4
THE BATTALION.
with intoxicating perfumes! The per
spiration soon commenced rolling off us
in little streamlets, despite the denuda
tion process we subjected ourselves to be
foregoing far. But we were determined
and after about two hours of hard labor
we were rewarded for our pains In
front of us the wide expanse of the softly
rippling ocean, dotted here and there
with sails of fishing junks, along the
horizon a streak of smoke, indicating the
course of a steamer which had lifted an
chor that morning. Immediately be
low us the picturesque port, with its
busy wharf hands loading the Gracia
and now and again other figures clad in
the lightest garments of the season, dart
ing across the extremely hot streets or
lounging in the cooling shades of a
broad fruit tree, smoking and gesticulat
ing as if debating some important ques
tion in congress. Behind us there tow
ered mountain after mountain sending
their peaks up among the clouds; for a
background, the majestic Trazue, with
its smoking crater, the terror of Costa
Rica.
After a comfortable rest in the pure
air of this altitude, about 3000 feet
above sea level, we commenced our de
scent. We had in our haste forgotten
all about the breakfast we were to have
had at 9 o’clock, having partaken of
nothing in the morning excejit a roll and
a cup of coffee, because ther* was nothing
otherwise given us. Now we commenc
ed to feel rather light and empty, for the
sun had passed the meridian and we
must hurry to be in time for dinner at
3 o’clock. We were on time but did
not relish the jerked beef and half cook
ed rice and had to fall back on baked
bananas and wine. The reader must
Hot think that we were very extravagant
in thus drinking wine at all times, for-
wine is as cheap in Central America
as it is in France and Germany, there^
being no import duty on it, and ice be
ing a rather scarce article it is not wast
ed by putting it in the water, but is
made better use of by cooling the mom
deserving wine. The rest of that dajr
we spent in our room enjoying a well
earned nap. The next morning before
day we found ourselves cornered up in a
car steaming out of Port Limon towards
the interior at a tolerably good speed,
which gradually decreased to a dog trot
as we entered the mountains, thus giv
ing us ample opportunity to watch the
passing scenery. For forty miles there
was a monotony of banana fields, now
and then relieved by a glimpse of the
ocean. Then the real scenery com
menced. The grades became uncomfort
ably steep and the engine labored up a
mountain gorge to dizzy heights above..
Tiie track seemed to consist of a contin
uous curve, now deflecting to the right,
now to the left, sometimes facilitating
an easy conversation with the engineer
and occasionally admitting a handshake
with that worthy from the hindmost
platform of the train, consisting of three
cars, one baggage and two passenger
cars, of which latter one was filled to
choking with barefooted peons, the other
not less filled with animals of a higher
class, Puss and I among the number.
Another such wine drinking, lunch-eat
ing, jabbering crowd it has never been
my lot to meet before or after. We felt
lost among the Spaniards. We were
forced to listen, being able to converse
with the conductor and a few other
white men only.
I spent the most of that ride sitting
on the steps of the hindmost platform.