Chapter I: Preface

There is no country on the face of the earth that possesses greater interest in the eyes of the scientific or travelled than Mexico, the scene where the adventures so graphically and clearly narrated in this volume transpired: nor is this partiality to be wondered at when we recall to memory what a lavish hand Nature has subtended to her.

Although several of our most celebrated naturalists have climbed its lofty volcanic mountains, explored its lagoons and giant rivers, and traversed its immense forests, still, from the vast extent of that country and variety of climate--caused by difference of elevation--much yet remains to be done ere the public become thoroughly conversant with its arboreal and zoological productions.

The elephant, hippopotamus, lion, and tiger, the largest and most formidable of the terrestrial mammals of the Old World, are not here to be found; but their places are well supplied by the swamp-loving tapir, the voracious alligator, the stealthy puma, and the blood-thirsty jaguar, all well worthy of the sportsman's rifle, or of the snake-visioned native warrior's weapons--for the power of destruction in these animals during life is great, while after death they either furnish valuable skins or wholesome food. Moreover, here the wolf awakes the reverberating echoes of the forest with its dismal howl; the raccoon, opossum, and squirrel pass their lives in sportive gambols; the wild and the ocellated turkeys strut about, pompous in manner, as if conscious of their handsome plumage, while the timid deer and shaggy-coated bison roam over prairies or through woodland glades, as yet unacquainted with the report of the white man's destructive fire-arms.

Can it, therefore, be surprising that our little hero should have craved to be permitted to have a sight of this new land, so rich in the prospect of adventure? How he behaved himself throughout the numerous ordeals to which he was submitted, suffice it for me to say that his conduct was worthy of the representative of any nationality, and such as was calculated to make all parents proud of their offspring; for whether suffering from thirst or hunger, being persecuted by noxious insects, straying in the woods, even when within reach of the fiercest carnivora or in the presence of the deadliest reptiles, he never for a moment hesitated in performing his seniors' instructions, lost his courage, or, better still, an opportunity of improving his mind.

That the young English reader may benefit as much by the perusal of this work as Master Lucien, otherwise "Sunbeam," did by his journey through the Cordilleras of Mexico, and that they may enjoy the information herein imparted upon the wonderful works of the Creator, is the sincere wish of

THE EDITOR.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION Page 13

CHAPTER I.

Who we are.--Gringalet.--Sunrise.--The
Sugar-cane.--A Halt. 20

CHAPTER II.

Sugar.--Gringalet in the Molasses
Tank.--L'Encuerado's obstinate Idea.--An Indian
Supper. 34

CHAPTER III.

Waking up in the Morning.--The pigmy World of
Lilliput.--L'Encuerado and the Bottles.--Massacre
of Thistles.--The Charcoal-burning Indians. 46

CHAPTER IV.

A difficult Ascent.--The Goat.--The Indian
Girls.--The Tobacco-plant.--The
Bull-fight.--Game.--Lucien's Gun.--Our Entry into
the Wilderness. 61

CHAPTER V.

The great Forest.--Crows.--The first Bivouac.--The
Squirrel-hunt.--Our young Guide.--The Chant in the
Desert. 76

CHAPTER VI.

Coffee.--Turpentine.--Couroucous.--Pine-needles.--Three
Volcanoes in sight at once.--The Carabus
Family.--Scorpions.--Salamanders.--A midnight
Disturbance. 89

CHAPTER VII.

The Cats'-eyes Pomade.--Armadillo.--Lucien and the
cruel Fern.--The fallen Mountain.--The
Woodpecker.--The Basilisk.--L'Encuerado's fresh
Idea. 104

CHAPTER VIII.

A Vulture's Feast.--Dragon's Blood.--A Coral
Serpent.--The Owl.--Mexican Moles.--Toucans.--The
Scolopacidae.--L'Encuerado turned Tailor.--Sunset. 119

CHAPTER IX.

The South Wind.--The Hurricane.--A fearful
Night.--The uprooted Giant.--The
Sarsaparilla-plant.--Gringalet discovers a
Spring.--Our Bivouac. 135

CHAPTER X.

The Rabbit.--Wild Potatoes.--A difficult Path.--An
extinct Crater.--Hoar-frost.--The Torrent.--The
Fawn.--The Tettigones.--Dragon-flies. 148

CHAPTER XI.

A blue Lizard.--The Guava-tree.--A Cataract.--Nest
of yellow Serpents.--A vegetable Helmet.--The
Kingfisher.--Hunting Water-fleas.--The Tadpole.--A
Collection of Water-bugs. 164

CHAPTER XII.

