CHAPTER XXI 
Return to Santo Domingo—The birds of Chontales—The insects of 
Chontales—Mimetic forms—Departure from the mines—Nica- 
ragua as a field for emigration—Journey to Greytown—Return 
to England. 
HAVING finished our business at Masaya, we rode back to 
Granada on the evening of the second day, and the next 
morning took a passage in a fine steamboat that Mr. Hollen- 
beck, of Greytown, had placed on the lake to convey 
passengers and goods between Granada and San Carlos, at 
the head of the river San Juan. We arrived at San Ubaldo 
at two o'clock, and found our mules safe but foot-sore, 
through travelling over the rocky hills from Santo Claro. 
The San José plains were in a dreadfully muddy state, and 
for five miles we went plunging through the swamps. Most 
of the mules fell several times, and we had great difficulty 
in getting them up again. We passed two travellers with 
their mules up to their girths in mud, and incapable of 
extricating themselves, but could not help them, as we dared 
not allow ours to stand, or they would stick fast also. We 
had met, at San Ubaldo, the son of Dr. Seemann, on his way 
home to England. His pack-mule had stuck fast in the 
plains the night before, and he had passed the night sitting 
on his boxes, half sunk in the mud, and attacked by myriads 
of mosquitoes that had covered his hands, face, and neck 
with blisters. 
It was two hours after dark before we got across the weary 
plains. We found shelter for the night at a small hut on 
their border, where, for a consideration, the occupants gave 
up to us their mosquito curtains and stretchers, and sat up 
themselves. I suppose in such situations people get used 
to the mosquitoes, but to us they were intolerable. They 
buzzed around us and settled on our hands and face, if the 
former were not incessantly employed driving them off. 
Those of our party who had no curtains had a lively time of it. 
A gentleman of colour, from Jamaica, who was returning to 
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