REVIEWS — NOTES ON CENTRAL AMERICA. 363 



with considerable acetiracy." The bearings of these points have 

 accordingly constituted important fixed data, in so far as they applied. 

 Much, however, still remains, "inserted on the best information that 

 could be obtained, and in a Jew instances conjecturally. The course 

 of the Eio Patuca, and the relative positions of the towns situated 

 on its upper waters, are on the authority of a rude map constructed 

 by the mahogany-cutters who are established on the Patuca Eiver 

 and its tributaries." Other important areas are laid down in like 

 manner, from data furnished by native maps ; and how far these are 

 to be relied on for minute accuracy may be guessed by the admission 

 that " little reliance can be placed upon the Itineraries which are 

 appended to the various Calendarios published in Central America in 

 respect of distances. The computations are in leagues, and have 

 been obtained chiefly from the professional arrieros, or muleteers of 

 the country, whose estimates of distances are very loose, depending, 

 as they often naively confess; upon the qualities of their mules!" 

 And as it would seem that the rate of the arriero's mule has been 

 assumed as the measure of the league in horizontal distance, alike 

 over level ground and broken and mountainous districts, such as 

 abound in the country, the precise value of the results, it is obvious, 

 must present a vague and very variable approximation to the truth. 



Both the Geology and the Natural History of Central America 

 receive the attention of the observant author in the course of his 

 work, and owing to the volcanic character of that portion of the 

 American continent, some of his descriptions of the scenery, and his 

 notices of volcanic phenomena, have a special interest. On this 

 subject the following extract will furnish a good example of his style 

 of treatment of such themes : 



''The volcanic features of San Salvador are both numerous and striking. Only 

 two of the eleven great volcanoes of the state are what aie called "vivo," alive or 

 active, viz., San Miguel and Izaleo. The first named rises sheer from the plain to 

 the height of six thousand feet in the form of a regular truncated cone. It emits 

 constantly great volumes of smoke from its summit, but its eruptionshave been con- 

 fined, since the historical period, to the opening of great fissures in its sides, from 

 which have flowed currents of lava, reaching, in some instances, for a number of 

 miles. The last eruption of this kind occurred in 1848, but it resulted in no serious 

 damage. 



'* It is difficult to conceive a grander natural object than this volcano. Its base 

 is shrouded in densest green, blending with the lighter hues of the grasses which 

 succeed the forest. Above these the various colors melt imperceptibly into each 

 other. First comes the rich umber of the scoriae, and then the silver tint of the 

 newly-fallen ashes at the summit; and still above all, floating in heavy opalescent 

 volumes, or rising like a plume to heaven, is the smoke, which rolls up eternally 

 from its incandescent depths. 



