CHAPTER IX 
Journey to Juigalpa—Description of Libertad—The priest and the 
bell—Migratory butterflies and moths—Indian graves—Ancient 
names—Dry river-beds—Monkeys and wasps—Reach Juigalpa— 
Ride in neighbourhood—Abundance of small birds—A poor cripple 
—The ‘“ Toledo ’’—Trogons —Waterfall — Sepulchral mounds — 
Broken statues—The sign of the cross—Contrast between the 
ancient and the present inhabitants—Night life. 
Towarps the end of June, in 1872, I had to go to Juigalpa, 
one of the principal towns of the province of Chontales, 
on business connected with a lawsuit brought against the 
mining company by a litigious native. I started early in 
the morning, taking with me my native boy, Rito, who 
carried on his mule behind him my blankets and a change 
of clothes. I carried in my hand a light fowling-piece. The 
roads through the forest were excessively muddy, and it 
took us four hours to get over the seven miles to Pital; the 
poor mules struggling all the way through mud nearly three 
feet deep. Shortly after leaving Pital, we passed the river 
Mico; and two miles further on, across some grassy hills, 
reached the small town of Libertad. It is the principal 
mining centre of Chontales. There are a great number of 
gold mines in its vicinity, several of which are worked by 
intelligent Frenchmen. The gold and silver mines of 
Libertad are richer than those of Santo Domingo, and many 
of the owners of them have extracted great quantities of the 
precious metals. 
The town is situated near to the edge of the forest, being 
separated by the Rio Mico, across which it is proposed to 
build a wooden bridge, as during floods the river is impassable. 
Whether the bridge will ever be built or not I cannot tell. 
Several times rates have been levied, and money collected 
to build it, but the funds have always melted away in the 
hands of the officials. There is an alcalde and a judge at 
Libertad. Every one worth two hundred dollars is liable 
to be elected to the latter office. Only unimportant cases 
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