) 
1894 
Volcano of 
Tuxtla 
Sjtomys. and a Sorex . For these animals traps were set and many of the 
T-; .... • . r: ^ V ' ‘ ■' x ' . ■ . ' * r ■ ** •' '•*' * * * ', » 
last two taken during the night. 
The slender, bamboo-like palm from which the men made their shelter 
is abundant all through the forest here from 1200 to 4600 ft. Soon after 
we made camp two of the water carriers were sent back to town to bring 
up another load of water tomorrow and join us. Soon after dark we turned 
in,- the men talking continually talking about tigers (jaguars) and the 
*’ ' ■ - ‘ : • * \ • . : ' * * , - ' ' • ' • 
necessity of keeping a fire going to keep them away. About 9 p.m. a 
loud rushing sound came sweeping across the forest and we were suddenly 
enveloped in a terrific rainstorm that lasted nearly all night. A high 
cold wind accompanied the rain and swept across the ridge on which we 
were perched with disagreeable foroe. Water beat in under our shelter 
and flooded the ground so that the men were soon on foot. The fire was 
extinguished at once and the men put in the rest of the night miserably. 
• % :}\ V .A * . » • * - ' - .O ' . . . . f V V . • ; V; 
May 12 * The day broke with rain still falling and the men were evi- 
• ' 
dently tired of their trip. Several of them made remarks about the im- 
possibility of going on and one asked me if I would still go to the 
mountain. I replied that we would certainly go on and then spent an 
hour or so scanning the sky. To my great pleasure, between 7 and 8 the 
rain ceased and the clouds began to break away. Camp was broken at once 
and I started on foot up the road cut through the woods for the volcano, 
followed by the entire party. (I had sent our horses back to San Andres 
last night). The trail had been cut along the top of the ridge leading 
to the volcano and swung up and down across several steep-walled canons 
that separated hills scattered along the ridge. In this way we wound 
along through the dripping forest until we finally came to the main 
mountain up the steep slope of which we advanced slowly and by sig-sag 
courses. At about 5,000 ft. altitude the vegetation beoame even more 
stunted than at 4500 ft. and mosses and liohens grew everywhere while 
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