326 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. XVII. 



pain in niy back, brought on either by the fatigue of the 

 day before, or by having been tempted to eat some half- 

 ripe guayavas when coming across the plains tired and 

 hungry. I lay in the hammock until ten o'clock, and 

 then feeling a little better, got on my mule and started. 

 I was so ill as to be obliged to hold on to the pommel of 

 my saddle, and several times to get off and lie down. 

 We had brought some "tiste" with us made from choco- 

 late and maize, and drinks of this relieved me. I at last 



reached Libertad at four o'clock, and went to bed imme- 



. * 



diately. Having fasted all day in place of taking medi- 

 cine, I rose pretty well next morning, and we rode 

 through the forest to the mines, reaching them at noon 

 on the 29th July, after an absence of nineteen days. 



