154 
RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 
where such slight mishaps had occurred, explaining that, until the 
coming of the dry season, and it was possible to put in ballast, such a 
condition of affairs had no remedy. 
We reached Santa Rosa in due time, and as a souvenir of my visit, 
Mr. Ames gave me a cedrilla nut, a native remedy for all kinds of snake 
bites, as well as for coast fevers. I have since learned that the mahogany 
cutters, and other foresters of the tropics, put great faith in it, and 
rarely venture into the forest without it. 
Leaving the railroad we struck into the new trail already men- 
tioned, hid our luggage until a moso could be sent for it, and started 
to walk to La Buena Ventura. The rain had ceased, the sun was 
shining brightly, and every bird in the forest was singing a song of 
rejoicing. Not always in tune, however, for the genuine feathered 
warbler of the hot country is not at all musical. The chachilatta thinks 
it sings, but as a matter of fact it simply “chachilatters,” and that word 
just describes the sound. A sort of wild hen is this bird, and one that 
is in constant hysterics. 
After a walk of about fifteen minutes, we emerged from the forest 
and ascended to the higher ground where grows the rubber. To our 
regret we arrived too late to join in a tapir hunt that took place in that 
verv orchard. The tapir is the largest wild animal in the Isthmus, and 
although quite plentiful, is so shy that it is rarely seen. It is perfectly 
harmless, and its flesh is esteemed a delicacy by the natives. One of 
them by some chance wandered into the rubber, and the son of my host 
fired a charge of shot, knocking him over. He recovered in an instant, 
and rushed away, taking another charge with him. 
We did not tarry to talk tapir, however, but hastened on, both of us 
anxious to get our mail. As I had received no letters since leaving the 
City of Mexico, that longing had a reasonable basis, but when I appreci- 
ated the difficulty in getting letters through, I did not wonder at the 
delay, but marvelled that any mail at all reached me. So we hastened 
on over the rubber covered hills and finally reached the ridge on which 
stands the house, and on which, too, is grouped the marvellous collection 
of tropical plants and trees referred to in a previous letter. Many of 
these, by the way, were obtained through the courtesy of the officials in 
far distant British botanical stations, notably, Calcutta, Singapore, and 
stations on the west coast of Africa. Indeed, Mexico owes to these 
officials and to Mr. Harvey’s enterprise the introduction of the Kickxia 
Africanus and the Hevea Brcisiliensis. 
We reached the plantation house at last, and everyone welcomed 
