204 THE NATURALIST IX NICARAGUA. [Ch. XI. 



however, who live on the rivers, and use them as high- 

 ways, have names for them all ; but to the agricultural 

 Indians and Mestizos of the interior, they are but reser- 

 voirs of water, crossed at distant points by their roads, 

 and everywhere amongst them I found the greatest 

 ignorance to prevail as to the connection of the different 

 streams, and of their outflow to the ocean. All the 

 streams about Olama flow eastward, and join together to 

 form the Rio Grande, that reaches the Atlantic about 

 midway betwen Blewfields and the river Wanks ; it is 

 very incorrectly marked on all the maps of Nicaragua 

 that I have seen. 



The Caribs from the lower parts of the river occa- 

 sionally come up in their canoes to Olama, and bring 

 with them common guns and iron pots that they have 

 obtained from the mahogany cutters at the mouth of the 

 river. These they barter for dogs. I could not ascertain 

 what they wanted with the dogs, but both at this place 

 and at Matagalpa I was told of the great value the 

 Caribs put on them. Although the people of Olama 

 expressed great surprise that the " Caritos/' as they call 

 the river Indians, should take so much trouble to obtain 

 dogs, they had not had the curiosity to ask them what 

 they wanted them for. Some people near the river have 

 even commenced to rear dogs, to supply the demand. 

 The Caribs had a special liking for black ones, and 

 did not value those of any other colour so much. They 

 would barter a gun or a large iron pot for a single dog, if 

 it was of the right colour. 



The common dogs of Central America are a mongrel 

 breed not differing, I believe, from those of Europe. 

 There are usually a number of curs about the Indian 



