278 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. XV. 



from the degradation of the schistose rocks, with their 

 numerous quartz veins. 



We reached Totagalpa about eleven o'clock, and 

 stayed there some time engaging labourers. We stayed 

 at the house of a man who made the common palni-leaf 

 hats, worn throughout the central provinces by both men 

 and women. The palm-leaves are first boiled, then 

 bleached in the sun, split into small strips, and platted 

 together like straw. It was Sunday, and most of the 

 people were in town, sitting at the doors of their huts, 

 or under their verandahs. Nearly all the inhabitants of 

 Totagalpa are pure Indians, and are very simple and in- 

 offensive people. They sat listening to three men, one 

 with a whistle, the others with drums, each striving to 

 make as much noise as possible, without any attempt at 

 harmony or tune, whilst an enthusiast in discord kept 

 clanging away at the bells of the church. 



They had no padre of their own, but one occasionally 

 came over from Somoti, four leagues distant, to celebrate 

 services, or visit the sick. The next day was the great 

 feast of Totagalpa, and they were preparing for it. As 

 we sat under a verandah opposite the church, a proces- 

 sion of the town authorities issued from it, bearing a 

 table and all the silver and brass ornaments. The prin- 

 cipal officials each carried his stick of office, but none, 

 excepting the Alcalde, could boast a pair of shoes. Their 

 looks of importance and gravity showed, however, that 

 they considered themselves the chief actors in an im- 

 portant ceremony. The procession slowly traversed half 

 the round of the plaza, whilst the bells clanged, the 

 whistle squeaked, and the drummers thumped their 

 loudest. Stopping at a house at the corner of the plaza, 



