Little Journey to Puerto Rico Part 9

These lizards are found in and about most of the houses and are harmless, useful little fellows. They are six or seven inches long, of a pale, yellowish color, mottled with brown.

Instead of taking a morning bath in our rooms, we take a dip in the warm sea water. We find it hot, even very early in the morning; and as we walk to the sh.o.r.e in our bathing suits, we make a large palm leaf do duty as a sunshade.

When we dress for breakfast we examine our clothes very closely, for the centipedes have a disagreeable way of taking strolls over one's clothing and the bedding.

Our breakfast consists of turtle eggs, bread fruit, plantain and cocoanut milk. Our meals are served on the veranda, and there we spend the most of the day. Hammocks are swung from the beams, and, lying in them, we drink in the cool sea air and feast our eyes upon the beautiful surroundings.

In the shallow water near the sh.o.r.e we find great pink conch sh.e.l.ls. The fish in them we have made into soup for our dinner, and very good soup we find it.

Sometimes we go out in the mountains with our host hunting for game, or for mountain cabbage for our dinner. Perhaps others would like to know what this mountain cabbage is, and we will tell them. It is the bud of a palm tree, a part of the trunk of which, when young, is edible. When cooked, it looks like very white cabbage; but the flavor is finer and more delicate. It is sometimes eaten raw, as a salad.

The meat for our dinner consists of fish, and the flesh of the armadillo, the agouti and the iguana.

These animals are queer looking creatures. As we wish to see them in their haunts in the woods and fields, we will accompany our host on some long walks and drives, in order to find out more about them.

ANIMAL LIFE.

When Columbus visited the West Indies, he was delighted by the beauty in and about them. "I know not," he said, "where first to go; nor are my eyes ever weary with gazing on the wonderful verdure. The singing of the birds is such as to make one wish never to depart."

The wonderful beauty of the country of which he spoke is unchanged; but we listen and look in vain for the singing birds. The hunter's gun has caused the disappearance of large numbers of the birds. Those remaining are found only in the forests.

Columbus spoke also of the flocks of parrots "whose bright wings obscured the sun"; but we seldom see the brilliant plumage of these birds on our excursions.

BIRDS.

There are said to be about one hundred and fifty kinds of birds on the island of Puerto Rico. Among these are the mocking bird, the wild canary, the sugar bird, the thrush, the humming bird, the owl, the hawk, the dove, the cuckoo, the oriole, the nightingale, and the Guinea bird.

During the migrating season, many other birds fly over from other islands.

Flamingoes and other water birds are numerous on the coast.

There is a parrot market in every port, however, and this is a popular place of resort. Here are cool trees and drinking stands, or booths, where cocoanut milk and cool drinks are sold.

The birds are not usually confined to cages, but are left to climb about the booths. The natives love these birds and make great pets of them. The birds are tame and quite accomplished in the art of begging.

When the pa.s.ser-by extends his hand, they walk into it for the sake of the gifts which they know will come.

But the bird which is oftenest seen is the fighting or game-c.o.c.k. The streets and market places are full of these. They are the pets and often the most valued possessions of their owners.

OTHER ANIMAL LIFE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ARMADILLO]

The scorpions, centipedes, wasps, sand flies, fleas and mosquitoes manage to make things lively for us much of the time.

One enterprising and annoying insect, the chigoe, or "jigger," is able to bore a hole through the sole of a shoe and attack the foot.

There are no poisonous serpents or dangerous wild animals in the country; so we travel about through field and forest without fear.

The boa, which is occasionally seen, is huge and alarming in appearance; but it is looked upon as a friend rather than an enemy. It is of great service to the farmer in clearing his place of rats.

The largest native animals we find to be the armadillo, the agouti, and the iguana.

The agouti is a little animal resembling a rabbit. It lives on vegetable food, and finds a home in the rocky hillsides and on the borders of the woods. As game is not plentiful, it is sometimes used for food.

The armadillo and iguana are preferred for food, however. It is not an easy matter to catch an armadillo. It has a sh.e.l.l on its back, and into this it promptly retreats at the first sign of danger. It has a long, pointed snout and strong, sharp claws. It can dig a hole in the ground almost as fast as a man can dig with a pick and spade; so, when an enemy appears, it digs a hole and buries itself from sight. It is not a troublesome animal. It lives chiefly upon beetles, grubs and worms, which it hunts by night.

The iguana is a lizard which feeds on fruits and vegetables. It grows to three or four feet in length, and is an ugly looking creature. It will not fight unless you compel it to do so. It does not live in the water, but in trees, bushes, and in the cracks and fissures of rocks. Sometimes hunters build fires at the entrance of their hiding places and smoke them out. The flesh, when cooked, resembles chicken or veal, and is a popular dish with the natives.

But the most delicious meat of all comes from the land crabs and the crayfish. These are caught in great numbers when the crabs migrate from the mountains to the coast. Once a year they make this journey, for the purpose of depositing their eggs in the sand.

The sea fisheries are important to the people of Puerto Rico. The coast waters and fresh water streams swarm with fishes of strange shapes and gaudy colors.

Among these are the shad, sardines, Spanish mackerel, dolphins, flying fish, sting rays and sharks. The sponge, the manatee and the whale are also found near the island.

Suppose some one were to ask you to what kingdom the sponge belonged.

Could you tell? Many years ago people believed that it belonged to the vegetable kingdom; but it is now known to belong to the animal kingdom.

The animals attach themselves to rocks, sh.e.l.ls and other hard substances below water.

Mussels, clams and sponges are cultivated to some extent. Mollusks are useful in many other ways than as food. Their sh.e.l.ls are used for making b.u.t.tons, parasol handles and shirt studs. Sometimes they are used for making roads. Many shiploads of these sh.e.l.ls are brought to New York from Puerto Rico and other parts of the West Indies every year.

PLANT LIFE.

Puerto Rico seems to us to be one big flower garden. All kinds of fruit grow wild and most wild plants blossom and bear fruit several times a year.

Cultivated fruits, flowers and vegetables are planted several times a year in order that a fresh supply may always be at hand. Flowers bloom every month of the year, but are most plentiful in June. Ferns, in some instances, grow to spreading trees, with graceful drooping fronds. Many plants have colored leaves which are as brilliant as the flowers themselves.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRANCH AND FRUIT OF THE CACAO TREE.]

Everywhere grow trees and shrubs valuable for their fruit or for their medicinal qualities.

The leading crops are sugar cane, coffee and tobacco. Over one-half of the exports consists of coffee, and a little less than one-fourth, of sugar. Cacao and fruits make a large part of the remainder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A PUERTO RICAN SUGAR MILL.]

Rice forms the chief food of the laboring cla.s.ses, and this grows, not on the wet lowlands, as in our country, but on the mountain sides.

Bananas and plantains are two of the important food products. Next to these, the yam and the sweet potato form the diet of the natives.

Among the fruit trees we find cocoanut palms, tamarinds, p.r.i.c.kly pears, guavas, mangoes, bananas, oranges, limes, cacao (or cocao) trees and lemons.

Among the spices found here are the pimento, or allspice, nutmeg, clove, pepper, mace, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla.