CHAPTER XV 
A Nicaraguan criminal—Geology between Ocotal and Totagalpa— 
Preparations at Totagalpa for their annual festival—Chicha- 
drinking—Piety of the Indians—Ancient civilisation of tropical 
America—Palacaguina—Hospitality of the Mestizos—Curious 
custom at the festival at Condego—Cross range between Segovia 
and Matagalpa—Sontuli—Birds’ nests. 
WE got back to Ocotal, from Depilto, before dark, and made 
arrangements for setting out on our return to the mines the 
next morning. Whilst sitting under the corridor, looking 
across the pretty flower-garden at the glowing western sky, 
illumined by the last rays of the setting sun, a poor fettered 
criminal, holding up by means of a string the thick chain 
that bound together his ankles, came limping along, with 
a soldier behind him armed with gun and bayonet. He had 
been brought out of prison to beg. In most of the towns of 
Nicaragua no food is given to the prisoners, whether con- 
victed or merely charged with crime. Those that have no 
money to buy food are sent out every day with an armed 
escort to beg. The prisoner that hobbled up to me was 
under twenty years of age, and had been convicted of murder 
and condemned to death. He had appealed against the 
sentence to a higher court, but I was told that there was 
scarcely any chance of a decision in his favour, and that he 
would probably be shot in a day or two. Notwithstanding 
his critical position, he was lively and cheerful, and when 
I gave him a small piece of silver was as overjoyed as if he 
had got news of his reprieve. Jumping away, his clanking 
fetters making ghastly music, he gleefully showed to his 
guard the coin that would probably procure him food the 
few days he had to live. His wretched appearance, impend- 
ing fate, and shocking levity had chased away the peaceful 
feelings with which I had watched the quiet sunset; but 
as he hobbled off, night, like a pall, fell over the scene; the 
trembling stars peeped out from the vault of heaven, and 
soon a million distant orbs proclaimed that the world was 
2uI fo) 
