CHAPTER XVIII. Departure for Guatimala.-Esparza.-Town of Costa Rica.-The Barranca.History of a Countryman.-Wild Scenery.-Hacienda of Aranjuez.-River Lagartos.-Cerros of Collito.-Herds of Deer.-Santa Rosa.-Don Juan José Bonilla. An Earthquake. - A Cattle Farm. Bagases. - Guanacaste.-An agreeable Welcome.-Belle of Guanacaste.-Pleasant Lodgings.-Cordilleras. -Volcanoes of Rincon and Orosi.-Hacienda of San Teresa.-Sunset View. -The Pacific again. - On the thirteenth day of February I mounted for my journey to Guatimala. My equipage was reduced to articles of the last necessity: a hammock of striped cotton cloth laid over my pellon, a pair of alforgas, and a poncha strapped on behind. Nicolas had strung across his alvarda behind a pair of leather cohines, in shape like buckets, with the inner side flat, containing biscuit, chocolate, sausages, and dolces, and in front, on the pommel, my wearing apparel rolled up in an oxhide, after the fashion of the country. During my whole stay at the convent the attentions of the padre were unremitted. Besides the services he actually rendered me, I have no doubt he considers that he saved my life; for during my sickness he entered my room while I was preparing to shave, and made me desist from so dangerous an operation. I washed my face by stealth, but his kindness added another to the list of obligations I was already under to the padres of Central America. I felt great satisfaction at being able once more to resume my journey, pleased with the lightness of my equipage, the spirit of my mules, and looked my journey of twelve hundred miles boldly in the face. All at once I heard a clattering behind, and Nicolas swept by me on a full run. My macho was what was called es DEPARTURE FOR GUATIMALA. 375 pantosa, or scary, and started. I had very little strength, and was fairly run away with. If I had bought my beasts for racing I should have had no reason to complain; but, unluckily, my saddle turned, and I came to the ground, fortunately clearing the stirrups, and the beast ran, scattering on the road pistols, holsters, saddle-cloths, and saddle, and continued on bare-backed toward the town. To my great relief, some muleteers intercepted him, and saved my credit as a horseman in San José. We were more than an hour in recovering scattered articles and repairing broken trappings. For three days my road was the same that I had travelled in entering Costa Rica. The fourth morning I rose without any recurrence of fever. Mr. Lawrence had kindly borne me company from San José, and was still with me; he had relieved me from all trouble, and had made my journey so easy and comfortable that, instead of being wearied, I was recruited, and abandoned all idea of returning by sea. At seven o'clock we started, and in half an hour reached Esparza. From this place to Nicaragua, a distance of three hundred miles, the road lay through a wilderness; except the frontier town of Costa Rica, there were only a few straggling haciendas, twenty, thirty, and forty miles apart. I replenished my stock of provisions, and my last purchase was a yard and a half of American cotton from a Massachusetts factory, called by the imposing name of Manta del Norte. In half an hour we crossed the Barranca, a broad, rapid, and beautiful river, but which lost in my eyes all its beauty, for here Mr. Lawrence left me. Since the day of my arrival at San José he had been almost constantly with me, had accompanied me in every excursion, and during my sickness had attended me constant ly. He was a native of Middletown in Connecticut, about fifty years old, and by trade a silversmith, and with the exception of a single return visit, had been nineteen years from home. In 1822 he went to Peru, where, besides carrying on his legitimate business upon a large scale, his science and knowledge of the precious metals brought him into prominent public positions. In 1830 he sold a mint to the government of Costa Rica, and was offered the place of its director. Business connected with the mint brought him to Costa Rica, and during his absence he left his affairs in the hands of a partner, who mismanaged them and died. Mr. L. returned to Peru, but without engaging in active business, and in the mean time the mint purchased of him was worn out, and another imported from Europe, so complicated that no one in Costa Rica could work it. Offers were made to Mr. L. of such a nature, that, connected with mining purposes of his own, they induced him to return. Don Manuel de Aguila was then Gefe del Estado, and on Mr. L.'s arrival at the port he met Don Manuel banished and flying from the state. The whole policy of the government was changed. ly in San José, and when I left intended to establish himself at Pont Arenas, to traffic with the pearl fishermen. Such is, in brief, the history of one of our many countrymen scattered in different parts of the world, and it would be a proud thing for the country if all sustained as honourable a reputation as his. We exchanged adieus from the backs of our mules, and, not to be sentimental, lighted our cigars. Whether we shall ever meet again or not is uncertain. Mr. L. remained quiet I was again setting out alone. I had travelled so long with companions or in ships, that when the mo WILD SCENERY. 377 ment for plunging into the wilderness came, my courage almost failed me. And it was a moment that required some energy; for we struck off immediately into one of the wildest paths that I met on the whole of that desolate journey. The trees were so close as to darken it, and the branches so low that it was necessary to keep the head constantly bent to avoid hitting them. The noise of the locusts, which had accompanied us since we reached the mountain of Aguacate, here became startling. Very soon families of monkeys, walking heavily on the tops of the trees, disturbed these noisy tenants of the woods, and sent them flying around us in such swarms that we were obliged to beat them off with our hats. My macho snorted and pulled violently on the bit, dragging me against the trees; and I could not help thinking, if this is the outset, what will be the end? Parting with Mr. Lawrence advanced the position of Nicolas. Man is a talking animal; Nicolas was particularly so, and very soon I knew the history of his life. His father was a muleteer, and he seemed constructed for the same rough business; but after a few journeys to Nicaragua he retired in disgust, married, and had two children. The trying moment of his life was when compelled to serve as a soldier. His great regret was that he could not read or write, and his astonishment that he worked hard and yet could not get on. He wanted to go with me to Mexico, to go to my country, to be away two years, and to return with a sum of money in hand, as 'Hezoos had done. He knew that General Morazan was a great man, for when he visited Costa Rica there was a great firing of cannons and a ball. He was a poor man himself, and did not know what the wars were about; and supposed that VOL. I.-3 B Don Manuel de Aguila was expelled because Carillo wanted to be chief. We continued in the woods till about two o'clock, when, turning off by a path to the right, we reached a clearing, on one side of which was the hacienda of Aranjuez. The entrance to the house was by a ladder from the outside, and underneath was a sort of storehouse. It was occupied by a major-domo, a Mestitzo, and his wife. Near it was the cucinera, where the wife and another woman were at work. The major-domo was sitting on the ground doing nothing, and two ablebodied men were helping him. The major-domo told us that he had a good potrero for the mules, and the house promised a good restingplace for me. Outside, and extending all around, was a rough board piazza, one side of which commanded a view of the ocean. I seated myself on this side, and very soon Nicolas brought me my dinner. It consisted of tortillas, rice cooked with lard, which he brought in a shell, and salt in his hands. I finished with a cup of chocolate, and could not but think of the blessings wasted by this major-domo. In the same situation, one of our backwoodsmen, with his axe, his wife, and two pairs of twins, would in a few years surround himself with all the luxuries that good land can give. After dinner I led the mules to a stream, on the banks of which were tufts of young grass, and while I was sitting here two wild turkeys flew over my head and lighted on a tree near by. I sent Nicolas for my gun, and soon had a bird large enough for a household dinner, which I sent immediately to the house to be converted into provender. At sundown I returned, and then discovered a deficiency in my preparations which I felt during the whole journey, viz., of candles. A |