exceedingly sparse and scattered population, and the 
scarcity of firearms, even in pi'oportion to -the people. 
I have made several expeditions in Avaters that are A^ery 
rarely visited, and, though on the lookout, scarcely see- 
ing, on an average, one in ten miles. And those seen were 
all as shy as wild turkeys. About South Carolina rice 
fields they are certainly ten times as abundant and much 
easier to approach. I am disposed to attribute the shy- 
ness to the scarcity. I have often noted gregarious ani- 
mals, Avhen in smaller numbers than usual, exhibit marked 
uneasiness and increased suspicion. An instance of hoAV^ 
this rule may work both ways, too, is readily seen in 
the wariness of a single mosquito, when compared with the 
onslaught of a swarm, If their shyness is merely an in- 
stinctive result of their scarcity, then the sharks and 
zavalos can be held responsible for the whole phenomenon, 
for I take it that they can catch young alligators and croco- 
diles even more easily than they can catch fish. 
J.A.CK HiLDAGO. 
Boyhood Days in Florida. 
I. — ^Up the St. Johns. 
When one is turned loose at the age of thirteen years 
to roam and hunt over the rich luxuriant hummocks of 
southern Florida, to fish the ponds and lakes that dot the 
country from coast to coast — ^yes, to live Avith nature in 
her richest and most tempting garb — ^it is not strange 
that the impressions then made should last a lifetime. 
As I look back to that period so full of rare experience, 
of genuine happiness, all the youthful enthusiasm of my 
early boyhood comes back to me, end I feel once more 
the thrill of those glorious days. I am a yoimgster 
again, hunting, fishing, fishing, hunting from morning 
till night, day after day, tired and lame, with barked 
shins and blistered hands, yet happy — supremely and 
gloriously happy. It was not for me to know "that I 
had been cast adrift, so to speak,- as a last resort ; that in 
such a life as this lay my one chance of securing health 
and strength to carry me safely through later life, I was 
not told that my chances of returning to my New Eng- 
land home AA'ere of the slightest. All I knew, or cared to 
know, was that for six months I Avas free — free to roam 
that mysterious land with all its hidden secrets, to hunt 
amid those tropical growths Avhere lurked more kinds of 
game than my boyish fancy had CA^er dreamed of, to fish 
those ponds and lakes whose only fisherman up to this 
time had been the huge fish-hawk, the graceful heron, or 
the lazy alligator. Could a boy of my age ask for a 
better heaven than this? 
And so it came about that late one night the train de- 
posited me in the city of Jacksonville, where I was to 
take the boat for the upper St. Johns and Sanford. 
The sun had scarcely risen the next morning when I 
found mj'self out on the broad hotel veranda overlook- 
ing the St. Johns River. The day was perfect and the 
sky Avithout a cloud. A faint breeze Avafted to me the 
new and delicious odor of orange blossoms from the 
yard beloAv. Only a short distance aAvay were the wharves 
about which the daily bustle and turmoil could just be- 
gin to be distinguished. Beyond stretched the broad 
silent river sluggishly moving toward the sea. Far aw'ay 
to the south it seemed to lose itself in the horizon. As I 
gazed out over its broad expanse all my boyish fancy aa'RS 
let loose. What had that unknown country in store 
for me? What adventures lay before me? Perhaps 
somewhere up that mysterious river bubbled Ponce de 
Leon's famous Fountain of Youth. -Perhaps, in niA' wan- 
derings, I should find it myself... Surely the air seemed 
laden Avith youth-giving elixir. And even as I queried 
a faint hazy streak appeared on the horizon. I watched it. 
By degrees it grcAV more distinct and I discoA^ered that 
it was the smoke of an approaching steamer. What news 
Avould she bring of that country she had just left, and 
Avhich in my impatience I could scarcely wait to reach? 
Was the game still abundant, and did the fish still bite? 
These and kindred thoughts filled my mind as I finally 
left the A-eranda and seated myself at the breakfast table. 
Little time had I for such trifles, hoAvever, and a moment 
later I was making fny AA^ay to the neighboring Avharf, 
The steamer Avas rapidly. draAving near and .soon its deep 
melodious AA'histle, full of significance to me, came boom- 
ing OA'^er the AA'ater. Breathlessly I Avatched her as she 
approached and my delight kne\v no bounds when I made 
out, uo on the pilot house, the name "Florida." Yes, that 
was the very boat that was to carry me into ttiat un- 
known country so full of interest and promise. I watched 
her make the dock and drank in eagerly the boisterous 
greetings of the darkies. I cA'cn felt a pang of disap- 
pointment when I learned that the trip down had proved 
uneventful. But then, didn't that mean that on the re- 
turn there would be all the more chance of something 
happening? Possibly; at any rate, I would wait. 
The boat was not to leave on her return trip until even- 
ing, and so I went back to stroll through the town; to 
stare iii at the curiosity shops, and to gaze with undis- 
guised interest at the beautiful plumages of birds and the 
blinking eyes of alligators. But, oh! how slowly those 
hours dragged by. It seemed as though that day never 
would come to an end. But at last the sun disappeared in 
the west, the mists began to gather on the river, and I 
made my way to the steamer, where, seated out on the 
deck, I waited impatiently for the journey up the river 
to begin. It Avas \ peaceful time. Along the shore the ' 
lights flickered and blinked, while overhead the stars had 
never seemed so thick or so bright. Down on the wharf 
the darkies were busy hustling the last articles of ottr 
cargo on to the boat. They laughed and sang as they 
worked, their rich voices blending with the soothing in- 
fluences of the night. I was anxious to be on hand Avhen 
the boat should start out on her journey, and for a long 
time I struggled against the drowsiness that was slowly 
but surely overpowering me. At last I could stand it no ' 
longer, and, comforting myself with the assurance that 
the boat would not leave for some hours yet, I went m- 
side and rolled into my berth. 
