LAKE OF NICARAGUA. 89 



It is a ride of about twelve miles. It was the first time that I 

 rode. At first I enjoyed it immensely, but before arriving at 

 la Virgen, I was excessively tired and bruised. The road 

 undulated amongst hills, and was very bad, but quite 

 picturesque all the time and in the midst of primeval forests. If 

 I had been a better rider it would have been a grand treat. 

 We were six hours on the road, from San Juan to la Virgen. 

 This route had a very bad reputation. Robberies and murders 

 were frequent. We saw the blood of a stranger murdered a 

 few days before, and we also met with some bad looking faces 

 on the road, but we reached the station safely at half-past five 

 p.m. We went to the American hotel, a new wood building, 

 where we took our quarters for the night ; but before dinner 

 we went to see the celebrated Lake of Nicaragua. 



Nothing finer can be seen. This magnificent lake, one 

 of the largest in Central America, is 150 miles long and 90 

 miles broad, with many islands, two of them, the largest, 

 Ometepeque, and Madera, stand opposite la Yirgen. On these 

 islands, which have a circumference of about 24 miles, are 

 two high mountains, 5,100 and 4,000 feet in height, which 

 present an imposing aspect. From la Virgen they are 

 distinctly visible, from their base to their summit, and they 

 appear with more effect than many other larger mountains 

 that I have visited. This is due to their position in the 

 middle of the lake. They overlook all the surrounding 

 country. 



The islands of Ometepeque and Madera are inhabited. 

 Several villages of Indians exist there. The inhabitants 

 cultivate large plantations of bananas (plantains), Cacao and 

 Cocoanut trees, vegetables, etc. The fertility of the soil is 

 remarkable in some parts. Three harvests of maize are 

 gathered yearly. 



The population of these islands descends from the 

 Aztecs or Mexicans, and is exclusively Indian. A few white 

 men have inhabited these islands at different times. They 

 were chiefly German. The family of the first was murdered, 

 and his house burned, and shortly after he was also murdered. 

 Another German who had properties on the islands abandoned 

 them, and went to live at Granada. A third one was more 

 successful, and w r as much respected by the Indians. 



Many antiquities exist on these islands, and the Indians 

 still worship their idols. Animal life is plentiful, and fishes 

 are abundant in the lake. 



On the 1 6th of December, I took passage in a small 



