NICARAGUA. 271 



of Nicaragua, though its independence was again threatened in 1855 by the 

 American National party itself. In that year the American adventurer, Walker, 

 one of those men " who have all the qualities required for the throne or the 

 gibbet," came to the aid of one of the native factions with over 12,000 filibusters, 

 who were to be rewarded with extensive grants of land for their future victories. 



After a first repulse at the town of Rivas, Walker seized Granada, the chief 

 city of the republic, and secured the election of his nominee to the presidential 

 chair. Slavery was then revived, and an attempt made to attract capitalists with 

 the view of converting Nicaragua into one vast plantation, on the model of the 

 '•' Cotton States," such as Mississippi and South Carolina. But all the peoples of 

 Central America had already taken the alarm, and a league was formed against 

 the filibusters. From the south came the Costa E.icaus, from the north the 

 Guatemalans, and the Nicaraguans themselves having also revolted, the adventurer 

 was driven from port to port, and at last compelled to take refuge in Rivas, where, 

 after a four-months' siege, he had to capitulate in 1857. Though his life was 

 spared, he twice attempted to return to Central America, but having fallen into 

 the hands of the Houdurans, he was executed as a filibuster at Truxillo, in the 

 year 1860. 



This failure was of more than local importance ; it was the first success of the 

 abolitionist party in America itself. " I have defended the cause of the slave- 

 holders abroad," said Walker when dying ; " they will soon have to defend it 

 themselves in their own suo-ar and cotton fields." 



Since that critical epoch, Nicaragua has pursued a more tranquil course of 

 development than the sister states. There has been a general increase of popula- 

 tion and wealth without involving the usual consequences of civil discord and 

 revolutions. Even the troublesome questions of boundaries have led to nothing 

 more serious than diplomatic discussions with Honduras and Costa Rica, discus- 

 sions which were finally settled by the mediation of the United States Government, 

 appealed to as arbitrator. 



Apart from a few slight deviations, the two bold lines traced on the map, on 

 one side by the course of the Rio Segovia, on the other by the southern shore of 

 Lake Nicaragua and the bed of the Rio San Juan, are regarded as the frontiers 

 of Nicaragua towards Honduras on the north and Costa Rica on the south. 



Physical Features. 



The Nicarao^uan main rangre forms a south-eastern continuation of the Chile 

 Mountains in Honduras, running parallel with the Pacific coast, with peaks 

 ranging from over 3,000 to 4,000 feet in height. The chain falls gradually 

 southwards, rising to a mean altitude of scarcely more than 650 or 700 feet along 

 the east side of Lake Nicaragua. This irregular system may be roughly regai'ded 

 as the escarpment of an ancient plateau falling abruptly westwards, and inclining 

 eastwards to the Atlantic through a long dtclivity disposed by the running waters 

 in numerous divergent valleys. Those of north Nicaragua run north-east 