A Relation of Gringalet.--Our four-footed
Guide.--A Review of our Party.--The
Alligator-tortoise.--The Pheasants.--The
Magnolia.--The Nutmeg-tree.--The Blue-plant.--The
Caterpillar. 182

CHAPTER XIII.

The Sensitive-plant.--Gringalet and the
Porcupine.--The Mexican Chameleon.--The Kite and
the Falcon.--An amphisbaena Snake.--A Council of
Turkeys. 196

CHAPTER XIV.

The Meteor.--God Almighty's Lanterns.--The
Skunk.--The Jalap plant.--An aerial Journey.--The
Orchids.--Bivouac in the Mouth of a
Cave.--Gringalet and the Beetles.--A White Ants'
Nest. 211

CHAPTER XV.

Our Substitutes for Lamps.--First Glance into the
Cave.--The Elaterides.--The Gothic
Hall.--Stalagmites and Stalactites.--A
Chichiquimec Cemetery.--The "Tree of St.
Ignatius."--The Opossum and its little ones. 235

CHAPTER XVI.

The Earth-nuts.--A Wild-cat's Feast.--Another
exploring Expedition to the Cave.--The
Bats.--Excavations in a Tomb. 255

CHAPTER XVII.

A forced March.--Wild-ducks.--Vegetable Soap.--An
unwelcome Guest. 269

CHAPTER XVIII.

Wild Dahlias.--A painful Misadventure.--The
Euphorbia Plants.--The Washer Raccoon.--Surprised
by a Torrent.--L'Encuerado turned Hat-maker.--New
Method for driving out Evil Spirits.--The Anhinga. 282

CHAPTER XIX.

The Black Iguana.--Another Country.--Reminiscences
of Childhood.--The Mirage.--A Fire in the Plain. 299

CHAPTER XX.

The Morning and Night Dew.--The
Terre-Froide.--Water-spouts and Whirlwinds.--The
Barbary Fig-trees.--The Cactus-plants.--The
Viznaga.--Our Hopes disappointed.--Don Benito
Coyotepec. 310

CHAPTER XXI.

Black Skins and white Skins.--We have to turn
Carpenters.--L'Encuerado chanting and
preaching.--The Palm-leaves.--Vegetable Butter
Tree. 326

CHAPTER XXII.

Mexican Oak-apples.--A Stream lost in an
Abyss.--The Wild Nasturtium.--Sportsmen deceived
by Children.--The Grave-digging Beetles.--The
Cochineal Insect.--Mexican Wine.--Good-bye to our
Indian Hosts. 339

CHAPTER XXIII.

Again on the Road.--The Bird-catching Spider.--The
Marten and the Skunk.--The Flying Squirrel.--The
Otter-hunt.--L'Encuerado wounded. 353

CHAPTER XXIV.

A laborious Task.--Wild Lime-trees.--Pigeons.--The
West India Cherry.--The Earwig.--Snakes and
Serpents.--First Glance at the Terre-Chaude. 367

CHAPTER XXV.

A Ground-squirrel.--A Mouse's Nest.--Humming-birds
and their young ones.--The Locust-tree.--Mexican
Wolves and their Retreat. 375

CHAPTER XXVI.

The Path through the Forest.--A forced March.--The
Bromelaceae.--Mosquitoes.--The Water-plant.--The
Promised Land.--A Band of Monkeys. 387

CHAPTER XXVII.

L'Encuerado and the Parrots.--Gringalet meets a
Friend.--The Cougar, or American Lion.--A
Stream.--Our "Palm-tree Villa."--Turtles'
Eggs.--The Tantalus.--Herons and Flamingoes. 400

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A Grove of Logwood trees.--Ants at their
Work.--Parasitic Insects.--The Great
Ant-eater.--Spoonbills and Herons.--Lost in the
Forest. 415

CHAPTER XXIX.

A nocturnal Visitor.--The Fall of a Tree.--A
fearful Night.--The Monkeys.--Master Job.--All
right at last. 428

CHAPTER XXX.

We build a Raft.--The Horned Serpent.--Good-bye to
"Palm-tree Villa."--Mosquitoes and
Horse-flies.--The Rattlesnake.--An Ocelot. 438

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Hunters hunted.--Escape from Peccaries.--A
Jaguar-hunt.--An Ibis.--The Caymans.--The Wild
Bulls. 446

CHAPTER XXXII.

The King of the Vultures.--The Ticks.--L'Encuerado
frightened by a Demon.--The Tapirs.--Good-bye to
the Stream.--The Puma's Prey.--A miserable
Night.--Our Departure.--The Savannah.--Lucien
carried in a Litter.--Hunger and Thirst.--We
abandon our Baggage and Pets in Despair. 464