60 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Cli. IV. 



clearing and liacienda, belonging to an enterprising 

 German, named Melzer, near a brook called Las Lajas, 

 who was cultivating plantains and vegetables, and had 

 also commenced brick and tile making, besides planting- 

 some thousands of coffee trees. His large clearings 

 were a pleasant change from the forest through which 

 we had been toiling, and we stayed a few minutes at his 

 house. After passing over another league of forest- 

 covered ranges, we reached Pavon, one of the mines 

 of the Chontales Company, and passing the Javali mine 

 soon arrived at Santo Domingo, the head- quarters of the 

 gold-mining company whose operations I had come out 

 to superintend. 



