CL. XII.] ROCK-CARYIXG. 217 



room, found it consisted only of coffee and two small 

 cakes called " noskears ' for each of us ; and we were 

 told they had nothing else to offer us. So, munching our 

 dry noskears, we mumbled over them as long as we 

 could, and did not waste a crumb, wondering how our 

 host got so fat on such fare. We were as hungry when 

 we finished as when we began, and soon laid down on 

 our hard couches to forget our hunger in sleep. 



We started off early the next morning, as we were 

 within a few leagues of the town of Matagalpa, and knew 

 when we got there we should obtain plenty of provisions. 

 About a league before arriving at Matagalpa there is a 

 high range, with perpendicular cliffs near the summit. 

 Bito told us that near the base of these cliffs there was a 

 carving of a bull, and that the place was enchanted. I 

 had heard in other parts stories of bulls being engraved 

 or painted on rocks, but was very doubtful about their 

 being true, as, up to the advent of the Spaniards, the 

 Indians of Central America had never seen any cattle ; 

 and since the conquest they appear to have entirely 

 given up their ancient practice of carving on stone, whilst 

 the Spaniards and half-breeds have never learnt the art ; 

 so that I have never seen a single carving in the central 

 departments that could be ascribed to a later period than 

 the Spanish conquest. 



Tired and hungry though we were, I was determined 

 to put this story to the test ; so Velasquez and I climbed 

 up to the cliffs, and searched all round them, but could 

 find no carving. At one place there was a large black 

 stain on the cliff, produced by the trickling down of 

 water from above ; and I afterwards learnt that this 

 stain at a distance somewhat resembled a bull, and a 



