250 MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. 



Climate, Flora, Fauis^\. 



Being intersected by 13° 30' north latitude, with a general southern incline, the 

 Salvador coastlands are exposed to great heats which, despite the refreshing sea- 

 breezes, range normally from about 78° to 83° Fahr. But the coastlands are the 

 least inhabited part of the country, most of the population being concentrated in 

 the elevated volcanic zone between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above sea-level, where the 

 mean temperature falls to 74° and even 70° Fahr. Farther north, in the low-lying 

 valley of the Lempa, which is inaccessible to the sea-breezes, the climate again 

 becomes hot and insalubrious ; hence this district also is but sparsely peopled. 



The rains, which are more copious on the seaward slopes of the mountains, 

 begin to fall about the middle of May, and last, with a short interruption towards 

 the end of June, till the month of September. They are always brought by the 

 vendavales, or southern winds, and are at times accompanied by storms, and even, by 

 chubascos, or cyclones. During the dry season, when the north winds prevail, the 

 coastlands are also exposed to storms, the so-called terrales, which are much dreaded 

 by the fishing popvdations, especially in the months of February and March. 



In its flora and fauna Salvador differs little from Guatemala. A characteristic 

 species is the balsam [myrospermum salvaforense), which has given its name to the 

 section of the coast between Acajutla and Libertad, and which was formerly called 

 " Peruvian Balsam," because forwarded to Spain by the Callao route. Salvador is 

 especially rich in medicinal plants, gums, and resins. Of late years the planta- 

 tions have been somewhat frequently visited by clouds of locusts. 



Inhabitants. 



The Pipils, that is, the Aztecs of Guatemala, were also in possession of west 

 Salvador at the time of the Spanish Conquest, as is attested by the local nomen- 

 clature. The centre of their power was at Suchitoto, north of the present capital, 

 and Bernai Diaz tells us that their social, religious and political institutions were 

 identical with those of the Mexican Aztecs. Their territory was limited north 

 and east by the Rio Lempa, which river long arrested the advance of the Spaniards. 

 The very name of the river is a corruption of Lempira, chief of the Chontal 

 Indians, who offered the stoutest resistance to the invaders. 



After the conquest, the Pipils, like their Mexican kindred, were reduced to a 

 state of abject servitude ; yet they became gradually assimilated to their masters 

 by crossings, and at the time of the declaration of independence in 1821, the 

 Salvador half-breeds greatly outnumbered the whites. At present, about four- 

 fifths of the population are of mixed Hisj)ano-Indian descent. But there still 

 survive some nearly if not quite full-blood Indian communities, such as the Pipils 

 of Izalco, who still speak a Mexican dialect. 



But the native customs and language are best preserved by the people of the 

 Balsam coast, south of the volcanic range. These Indians, who dwell in low huts 

 covered with foliage, cultivate a little maize, and do some trade in bananas with 



