第57部分(第6/7 頁)

ful。

On　the　following　day　we　started　up　this　river；　lying　in　a　canoe　towed　by　a　naphtha　launch；　in　which　canoe　we　slept；　or　tried　to　sleep；　all　night。　Never　in　all　my　life　—　no；　not　even　at　Tiberias　on　the　Sea　of　Galilee　—　did　I　meet　with　so　many　or　such　ferocious　mosquitoes！　I　tied　my　trousers　and　my　sleeves　round　my　ankles　and　wrists　with　string；　but　they　bit　through　the　cloth；　and　when　I　looked　in　the　morning　where　the　dogskin　gloves　ended　on　the　wrists　were　great　bracelets　of　white　bumps。　Then　there　were　little　grey　flies　called　gehenn；　or　some　such　name；　which　were　worse　than　the　mosquitoes；　since　the　effect　of　their　bites　lasted　for　days；　and；　when　one　went　ashore；　garrapatas　or　tiny　ticks　that　buried　themselves　in　the　flesh　and；　if　removed；　left　their　heads　behind　them。　Perhaps　these　were　the　greatest　torments　of　the　three。　Altogether　the　banks　of　the　Tobasco　River　cannot　be　remended　as　a　place　of　residence。

In　due　course　we　arrived　at　a　town　called　St。　Juan　Bautista；　where　we　stopped　for　a　night　or　two　with　some　Mexicans　who　had　an　interest　in　the　mine　we　were　to　visit。　They　were　kind　in　their　way；　but　what　I　chiefly　recollect　about　the　place　are　the　remains　of　an　ox　that　had　been　slaughtered　within　a　yard　or　two　of　the　verandah；　just　beyond　a　beautiful　Hibiscus　bush　in　flower；　and　some　soup　posed　apparently　of　oil　in　which　livid　cocksbs　bobbed　up　and　down。　Thence　we　proceeded　up　the　river　in　the　naphtha　launch；　of　which　the　machinery　continually　broke　down。　This　was　the　pleasantest　part　of　the　journey。

At　length；　leaving　the　launch；　we　came　to　a　village　of　which　the　name　escapes　me；　a　straggling　place　whereof　the　central　street　was　paved　with　rough　cobbles。　Here　we　slept　in　a　house　belonging　to　some　lady　who　was　a　great　personage　in　the　vil