Waikna

Jamaica, and how the Author got there—A solemn Soliloquy—An Artist Tempted—Painting a Portrait—The Schooner Prince Albert—Captain and Crew—Antonio—Superstitions—Gathering of the...

“El Roncador”—The Escape—Coral Cays—Scene with the Dead—A Night of Fever—Delirium—Island Scenes—Turtles—A cruel Practice—Sail ho!—An Encounter—Revolvers _versus_ Knives—Departur...

Approach to Bluefields—An Imperial City—New Quarters—Mr. Hodgson—The Mosquito King—“George William Clarence!”—Grog _versus_ Gospel—The “Big-Drunk”—A Mosquito Funeral—Singular Pr...

Rama Indians—Departure from Bluefields—Canoe Voyage—Strange Companionship—The “Haulover”—Our first Encampment—Epicurean Episode—Night under the Tropics—Life on the Lagoons—Pearl...

Visit to the Turtle Cays—Spearing Turtle—Jumping Turtle—Return to the Lagoon—Off again—Native Indigo—Another _Haulover_—Tropical Torments—Braving the Bar—Great River—Temporal Ca...

On the River—Strong Currents—An Indian Village—A Woolwa Welcome—Ceremonious Reception—Relations of the Indians—Their Habits—A Tabooed Establishment—Projected Sport—Hunting the M...

Departure—The Plantain-Tree—Bisbire—Nocturnal Noises—“Stirring up the Animals”—At Sea Again—Mollusca of the Caribbean—Walpasixa—The Moonlit Ocean—Prinza-pulka River—Vines and Ve...

Tapir Camp—A Picturesque Retreat—Wild Life—Palm Wine—Queen of the Forest—Pine Ridges—Parrots and Paroquets—A Fright—“Only a Dante”—Trapping the Tapir—Successful Result—Narrow Es...

Lagoons of the Mosquito Shore—Indians and Sambos—Life among the Lagoons—Aquatic Birds—Silk-Cotton Tree—Water Plant—Night Traveling—Tongla Lagoon—Fishing—A Disagreeable Discovery...

Leave Fever Camp—Towkas Indians—Formal Reception—Singular Practices—Towka Marriage—Extraordinary Ceremonies—Presents Propitiatory—Shouldering the Responsibility—Marriage Festiva...

Duckwarra Lagoon—Aboriginal Relics—Sandy Bay—Mosquito Fashions—Sambos of Sandy Bay—General Peter Slam—An English Captain—Brutality—Interference—A Drunken Debauch—Mishla Drink—Da...

Cape Gracias—Its Inhabitants—Fine Savannah—Sambo Practices—Novel Mode of Hunting—Island of San Pio—Mangrove Oysters—Trial of the Sukia—A Mysterious Seeress—Superstitions of the...

River Bocay—New Scenery—End of the Savannahs—Indian Village—The Messenger—A Night Adventure—Sanctuary of the Sukia—Hoxom-Bal, the Mother of the Tigers—Mysteries—Ruins among the...

Up the Cape River—Imposing Scenery—Storm among the Mountains—Influence of the Moon’s Rays—River Tirolas—Mountain Streams—Picturesque Embarcadero—A Sweet Encampment—An Accident—L...

The Crest of the Mountains—A Desert Waste—Descent—Rio Guallambre—Gold Washing—The Poyer Village—Habits of the Poyers—Plantations—Poisoning Fish—Primitive Arts—Indian Naiads—Patr...

Arrival at Brus—A Festival—Hospitality—Loss of the Poyer Boy—Civilization of the Caribs—Cocoa-Groves—Sanitary Precautions—Wild-Fig or Banyan-Tree—Habits of the Caribs—Industry—T...

A month in Jamaica is enough for any sinner’s punishment, let alone that of a tolerably good Christian. At any rate, a week had given me a surfeit of Kingston, with its sinister...

How long I remained insensible I know not, but when my consciousness returned, which it did slowly, like the lifting of a curtain, I felt that I was severely hurt; and, before o...

The approach to the coast, near Bluefields, holds out no delusions. The shore is flat, and in all respects tame and uninteresting. A white line of sand, a green belt of trees, w...

I made many inquiries in Bluefields, in order to decide on my future movements, to all of which Mr. Bell gave me most intelligent answers. At first, I proposed to ascend the Blu...

Off the mouth of Pearl-Cay Lagoon are numerous cays, which, in fact, give their name to the lagoon. They are celebrated for the number and variety of turtles found on and around...

It was three days after the rain had ceased, before we could embark on the river, and even then its current was angry and turbid, and filled with floating trees. We hugged the b...

At the end of two weeks, I signified to my friends that I should be compelled, on the following day, to leave them, and pursue my voyage up the coast. I had supposed that there...

Our reception at Quamwatla had certainly not been of a kind to inspire us with the most cheerful anticipations. We knew that a vast net-work of lagoons, rivers, and creeks exten...

Along the coast, from the Prinza-pulka river northward, as I have said, stretches a net-work of rivers and lagoons, for a distance of at least one hundred and fifty miles, termi...

From our misfortunes, I named our encampment, on Wava Lagoon, “Fever Camp,” although so far from contracting the fever there, I am sure it was its open and elevated position whi...

We were not many days in exhausting the resources of the Towkas village, in the way of adventures; and, one sunny afternoon, packed our little boat, and, bidding our entertainer...

Cape Gracias à Dios, was so called by Columbus, when, after a weary voyage, he gave “Thanks to God” for the happy discovery of this, the extreme north-eastern angle of Central A...

At noon, on the second day of our departure from Cape Gracias, we came to a considerable stream, named Bocay, which enters the river Wanks from the south-west. It was on the ban...

For three days after our parting with H., we kept on our course up the Great Cape river. The current increased as we advanced, and large rocks of quartz and granite began to app...

For a day and a half we continued to ascend, now skirting dizzy precipices, and next stealing along cautiously beneath beetling rocks, which hung heavily on the brow of the moun...

Although we had previously moored our boat with the approach of darkness, yet this night the Indians kept on their course. The river was now wide and still, and the banks low an...