42 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



about twenty acres, but sunk in the ground, 

 and the descent a precipitous sand-bank, ex- 

 cept in one or two places where a horse could 

 walk down. There was no appearance of 

 flame, but a sort of gas or vapour might be 

 plainly seen issuing from an irregular broken 

 piece of ground in the centre, looking like a 

 heap of old ruins, and occupying about an 

 acre. This vapour appeared similar to that 

 which is seen sometimes to rise from a lime- 

 kiln, but there was nothing to indicate any 

 luminous appearance, such as we had seen in 

 the dark : the strong light of the sun had 

 overpowered it. 



After watching it for some time, we de- 

 scended the bank on horseback, and found the 

 bottom to consist of a sandy clay, in which 

 the horses' feet sunk up to the fetlock. As 

 we approached towards the centre, the ground 

 got so much deeper that we were glad to 

 turn back and scramble out again ; so we 

 tied up our horses and attempted it on foot. 

 After walking a short distance towards the 

 crater, the footing became very unsound and 

 the earth very hot, so much so, that it was 

 impossible with any safety to advance, and we 

 were obliged to retrace our steps. We then 

 attempted to walk round the whole of the 



