FROM CORDOVA TO CATHAY.

built by Columbus, was not at the bluff, but deep in the forest. Furthermore, it
was said that it remained, even now, only partially in ruin, and retaining much
of its ornamentation. This, of course, fired my imagination and stimulated my
desire for research, and I at once made careful inquiry. “Wash” declared that
he himself had seen it ; but when I had dispatched him on an exploring expedi-
tion all by himself, he returned with the result that there was no result, though
he declared the ruins existed nine years ago, and that he believed they had been
removed bodily, possibly by the spirits, which, as everybody knew, haunted the
site of the dead city of Isabella. Then he bethought himself of a native who
had seen it within a year, while out in the woods hunting wild hogs. This man
was a mahogany-cutter, who was drifting some mahogany logs down the river,
and would not reach us until the next day. When he arrived, he was not very
prepossessing ; he was stark naked and was the color of the mahogany logs he
had brought along; for he had been two days wading and swimming the river,
pushing the logs ahead of him. He rolled the timbers upon the bank and left
them there, in just the place another lot had been left, and which were carried
out to sea and lost, the last
time the river came down.
This mahogany-cutter had
been working several days
to earn one dollar and
twenty-five cents which he
did not get after he had
earned it. He received only
an order on a merchant at
Puerto Plata for that amount
and for this he would have
to travel one hundred miles.
Even then, he would find
that one dollar and twenty-
ness five cents cash was another
UNDER THE SEA-GRAPES. term for “ goods,” to the

(With “ La Vieja” sitting in the foreground.) value of perhaps sixty cents.

It was hard for the poor fellow; but I had little sympathy for him, because
when asked what he would take to guide us to the ruins, he replied very
promptly “twenty-five dollars.” He claimed to possess an exclusive right on
the ruins, and meant to make me pay forit; but as I made a point of “no
ruins, no pay,” we did not conclude a negotiation.

It so happened that an old woman in the kitchen had overheard the man
describe the place to a friend, as he stepped in to light his pipe, and when he had
gone, she offered to guide us. So one morning we started out, or, at least, we
tried to start; for it always takes these people a long while to be “about to