112 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



anchorage is then very insecure : all ships leave 

 the coast at this time, and the small schooners, 

 which carry on a brisk trade during the fine 

 season, are dismantled and laid up. 



Hurricanes, known by the local name of 

 cordonazo, literally the lash of a whip, may be 

 expected any time after the middle of June, 

 and ships must put to sea at the first warning, 

 to avoid being driven on shore. These gales 

 commence from the south-east, which is a fair 

 wind for leaving the port, they then suddenly 

 shift to the south-west and blow dead on shore, 

 causing a very heavy sea. 



The appearance of the town is decidedly 

 pleasing; the white houses interspersed with 

 cocoa-nut trees give it a bright, refreshing 

 look, especially in the rainy season, when the 

 densely-wooded mountains are covered with the 

 brightest emerald hues. 



The principal streets are well laid out and 

 contain some very fine houses, and there is a 

 plaza where all the beauty and fashion assemble 

 to hear a military band, which plays there 



