the days of my life-第80章

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the　pleasures　of　such　a　ride　may　well　be　imagined。　Once　we　stopped　at　a　hacienda　where　there　was　a　cocoa　plantation　that　I　was　told　produced　a　great　deal　of　money　in　that　fertile　soil。　I　shall　never　forget　the　place；　or　at　least　the　impression　it　produced　upon　me。　In　a　long　low　room　a　fat　half…breed；　its　owner；　was　swinging　in　a　hammock；　or　rather　being　swung　by　Indian　girls。　Terrible　stories　were　told　of　such　men　and　their　poor　Indian　slaves　in　these　remote　places；　for　in　practice　slaves　they　still　remained；　especially　with　reference　to　young　women　who　grew　up　upon　their　estates。　Whether　things　have　bettered　since　that　day　I　do　not　know；　but；　if　certain　works　that　I　have　read　are　true；　I　gather　that　in　such　matters　they　remain　much　the　same　as　they　were　two　hundred　years　ago。
After　the　corduroy　road　plains　we　passed　into　the　mountains　where；　by　the　hollowing　action　of　water；　the　tracks　had　been　reduced　to　a　kind　of　ditch　floored　with　a　butter　of　red　clay。　Here　there　were　precipices；　along　the　edges　of　which　we　ambled。　One　spot　remains　firmly　fixed　upon　my　mind。　The　path　along　the　precipice　had　been　broken　away　and　a　new　one　made　a　little　further　up　the　hillside。　When　we　reached　the　place　I　tried　to　turn　my　mule　to　this　upper　path。　But　the　wooden…mouthed　brute　was　of　a　different　opinion。　Baggage　mules；　I　should　explain；　always　prefer　the　edge　of　a　precipice；　because　their　burdens　are　less　likely　to　be　knocked　by　projecting　rocks　or　other　mules。　Therefore；　this　beast　that　I　rode　insisted　upon　taking　the　lower　path。　The　natural　result　followed：　we　began　to　descend　the　red　butter　slide　with　great　rapidity。　There　was　neither　time　nor　room　to　dismount。　All　appeared　to　be　over；　since　a　few　yards　in　front；　the　path　having；　as　I　said；　been　washed　away；　was　empty　space。　However；　just　in　time；　the　mule　itself　awoke　to　the　situation。　I　presume　that　its　inherited　experience　told　it　that　to　be　dashed　to　pieces　is　not　agreeable。　At　any　rate　it　put　on　some　kind　of　vacuum　brake　of　its　own；　with　the　result　that　we　pulled　up　at　the　extremest　edge　of　nothingness；　indeed；　it　seemed　to　me　that　when　our　slide　came　to　its　end　all　the　creature’s　four　feet　were　gathered　in　a　round　that　might　have　been　covered　by　a　Mexican　priest’s　hat。　Afterwards　that　same　mule；　the　most　inpetent　surely　of　all　its　kind；　fell　with　me　in　the　midst　of　a　flooded　river。
Another　such　river　we　were　obliged　to　cross　seated　in　a　loop　of　string　which　was　slung　upon　a　rope；　quite　an　exciting　mode　of　progression。　Upon　the　occasion　of　Mr。　Jebb’s　previous　visit　to　this　mine　either　the　loop　or　the　rope　broke；　and　the　cook　who　was　making　the　journey　went　to　a　watery　grave。
We　slept　a　night　in　a　saw…mill　that　had　been　established　by　the　mining　pany　upon　the　banks　of　a　great　river。　I　remember　that　at　dawn　I　went　to　bathe　in　this　river；　and　was　struck　with　the　marvellous　beauty　of　the　scene。　The　face　of　the　water　was　covered　with　clouds　of　floating　mist；　while　above；　rising　in　tiers　from　the　steep　banks　of　the　river；　appeared　the　motionless；　solemn　trees。　And　then　the　indescribable　silence　and　the　utter　loneliness。　The　great　primeval　forest　beyond　this　river　was　very　wonderful；　at　any　rate　to　me　who　had　never　seen　its　like。　Here　grew　vast　trees　with　rib…like　roots　that　ran　far　up　the　trunk；　and　between　the　trees　imperable　thickets　of　Indian　Shot　—　Canna；　I　think；　is　the　right　name　—　twenty　feet　and　more　in　height。　When　the　Indians　wish　to　grow　a　crop　of　maize　they　burn　a　patch　of　this　Canna　scrub　and　sow　the　seed　in　the　rich　ash…fertilised　soil；　where　it　bears　abundantly。
These　Indians　of　remoter　Mexico　are　strange；　sad　creatures　whose　demeanour　suggests　that　the　woes　and　wickedness　heaped　upon　their　forefathers　by　the　cruel　Spaniards　have　never　faded　from　the　minds　of　the　descendants。　In　body　they　are　handsome　and　often　stately；　but　their　souls　seem　crushed。　Now　they；　whose　race　once　was　free　and　great；　as　the　mighty　ruins　show；　are　but　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water　whom　the　white　man　kills　if　they　venture　to　cross　his　desire。　On　the　narrow　mountain　paths　or　in　the　depths　of　the　vast　forests　the　traveller　meets　them　toiling　forward　under　the　weight　of　some　tremendous　load。　Humbly　the　poor　creatures；　in　whose　veins　perhaps　flows　the　blood　of　Montezuma；　draw　aside　and　stand　resting　on　their　long　sticks　while　the　white　lords　pass。　Then　once　more　they　begin　their　patient　journeyings。
