HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY Papers of NATHANIEL DAVIS Despatch no. 259, UNCLASSIFIED April 22, 1949, San José, Costa Rica American Embassy, Enclosure no. horse nor rider was hurt on any occasion. The la st time was after dark and when don Porfirio picked himself out of the mud he had some time finding hia horse which had got to his feet ahead of him and got to the top of the hill.
However, he was soon caught by riders ahead. My horse stumbled frequently but only fell once on a nice, sort, muddy downhill stretch which did neither of us any harm but added nothing to our natty appearance.
At dusk we reached a small clearing in the woods where there was a crude rancho occupied by friends of our guide.
We stopped for coffee and debated whether to go on or to camp there for the night. The surroundings were not very attractive for camping ay pigs and cattle were running loose all over the place and the rancho owner said there were only about 75 yards more of steep declivity after which we would travel on level and mostly clear land. By this time it was pitch dark and we decided to go on. We tried to pick our way with flashlights but discovered that the horses preferred to find their own way in the dark. So, trusting to luck and faith we gave them their heads and slithered down our ranchero 75 yaats which turned out to be a good two miles. We then had to ford a river in the pitch darkness. Two of the pack horses who all day had tried to leave the trail got loose down stream in the river.
We couldn see them but could hear them splashing. Unfortunately they could also hear us splashing after them but after 20 minutes or so both were caught and brought back to the straight and narrow path. Shortly after fording this river the moon rose which made the going easier, especially as we soon enorged from the woods and rode across clear land and through all cacao plantations, fording another amall stream and arriving at the village of Cuatuso at 9:15 do not know how many miles we covered but we were 12 hours in the saddle.
Our route had taken us along thenortheast boundary of Arenal which appears on the maps as a lake and which most Costa Rivans believe to be so. It probably was a lake many years ago but at the present time there is only a small pond at one end. Most of the rest of the area is swap although the southwest corner is cultivated. Our guide aaid this condition remains the same in both the rainy and dry seasons. Shortly after leaving Arenal We looked down on Kotter Lake, named for a German explorer who discovered it about a century ago and appearing on nost maps aa Cotta.
It is a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by wooded alopes with no sign of habitation. We all registered a vow to return there some time and try the fishing.
We were expected at Guatuso and the man who runs one of the town three pulperias and has a keroseneperated electric plant started up his motor and turned on the lights. The store 18 on the porchy behind this 19 a large storeroom and two smaller 11ving rooms; further back is the kitchen UNCLASSIFIED