CHAPTER X.
UP THE CHAGRES RIVER
AFTER another night on the "sleeper" in Colon, Mr. Andrews and the boysstarted on their return journey. The trip was made as far as Obispowithout special incident. Here a halt was made and the train shifted toa side-track. Mr. Andrews was obliged to inspect the site of a proposeddam near Alhajuela. This was about ten miles northwest of Obispo, andthe journey would have to be made by a boat and on foot.
It was too far to go that day, so Vasco suggested that they go to PaloGrande and hunt up his uncle, Francisco Herreras. "I am sure," said theboy, "that he will give us all a hearty welcome and be glad to provideshelter and food for us."
"Let's go there," said Harlan to his father. "It will be lots more funthan staying here to-night. It will give us more chance to see thecountry, too."
Vasco's suggestion was favourably received by Mr. Andrews, whoproceeded at once to carry the plan into effect.
On going to the nearest river landing-place to see if he could finda boat and men to row them up-stream, he met with unexpected goodfortune. Two natives, who had come down to Obispo with a boat-load ofbananas, were just ready to return, and were glad to earn an extra sumby taking along three passengers.
The boat in which passage was secured was a large flat-bottomed affair,suitable for navigation of the shallow stream. On the way up manysimilar boats were seen, also rude canoes propelled by single persons.
Vasco and Harlan, full of curiosity as boys always are, were soon onfamiliar terms with the boatmen, who told them that in former timesmany of the canoes were hollowed out of the trunks of cottonwood-trees.
The boys learned, too, that the Panama native Indian is a naturalsportsman. Parrots, monkeys, pigeons, and small deer are his favouritegame. His life is a very simple one. Nature provides him with bread inthe shape of bananas and plantains. He makes his own pottery from theclay beneath his feet, and in place of knives and spoons uses gourdscut into proper shape.
He sleeps in a hammock or on a couch of bamboo with hides thrown overit. The hammocks are woven by the women.
All the time the boat was making good progress, and about four o'clockin the afternoon arrived at Palo Grande. On inquiry, it was learnedthat Senor Herreras lived about two miles west of the river, and aftersecuring definite directions as to the route our friends started towalk to the plantation.
To Vasco, as well as to Harlan, the sights along the way were ofspecial interest, for he knew nothing of country life. The growingcorn, tobacco, indigo, coffee, vanilla beans, and other products of thecountry were a source of wonder to him. Even Mr. Andrews could wellbelieve, with a former visitor to Panama, that "here it would puzzle ahealthy man to die of hunger."
In less than an hour Senor Herreras's plantation was reached. It wasnow Vasco's turn to serve as guide and leader of the party. Finding hisuncle at home, he introduced him to his friends, and told him of theirdesire for food and lodging.
"It is with great pleasure I welcome you all to my humble home," saidthe senor. "Will you kindly follow me within that you may rest afteryour long walk, and I will see that food is served to you at once. Itis about our supper-hour, any way.
"And how is my sister, your mother?" Senor Herreras continued,addressing Vasco. "It has been many a long year since I have seen her."
"She is very well indeed, uncle, and it is because she told me of youthat I am here with these friends. She said you would be sure to giveus a royal welcome."
"And glad I am you took her advice. I only wish she were with you.Sometime I hope I may get down to the great city to see her."
Meanwhile, all had stepped within the house. The visitors were given anopportunity to remove the travel-stains, and by the time this had beendone they were ready for the food which was set before them.
Vasco was specially glad to find that here were two cousins of abouthis own age, Jago and Alfeo, and before long the four boys were verywell acquainted with each other.
The meal ended, Vasco's uncle inquired of Mr. Andrews as to his plansfor the next day.
"I intend to go on up the river to Alhajuela, where I have somebusiness in connection with the canal work."
"Did you expect to take the boys with you?"
"That was my plan."
"Well, why not let them stay here until you return. I will agree totake good care of them, and my boys will show them all about thisplace. I am sure they would all have a fine time--perhaps better thanif they went with you, for boys love boy company."
"You may be right," said Mr. Andrews, "and I think I will accept yourgenerous invitation on behalf of the boys. This is Wednesday, and Ishall probably get back here Friday."
"Very well, then, we will consider that settled," said the host.
Early the next morning Mr. Andrews resumed his journey, Vasco's uncleproviding a horse and accompanying him as far as the river.
Thus the four lads were left to their own devices.
"Let's take the boys down to the sugar-mill first," said Alfeo to hisbrother.
