112 NICARAGUA. 



Republic. It is at a distance of about ten miles from the 

 Lake of Nicaragua, with which, it communicates by the 

 Tipitapa River. It is a line lake also, but only about twenty 

 miles in circumference. About ten miles from Granada there 

 is another lake called Massaya, but it is very small. It looks 

 like the mouth of an extinct crater, and probably it is one. 

 It is enclosed on all sides with steepy rocky walls. Close by,. 

 lies the town of Massaya, with about 15,000 inhabitants, 

 nearly all Indians. It is very large, each house having a 

 garden attached to it. The streets have the appearance of a 

 picturesque promenade among fruit trees. Their only supply 

 of water is that of the lake close by, about 300 feet deep, 

 from which they draw water, by means of buckets attached 

 to long ropes. This lake is called in the country Injierno 

 de Massaya (Hell of Massava). All its surroundings are of 

 volcanic origin, flanked on its western side by the active 

 Volcano of Massaya, whose lava streams have covered the 

 sides of the lake and all adjacent grounds. 



From Massaya to Leon, a distance of 70 miles, nearly all 

 of which consists of barren plains, is called the Malpais, or 

 bad country. As many as fourteen distinct volcanoes are 

 scattered from place to place in that short space. 



At night the whole of it is lit up by bluish flames, flash- 

 ing across the land or leaping like columns of fire, appearing 

 and disappearing in succession. It is called by the Indians 

 el baile de los demonios, or the devil's dance. 



The principal towns of the Republic of Nicaragua are 

 Managua, the actual capital of the Republic, 10,000 inhabit- 

 ants ; Leon, the capital, when I visited that country, 30,000 

 inhabitants ; Grenada, 12,000 inhabitants ; Rivas, south of 

 Granada, at a short distance from the Lake of Nicaragua, 

 8,000 inhabitants ; Massaya, already cited ; Segovia, the 

 capital of that district ; Matagalpa, the capital of the district \ 

 San Juan del Norte, the principal port on the Atlantic; 

 Bliiefields, the capital of the Mosquito Indians ; San Juan 

 del Sur, one of the Pacific ports, and Re ale jo, close to the 

 port of that name, on the Pacific. 



The area of the Republic embraces 51,600 square miles. 

 Its actual population exceeds 600,000 inhabitants, and in 

 consequence of the variety and fertility of its soil and its 

 admirable position, a great future can easily be predicted for 

 that country. 



