The Capital of Segovia 197 
plain. A heavy thunderstorm broke over us as we entered 
the town, and the rain came down in torrents whilst we were 
searching for a house to put upat. In answer to our inquiries 
we were directed to the best house in the town. It was 
situated at the corner of the plaza, had lofty well-built walls, 
large doors and gateway, clean tiled floors, and in the court- 
yard behind a pretty flower garden, with a tank to hold rain 
water. We were received by two elderly ladies, the sisters 
of the owner Don Pedro, who made us welcome in a stately 
sort of way, and got some dinner prepared, consisting of 
beans, tortillas, avocados, and coffee. 
We learnt that the present town was about seventy years 
old and not very flourishing, as the land around was dry and 
sterile. The old capital of Segovia was situated five leagues 
further down the river, where the land around was fertile. 
But the buccaneers came up the river in their boats and 
sacked the town, and the site was deserted for one more 
difficult of access, the river being much shallower and 
obstructed by rapids higher up. At the site of the old town 
the church still stands, but only a few poor negroes live there 
now. Two branches of the river unite a little below the 
present town, and following it down for about four days’ 
journey a place named Cocos is reached, which is the furthest 
settlement of the Spaniards towards the Atlantic. To this 
point large bungoes come up the river, and Don Pedro had 
been very wishful to get it opened out. above for navigation, 
but had not succeeded. 
There were very few men to be hired at Ocotal, and we 
determined to go on to Depilto, a small mining town near 
the Honduras boundary, where we were assured there were 
plenty to be obtained. We had only engaged the mules to 
come as far as Ocotal, and had great difficulty in getting others 
to go on with. I think the people at first were afraid that 
we might cross the boundary and never return. We after- 
wards learnt that robberies of mules often took place; some 
rogues making a business of stealing mules out of Honduras,. 
bringing them into Nicaragua, selling them, and stealing 
others to return with. There were, however, some people in 
Ocotal who had worked at the mines and knew us, and when 
this information spread we had the offer of several animals. 
If we had known the cause of the reluctance of the people to: 
