14 THE NATURALIST IX NICARAGUA. [Ch. II. 



the Colorado is in Costa Rica, the Greytown branch in 

 Nicaragua, and there are constant bickerings between 

 the two states respecting the outlet of this fine river, 

 which makes any well-considered scheme for the im- 

 provement of it impracticable at present. A sensible 

 solution of the difficulty, would be a federation of the 

 two small republics, but the heads of the political 

 parties in the two countries see in this a danger to their 

 petty ambitions, and will not risk the step, and so the 

 boundary question remains an open one, threatening at 

 any moment to plunge the two countries into an 

 impoverishing war. 



If the Colorado were not to be interfered with by 

 man, it would, in the course of ages, carry down great 

 quantities of mud, sand, and trunks of trees, and 

 gradually form sand-banks at its mouth, pushing out the 

 delta further and further at this point, until it was 

 greatly in advance of the rest of the coast ; the river 

 would then break through again by some nearer 

 channel, and the Colorado would be silted up as the 

 Lower San Juan is being at present. The numerous 

 half-filled-up channels and long lagoons throughout the 

 delta show the various courses the river has at different 

 times taken. 



Our boatmen paddled on until nine o'clock, when we 

 anchored in the middle of the stream, which was here 

 about one hundred yards wide. Distant as we were 

 from the shores, we were not too far for the mosquitoes, 

 which came off in myriads to the banquet upon our 

 blood. Sleep for me was impossible, and to add to the 

 discomfort, at midnight the rain commenced to come 

 down in torrents. We had an old tarpaulin with us, 



