308 



MEXICO, CENTEAL AMEEICA, WEST INDIES. 



like the station of Chirripo, it failed to prosper owing to its isolation. The 

 so-called "city"' of Santiago de Talantanca, founded on the banks of the Sicsola, 

 was burnt in 1610 by the revolted Indians. 



The constant reports of rich gold-fields in the valley of the Estrella (Chan- 

 guinola) rest on a mistake made by Alcedo in his famous Diccionario Geografico- 

 Historico de las Indias Occidentales. Alcedo had given to these mines of the 

 Estrella the name of Tisingal (Tinsigal, Tisiugal), which happens to be an abbre- 

 viated form of Tegucigalpa, as shown 

 by the corsair Ravenau de Lussan's 

 excursion to the Rio Segovia in Nica- 

 ragua, 



This " gold coast," where no tra- 

 dition survives of a pretended town of 

 Estrella, attracted scarcely any settlers. 

 It was, in fact, rather avoided, owing 

 to its reefs and inhospitable shores. 



ri£ 



136. PUEETO LiMON. 



Pcale.l : 50,000. 



Depths. 



Sands exposed 

 at ebb. 



Oto 16 

 Feet. 



16 to 32 



Feet. 



32 Feet and 

 upwards. 



1,100 Yards. 



Economic Condition of Costa Ric.\. 



Although not so rapid as that of 



other Spanish-American communities, 



the material progress of Costa Rica has 



at least been steady and regular. The 



population advanced from 80,000 in 



1844 to 120,500 in 1864, and to over 



182,000 in 1883, and was estimated at 



220,000 in 1890. The number of immigrants is still very small, and of the 4,672 



returned in 1883, nearly 2,000 were from the conterminous states of Nicaragua 



and Colombia. 



In the trade of the world Costa Rica derives its importance almost exclusively 

 from its coffee, which, in prosperous years, has been exported to the extent of 

 15,000 tons, chiefly to Great Britain. 



Costa Rica also exports sugar, rubber, cacao, hides, and timber ; but in recent 

 years all these wares are exceeded in value by the bananas forwarded to the 

 United States, which in 1889 amounted to 40,000 tons, worth over £80,000. 

 The so-called quiquisque, that is, the tare of Polynesia (edible colocasia), is also 

 cultivated, in some districts even by Indians. 



The planters on the uplands, directing their attention almost exclusively to 

 cofPee-growing, do not produce sufficient supplies for the local demand, and are 

 consequently obliged to import farinaceous products from Chile. Even the live- 

 stock is insufficient for the wants of the people, despite the vast extent of their 

 grazing-grounds. Of sheep and goats there were scarcely more than 2,000, and of 

 horses and horned cattle, 353,000 in 1888, when all the live-stock was valued at 

 not more than £80,000. 



