x CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 



PAGE 



The Lake of Nicaragua Ometepec Becalmed on the Lake White 

 Cygnets Reach SanUbaldo Ride across the Plains Vegetation 

 of the Plains Armadillo Savannahs Jicara Trees Jicara Bowls 

 Origin of Gourd-shaped Pottery Coyotes Mule-breeding 

 Beach Acoyapo Festu, Cross High Range Esquipula The 

 Rio Mico Supposed Statues on its Banks Pital Cultivation of 

 Maize Its use from the earliest times in America Separation of 

 the Maize-eating from the Man di oca -eating Indigenes of America 

 Tortillas Sugar-making Enter the Forest of the Atlantic 

 Slope Vegetation of the Forest Muddy Roads Arrive at Santo 

 Domingo . . . . . . . . .43 



CHAPTER V. 



Geographical position of Santo Domingo Physical Geography The 

 Inhabitants Mixed Races Negroes and Indians compared 

 Women Establishment of the Chontales Gold Mining Company 

 My House and Garden Fruits Plantains and Bananas : pro- 

 bably not indigenous to America : propagated from Shoots : do 

 not generally mature their Seeds Fig-trees Granadillas and 

 Papaws Vegetables Dependence of Flowers on Insects for their 

 Fertilization Insect Plagues Leaf-cutting Ants : their method 

 of defoliating Trees : their Nests Some Trees are not touched 

 by the Ants Foreign Trees are very subject to their attack 

 Method of Destroying the Ants Migration of the Ants from a 

 Nest attacked Corrosive Sublimate causes a sort of Madness 

 amongst them Indian plan of preventing their ascending young 

 Trees Leaf -cutting Ants are fungus -growers and eaters 

 Sagacity of the Ants . . . . . . . .61 



CHAPTER VI. 



Configuration of the Ground at Santo Domingo Excavation of Valleys 

 Geology of the District Decomposition of the Rocks Gold- 

 mining Auriferous Quartz Veins Mode of occurrence of the 

 Gold Lodes richer next the surface than at lower depths Ex- 

 cavation and Reduction of the Ore Extraction of the Gold 

 " Mantos " Origin of Mineral Veins: their connection with 

 intrusions of Plutonic Rocks . 85 



