Six days on the hurricane deck of a mule: An account of a journey made on mule back in Honduras, C.A. in August, 1891

About this book

The work is a first‑person travel narrative by Almira Stillwell Cole, chronicling a six‑day mule‑back expedition through Honduras in August 1891. It opens with the author’s anxious preparation to ride a mule, a task foreshadowed by a friend’s warning that a mule would be “worse” than a wheel. After a brief steamer crossing, she disembarks at Amapala, endures a cramped hotel, and finally mounts a “gentle‑looking beast” in a red‑tan saddle. The opening pages follow her immediate challenges, learning to balance, crossing a swollen river, and confronting unfamiliar customs, while interweaving vivid observations of the landscape, local dwellings, and the practicalities of travel in a tropical frontier.

Cole’s voice is that of an educated American woman of the late nineteenth century, combining earnest self‑reflection with a lively, often humorous tone. Her prose mixes detailed description with colloquial asides, capturing both the novelty of the environment and her personal growth. Readers who enjoy period travelogues, gender‑focused adventure accounts, or richly detailed cultural sketches of Central America will find this narrative both informative and entertaining.

Opening lines

However, at last a teasing cousin did hit upon a fact, and a stubborn one, which had tormented me considerably--that mule I was to ride. He assured me that had I ever attempted to ride a wheel I would have some idea of what was in store for me. With a sinking heart but unabashed countenance, I smiled a superior sort of smile and replied that I had learned to ride a wheel. …

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