24 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL 



From Acoyapa I went first to San Ubaldo, a port on the eastern shore of hike 

 Nicaragua ; then returning I proceeded across the isthmus of Tipitapa, between 

 tlie hikes of Managua and Nicaragua, to the city of Granada, on the western shore 

 of the last-named hike. 



A very interesting spot in Nicaragua, in every respect, and especially in that of 

 archaeology, is the island Umetepet, in lake Nicaragua. 



In the fields near the principal village of the island Jaguisapa, also called Pueblo 

 Grande, are four sculptured monoliths ; none of them being a complete sculpture, 

 but only a large fragment. Two of these represent the trunks of human bodies, 

 of wliich the heads are wanting ; the third is the head and bust of a human figure, 

 the extremities and body of which are also wanting ; and the fourth monolith is a 

 woman on her knees, sitting on her heels, in the act of being delivered of a child, 

 whose head had just appeared ; the woman's head is missing. I was told that in 

 other parts of the island sculptures are likewise to be found. Many small objects, 

 of burnt clay and other materials, occur on the island, especially on the shore of 

 the lake; being washed out from the steep bank by the action of the water. I 

 have seen a kind of casserole of burnt clay, nicely painted red and black, with three 

 hollow legs, with a rattle in each. In shape and decoration it very much resem- 

 bled the one found in Santa Lucia Cosumalwhuapa, but it was smaller. There were 

 also small figures, about two inches long, of burnt clay; these were likewise hollow, 

 Avith rattles; besides other pottery curiously shaped, and stones for crushing the 

 boiled maize. On the hacienda San Rogue are found beads of black and blue- 

 colored stone, of various sizes, which had been used as ornaments. 



Notwithstanding the greatest efforts, I could not get any information in regard 

 to the language of the natives ; they told me it was all forgotten. 



The greater number of the male population of this village were boatmen, and 

 practise the habits and vices of that class of men ; others manufactured ropes, 

 hammocks, and foot-mats ; and the rest of the men were occupied in agriculture. 

 The women carved and painted the small fruits of a kind of calabash tree, making 

 therefrom jicavos and ivhuacals (Germ, spell.), to be used for chocolate and other 

 liquids. 



Travelling from Granada to the port San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific, I found 

 in the woods, on the junction of the road to Nandaime with another path, a much 

 mutilated and moss-covered monolith, representing a human figure. This was un- 

 doubtedly found in the vicinity, which might indicate the presence of others. 

 From San Juan del Sur I returned by the road to Virgen, the port of the Transit 

 Company on lake Nicaragua, to Granada ; and thence, passing the cities Massaya 

 and Managua, I proceeded to Leon. Here I collected as many words and sentences 

 as I could of the RahnrocM language, spoken in the neighboring village of Sutiaba; 

 this idiom has the Spanish n, and the accumulation of consonants without interme- 

 diate vowels of the Slavonic languages. 



After returning from an excursion to the volcano Momotombo, I started by the 

 road of Cliinandega to Corinto, to embark for San Salvador. In passing the 

 hamlet Posolteguia two women, who were pointed out to me as understanding the 

 language of the ancient inhabitants, refused to give me any information concern- 



ing It. 



