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CENTRAL AMERICA 



CENTRAL AMERICA. The republic of Cen- 

 tral America comprises the old kingdom ofGuati- 

 n i. -i la. It is bounded north by Mexico and t lie bay 

 of Honduras, east by the Caribbean sea and the pro- 

 vince of Veragua (belonging to Colombia), and south- 

 west by the Pacific ocean. It extends from 8 46* to 

 17 51' north latitude. The |>opulation of Guatimala 

 was stated by H umboldt, in 1 808 , at about 1 ,300,000 ; 

 by Malte-Brun, in 1820, at 1,200,000; by the pa- 

 triots, at 1,800,000. The rivers are numerous, but 

 small. The largest are the Chiapa and St Juan. 

 The principal lakes are those of Nicaragua and Leon. 

 The whole country is mountainous, but the particular 

 ridges are but little known. On the western shore, 

 the country is subject to the most tremendous con- 

 vulsions of nature, which have involved, at times. 

 whole cities in ruins, and exterminated complete 

 tribes of people. No less than twenty volcanoes are 

 known to exist, which are in constant activity ; some 

 of them terrific. The soil is described as exceedingly 

 fertile, and better cultivated than most parts of Span- 

 ish America ; and, according to Humboldt, this coun- 

 try, when lie saw it, was the most populous of the 

 Spanish provinces. It produces, abundantly, grain, 

 cochineal, honey, wax, cotton, sugar-cane, indigo, 

 pimento, and chocolate. Cattle ana sheep are abun- 

 dant. The bay of Honduras is celebrated for its 

 trade in logwood. The temperature in some parts 

 is exceedingly hot and moist. The rains last from 

 April to September, and violent storms are frequent. 

 The climate is more healthy on the western coast 

 than on the eastern. It is now divided into the 

 states of Guatimala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, 

 and Costa Rica, corresponding to the provinces of 

 which it- consisted before the revolution, in which it 

 declared itself independent of Spain, in September, 

 1821. 



This region was peopled originally by a party of 

 the Toltecas .Indians, from Mexico, as sufficiently 

 appears from their language, and other indications 

 of their origin ; and tradition preserves the name of 

 Nimaquiche, who led the colony from Tula to their 

 new abode. At the time of the conquest of Mexico 

 by Cortez, a descendant of Nimaquiche, called Tecum 

 Umam, reigned in Utatlan, the principal seat of the 

 Quiches, or primitive inhabitants of the country. 

 They were subdued by Pedro de Alvarado, acting 

 under a commission from Cortez. He set out from 

 Mexico on this expedition in 1523, with an army of 

 300 Spaniards, commanded by Pedro de Portocarrero 

 and Hernando de Chaves, with a large body of auxil- 

 iary Indians from Mexico, Cholula, and Tlascala. 

 Many desperate and sanguinary battles were fought 

 before the invaders could effect the subjugation of 

 the country. Most of these conflicts occurred in the 

 districts of Suchiltepeque and Quezaltenango, where 

 numerous traditions and local memorials of these 

 events still remain among the aborigines. Six des- 

 perate battles took place near the river Zamala, 

 which thus acquired, in the vicinity of the fields of 

 carnage, the name of Xiguigel, or River of Blood. A 

 long course of warfare ensued before Alvarado could 

 break the spirit of the Quiches. After the death of 

 their king, Tecum Umam, who fell in battle at the 

 head of his subjects, they had recourse to a stratagem 

 as bold as it was grand in conception. Their chief 

 city, Utatlan, abounded in palaces and other sump- 

 tuous edifices, being hardly surpassed in splendour 

 by Mexico and Cusco. It was encompassed by a 

 lofty wall, and was capable of being entered only at 

 two points ; on one side by a causeway, and on the 

 other by a flight of steps. Within, the buildings 

 stood high and compact. In the hope of extermi- 

 nating their enemies, the Quiches invited the Span- 

 iards into their capital, pretending a willingness to 



submit. After their entrance, the Quiches set fire to 

 the city, and, if the Indians of another trilie had not 

 Ix-en false to their countrymen, and betrayed the 

 secret, Alvarado and his followers would have 

 perished. Having escaped this daner, the Spaniards 

 pursued their victorious course until all opposition 

 was crushed, and, in 1524, laid the foundations ,,| 

 the city of Guatimala. After the siil>jiipition of the 

 Quiches, the remaining tribes were subdued with 

 comparative facility, and the dominion of the con- 

 querors was permanently established. 



The government of this country, as constituted by 

 Spain, was subject to the Mexican ; but the depend- 

 ence was far from being close. It was denomi- 

 nated the kingdom of Guatimala, and governed by a 

 captain-general. Owing to the secluded portion of 

 the people, and their peculiar occupations and spirit, 

 they were almost- the last among the Spanish colo- 

 nies on the continent to embrace the cause of inde- 

 pendence. While an obstinate struggle was going 

 on around, them, they remained for "& long time n 

 perfect tranquillity. At length, in September, 1821, 

 they declared their independence of Spain; and 

 although, for a time, Iturbide obtained the control 

 of a large part of the country, yet, on his downfall, 

 they recurred to their original purpose of forming a 

 separate republic. A constituent congress was con- 

 voked, which completed the organization of the 

 general government, Nov. 22, 1824, by the adoption 

 of a federal constitution analogous to that of the 

 United States. Under the constitution, Manuel Jose 

 Arce was elected first president of the republic. 

 Various differences, however, of a political nature, 

 prevented his administration from being a tranquil 

 or happy one. Violent factions plunged the country 

 into a civil war, which continued from the beginning 

 of 1827 till 1829. It was commenced by the inha- 

 bitants of the state of Salvador, who, on account of 

 some jealousy of the people of Guatimala, proceeded 

 from one degree of opposition to another, until they 

 actually levied troops, and marched into the territory 

 of the Guatimaltecans. They were beaten by the 

 troops of the general government under the com- 

 mand of Arce, and driven back into Salvador ; but 

 still the war was protracted with various success. 

 Besides this, disturbances of a serious character 

 existed in others of the states ; all tending to show 

 that the people are far from being well fitted for the 

 delicate task of self-government. The government 

 consists of a president, a senate, and a chamber of 

 representatives. The Catholic is the established re- 

 ligion. No other is tolerated. Slavery is abolished. 

 The commercial regulations are on a much more 

 liberal footing than in the other new republics. 

 Foreigners have the same rights with the natives. 

 Englishmen and adventurers from the United States 

 wander over this rich republic, and carry on a lucra- 

 tive commerce with the natives, die treasures which 

 the country offers in gold and silver being in the 

 hands of the labouring class. 



The flag of the United Provinces of Central Ame- 

 rica consists of three stripes of different colours, with 

 three volcanoes (signifying the three principal pro- 

 vinces Guatimala, Nicaragua, and Comayagua), un- 

 der a rainbow, with the inscription, " God, concord, 

 liberty." The principal town, Guatimala, and the 

 province of the same name, are so called from the 

 Indian word guanhtemali (rotten wood), the Indian 

 term for Campeachy wood. Cortez founded the 

 towns of Guatimala and San Salvador. No colony 

 cost Spain less blood than the vice-kingdom of Gua- 

 timala. The soil is volcanic, and luxuriantly fertile 

 A large quantity of indigo is annually exported. 

 The lake of Nicaragua, 121 miles in length and 41 

 in breadth, may become highly important in a com- 