It was broad daylight when I awoke. The steady thump 
of the paddle wheels and the corresponding vibration of 
the boat assured me that Ave were moving. I hastened on 
deck, where one glance revealed the fact that we had 
already come a long distance. The river was rhuch nar- 
rower than at Jacksomalle, and the country Avholly with- 
out habitation. Again the old feeling of exhilaration 
seized me, and boy-like, I longed to let off my pent-up 
feelings in a Avild shout. But I restrained mA'self and 
just drank in the glorious scenery and air. 
As the day Avore on the river grew even narroAver ; so 
much so tha'i at times the boat had difficulty in making 
the sharp turns. Once she CA^en poked her nose well up 
unto the muddy bank, and poles and boathooks Avere 
pressed into service to aid the engines in setting her 
free. As the river grew narrower the growth along its 
banks became more luxuriant. The huge cypresses laden 
with hanging moss, the palmetto trees varying from the 
tall sentinel that towered way above us to the little bush 
Avith its graceful leaves, the twining hills that overran 
CA'-erything mingling their leaves and branches in inde- 
scribable confusion, the gayly colored birds that flitted 
about among the leaves and branches — all formed a pic- 
ture still fresh in my memory. I gazed until tired at the 
panorama that Avas constantly unfolding along the shore, 
and then leaning over the side of the steamer I Avatched 
the curling eddies of muddy foam that rolled and bubbled 
from under the stroke of the paddle Avheels, rising into 
huge swells as they fell a little further back from the 
boat, and then stretching out into long slanting Waves 
that tossed themselves against the banks, splashing the 
mud and water far up against the bushes that lined the 
stream. Occasionally a startled heron rose slowly from 
its hiding place along the shore, and stretching its huge 
Avings, drifted lazily off into a more secluded spot. Or 
a flock of ducks beat a hasty and noisy retreat from a 
neighboring marsh. I wondered if there Avould be any 
more for me to shoot up in that unexplored country to 
which I Avas bound. I almost wished I had got out my 
gun and tried those felloAVs from the boat. Perhaps the 
captain wouldn't care. And then a bright thought struck 
me. Why not go down on the lower deck and ask the 
darkies for information? No doubt they could tell me all 
about the place. I would try them anyAvay, for betA\-een 
landings there was little work for them to do. 
Out near the stern of the boat a group Avere idling 
away the time singing, dancing, whittling and laughing, 
ToAvard this group I made my way. For a time I merely 
Avatched them and listened to their songs and yarns. But 
at last I grew bolder and ventured a question — just a 
com.monplace query as to the country through Avhich Ave 
Avere passing. The jovial party proA^ed to be just in a 
talkative mood, and soon in reply to my eager questions 
they Avere telling me all they knew, and a good deal more 
they didn't knoAv. But at that stage of the journey I 
Avas not Avholly capable of discerning truth from false- 
hood, though my suspicions Avere beginning to be aroused 
at some of the remarkable information so Avillingly of- 
fered. These suspicions increased as the time slipped 
by, but I was wise enough to keep them to myself, and as 
a result, I secured a most faA^orable glimpse of a typical' 
Southern darky at his best. 
And so the dai' faded aAvay into tA\-ilight. The sun dis- 
appeared behind the thick foliage that lined the banks of 
the stream, and then a little later came that soft, rich 
after-glow peculiar to the Southern clime. The huge 
cypresses and lofty palmettos loomed up all the more 
conspicuously against the bright sky; the thick jungle 
along the shore seemed to grow denser, Avhile even the 
birds ceased their chatter as though yielding to the rest- 
ful peace and quiet of the hour. Scarcely a sound broke 
the stillness, save the panting of the steamer, the beat of 
the paddle Avheels and the splash of the Avaves along the 
shore. And then the light faded aAvay and river and 
land were wrapped in darkness. 
Sanford Avas still several hours aAvay Avhen supper Avas 
called. The meal Avas rudely interrupted, hoAveA^er, by 
the approach of another steamer No more supper for 
me. I hastened out on deck and watched the . stranger 
draAv near. She made a beautiful picture as she loomed 
up againpt the dark background of woods and sky, with 
her mass of, sparkling lights, red. green, blue and 
yelloAV, While a cloud of black smoke just a little blacker 
than the -darkness about her, poured from her funnel and 
rolled away in a long pathAvay behind until it finallv 
blended Avith the night. She drcAv rapidly nearer. A. 
deep melodious whistle boomed its greeting to us; our.s 
ansAvered; there was the trump of paddle Avheels. the 
SAvish and splash of Avater as Avave met Avave. the shouts 
of the negroes, the measured breathing of exhaust nipes. 
and the steamer Avith its noisy load and srlimmering lights 
SAvept by us and disappeared around a bend in the rTver 
into the darkness and the ni^ht. 
And now there was nothing to do but wait for the 
