20 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL 



disappeared Avith the exception of a few spots ; the whole having a pinkish color 

 similar to that in a congestive state of a Caucasian. 



The greater part of my vocabulary of the Peschka language I collected in 

 Dulce Nombre. 



In Olancho, the eastern section of Honduras, I proceeded as far as Colonia, the 

 last inhabited hacienda in that region. It being impossible to get beasts of burden 

 or a guide, 1 had to return. Colonia received its name on accovmt of the attempt 

 of some North Americans to establish there a settlement ; which failed on account 

 of disease and death amongst the colonists. Besides this, some other attempts 

 have been made by Americans to settle in Honduras. One of these was with the 

 intent of gold-washing in tlie river Guayape, Avhich failed in consequence of dis- 

 cord amongst the members. I met with the remnants of another colony, which 

 attempted to settle in Nacaomc, near the bay of Fonseca. The members of this 

 colony were advocates of radical principles, who emigrated from the United States 

 to practise them in a more congenial country. It failed likewise, Nacaome being 

 one of the least suitable places for colonists from northern latitudes. 



In Juticalpa, the capital of Olancho, I met with a man who gave me some 

 words and sentences of the Moskito language. 



It miglit not be out of place to mention some of the many difficulties which a 

 person has to overcome in his linguistic researches in those countries. Supposing 

 lie is fully versed in the Spanish language, the first difficulty he encounters is the 

 finding of a native who is expert in his own tongue and also in the Spanish. After 

 securing a faithful interpreter another difficulty arises. Persons of the same tribe, 

 from diff'erent localities, often give diff'erent terms for the same thing. I experienced 

 this on all occasions, but most strikingly in my researches in the Nawhuata lan- 

 guage. In such case it is often possible to discover a similarity in the expressions, 

 the diversity of which can be attributed to local influences ; but sometimes the 

 discrepancy is so great as to indicate that the terms belong to various idioms, and 

 the question arises which of these terms belongs to the idiom in question. 



The investigator has to encounter another difficulty in the mistrust and hatred 

 which the aborigines bear, though sometimes concealed, towards all foreigners. 

 They are incapable of comprehending that a man can come from a great distance, 

 and suffer all kinds of privation and exposure, besides the expenses of travel, solely 

 for the purpose of studying their country and to get acquainted with their language 

 and mode of living. They are convinced that he submits to all this for the sake 

 of gain. Envy and hatred prevent them from assisting in his labors ; for, why 

 should they do that which brings them no profit? They are also apprehensive that 

 they may suffer some injury from such investigations. To this kind of feeling I 

 must ascribe the instances in which I have experienced opposition or refusal of 

 aid in my researches ; as for instance the refusal of the woman in Rio Tinto to 

 give me words of the Moskito language. A similar refusal I experienced in the 

 hamlet of Posolteguia, in Nicaragua, from two women, who, as I was told, were 

 still able to speak the language of their forefathers. Another phase of this feeling 

 I met in the village of Panchimalco, in the republic of San Salvador, where the in- 

 terpreter sought to deceive me by giving wrong terms. I may mention here also 



