396 
DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [C'oap. XXIV.-B. P. 
of the machete, and the bunch of fruit taken off; a 
number of the plantains, quite green and hard, were 
then peeled and laid on the embers to roast. In about 
a quarter of an hour they were cooked, answering ad¬ 
mirably for bread; and, with some salt pork and the 
aforesaid tea, afforded the men an excellent meal. 
My own was rather more luxurious, consisting of 
sardines and crackers. 
Just before we stopped for breakfast, a large creek 
was passed. There is but little water in it at this 
time of the year, but a considerable amount of ma¬ 
hogany was floated down its stream in former days. 
Three-quarters of an hour were occupied in pre¬ 
paring and consuming breakfast, after which we 
shoved off, and paddled away once more up stream, 
starting about half-past seven, with a perfectly broil¬ 
ing sun darting its fierce rays upon us out of a cloud¬ 
less sky. 
I am told that a common flood does no injury to 
the houses at Taylor’s Place, where the banks are, say, 
six feet above the stream at the end of the dry season. 
Prom this I infer that the average floods cannot be 
very tremendous, as it would require but very little 
pressure to carry away these Mosquitian villas. They 
are certainly of the lightest and least costly construc¬ 
tion, consisting of a strong upright at each corner, 
with slighter poles at lesser intervals all round, be¬ 
tween which a species of wild cane or bamboo, split 
in halves, is interwoven. The roof is rather high- 
pitched, to throw off the rain, and is substantially 
thatched with palm-leaves. The floor is the bare 
