The Republic of Salvador. y ^ 



feet, and when this is the case, you cannot see the house, but 

 only a green and high palisade ol tall and prickly cacti. 



From Acajutla to La Libertad the shore of Salvador is known 

 under the name of Costa del Balsamo, or Balsam Coast. It is a 

 magnificent part of the republic, green and fresh, fragrant from 

 the odor of numerous gorgeous flowers, watered' by many 

 mountainous creeks, covered with numerous haciendas and fincas. 

 The hills, not too high or too steep, run in soft undulations to the 

 shore, while toward the cast they become higher and higher until 

 they meet the principal chain of the Andes. The Balsam Coast 

 Itself produces indigo, ^ugar, cotton, tobacco, coffee and maize, 

 and is of extreme fertility. But the glory of the coast is the 

 famous balsam, known as "Balsam of Peru," which is produced 

 in the woods of this coast in such quantities that over 30,000 

 pounds are annually e.xported. 



Speaking about balsam, I must mention that under this term 

 wc understand now the balsams of Peru and of Tolu. Both 

 balsams have a very fragrant odor and they are used in confection- 

 ary, in perfumery and (specially in medicine. The two balsams 

 mentioned are very similar to each other in their properties and 

 both are produced by trees of the genus Myro.xylon, or My- 

 rospermum ot the Lcguminosae, Myrospermum peruiforum. 

 commonly called the "Ouinciuino," growsin abundance in Central 

 America, and chiefly from this beautiful tree is prepared the cele- 

 brated balsam of the coast of Salvador. Mvrospermum toluiferum 

 is a \'ery similar s|)ecies to the former, but grows mostly on the 

 banks of the Magdalena river and in the mountains of Venezuela 

 and New Granada. The mountains of Tolu gave the name to 

 this balsam. 



At the end of Costa del Balsamo we meet the fair town of 

 La Libertad, the second harbor on the coast of Salvador. The 

 scenery around the town is magnificent; in fact the prettiest on 

 the coast, for just behind the harbor begin the hills, covered 

 with the most costly woods and with magnificent fruit-bearing 

 trees of the topics. The cool stream, the river Chillama, runs 

 close to the town; and on its banks the luxuriant vegetation 

 reigns in its supernatural beauty. Over the houses of the town 

 tower the high cocoanut trees laden with fruit, and close to 

 them lingers the graceful curica, papaya, ceiba, henisaro, mata- 

 palo, guayago del monte, guiscoyol, mahogany and nispero form 

 dense groups; feathery, delicate leaves of banana and plaintains 

 shine with the color of purest emerald under the glowing sun, and 

 the taller columnar cardon cactus shoots like an arrow towards 

 the blue sky. 



The town of La Libertad is a small, delightful place, composed 

 of low adobe houses, surrounded by luxuriant gardens. It is the 

 harbor of San Salvador, the capital of the ' republic, and all 

 merchandise destined to that place has to go through La Liber- 



