The Republic of Salvador. 73 
feet, and when this is the case, you cannot see the house, but 
only a green and high palisade of tall and prickly cacti. 
From Acajutla to La Libertad the shore of Salvador is known 
under the name of Costa del Balsamo, or Balsam Coast. It is a 
magnificent part of the republic, green and fresh, fragrant from 
the odor of numerous gorgeous flowers, watered by many 
mountainous creeks, covered with numerous haciendas and fincas. 
The hills, not too high or too steep, run in soft undulations to the 
‘shore, while toward the east they become higher and higher until 
they meet the principal chain of the Andes. The Balsam Coast 
itself produces indigo, sugar, cotton, tobacco, coffee and maize, 
and is of extreme fertility. But the glory of the coast is the 
famous balsam, known as ‘‘Balsam of Peru,’’ which is produced 
in the woods of this coast in such quantities a over ous 000 
pounds are annually exported. 
Speaking about balsam, I must mention Wee under this term 
we understand now the balsams of Peru and of Tolu. Both 
balsams have a very fragrant odorand they are used in confection- 
ary, in perfumery and cspecially in medicine. The two balsams 
mentioned are very similar to each other in their properties and 
both are produced by trees of the genus Myroxylon, or My- 
rospermum of the Leguminosae, Myrospermum  peruiforum, 
commonly called the ‘‘Quinquino,”’ growsin abundance in Central 
America, and chiefly from this beautiful treeis prepared the cele- 
brated balsam of the coast of Salvador. Myrospermum toluiferum 
is a very similar species to the former, but grows mostly on the 
banks of the Magdalena river and in the mountains of Venezuela 
and New Granada. The mountains of Tolu gave the name to 
this balsam. 
At the end of Costa del Balsamo we meet the fair town of 
La Libertad, the second harbor on the coast of Salvador. The 
scenery around the town is magnificent; in fact the prettiest on 
the coast, for just behind the harbor begin the hills, covered 
with the most costly woods and with magnificent fruit- bearing 
trees of the topics. The cool stream, the river Chillama, runs 
close to the town; and on its banks the luxuriant vegetation 
reigns in its supernatural beauty. Over the houses of the town 
tower the high cocoanut trees laden with fruit, and close to 
them lingers the graceful curica, papaya, ceiba, henisaro, mata- 
palo, guayago del monte, euiscoyol, mahogany, and nispero form 
dense groups; feathery, delicate leaves of banana and plaintains 
shine withthe color of purest emerald under the glowing sun, and 
the taller columnar cardon cactus shoots like an arrow towards 
the blue sky. 
The town ot La Libertad i is a small, delightful place, composed 
of low adobe houses,surrounded by luxuriant gardens. It is the 
harbor of San Salvador, the capital of the “republic, and all 
merchandise destined to that place has to go through La Liber- 
