220 The Naturalist in Nicaragua 
from the province of Matagalpa, and soon entered a moun- 
tainous country. Our course at first lay up the banks of a 
torrent that had cut deeply into beds of boulder clay filled 
with great stones. The lower part of the range was covered 
with trees of various kinds, but none of them growing to a 
great height; higher up we reached the sighing pine trees, 
and higher still, the hills were covered with grass, and sup- 
ported herds of cattle. About noon, we arrived at a poor- 
looking hacienda near the top of the range. The proprietor 
owned about two hundred cattle, and lived in a house, mud- 
walled and grass-thatched, consisting of one room and a 
kitchen. Round the sides of the room were crowded eight 
rude bedsteads, and hammocks were slung across the centre. 
A mob of twenty-one men, women, and children lived at the 
house, and must have herded together like cattle at night. 
There were a great number of half-clothed and naked children 
running about. The women, of whom there were six, made 
us some chocolate and tortillas ready, and we rested awhile. 
Before we left, the men came in with the milking cows and 
calves. There were two men on horseback, but as the 
country was too rough for riding fast, they were accompanied 
by three boys on foot, who were sweating profusely with 
running after the cattle. The calves were separated from 
the cows and fastened up. The cows would keep near the 
corral until the next morning, when they would be milked, 
and the calves turned out with them again. 
We continued to ascend for a mile further, and then 
reached the top of the range, which was bare of trees and 
covered with sedgy grass. Heavy rain came on, with 
tremendous gusts of wind, and as the path lay along the 
very crest of the mountain range, we were exposed to all the 
fury of the storm. In some places the cargo mule was 
nearly blown down the steep slope, and the one I was riding 
had to stop sometimes to keep its feet. The wind was bleak, 
and we were drenched with rain, and very cold. Fortunately 
the storm of rain did not last for more than half-an-hour, but 
the high cold wind continued all the time we were on the 
ridge, which was several miles long, with steep slopes on 
either side. We were glad when we got to a more sheltered 
spot, where some mountain oak trees protected us from the 
wind, and at four o’clock, reaching a small scattered settle- 
