280 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. XV. 



shapes, and their fragrance filled the church. The love 

 of flowers is another beautiful trait of the old Indians 

 that their descendants have not lost. The ancient 

 Mexicans decorated their altars and temples with 

 flowers, and in their festivals crowned themselves with 

 garlands. 



I mentioned the glistening white tower of the church 

 in the account of our journey out. I now learnt that it 

 was only finished the year before our visit, and had cost 

 these poor people over 700 dollars in money, besides 

 gifts of stone, wood, and labour amounting to more than 

 as much again. At other Mestizo towns, where the 

 churches were like dilapidated barns, we heard much of 

 the religious fervour of the Indians of Totagalpa. At 

 one time, when building the tower, both their funds and 

 the lime were exhausted. In this strait the Alcalde 

 called the people of the town together, and told them 

 that the tower, on the building of which they had 

 already spent so much, could not be finished without it. 

 Then and there they determined themselves to carry the 

 limestone from the quarries, near Ocotal, ten miles 

 distant. Next morning, before daylight, the whole 

 village set out, and at night a long line of men, women, 

 and children came staggering back into Totagalpa, 

 every one with a block of limestone ; and so zealous 

 were they to bring as large stones as they could carry, 

 that some of them had great sores worn between their 

 shoulders where they carried their loads, slung, 

 Indian fashion, from their foreheads. Here survives 

 the same old Indian spirit, only turned in another 

 direction, that impelled their forefathers, with great 

 labour and patience, to bring from a distance and 



