A RUN TO NICARAGUA. 353 



endeavouring to reunite, sometimes at war with one 

 another, nearly always at war within themselves. 

 In 1851, Honduras, San Salvador, and Nicaragua 

 formed a union; in 1852 it was dissolved, and Senor 

 Pineda was elected President of Nicaragua. In the 

 following year he died, and an election taking place 

 to fill the vacancy, Senors Castillon and Chamorro 

 were the candidates. Chamorro by force of arms 

 obtained possession of the polls throughout the State, 

 and defeating Castillon, banished him from Nicar- 

 agua. Castillon, however, who, as the democratic 

 and therefore popular candidate, had a large number 

 of partisans in Nicaragua, was not a man to be thus 

 easily crushed, and, while an exile in Honduras, 

 organised an expedition composed of refugees like 

 himself, and with them marched boldly upon Leon, 

 his native town. Here he was received with accla- 

 mation. Joined by crowds of political adherents, 

 who are in these countries accustomed to enforce 

 their views by blows, by them he was proclaimed 

 Provisional Director of the republic ; routed Cha- 

 morro in a pitched battle, and obliged him to take 

 refuge in Grenada, to which city he- forthwith laid 

 siege. Although commencing under sxich favourable 

 auspices, success did not crown the efforts of Cas- 

 tillon. For eight months Grenada was besieged, and 

 even after Chamorro's death the war was carried on 

 by his partisans with so much vigour, and there 

 seemed so little chance of peace being restored to 



VOL. II. Z 



