CHAPTER XX. 



Indian Population of the country lying between the Great Lakes of 

 Nicaragua and the Pacific Discovery and Conquest of Nica- 

 ragua by the Spaniards Cruelties of the Spaniards The Indians 

 of Western Central America all belonged to one Stock Decadence 

 of Mexican Civilisation before the arrival of the Spaniards The 

 Designation " Nahuatls " proposed to include all the Mexican, 

 Western Central American, and Peruvian Races that had de- 

 scended from the same Ancient Stock The Nahuatls distinct 

 from the Caribs on one side, and the Red Indians on the other 

 Discussion of the Question of the Peopling of America. 



I RODE for some distance around the Lake of Masaya, 

 and readied an Indian village named Nandasme, about 

 two leagues from the city. As usual the streets were 

 laid out at right angles, and the houses of the Indians 

 embowered in trees, many of which are grown entirely for 

 the beautiful odoriferous flowers they produce. There 

 are several other Indian villages around the lake, from 

 each of which paths have been cut through the forest 

 down to the water, along which the women are constantly 

 ascending and descending to fill their vessels for the supply 

 of their houses. 



All the fertile country lying between the great lakes 

 and the Pacific was densely populated at the time of the 

 conquest, and it was not far from Masaya where the great 

 chief Diriangan lived, who tried, but tried in vain, to 

 stem the onward course of the Spaniards. Gil Gonzales 

 de Avila was in command of the first expedition sent to 

 explore the country of Nicaragua. He sailed from 

 Panama with one hundred followers and four horses, 



