[14] Ahora me explico, Now I understand. VARIANTS: Ahora comprendo, entiendo, me doy cuenta (or entera cuenta or cuenta cabal), I can fully account for.
[15] Tan así es, So much so. The form tan es así is ungrammatical.
[16] es de suponer, it is to be supposed.
[17] las grandes selvas, the large forests.
[18] que quedan aún sin explotar, which are still unexploited. VARIANT: Que todavía (or aun) no han sido explotadas.
[19] los enormes ingenios. The article is used by modern authors in cases like this to emphasize the noun to which it refers.
[20] tejido, the (act of) weaving.
[21] ¿Y ... el café? What ... about coffee?
[22] otros bosques, other forests, more forests.
[23] Colonia. A section of land divided into individual holdings which are sold subject to certain provisions. Related Words: Tierra fiscal, pública, lands, government lands; pueblo, principal town of a colonia; egido, the land surrounding a pueblo in a colonia, to be used as the town grows; título definitivo, deed giving the settler legal title to the land he occupies; poblador, arrendador, ocupante, tenant.