2 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. I. 



Juan is a noble river, and even in the dry months, from 

 Marcli to June, there is sufficient water coming down 

 from the lake to keep open a fine harbour, if it were not 

 that ahout twenty miles above its mouth it begins to 



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dissipate its force by sending off a large branch called 

 the Colorado river, and lower down parts with more of 

 its waters by side channels. Twenty years ago the main 

 body of water ran past Greytown ; there was then a 

 magnificant port, and large ships sailed up to the town, 

 but for several years past the Colorado branch has been 

 taking away more and more of the waters, and the port 

 of Greytown has in consequence silted up. All ships 

 now have to lie off outside, and a shallow and, in heavy 

 weather, dangerous bar has to be crossed. 



All we could see from the steamer was the sandy 

 beach on which the white surf was breaking, and be- 

 hind a fringe of bushes with a few coco-nut palms 

 holding up their feathery crowns, and in the distance a 

 low background of dark foliage. Before we anchored 

 a gun was fired, and in quick answer to the signal some 

 canoes, paddled by negroes of the Mosquito coast, here 

 called " Caribs," were seen crossing the bar, and in a few 

 minutes they were alongside. Getting into one of the 



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canoes with my boxes, I was rapidly paddled towards the 

 shore. When we reached the bar we were dexterously 

 taken over it the Caribs waited just outside until a higher 

 wave than usual came rolling in, then paddling with all 

 their might we were carried over on its crest, and found 

 ourselves in the smooth water of the river. 



Many lives have been lost on this bar. In 1872 the 

 commander of the United States surveying expedition 

 and six of his men were drowned in trying to cross it in 



