676 PAPERS EELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



axes, with which they seemed so much pleased. Tbey agreed to do so, 

 and next day Ave set out in search of their palenques, they serving as 

 guides. 



They trifled with us, intending, once away from the camp, to escape, 

 and made us walk uselessly until 9 o'clock at night without having en- 

 countered a single Indian or seen a palenque. Our return to camp, 

 through the thick forest and the darkness of the night, we owed to the 

 ability of a Tucurrique Indian who accompanied us. 



Convinced that we could do nothing through the two Guatuso In- 

 dians, we resolved to send them overland to San Jose with a part of 

 the expedition, while fourteen of us, taking advantage of the boat of 

 the Jnderos, embarked at the mouth of the Pataste to descend the Eio 

 Frio, then the San Juan, and to ascend the Eio San Carlos. It took us 

 sixteen hours to descend the river to the village of San Carlos, on Lake 

 Nicaragua, It is a splendid river, without a rapid, and the course of 

 the current is barely perceptible, with sufficient depth for navigation 

 by steamers for a long distance above the point of our embarkation. 

 Bordered by level and most fertile lands, as proven by the luxuriant vege- 

 tation, with abundance of fish and game, there truly may be enjoyed 

 those savage tropical scenes which, uu fortunately, are disapi:)earing, and 

 which are so keenly relished by those who, while aj^preciating the ad- 

 vantages of civilization, love nature. 



]^othing of interest was observed in the descent of the San Juan and 

 ascent of the San Carlos. 



The bishop had the two Guatuso Indians in his house for ^me time, 

 with others that we had managed to rescue, found in Nicaragua, that 

 had been seized and sold by the hnleros. In comijany with them he 

 made a second expedition with brillimt results, as, this time, he man- 

 aged to see the greater part of the Indians in their own habitations, to 

 speak with them, and inspire them with confidence. On his return sev- 

 eral of the Indians accompanied him as far as the Eio San Carlos, where 

 has been established for them a depot of clothing and hardware. Par- 

 ties of Indians have continued to come to this post to provide them- 

 selves with hardware principally, and some have ventured as far as San 

 Eamon, but they have not yet had the boldness to come to San Jose, for 

 fear of the cold. 



Some soldiers that were afterwards sent to the territory of the In- 

 dians to protect them against the incursions of the huleros were very 

 well received. 



So it may be said that the conquest is made, and that the Eepublic 

 has taken possession of a large and important tract of territory, which 

 is called to a prosperous and not distant future, especially in view of 

 the probability of the early opening of the Nicaragua canal. 



The lands occupied by the Guatusos are very extensive, level, fertile, 

 and intersected by navigable rivers, with a slight incline from the 

 right bank of the San Juan Eiver to the central Cordillera, which divides 