By　the　way；　I　saw　a　very　curious　“mackintosh”　in　use　among　these　Chiapas　Indians。　It　consisted　of　two　huge　leaves；　I　suppose　of　some　water　plant；　which　were　fastened　together　at　the　base；　leaving　a　hole　for　the　wearer’s　head。　These　leaves；　thus　arranged；　hung　to　below　the　middle　before　and　behind；　and　were　impermeable　even　to　the　tropical　Mexican　rain。　A　long　line　of　men　clad　in　them　presented　the　strangest　of　sights。
We　arrived　at　the　mine　at　last；　and　spent　some　days　there。　It　was　in　the　charge　of　an　English　gentleman　whose　name　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　have　quite　forgotten；　but　who　received　us　with　much　kindness。　He　had　built　himself；　or　the　pany　had　built　for　him；　a　long　low　house　with　a　verandah　and　some　spare　rooms；　in　one　of　which　I　slept。　After　the　mosquito…haunted　canoe　and　our　nocturnal　habitations；　that　clean　little　room　seemed　an　almost　celestial　abode。　Tarantulas　were　very　plentiful　about　the　house　and；　going　to　bed　one　night；　I　perceived　a　specimen　of　inconceivable　size　—　really　it　looked　as　large　as　a　plate　—　sitting　on　the　ceiling　immediately　above　my　head；　and　shouted　for　assistance。　My　host　arrived　and；　after　inspection　of　the　monster；　exclaimed：　“For　goodness’　sake　don’t　touch　it！　That　isn’t　a　tarantula；　that’s　the　chap　who　lives　upon　tarantulas！”　I　accepted　the　explanation；　but　asked　him　to　be　good　enough　to　remove　this　household　god　to　his　own　room。
While　Jebb　was　engaged　in　the　affairs　of　the　mine　I　wandered　about　the　beautiful　valley　in　which　it　was　situated；　collecting　plants　and　ferns。　The　vegetation　here　was　truly　wonderful；　while　palms　and　other　trees；　covered　with　ferns　and　orchids　to　their　crowns；　presented　a　lovely　sight。　Only；　because　of　the　snakes　which　were　said　to　abound；　it　was　necessary　to　be　very　careful　in　gathering　these　floral　treasures。　With　much　difficulty　I　succeeded　in　bringing　a　sackload　of　roots　to　England；　and　in　the　greenhouses　here　still　survive　some　of　the　plants　I　collected　in　Mexico；　though　certain　of　the　ferns　grew　so　enormous　that　they　had　to　be　given　away。　I　lost　that　sack　on　an　American　train；　and　was　told　by　the　conductor　to　go　and　look　for　it　in　a　very　insufficiently　lighted　van；　where　presently　I　came　to　grief　over　some　hard　object。　It　proved　to　be　a　coffined　corpse　which　was　being　“mailed”　from　one　part　of　the　States　to　another。
Our　return　journey　to　Frontera　was　quite　as　arduous　as　that　of　which　I　have　spoken；　but　in　the　end　we　arrived　without　having　contracted　fever　or　met　with　any　serious　mishap。　Here；　however；　we　fell　victims　to　Mexican　guile。　The　American　steamer；　with　our　wives　and　luggage　on　board；　was　due　to　call　on　the　following　day；　but　some　rascal　at　Frontera　who　was　agent　for　the　line；　and　also　owned　a　tub　that　plied　between　that　port　and　Vera　Cruz；　informed　us　that　this　she　would　not　do　because　of　a　“norther”　that　was　ing　up。　Now　a　“norther”　is　a　very　terrible　gale　which　blows　for　days　at　a　time　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　making　it　impossible　for　even　the　finest　ship　to　approach　certain　of　the　ports；　and　the　agent　swore　that　his　telegraphic　information　as　to　its　arrival　was　correct。　This；　of　course；　meant　that　we　might　look　forward　to；　I　think；　another　fortnight　of　the　pleasures　of　Frontera。
However；　the　agent　was　ready　with　a　remedy。　The　tub　I　have　mentioned　was　sailing　for　Vera　Cruz　at　once。　It　would；　he　said；　get　there　before　the　liner　left；　or；　if　not；　it　would　signal　to　the　liner　to　stop　and　take　us　aboard。　Only　we　must　make　up　our　minds　instantly　—　within　five　minutes。　We　fell　into　the　trap；　paid　an　expensive　fare；　and　steamed　off　in　that　dreadful　ship。　During　the　night　we　sighted　the　American　liner　with　our　wives　on　board；　making　straight　for　Frontera！　To　municate　with　her　was　impossible；　indeed；　once　he　had　us　safe　at　sea　the　captain　laughed　at　the　idea。　On　the　following　morning　the　ladies　arrived　at　Frontera；