"That's a good idea," was Jago's reply, and Vasco and Harlan readilyfell in with the suggestion.
Vasco's uncle raised much sugar-cane on his plantation, and in thismill he also did grinding for neighbours who were less fortunate andwere unable to possess mills of their own.
Harlan found that the "mill" was not at all like what he imagined,and he regarded it as rather a small affair, but Vasco was immenselyimpressed with the wonderful work it performed.
It consisted of three upright cylinders of very hard wood, two of themabout five feet long and one in the centre two feet higher. They wereset close to each other, and a crude cog-wheel made the three revolvetogether.
An arm from the top of the central cylinder extended outward aboutfifteen feet. To this oxen were attached. Round and round in a circlethe animals walked, and as they did so the machinery revolved. Thestalks of cane were fed between the cylinders, and the heavy pressuresqueezed out the juice, which fell into a large tub below.
Near by the boys saw the juice boiled. A great iron kettle was set inrough stone masonry, and dried cane was used for fuel. The boilingprocess was watched by an old woman, who was constantly dipping up thesyrup with a long-handled gourd dipper.
A NATIVE VILLAGE]
Vasco and Harlan were each given a drink of the partially boiledcane-juice, which they found very pleasant to the taste.
"After the boiling is completed," the old woman told them, "the sugaris run into wooden moulds and then wrapped in plantain leaves, when itis ready for the market."
Harlan and Vasco were next taken to visit an aged woman who in yearsgone by had been a cook in Senor Herreras's father's household. Thiswoman was said to be nearly a century old, and could tell the boys muchof the ancient customs and habits of Panama.
The house in which she lived was like many of the native huts. It wasvery simply built. Four trees about six inches in diameter had been cutdown, the branches lopped off, and a Y-shaped fork left at the tops.These four trees were set deep into the earth as corner posts. Sidepieces were lashed on top with withes. The roof was made of smallsaplings thatched with native grasses, bunches of which overlapped eachother like shingles.
In this particular hut there were two rooms, and an attic overhead,though many houses have no upper room. The sides of the hut were madeof plaited split bamboo, and the chinks were filled with mud.
The old woman always welcomed the visits of Jago and Alfeo, and she wasalso glad to see the two young strangers. They found it easy to enterinto conversation with her. She told how the Indians in her youthfuldays used to adorn their bodies with figures of birds, beasts, andtrees. The women did the painting and took great delight in it. The menalso wore a crescent-shaped metal plate over the lip, attached to thenose, and the women wore a ring in the same manner.
"What were the rings made of?" asked Vasco.
"Sometimes of gold, but more often of silver or of some cheaper metal,"replied the woman. "Chains of animals' teeth and s
hell were also common.
"You would have laughed to see how the men used to smoke tobacco,"continued the old woman. "Instead of a cigar, or even a pipe, longstrips of tobacco leaf were wound into a roll two or three feet longand as large as your wrist.
"A boy would light one end of the roll and burn it to a coal, wettingthe leaf next the fire to keep it from wasting too fast. The lightedend he put in his mouth and blew smoke through the roll into the faceof each man in the company, no matter how many of them. Then they,sitting down as usual, with their hands made a kind of funnel aroundtheir mouths and noses. Into this they received the smoke as it wasblown upon them, snuffing it greedily and strongly as long as theycould hold their breath. It seemed to give them great pleasure."
"I don't think I should have liked the boy's task," said Vasco.
"Did the boys go hunting when you were young?" asked Alfeo.
"Oh, yes. They did not have guns for weapons, but used bows and arrows.They could shoot very straight with them, too. Just wait a moment and Iwill prove that to you."
The old woman hobbled to a chest in the corner of the room and tooktherefrom an old bamboo cane.
"Do you see the cleft in the end of that cane?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," answered Alfeo.
"Well, that was split by an arrow shot at twenty paces by my oldestbrother when he was only eight years old."
The boys now took leave of the old woman, and the rest of the daythey spent visiting various points of interest in the vicinity of theplantation. They also fished and went in swimming in a small streamwhich flowed near by and emptied into the Chagres.
At nightfall, four tired but happy boys were glad to get an earlysupper and seek the rest which a day of unusual activity demanded.
The next day, according to his plan, Mr. Andrews returned and remainedovernight with Vasco's hospitable uncle.
Early Saturday morning, amid profuse expressions of regret at theirdeparture and with invitations to come again, the travellers took uptheir journey homeward. This was made without special incident and wascompleted in safety.