﻿GUATEMALA. 



UUELDERLAND. 



108 



church, and six of smaller size, a large towu-ball, a plaza, or great 

 square, with a fountain in the centre, has a daily market, and ia a place 

 of considerable trade. In its vicinity is a hot spring which ejects the 

 water to a height of above 20 feet. The other towns are San Marcos, 

 Tapachula, and Tejutla. 



8. Totouicapan, is an inland department, lying north-east of Que- 

 ealtenango ; it contains 5600 square miles, but is very thinly peopled ; 

 the larger part of the inhabitants are Indians. The surface is much 

 broken ; the climate is tempei-ate but considerably varied; the soil in 

 the valleys, which are well watered, is fertile. Maize and wheat, 

 sugar, fruit and vegetables are the chief products of the soil. Sheep 

 and cattle are largely bred. Lead-mines are wrought by the Indians 

 in the neighbourhood of Chiantla, Salt ia made from springs near 

 Yxtatan. The only town of any importance is Totonicapan, which is 

 said to contain 12,000 inhabitants, nearly all Indians, who make con- 

 siderable quantities of woollen cloth, earthenware, and wooden 

 utensils. The other towns are Momostenango, Queguetenango, and 

 Jacaltenango. 



6. Cbiquimula, occupies the north-eastern extremiity of the state, 

 bordering on the republic of Honduras : its area is nearly 5000 square 

 miles ; its population about 80,000. The surface ia considerably 

 diversified, and in parts very fertile ; the valleys and low tracts by 

 the Qolfo Dolce and the Bay of Honduras are hot, moist, and unhealthy. 

 Tobacco, cotton, rice, and sugar are raised largely, with maize, frixoles, 

 &C. The sugar is grown chiefly for distillation or for making chicha, 

 a favourite intoxicating drink of the Indians. Horses, mules, and 

 cattle are reared in large numbers. The chief towns are Cbiquimula, 

 population 4500; Acasaguaatlan, 3600; Jalapa, 3500; Jilokepeque, 

 3200; Mita, 3300; Quesaltepeque, 4000; Zacapa, 3000; and the 

 little port town of Yzabol on the (jolfo Dolce. Near this last place 

 are the remarkable ancient remains of Quirigua, consisting of seven 

 lofty columns, and various sculptured slabs. 



7. Vera Paz, the largest of the seven corregimientos, comprehends 

 the projecting tract of country which forms the most northern part of 

 the republic ; the area is about 11,000 square miles : the population is 

 estimated at 65,000, of whom nine-tenths are Indians. The country 

 ia very varied in surface and character of soil ; but comparatively very 

 little of it is cultivated. Mahogany, rosewood, and other valuable 

 timber-trees abound ; the coffee, cacao, indigo, and nopal plants are 

 said to be indigenous in the forests. In the northern part of Vera 

 Paz is the Uke of Peten. The moat populous town is Coban, situated 

 in a remai^ubly fertile valley of the same name, with a population of 

 above 10,000, nearly all Indians, who are industrious and wealthy, 

 poaaeanng fine plantations of sugar-cane, bananas, pimentos and 

 various kinds of fruits ; the other towns are Salamd, population 4500, 

 Cajabon, 4000; and Rabinal, 6000; but none of them call for specific 

 notice. 



OmemmaU, ic — According to the constitution of the 19ih of 

 October 1851 the executive is confided to a president elected by a 

 general aaaembly, composed of the legislative chamber, the archbishop 

 of Oustcmala, the members of the supreme court of justice, and the 

 members of the council of state having a deliberative voice. The 

 prenident is elected for four years, but is eligible to be reelected. The 

 ugialatiTe aaembly consists of 5ii members. The council of state is 

 oompoaed of the ministers, eight cotmcillors chosen by the legislative 

 assembly, and of others appointed by the president The revenue 

 and expenditure average somewhat over 400,000 dollars. The debt 

 amounts to 1,200,000 dollars. The army consists of 1000 men, with 

 a patriotic corps and a militia of 5000 men. 



The population consists of aboriginal tribes, some of whom live in 

 a state of almost perfect independence, but the main body have 

 obtained all the rights of free citizens of the republic, and form the 

 bulk of the population ; of the descendants of Europeans, and of the 

 mixed offspring of Europeans and Indians who are known as ' ladinoa.' 

 The Roman Catholic is the established religion, and there are few if 

 any open dissenters. The church is presided over by the Archbishop 

 of Guatemala. 



During the Spanish occupancy Central America was termed the 

 kingdom of Guatemala, the city of Guatemala being the capital and 

 seat of government During the struggle for independence it remained 

 quiet and subject to Spain ; but on the declaration of independence 

 in 1821 it was fur awhile united to the Mexican empire of Iturbe. 

 On the publication of the new constitution, July 2nd 1823, by which 

 the federal union of Central America was formed, Guatemala became 

 one of the united states. This union was however after a short time 

 dissolved, and Guatemala then became an independent republic and 

 has so continued to the present time. 



(Haefkin, Centraal Amerika ; J\uucroT,Oualemala; Travdtof Hum- 

 boldt, Dunn, Byam, Thompson, &c. ; Baly, Central America.) 



GUATEMA'LA, the capital of the republic of Guatemala, Central 

 America. A city of this name was founded by Pedro de Alvarado in 

 1624, sboDt 26 miles W. from the present city, near the town of 

 tioatemala U Antigua, and was destroyed in 1541, it is said, by 

 •Dormous masses of water bursting forth from a neighbouring volcauo, 

 which from tliat circumstance has obtained the name of Vulcauo du 

 Agua, or the Water Volcano. A new town was built at a little 

 distance, and is now called Guatemala la Antigua, or briefly La 

 Antigua, This second city, the capital of the Spanish kingdom of 



Guatemala, was partly destroyed by earthquakes in 1773, after which 

 disaster the present city, called Guatemala la Nueva, or ' the New,' 

 was founded in 1774. 



