804 PAPERS EELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



de Agua is apparently wooded to the summit. The latter is easy of as- 

 cent } the former very difficult ; but while I was in the country it was 

 ascended by an English gentleman, Mr. Alfred P. Maudsley. 



The valley of Amatitlan, between Palen and Guatemala City, is a 

 garden spot of exquisite beauty. Beyond that another long hill took us 

 up to the table-land of Guatemala, a parched and windy plateau, unin- 

 teresting, at least during the dry season, except for the mountains in 

 the distance. One day had changed the climate from tropical to tem- 

 perate. The direct rays of the sun were hot, but at night, or in the 

 shade during the day, the temperature was cool and bracing. 



The old village of Mixco was in sight before we reached the city; and 

 on the left of the road, just before entering the gate, we found the plain 

 covered with mounds for a square mile or more. One learned writer on 

 Guatemala has described these as ant-hills. 



On my presentation by the American minister to President Barrios, 

 1 was kindly received and promptly furnished with letters to the offi- 

 cials along the route of travel to Copan. These letters were signed by 

 the President, and secured me every assistance possible on the trip. 

 Under the strong administration of Barrios I journeyed in perfect se- 

 curity along the road where annoyance and danger so beset Mr. Stephens 

 in the olden time. 



On the 18th of January I left Guatemala for Copan at midday with 

 an arriero, and rode as far as San Jos6, on the Zacapa road. The way 

 was through a barren hill country, some 5,000 feet above the sea. Ever- 

 green scrub-oaks and pines were the predominating trees. The geologi- 

 cal formation was volcanic, with tufa and lava showing in the cuts. Just 

 before reaching the stream at Navajo, 3 miles short of San Jos6, a vein 

 of obsidian was seen crossing the road-bed, and the sharp-edged frag- 

 ments of the bright and cutting iztU scattered around doubtless gave 

 its name to the neighboring village. The road uj) the steep hill beyond 

 was paved with blocks of stone, probably the work of colonial times. 

 At several points along the road are standing in good preservation 

 staunch monuments of Spanish work in the shape of stone bridges, high 

 over ravines whose insignificant streams suggest no idea of the furious 

 torrents of the wet season. 



Mr. Stephens* gives a beautiful description of the park-like appear- 

 ance of the environs of San Jos6. Alas, the glory has departed, and 

 left rather barren -looking hills surrounding a wretched hamlet, whose 

 inhabitants live on the travelling public and the trains of mules and 

 muleteers. I dismounted at the door of mine inn, every bone racking 

 with fever, tumbled into a hammock, and took a drink of brandy and 

 twenty grains of quinine. Two stalwart and rather fine-looking young 

 ladies kept the establishment, but one was married and the other was 

 pock-marked. Later a young bride and groom stretched their bed, 

 consisting of a raw-hide, on the ground. The dogs and hogs shoved 



* I. L, Stephens : Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yncatan. 



