162 R. H. Masure—The Birds of a Carribean Cruise


must have been brought to Guatemala and were not captured there.

With our “live cargo” in tow we proceeded to our boat and made

the short journey back to the steamer at anchor on the end of the pier.

Peter pulled up directly under the prow of the boat, where we were

invisible to the banana loaders on the pier and the deck of the ship.

The large bunches of bananas are loaded on an endless belt conveyor

which transports them from the dock over the boat and down into

the hold. When the inspector on the deck sees an inferior bunch of

fruit it is tossed overboard into the ocean. Unfortunately we happened

to occupy a space of the ocean which was really meant for one of these

rejected bunches of bananas and the result was a boat-load of badly

frightened animals and people, the latter being slightly covered with

litter from the fruit. Fifty-six thousand large bunches of bananas, the

gold of Guatemala, were carried back to New Orleans.


After getting all the birds properly caged with the aid of the ship’s

carpenter and leaving them in the care of the butcher, the traditional

animal caretaker on board all ships, we ate dinner and went back to

Barrios, this time on a shopping tour for perfumes and souvenirs of

the country. The large commissary owned and operated by the United

Fruit Co. was a convenient and an easy place to shop, although two

native stores were much more interesting. Shortly before midnight

the Sixaola glided out on the dark blue Carribean bound for New

Orleans and home.


The next Thursday morning when the quarantine doctor boarded

the ship I was very much disappointed to learn that even though

I had a permit to import all the birds and animals I brought along

the two parrots would have to be deported, as I did not have them

in my possession for sixty days. Otherwise they would have to be

quarantined at an expense many times their value. With the rest

of my collection I disembarked and proceeded to the airport on my

journey to Chicago. My short visit to the tropics was over all too

soon and left me with a burning desire to go farther and stay longer

next year.



