244 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



the party was alarmed by seeing a thick 

 smoke arising from the larger island, and, 

 manning the boat, they soon regained it ; 

 when, on arriving at the hacienda, to the 

 horror of husband and Indians, the house 

 was discovered on fire in several places, and 

 the unfortunate young German lady lying 

 on the floor with her throat cut from ear to 

 ear, and with every evidence that she had 

 been shamefully abused. 



The major-domo, after committing this 

 atrocious violence, had taken his own canoe 

 and escaped to the south side of the lake, 

 where he thought to find refuge in the thick 

 woods ; but he was shot down three days 

 afterwards, but not in consequence of any 

 exertions of the afilicted German. Poor fel- 

 low ! he was perfectly stunned and over- 

 whelmed by the blow. 



" It was a trying moment that which found him 

 Standing alone heside his desolate hearth, 

 Where all his household gods lay shiver'd round 

 him."* 



And so it was a trying one for the German 

 enthusiast ; it was months before he could 

 recover so far as to superintend his affairs. 

 He then went to Germany, and, strangely 



* Byron. 



