Ch. XVI.] DAR1XG EOBBERIES UXXXOWX. 29-3 



small island he admitted was new to him, as he thought 

 it was part of the United States or at least joined to 

 them. He asked if it was true that Rome was one of 

 the four quarters of the globe. We explained that it 

 was only a large city, to which he replied gravely, that 

 he knew it was. so, hut wished to have our opinion to 

 confirm his own. 



No newspapers came to Jinotega, excepting occasion- 

 ally a Government gazette, and only a few of the grown- 

 up people are ahle to read. News travels quickly from 

 one to another bat every incident is greatly exaggerated, 

 and many extravagant stories are set afloat with no other 

 foundation than the inventive faculties of some idle brain. 

 To appreciate what an immense aid a newspaper press is 

 to the dissemination of truth one must travel in some such 

 country as Nicaragua where newspapers do not circulate. 

 It is impossible to get trustworthy intelligence about any 

 event that has happened a hundred miles away, and 

 stories of murders and robberies that were never com- 

 mitted are widely circulated amongst the credulous 

 people. As far as my experience goes highway robbery 

 is unknown in Nicaragua. Foreigners entrusted with 

 money have stated they have been robbed, but there has 

 always been suspicions that they have themselves em- 

 bezzled the money that they say they have lost. I 

 myself never carried arms for defence in the country, and 

 was never molested nor even insulted, though I often 

 travelled alone. The only dangerous characters in the 

 country are the lower class of foreigners, and these are 



not numerous. Petty thefts are common enough, and at 



/ 



the mines we found that none of the labouring class were 

 to be trusted ; but robberies of a daring character or 



