Pefia Blanca Re es a 
top, but the view was very fine and varied. To the south- 
east and east the eye roams over range beyond range all 
covered with dark forest, that partly hides the inequalities 
of the ground, the trees in the hollows growing higher than 
those on the hills. On this side the rock is a sheer precipice, 
going down perpendicularly for more than three hundred 
feet; the face of the cliff all weathered white. The tops 
of the trees are far below, and as one looking down upon 
them hears the various cries and whistles of the birds come 
up, and marks the vultures wheeling round in aérial circles 
over the trees far below one’s feet, then it is that you realise 
that at last the forest, with its world of foliage, has been 
surmounted. Looking down on the trees, every shade of 
green meets the eye, here light as grass, there dark as holly, 
whilst the fleecy clouds above cast lines of dark shadows 
over hill and dale. 
Directly south-east is a high rock, about three miles dis- 
tant, and beyond it the Carca and the Artigua rivers must 
meet, judging from the fall of the country. The course 
of the Carca is marked by some patches of light green, that 
look like grass, and are probably clearings made by the 
Indians. 
To the south the eye first passes over about six miles of 
forest, then savannahs and grassy ranges stretching to the 
lake, which is only dimly seen, with the peaks of Madera 
and Ometépec more distinct, the latter bearing south-west 
by west. Alone on the summit of a high peak, with surging 
green billows of foliage all around, dim misty mountains in 
the distance, and above the blue heavens, checkered with 
fleecy clouds, that have travelled up hundreds of miles from 
the north-east, thoughts arise that can be only felt in their 
full intensity amid solitude and nature’s grandest phases. 
Then man’s intellect strives to grapple with the great mys- 
teries of his existence, and like a fluttering bird that beats 
itself against the bars of its cage, falls back baffled and 
bruised. 
Another shower of rain came on, quickly followed by 
sunshine again. Great banks of vapour began to rise from 
the forest, and fill the valleys, and now looking down over 
the precipice, instead of foliage there was a glistening white 
cloud spread out below, up through which came the cries of 
H 
