CHAPTEE XV. 



A Xicaraguan criminal Geology between Ocotal and Totagalpa 

 Preparations at Totagalpa for their annual festival Chicha- 

 drinking Piety of the Indians Ancient civilisation of tropical 

 America Palacaguina Hospitality of the Mestizos Curious 

 custom at the festival at Condego Cross range between Segovia 

 and Matagalpa Sontuli Birds' nests. 



"YTE got back to Ocotal, on our return from Depilto, 

 before dark, and made arrangements for setting out on 

 our return to the mines the next morning. Whilst 

 sitting under the corridor, looking across the pretty 

 flower-garden at the glowing western sky, illumined by 

 the last rays of the setting sun, a poor fettered criminal, 

 holding up by means of a string the thick chain that 

 bound together his ankles, came limping along, with a 

 soldier behind him armed with gun and bayonet. He 

 had been brought out of prison to beg. In most of the 

 towns of Nicaragua no food is given to the prisoners, 

 whether convicted, or merely charged with crime. 

 Those that have no money to buy food are sent out 

 every day with an armed escort to beg. The prisoner 

 that hobbled up to me was under twenty years of age, 

 and had been convicted of murder and condemned to 

 death. He had appealed against the sentence to a 



higher court, but I was told that there was scarcely any 



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