CHAPTER XVI.

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—The Mahogany-Cutters—Celebration of their Return—A Carib Dandy—Polygamy—Singular Practices—A Carib Crew—Departure—The Bay of Honduras—The Bottom of the Sea—Island of Guanaja—Night—Sombre Soliloquies—Antonio’s Secret—The Rousing of the Indians—Deep-laid Schemes of Revenge—The Voice of the Tiger in the Mountains 312

APPENDIX.

A—HISTORICAL SKETCH 335

B—NOTES AND EXTRACTS 354

C—MOSQUITO VOCABULARY 363

ILLUSTRATIONS.

NUMBER PAGE

1. ILLUSTRATIVE TITLE 1

2. MAP OF MOSQUITO SHORE 12

3. THE ARTIST 13

4. MY LANDLADY 22

5. ANTONIO CHUL 28

6. THE SHIPWRECK 35

7. THE ESCAPE 36

8. “SHELLING” TURTLES 46

9. A SAIL! A SAIL! 48

10. “EL RONCADOR” 52

11. APPROACH TO BLUEFIELDS 56

12. GOING TO THE FUNERAL 67

13. A MOSQUITO BURIAL 70

14. AFLOAT IN THE LAGOON 76

15. CLIMBING AFTER COCOAS 84

16. A MANGROVE SWAMP 85

17. THE ROSEATE SPOONBILL 89

18. CAPTAIN DRUMMER 93

19. TURTLE CAYS 105

20. SPEARING TURTLE 109

21. TEMPORAL CAMP 117

22. A FRESHET IN THE RIVER 122

23. HUNTING THE MANITUS 133

24. HARPOONS AND LANCES 136

25. TROPICAL VERDURE 138

26. MARINE MOLLUSCA 143

27. ON THE MOONLIT SEA 144

28. VILLAGE OF QUAMWATLA 149

29. FIGHT NEAR QUAMWATLA 153

30. TAPIR CAMP 162

31. PALMETTO ROYAL 166

32. THE DEATH OF THE TAPIR 172

33. BIRDS OF THE LAGOONS 179

34. LIFE AMONG THE LAGOONS 182

35. CHASE ON TONGLA LAGOON 189

36. FEVER CAMP 200

37. TOWKAS INDIANS 202

38. THE END OF IT! 210

39. TOWN OF SANDY BAY 215

40. A GOLDEN IDOL 217

41. GENERAL PETER SLAM 221

42. SUKIA OF SANDY BAY 228

43. CAPE GRACIAS A DIOS 234

44. HUNTING DEER 237

45. RIVER BOCAY 251

46. THE MOTHER OF THE TIGERS 256

47. SANCTUARY OF THE SUKIA 259

48. SCENERY ON THE RIVER WANKS 272

49. EMBARCADERO ON THE TIROLAS 276

50. THE WAREE 283

51. THE MOUNTAIN CREST 290

52. A POYER VILLAGE 295

53. “THE GATEWAY OF HELL” 309

54. VIEW AT BRUS 312

55. APPROACH TO GUANAJA 325

56. REVEALING THE SECRET 332

[Illustration: MAP of MOSQUITO SHORE

The route of the author is indicated in the Map by a dotted line.]

THE MOSQUITO SHORE.