Oaatemala la Nueva is situated in 14° 37' N. lat., 90° 30' W. long., 

 on a plain which is about 14 miles long and 9 miles wide, and ia 

 4961 feet above the aea-level ; it is 90 miles from the Atlautic and 

 26 milea from the Pacific Ocean : population about 40,000. The city 

 is built with great regularity ; the streets are 40 feet wide, straight, 

 intersect at right angles, and always terminate in some conspicuous 

 building. The houaes have only one story, but occupy a great deal 

 of ground, containing within their walls one or more court-yards. 

 The town ia well provided with water brought by an aqueduct from 

 a spring which rises on a hill about four miles from the city, and con- 

 ducted by pipes into twelve public reservoirs, from which it is carried 

 to every private house. The most remarkable buildings are round 

 the plaza, or great market-place, a square of about 150 yards, situated 

 nearly in the centre of the city. On the east side stands the cathedral, 

 a simple but noble building ; and near it on one side the palace of the 

 archbishop, and on the other the university. The north and west 

 sides of the plaza are occupied by other public buildings, and on the 

 south side are the best shops of the city. Besides the cathedral there 

 are 19 other churches and chapels. Guatemala enjoys a perpetual 

 spring ; the thermometer rsirely rises above 70% or descends below 

 64°. Earthquakes are however frequent. The commerce of the city 

 is limited to its own consumption and that of the neighbourhood. Its 

 manufactures consist of common cottons, muslias, gauze, porcelain, 

 earthenware, cigars, jewellery, &o. The auburba, which are mostly 

 inhabited by Indians and mulattoe8,here called ladinoa, partly surround 

 the city. 



Oualemala la Antigua, about 26 milea W.S.W. from the capital, ia 

 situated in a wide valley of great fertility, at the western end of which 

 rise the two vast and lofty volcanoes called De Agua and De Fuogo, 

 noticed in the previous article. The city itself is at an elevation of 

 5817 feet After its partial destruction in 1773, and the foundation 

 of New Guatemala, the Spanish government ordered the place to be 

 abandoned, but a considerable portion of the inhabitants returned to 

 it; and it now contains a population of about 16,000. This amount 

 of population is mainly to be attributed to the great fertility of the 

 valley, in which nearly all the vegetables are cultivated which are 

 consumed in both cities : there are also some manufactories, and a 

 considerable quantity of cochineal is collected. The city is regu- 

 larly laid out, and the streets are spacious. Among the buildings 

 which were not destroyed is the town-hall, a magnificent edifice, and 

 a good example of the style in which the city was built. A great part 

 of the place is still in ruins. 



GUAYAQUIL. [Ecbadob.] 



OUBEN. [Bbandenbdbq.] 



GUELDERLAND, or GELDERLAND, a province of the kingdom 

 of Holland, lying between 61° 45' and 52° 32' N. lat, 4° 57' and 

 6° 47' E. long., is bounded N. by the Zuider-Zee and Overyeael, W. 

 by Utrecht and South Holland, S. by North Brabant and Limburg, 

 and E. by the Rhenish provinces of Prussia. Its area ia 1962 square 

 miles, and on the 31st of December 1852 the population was 

 383,394. 



The surface is in general level : some of it is reclaimed marsh land ; 

 northward from Aruheim to the movith of the Yssel, the country is 

 hilly or undulating. The climate is healthy ; the soil ia good and the 

 [laaturage luxuriant ; but there is a considerable breadth of heath 

 and naturtdly barren land, some of which ia planted with pines, firs, 

 and stunted oaks. Guelderland is watered by the Rhine, the Waal, 

 the Yssel, the Maas, and the Leek, besides which rivers there are 

 several canals. It ia traversed by the railroad from Amsterdam to 

 Aruheim, whence the line ia to be continued across the province to 

 Emmerich within the Prussian frontier. The greater part of the 

 inhabitants employ themselves in agriculture. The principal crops 

 are wheat, rye, buck-wheat, potatoes, hops, and tobacco. Orchards 

 are very numerous, and the cultivation of the land ia generally in a 

 very advanced state. Some few manufactures are carried on ; among 

 these, paper-making and tanning are the principal : some linen is like- 

 wise produced. The province is divided politically into four districts, 

 namely, Arnheim, Nimeguen, Thiel, and Zutphen. The capital of 

 the province is Arnueim. 



Nimegaen, or Nymegm, the Roman Noviomagiis, stands on the left 

 bank of the Waal, and has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is built on 

 the slope of a hill, and is strongly fortified. The town is well built, but 

 the streets are narrow. The quay is separated from the town by a 

 wall. The most remarkable buildings are the town-house and the 

 church of St Stephen. Some Roman antiquities have been discovered. 

 On an eminence above the town is the fine cafi5 and promenade of the 

 Belvedere, from which there is a very interesting prospect. Leather, 

 glue, Prussian blue, and a pale beer called moll, are the chief indus- 

 trial producta. Nymegen ia famous for the treaties of peace concluded 

 in it August 10 1678 between Spain, France, and Holland; and Feb- 

 ruary 5, 1679, between Spain and France, the emperor of Germany, 

 and Sweden. 



ZiUplien, at the siege of which in 1591 Sir Philip Sidney fell, ia a 

 strongly fortified town, ou the right bank of the Ysael, and haa 11,000 

 inhabitants. The ramparts are planted with trees, and form a plea- 



