112 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



village of St. Antonio, a collection of mud huts upon a bare 

 white soil, very trying to the eyes. A miserable place, very hot, 

 nothing green anywhere, swarming with lean pigs and naked 

 children. We always found that the poorer a village the more 

 numerous were the pigs, gaunt, more than half-starved-looking 

 swine, which rush about everywhere in the attempt temporarily 

 to put off starvation. The people live mainly by fishing, partly 

 carried on in dug-out canoes, partly in traps made of stakes and 

 branches near the shore. They also shoot ducks, which are very 

 plentiful on the lake and apparently also very tame ; these are 

 cleaned, dried in the sun, and then sent to market. On the 

 other side rise the volcano of Atitlan, 11,850 feet high, and 

 the Cerro de Oro, immediately from the water, many mountains 

 lying on their flanks. The lake of Atitlan, probably the crater 

 of an extinct volcano, is supposed to be without bottom ; rivers 

 enter but apparently do not leave it, though in reality they do, 

 through underground channels, appearing afterwards as swiftly 

 rushing streams making their way towards the ocean through 

 the tropical forest. A few more miles and then we descended 

 into a narrow but most fertile valley, which owes its fertility to 

 a broad river here entering the lake. After our ride over the 

 bare, scorched hills the beautifully fresh verdure of this spot was 

 very pleasing. It seemed a garden ; every hut stood in its little 

 enclosure, surrounded by various trees, by plantains and green 

 vegetables of many kinds. Water conducted from the river ran 

 in numerous channels all over the land ; thanks to the perfect 

 system of irrigation the little town of Palajachel owns the 

 market-gardens which supply the surrounding country. We 

 were glad to rest here for a day after the hard marching of the 

 last two days, especially as the posada was well kept, actually 

 possessing, and producing for our benefit, a clean tablecloth. 

 We most thoroughly enjoyed bathing in the clear waters of the 

 lake, the lazy strolls among the gardens and up the valley 

 towards a small sugar finca ; watching the market people 

 assembled in the Plaza was also full of interest. The women 

 wore a chocolate-brown chemise embroidered or striped with 

 crimson, a dark blue petticoat, blue and crimson belt, crimson 

 ribbons in the hair, and many red beads and rings. The men 

 covered their nakedness by means of a black and white striped 

 garment round the loins, a white shirt, homespun jacket, red 



