288 THE NATUEALIST IN NICARAGUA. [CL. XV. 



foot, who were sweating profusely with running after the 

 cattle. The calves were separated from the cows and 

 fastened up. The cows would keep near the corral until 

 the next morning, when they would he milked, and the 

 calves turned out with them again. 



We continued to ascend for a mile further, and then 

 reached the top of. the range, which was hare of trees 

 and covered with sedgy grass. Heavy rain came on 

 with tremendous gusts of wind, and as the path lay 

 along the very crest of the mountain range, we were 

 exposed to all the fury of the storm. In some places 

 the cargo mule was nearly Mown down the steep slope, 

 and the one I was riding had to stop sometimes to keep 

 its feet. The wind was hleak, and we were drenched 

 with rain, and very cold. Fortunately the storm of rain 

 did not last for more than half an hour, hut the high 

 cold wind continued all the time we were on the ridge, 

 which was several miles long, with steep slopes on either 

 side. We were glad when we got to a more sheltered 

 spot, where some mountain oak trees protected us from 

 the wind ; and, at four o'clock, reaching a small scattered 

 settlement called Sontuli, we determined to stay, early 

 as it was, as it was Rito's birthplace, and his only sister, 

 whom he had not seen for two years, lived there. All 

 the hamlet were Bito's friends, and he had soon a crowd 

 about him talking and laughing. 



None of the lands around were enclosed all seemed 

 to be common property ; and every family had a few 

 cows and two or three brood mares. A little maize was 

 grown, but the climate was rather too bleak and wet for 

 it. We were now close to the boundary of the province 

 of Matagalpa, and began again to hear of the drought 



